Specs:

• Multicolour LED Lighting – up to 16 million colours
• Voice control (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) or
• VOCOlinc (featuring such as mist settings and intensity, lightning effects, etc.)
• Automatic shutdown when the tank is empty
• 220ml water tank capacity
• Add your favourite aroma oil to create a fragrant atmosphere
• Works w/ HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
• BPA-free
• Perfect for rooms up to 30 m2
• ON / OFF timer
• Max. work time 8 hours
• Dimensions: height 16cm x average 11,2cm

The post Vocolinc Ripple Mini Aroma Diffuser appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Whilst more HomeKit compatible devices are always welcome, the HomeKit market saw a massive expansion of cameras becoming available, once companies have managed to include HomeKit Secure Video (HSV) into their functionality. So with the Opto making its debut, is there much room on the bus for another camera? Read on to make up your own mind.

* the T-Guard Smart Lock and the VS1 smart contact sensor being the other two security devices

PACKAGING

Many HomeKit accessory manufacturers have taken on the Apple mantra of less is more to a large degree, and Vocolinc is one such company, with the product being pretty much the only feature on the front of the box. You’ll also note that only the HomeKit logo is present, as this is an Apple HomeKit only product, so there’s no compatibility with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, unlike many of their products. The only other Vocolinc devices that aren’t compatible with these other platforms are the T-Guard Smart Lock, and the VS1 contact sensor, both of which use Bluetooth. the Opto is a WiFi device, but it’s still a HomeKit exclusive.

the rear of the box has the obligatory ‘in-situ’ image, and the top of the box has the HomeKit logo along with a ‘Privacy Matters’ badge. This has started to make its appearance on Vocolinc products since the introduction of their updated app, which has a HomeKit only mode, and a ‘full experience’ mode, with the latter allowing Google and Alexa integrations, but does require a Vocolinc account to achieve this. So, with HomeKit mode, you’re not required to set up an account, although only Vocolinc’s devices will show up, not all of your HomeKit devices (with the exception of within automations).

The sides of the box feature details of requirements as well as features of the Opto, many of which reflect the fact that it’s compatible with HSV out of the box. I’ve marked where these HSV features are in the list below;

• 1080P recording at 30fps
• 3-megapixel camera
• End-to-end encrypted video (HSV)
• 10-day, motion-based recording history (HSV)
• Smart Detection – people, pets, vehicles (HSV)
• Notifications with snapshots (HSV)
• 2-way audio
• Night vision up to 19.7ft / 6m
• Pan, tilt and zoom: 350º (H), 117º (V), up to 3 x zoom
• Privacy mode
• 107º field of view
• Uses WiFi 2.4GHz for connection
• 80 x 80 x 110mm / 3.15 x 3.15 x 4.33in (W,D, H)
• Weighs 280g / 9.88oz

The camera can also be mounted upside down from a ceiling, or on the underside of a shelf for example. the Opto comes with a circular attachment that screws into a surface using the included screws and rawl plugs, with the base of the camera screwing into the circular attachment. Handily enough, you also get a small sticker to guide you into making sure you screw the holes at the right distance when preparing to mount the camera. The Vocolinc app allows for the camera’s view to be ‘flipped’ so that you don’t have to look at the live stream upside down if ceiling mounted.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

Aside from the camera and the aforementioned mounting parts, you get a manual with one of two instances of the HomeKit code, a USB power supply, and a 2-metre / 6.56ft USB-A to USB-C power cable…yes USB-C! Apart from the Onvis C3, the Opto is the only other camera I’m aware of so far that uses a USB-C power supply. It’s a small detail, and in reality, doesn’t matter so much, but it makes plugging the cable in just that little bit easier.

THE CAMERA

Onto the camera itself, and the comparisons to the Eufy pan and tilt camera are going to be inevitable, mostly due to the similar overall design, and the fact that both cameras have motorised pan and tilt functionality. Whilst they may look similar, it would be unfair to say they’ve copied the Eufy, as there have been many cameras that are part of the Xiaomi/Mi Home ecosystem that look similar to this (out of necessity you could say) that came out long before the Eufy. It does remind me a little of the Snapchat logo though! The rear of the camera is home to the second of the two instances of the HomeKit code and also houses the speaker and USB-C power connection.

The camera section sports a large light sensor at the top, above the lens, which is central, and a microphone, immediately below the lens. The light sensor is to help the camera switch between night vision and standard colour vision, although, unlike the Logitech Circle View, it’s not exposed to HomeKit.

On the rear of the camera you have the aforementioned speaker, and on the base is a small reset button (labelled RST), with the UB-C power port next to that, and finally, what at first glance appears to be another reset option, of the type that you would stick a SIM pin inside, but actually it houses a small LED (even though the manual does in fact erroneously state that this is the reset button). Now regarding this section, full marks for putting in a USB-C connection, but when it comes to resetting the device, which I did for the purposes of testing the device, there’s very little room to fit your finger in just enough to press this button, so in effect, your finger has to squeeze between the end section of the power cable and the side of the cutout section, which isn’t very comfortable. They could definitely have done with making the cutout at least another 25% wider in my opinion, although hopefully resetting the device is going to be a rare occurrence. The LED will show blue or red, depending on the state of the camera – red for recording and streaming, or blue for just streaming.

This leads us to the placement of the LED indicator. Pretty much all other HomeKit and HSV capable cameras have the indicator LED on the front, so it begs the question as to why Vocolinc decided to put it on the back. Whatever the reasoning, I’m going to offer a suggestion that this is in fact a good place to have the LED; Most people, if they think or know they’re being watched, could be disconcerted by an always-on, visible LED, and so placing it at the back makes sense. Sure, if you’re in charge of the camera, then it would nice to be able to see this LED without having to look behind it, but then the Home app is going to tell you what state it’s in, and given that you can only have a maximum of five cameras recording with a 2TB iCloud account, I think it’s fair to say you’ll probably know which cameras are set to record and/or stream.

When it comes to the panning option, the camera is listed as being able to pan 350º, although due to the 107º field of view, you essentially cover everything around the camera, as there’s a field of view ‘overlap’ from one end of the position of the camera in the horizontal, to the other. I’ve explained it better in the video! the 117º tilt option is decent enough, and if you have the Opto mounted upside down, you get to see the benefit of this, with the camera able to view more from a high position. Operating the pan and tilt is pretty much as you’d expect of a budget camera, with potentially budget parts to make this function work. The pan and tilt can initially be slightly jerky on occasion, but generally, if you’re panning or tilting in one continuous movement, it’s reasonably smooth. If there’s any stutter, it’s more than likely the WiFi connection.

Night vision seemed fine, and nothing out of the ordinary, so there’s nothing special to note in this regard, but it works well. It’s also interesting that while the camera uses four IR LEDs, they don’t seem to be visible, which makes it more subtle than some cameras in this regard.

IN THE HOME APP

Due to the way HomeKit works, many of today’s cameras work in the same way and have much the same features for the most part, so it’ll come as no surprise that this is also the case with the Opto, which toes the line in conformity, due to its exclusivity with HomeKit. In the Home app, you get all the usual options when HSV is activated, and as with pretty much all cameras now, it comes with a pixel-based motion sensor that is listed as an ‘accessory’ in the settings section. Even though it only connects to 2.4GHz (I really hoped for 5GHz), it loads up snappily and does what’s expected of it.

As with any camera capable of pan/tilt in HomeKit, these controls are not available in the Home app or any third-party app, except for the app from the relevant company, which in this case would be the Vocolinc app for the Opto, and the Eufy Security app for the Eufy pan and tilt.

In the settings within the Home app, depending on what recording or streaming options you have set for the Opto, you get a variety of extra options. As I have the Opto set to Stream and Allow Recording, I get further options in terms of motion detection, for example. As with many HomeKit cameras, the Opto has a motion sensor built-in, although it’s based on pixels, so it’s not a PIR sensor as such. You can still use this motion sensor in automations though.

Within HSV, you get options to detect any movement, or specific movement, when either people, animals, or vehicles are detected. As this is an Indoor camera, vehicle detection would normally only be relevant if the camera was either aimed outside from a window, or if it was used outdoors, (which is probably not recommended in most circumstances) under some form of cover, like a porch. You also get to choose whether to record audio as well as video.

As part of the suite of functions within HSV, you also have facial recognition, which can be turned on or off. You can also tie it to your Photos app, in order to link detected faces to people already tagged in your photo library. This is optional. Finally, you can create zones for motion to be detected or excluded. In the second image above, I’ve created one motion zone, so anything in that zone will trigger recording, whilst anything outside of that zone is ignored. You can add more than one zone to the camera’s field of vision, and you also have the option to invert the zones, so they act in the opposite manner. It’s worth noting that with the Opto being a pan and tilt camera, any zones you create may not be relevant if the camera has been moved to look at a different areas, via pan and tilt operation.

IN THE VOCOLINC APP

As expected, you get a few extras with the Vocolinc app, the most obvious one being control over the pan, tilt and zoom features. These pan and tilt are controlled with the onscreen circular control on the bottom half of the screen. In my tests, which have been ongoing since late December, I initially found the response when tapping these controls, a bit sluggish, but I’m happy to say that they’re much more responsive now, and on a par, if not marginally better than the response time of the equivalent Eufy controls.

• The first of the five icons, using the HomeKit logo, simply takes you to the live stream in the Home app, so you can watch recordings as well as watch the live stream. You can of course watch the live stream in the Vocolinc app, just not the recordings, which is the same for any camera regarding HSV recordings.
• The second icon allows for control over the mic and speaker.
• The third button allows for control over the zoom level – which can give you from 1.0x up to 3.0x zoom in specific 0.5x stages. This option is a bit odd, as most other cameras allow you to simply use the ‘pinch-to-zoom’ action, much like you’d do with a photo. This isn’t possible in the Vocolinc app, so you have to use the zoom controls for this, but is available in the Home app as standard.
• The fourth icon simply controls the mic status.
• The last icon takes you into full-screen mode
• The controls on the bottom, for pan and tilt, are pretty self-explanatory, with left, right up, and down controls controlling where the camera looks.
• Pressing the ‘talk’ button in the centre elicits an animated graphic to show you the mic on your phone is broadcasting your voice to the camera.

All of the same controls are available in full-screen mode, with a translucent overlay.

In the settings for the Opto, you get a visual timeline of motion events, a line to let you know how long ago the last motion occurred, and a button to reveal a list of motion events. This list will reveal the time and date of the motion event, as well as the duration of the motion event, which should correspond with any recordings via HSV, assuming the camera is using HSV for recording.

As you can mount the camera to a ceiling, you have the simple option to flip the image, but only in the vertical, which is fine as it would look odd to mount such a camera on a wall at 90º. There is one option that I’ve found little use for, although some may need it, and that is the Anti-Flicker option, which allows the camera to operate at 50 or 60Hz. This is designed so that you don’t get a mismatch with lights that can cause flicker or subtle strobing. So if your lights are at 50Hz and the camera is at 60Hz, you may notice these types of artefacts. I’ve got it turned off, as I didn’t notice any issues.

In addition to that, we have what I’d consider a very useful tool that could set Opto apart, which is Privacy mode. This simply recesses the camera lens into the body of the camera, so it’s unable to see anything, and by extension not able to record anything or make a note of any motion events. However, the microphone is still active, but while that may allow you to eavesdrop (‘why’ is your business…) none of the conversations can be recorded, as HSV compatible cameras will only record based on motion events. What makes the Privacy mode possibly more useful is that it can be used in scenes and automations. Now whilst it’s true that you can change the state of a camera on any HSV compatible camera based on someone’s location to one of four options – Off, Detect Activity, Stream, or Stream and Allow Recording (assuming they’ve been added to your ‘Home’), the privacy mode can be used in automations based on a whole variety of factors, in addition to manually turning the privacy mode on and off.

The unfortunate thing is, that all this was possible whilst testing the camera earlier this year. The latest beta update has somehow disabled the Privacy feature in the Vocolinc, so currently, I’m unable to replicate these automations there. However, the good news is that Privacy mode is exposed to most third-party HomeKit apps, including the excellent Eve for HomeKit. The basis of this type of automation is quite easy to achieve as in the Eve app, Privacy mode is exposed as a 0 or 1 option, with 0 being privacy mode off, and 1 being privacy mode on.

You can see in the screenshots above, I’m able to create two individual scenes that have the camera set to privacy mode on, and privacy mode off. I’m then able to utilise these scenes in automations. In the example above, I’m simply using time-based triggers to turn the privacy mode on or off. Now, you can turn the Eufy camera off in HomeKit by simply changing the status from Stream to Off, and whilst it does indeed stop streaming in HomeKit, streaming is still visible in the Eufy app. This also means that whilst the camera is ‘off’ in HomeKit and the Home app, the camera lens has not recessed into the shell of the camera and appears to still be ‘watching’, which indeed it is, in the Eufy app. The only way to fully turn off the Eufy camera is to turn it off in both apps.

Speaking of privacy, the other thing that sets this apart from the Eufy pan and tilt camera is that whilst it’s useful to have the Vocolinc app for controlling the pan/tilt etc, you don’t need to sign up for an account in order to do so. This, as far as I’m aware, is not the case with the Eufy equivalent, and at least was the case when I got my first Eufy Pan/tilt camera – I was unable to add it to HomeKit directly, only via the Eufy app.

On the subject of microphones and 2-way audio, I have to admit that this is one function I tend not to use, as, on most cameras, the sound just isn’t as good as I’d like it. Besides that, I rarely find a use for it and so it’s not something I generally bother testing. I made an exception in this case, and although the sound isn’t anything to write home about, I was genuinely surprised it didn’t have that scratchy tinny sound I normally associate with camera speakers. It should be pointed out that the Opto features 2-way audio as standard in HomeKit, whereas the Eufy does not. What it currently lacks that the Eufy does include, is motion tracking, which also works in HomeKit, even if it has to be enabled in the Eufy app. Whether this is something most people use, I’m not sure, but with an overly active puppy having recently joined the household, I’ve found it useful for my Eufy camera to keep tabs on his running around. I’ve been told this can be achieved with the Opto via a firmware update, so we’ll see if that transpires.

THE OPTO IN USE

Vocolinc sent the Opto camera for me to test back at the start of the year, and so I’ve had plenty of time to get to know this camera and any foibles or issues with it. Initially, the camera was a bit slow to react when I controlled the pan and tilt controls in the Vocolinc app, but this has since been remedied via both firmware updates to the camera, and updates to the app. Aside from that, I haven’t come across any issues. Either the current firmware revision or possibly the latest app update seems to have done something to the functionality of the Privacy mode in the Vocolinc app, but it still works in third-party apps, so not all is lost.

In terms of features, it would seem it has all the basics you’d need, including the aforementioned privacy option, 2-way audio, and no requirement to sign up for an additional account in the Vocolinc account. It would’ve been great if it had an SD card slot for on-device recording, but as that’s a hardware issue, there’s no chance of having such an option currently.

When it comes to pan and tilt, it all works as already outlined, so the only thing lacking is control of this feature within the Home app, but this is something for Apple to enable, not Vocolinc. While some not like it, I do like the fact that the LED status light is on the rear of the camera, but this does depend on personal preferences of course.

Taking all of this into account, and looking at a tantalising price point (under US$50.00 I believe), I think Vocolinc have achieved an above-average first attempt. It certainly provides better value for money than many other cameras at more than twice the price, so it’s hard to complain for the most part. One thing to note is that whilst I generally try not to compare products, in the case of the Opto, it’s a lot more difficult to avoid, knowing that the Eufy camera is the only other pan/tilt camera, and at the same price range, so I think in the interest of you, the reader, it’s expected. All in all, it’s a job well done.

Full disclosure: VOCOlinc provided HomeKit News with the Opto Smart Indoor Camera for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made, requested or has not in any way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Vocolinc Opto Smart Indoor Camera (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

Vocolinc’s packaging was always distinctive, with large swathes of green adorning the sides of their boxes. This has changed somewhat, since the introduction of their Smartbar (smart plug), and is now more in line with the kind of packaging you’d see on the shelves at an Apple store. That’s no bad thing, and as long as the contents are well protected, it matters not. The VH1 follows this route and is well protected with polystyrene on the bottom and top, holding the device in place. The information on the front touts the four main features of the VH1, which are;

• a large water tank capable of holding 2.5 litres | 2.642 quarts | 5.283 pints
• a run time of up to 30 hours
• suitable for humidifying rooms up to 40m² | 131ft
• five mist levels

The third point seems a little ambitious, but it may well depend on a variety of factors, as well as what point one deems a room to be ‘humidified’. I’ll talk about my tests later on in the review, but with me not having lab conditions in which to test these claims, the results may vary and will be limited to the size of the room or rooms in which I’m able to test the VH1 in.

In terms of basic specs, the VH1 is 180 x 180 x 285 mm | 7.08 x 7.08 x 11.22in (w,d,h), and weighs 1.1kg | 2.42lb. It uses 2.4GHz WiFi, as expected, and has a rated power of 30w.

The rear of the box goes into a bit more detail, asking the rhetorical question “How Smart?”, to which the answers (in English and French) are;

• Multiple controls with your voice (the ‘multiple’ part may possibly only be achievable with HomeKit)
• In-app automations
• Rainbow Spectrum mood light
• Anti-bacterial technology
• Scheduling
• Automatic shut off
• Timers
• Auto target humidity
• aroma diffuser
• remote access

Now the list above does include things that might not be considered ‘smart’ as such, so I’d take this list to be more a set of ‘features’, but you get the idea. The second last point may grab your attention if you’re already an owner of the Flowerbud, but I’ll address this later on.

THE MISTFLOW

Once out of the box, besides the VH1 itself, you only get a small manual in English and French, that also contains one of two instances of the HomeKit code. The other QR code is found on the back of the device, located between the water level marker and the power cord. The first impression I got – taking into account that I’m an owner of two Flowerbuds – is one of really solid build quality. The Flowerbud was nice, but if I’m honest, the top part of the Flowerbud did feel a little loose fitting to me. Not so with the VH1, as the body section, although in two connected parts, makes up for around 95% of the device, with only the lid atop the VH1 being removable. The fit of the lid is quite snug too, without being difficult to remove. The plastic used for the lower portion has a textured feel to it, so while it’s not going to be a fingerprint magnet, due to it being off-white, it’s also going to be resistant to slipping out of your hands, not that I envision anyone carrying this around too often.

The front of the VH1 has two simple touch-sensitive controls along with the Vocolinc logo. The lower button is to simply turn the built-in LED Rainbow Mood Light on or off. This, as you can probably guess, simply requires a gentle tap to achieve. If you long-press (for at least five seconds) on this control, you can change the colour of the mood light manually. The button above this sets the diffused water to output at a low or high level. I’m happy to say these touch controls are pretty responsive at all times, although you have to make sure you touch them fairly centrally, not just the edge of the icons.

When the VH1 is plugged in, regardless of whether it’s on standby or active, will show a little white LED below the middle power icon. Pressing the aforementioned button then turns the steam on, at a lower level, in the first instance (the L icon), with a second press sending out steam at a high level (the H icon). The Low level is the equivalent of level 3 in the Vocolinc app, with level 5 being the highest speed level). Each of these will reveal a small white LED depending on which speed is in use, and whether the MistFlow is active. As already mentioned in the features, the VH1 is capable of five levels of mist, however, like the Flowerbud, this level of control is only available via the Vocolinc app or some 3rd party HomeKit apps. Pressing either of the touch-sensitive buttons is followed by a small beeping sound.

The rear of the VH1 is home to the power cord, which in this case is fixed in place and can’t be removed. Whilst we use North American Type A and B plugs in Taiwan, Vocolinc could only send the EU version at the time, which comes with a European Type C plug. Luckily, I have both an adaptor and a voltage converter in order to test the VH1 out, although, in actual fact, I did find that the voltage converter was not needed, even though the packaging states that the EU version requires 220-240V to function*. For the US version, which should be out shortly after this review drops, you will, of course, get a type A plug, with it working on 110-120v.

* I should state, I am not endorsing using a device intended to be used in a region it’s not designed for and this is only my personal finding.

The rear also reveals a translucent plastic strip, much like you might see on an electric kettle, that reveals the amount of water in the tank, with simple dots for markers, and a ‘Max’ marker at the top. As previously stated, the tank is capable of 2.5 litres of water. While I’m happy to see this addition, its usefulness is entirely dependent on whether the VH1 is placed in a location where it’s also easily visible from the back. Either way, you can just as easily see the water level from the front.

The top of the VH1, which is essentially a lid, has a small aperture by which the steam is allowed to vent. The top also features a ripple design that we’ve already seen deployed with Vocolinc’s own VAP1 PureFlow Air Purifier, so it’s a nice little touch to see this carried over to another device. Indeed the ‘dewdrop’ shape of the vent is also a nice touch, and could easily have been a simple circle, so I’m glad a little thought has gone into the design process here.

The base of the unit reveals four rubberised feet, which is handy for any surface, but even more so with a device where water can (and almost certainly will) involve water spillage at some point. Right in the centre is an air intake that is required to help the atomiser create the diffused water. To the right of that is a small hole, that in the manual is labelled a water outlet. I can only assume that excess water comes out of here if required. Aside from these parts, there’s nothing much else to report on that involves the base.

Upon opening the VH1, by simply removing the lid, you get to see some interesting parts, at least things that look a fair bit more intricate or involved than is the case with the Flowerbud. Right in the centre is the atomiser itself, which does the job of breaking down the water using ultrasonic technology. This is surrounded on three sides by pill-shaped sections which house the full-colour LEDs. Each of the three sections holds two individual LED units, so you do get decent coverage for what is, essentially, quite a large water tank. To the left of the atomiser is the water level sensor. This detects when the tank gets close to empty and will automatically switch the atomiser off. In a colleague’s test with his own VH1, it seems the Vocolinc app will send you a push notification to let you know the tank is empty, although he found the tank to still have some water inside. I guess it’s better to have some than for it to be totally dried out, but it’s something to note. To the right is a tall cylindrical shaft. This is labelled as the Air Outlet. At this point, I have to plead some measure of ignorance as to how these types of devices work, other than the ultrasonic atomiser doing its job of shattering the water into vapour, that’s then forced out through the top vent in order to humidify your home.

As far as the parts inside go, as with the outside, they feel well put together, and although trying to clean around these sections may be a bit more involved than with the Flowerbud – which is essentially a shallow dish compared to the VH1 – taking your time to clean this is required in order to make sure the VH1 gives you unfettered service for as many years as possible. Incidentally, both of the Flowerbuds in our home have served us well for the past two years, and so I don’t have any reason to doubt I’ll get the same reliability with the VH1. Indeed, whilst the Flowerbud initially revealed a few connectivity issues, which seemed to plague other Vocolinc devices, this hasn’t been the case with either the VH1 or any of my other Vocolinc devices for well over a year now.

The final part of the puzzle (and it’s a bit of a puzzle to me really) is a funnel attached to the inside of the lid. The funnel is directly related to the vent at the top of the lid, and I can only assume the diffused water is aided in escaping the tank with assistance from the funnel, in conjunction with the fan built into the base of the unit. Inside the funnel is also a floating mechanism, although I’m honestly not sure what its purpose is. It floats atop the water in the tank, but I don’t think it’s designed to measure the water level, as the sensor on the base already seems to have that covered, so it probably assists in directing the steam upwards towards the vent. In a separate test, it was noted that as the water tank became more empty, the stream of mist became progressively less powerful. This could be the result of the mist having further to travel along the central funnel, but we’ve contacted Vocolinc to clarify if this is the case. Needless to say, whilst I’m more than happy to wax lyrical on the design of the device, and it’s functionality, I don’t want to get into the technical aspect of how it all works. That’s why we have Wikipedia and YouTube I guess…

The mood light, although not absolutely necessary, does add an extra dimension to a device that could be argued is designed not to be seen, much less heard, so, like the Flowerbud, the VH1 in tandem with the mood light, can be a focal point for the home. It would seem that the design of the Flowerbud did split opinions, with just as many decrying the design as lauding it. I personally liked the design, and I’m just as happy with the slightly more utilitarian look of the VH1. Without the mood light, the translucent tank would look a bit odd, so I think it works with some colour and is also bright enough to act as a night light.

APPLE HOME AND VOCOLINC APPS

In the Home app, the VH1 provides a single combined tile, or two separate tiles if you prefer. The two tiles, shown above are for control of the humidifier itself, and the mood light. The two separate screenshots show the MistFlow as ‘Rising to 88%’ in the first image, and ‘Set to 52%’ in the other, which I’ll explain next.

The VH1 can be set to on or off, via the button at the bottom in the first screenshot. However, in order to make it start pushing out mist, you need to have the ‘Target Humidity’ level set higher than the relative humidity in the room, which can be seen in the settings section. If, for example, the target humidity is set to 55%, but your room is 60%, then the VH1 doesn’t need to do anything, as it’s already more humid than you’ve set it to be aiming for. In these instances, the tile in the Home app will show ‘set to 55%’. If in the same example, you set the target to humidity to 70%, then the VH1 will start humidifying, with the tile showing ‘rising to 70%’. If, on the other hand, you just want to just have the VH1 to start pumping out air when you want it to, regardless of the humidity levels, then you can just set the target humidity level to 100%, so it’ll always work when you turn it on via the touch controls, via Siri or via a timer. Just be aware that it won’t automatically turn off, as it’s unlikely you’ll be able to reach 100% humidity, so just set a countdown timer if necessary.

There’s no option to set the power level for the mist in the Home app, so by default, when you turn the VH1 on in the app, it is always set to the highest level. However, the good news is that the power level can be set to any of the five levels as part of a scene or automation using 3rd party apps like the Eve for HomeKit app for example. As can be seen in the screenshots above, I’m able to create a scene that allows the target humidity and Spray Quantity to be set, as well as the Target Humidity level, whether the VH1 is active or not, in addition to the target state.

As for the mood light, this acts just as though it were a smart colour bulb, so you get all the same controls you would normally get for any smart bulb, which also includes colour temperature control and dimming capabilities. The mood light can also be used in automations, as you would any smart light.

Now, I’m not a massive fan of the Vocolinc app, but there is a new version due soon, that has had a major overhaul, so I may be convinced to use it more then. As is the case with many Vocolinc products, you get a little extra control in the Vocolinc app (formerly known as LinkWise). The VH1 will show up with one tile in the app, and when you long-press on it, you get access to additional controls and settings. The Overview tab allows for control of both the brightness and colour of the mood light on one side with a slider interface, with the strength of the mist controlled with another slider control that allows you to set the mist to any one of five levels, with an Off button below it. Beneath these is a timer slider. This is something you don’t get in the Home app, although this function is available in other 3rd party HomeKit apps. However, whilst these aspects are exposed, they are not presented in anything approaching a user-friendly way, so you may as well use the Vocolinc app in this instance.

Tapping on the colour icon below the brightness slider will open up the Moments tab to allow access to a colour wheel, as well as a colour temperature slider. You also get access to an effects section, which has three colour lighting options – Breath, Blink, and Flow. If you’ve had any other Vocolinc lighting products, you should be quite familiar with these options, but they essentially do with colour what their title suggests. You can also set your favourite colours and effects in the Favourites section.

In the third tab, labelled Schedules, you can preset times for the VH1 to come on an off on certain days of the week, and times of the day. The Schedule feature is fairly rudimentary, but it gets the job done without any fuss, if you want the VH1 to do its work, day in day out, at specific points in the day or week. The last page, Settings, allows access to the Vocolinc Cloud, which is required if you want to use the VH1 with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. Here you can also set the target humidity level, which in my opinion would probably be better in the Overview section, although it’s quite crowded already. You also get to see the current relative humidity, as well as turn on push notifications. These notifications are currently limited to letting you know when the VH1 runs out of water, although it will automatically turn off by itself when it does run out of water anyway, but it’s a good enough reminder to keep the VH1 topped up even when it’s not in use at the time.

FLOWERBUD VS. MISTFLOW

I’ve been asked about the differences between the new MistFlow and the Flowerbud a few times already, and so it should be addressed here. I see the two devices as different if similar products. Both acts as a diffuser, both have colour mood lights, and both are capable of humidifying – to an extent; Vocolinc state that the Flowerbud is first and foremost an ‘Aroma Diffuser’ which is how it has been marketed. by its very nature, if you don’t add any essential oils, then it does become a humidifier of sorts, but due to the small water reservoir (3ooml / 10.14fl oz), it’s not really capable of humidifying a room for too long, and even then, only generally a small room. This is where the MistFlow differs. The 2.5lt tank dwarfs the capabilities of the Flowerbud in respect of how long it can run for, and with a more powerful diffuser, it can outflank the Flowerbud in how well it can humidify a larger room. Of course, the MistFlow can also be a diffuser, but in my opinion, there’s room for both; You may want to just humidify a room with plain water on a daily basis during the winter, but you might not want the smell of Lavender, Tea Tree, or Eucalyptus filling the home twice a day, every day, I imagine. So from my perspective, they both have their roles to play. I’ve often found 30 minutes with the Flowerbud and a few drops of essential oil is more than enough to fill a room with a pleasant smell, but it won’t necessarily be enough to bring up the humidity levels, so it’s probably best to have that duty left to the VH1.

THE VH1 IN USE

I’ve stated I like the design and functions, but of course, it needs to do the job it’s tasked to do, otherwise what’s the point? First of all, is connectivity; I’ve had it connected to a network that’s already slightly bursting at the seams with a variety of devices, but in the few weeks I’ve had it plugged in, it hasn’t disconnected a single time. That’s not to say it deserves a medal for doing what it should be able to do at a minimum, but we’ve all experienced devices that seemingly disconnect for no apparent reason, so it should be at least noted in light of this. I also had it connected to a separate network that was around 10m / 33ft away, with a couple of doors and a wall to make it more difficult to connect to, and it had no issues at all.

when comparing its output with that of the Flowerbud, visually it became apparent that it’s a fair bit more powerful. I don’t have any specific equipment by which to measure the flow of the mist, so you can take my finding as anecdotal for now. The rated power of the VH1 is double that of the Flowerbud,(15W), so I guess this is of no surprise. As already stated, the power output for the Flowerbud is more than enough for aroma diffuser, but for humidifying a space except for the tiniest of box rooms, you’re probably going to need more power. Add this increased power to a much larger tank and you’re getting a lot more steam, with less need to refill.

One thing I did notice with regards to the humidity sensor when I first started using the VH1, is that it took some time to ‘settle’, by which I mean the humidity level was inaccurate when compared to other sensors I generally trusted to be fairly spot-on. Once I’d left it for a while (maybe 3o minutes), the humidity levels matched the other sensors and continued to match them within about a degree or so, from that point forward. If I moved the device to another room, which I’ve done a few times during my tests, I would notice the sensor took a bit of time to reach an accurate reading again, so this is something to be aware of, although, in normal circumstances, I’m guessing most people would keep these in one location most of the time. One other point to note is that the humidity sensor does take a little time to start showing the results of increased humidity, in part because the sensor is located inside the base of the unit, possibly near to the intake fan, and as such isn’t pulling in more humid air until the room starts to fill up. I would say the sensor being near to the intake fan isn’t the best place to put the sensor, but then I don’t know what’s involved in where these sensors should be placed, so I’ll defer to the company’s experience. I asked the company about this, and whether there was a way to increase or adjust the accuracy of the humidity sensor, and although their tests didn’t show the issue I’d noticed to much of an extent at all, I was told they would be issuing updates on a regular basis to tackle any potential issues. If you’ve owned any Vocolinc products in the past, you’ll more than likely notice that they push out small updates on a regular basis, which is comforting to note. One downside that has been noted by my colleague in a separate test is that in larger rooms, it can struggle to get to the higher target humidity levels, so as I mentioned before, the numbers mentioned on the front of the box may be a bit ambitious. That being said, according to The Mayo Clinic, the ideal humidity levels for the home should ideally be between 30-50%, so anything over this number isn’t necessary for most scenarios. I think that even though the VH1, including the ‘dumb’ equivalents of this, may show the option to get to 100% humidity, much like the speedometer on a car isn’t actually capable of reaching the maximum speed shown, humidifiers are unlikely to be able to reach 100% humidity levels. For example, I have a humidity sensor in our quite small shower room, but even then having a shower in such a confined space, the steam generated after 15 minutes or so, only manages around 85% humidity most of the time. All I can say is that there are a lot of factors that can affect the outcome of results, and for me, living in a country that is relatively humid for a lot of the year, while also cold at times, it produced some different results to my colleague’s tests on occasion, so as they say – “Your Mileage May Vary”.

I was recently asked if the VH1 makes much noise, and even though it’s rare for my home to have a truly quiet period of time, at the highest speed, you can hear a motorised bubbling sound, but no real high frequencies, at least none that I could detect. If you were to have this running whilst you slept, I can’t really see this keeping you awake, and I didn’t find it to be a problem at all, with the one night I tested it out, although I had it set to the lowest level in this case.

WRAPPING UP

I should state, that where I live there aren’t a lot of calls (or even much use) for humidifiers for a large portion of the year, as humidity is, as previously stated, relatively high, even in the winter. However, from December to late February, even Taiwan’s north can get dry enough to warrant a bit more humidity. I guess in this case, it’s going to be something akin to a Christmas tree, where it’s only required for a brief part of the winter period. I mention this, not because it’s not going to get much use, but I want to make you, the reader, aware that my tests were conducted when our home wasn’t in a situation to be deemed an ideal candidate for a humidifier, so you may find the VH1 of much greater use, and find more beneficial results than I would have found. Nevertheless, the results I did find, show that this is worthy enough of the term ‘humidifier’, and as already posited, this does set it apart from the Flowerbud, which really is a different device.

Would I recommend it? Yes, assuming you require a device like this, and want the ability to not only turn it on and off via automations, but also with your voice, or even as part of a scene. The mood light may be overlooked in some ways, but I think, for the price (€69.99 / US$69.99), you’re getting a double-duty product in some ways. The argument that you can use a dumb humidifier and a smart plug will raise it’s head no doubt, and if someone wants to do that, then it’s ok. It’s always good to have the choice, and whilst the simple scenario mentioned can work (assuming the device automatically turns on when powered), you aren’t going to get as much control as you would with the VH1, and for that reason, I’d still prefer one with full HomeKit ‘smarts’.

If there’s anything to be said that I’m not happy about, it would really only be the relative humidity sensor. It could be a lot more responsive, although once it’s had time to settle, I did found it more accurate than I’d expected, but less so when it’s initially put to work, as already outlined. Other than that, I’m really a fan of the design, the larger tank, the mood light, and the touch controls.

Now, if they could just make a HomeKit compatible dehumidifier, I’d have something for the other nine months of the year…

Full disclosure: Vocolinc provided HomeKit News with the MistFlow Smart Humidifier for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made, requested or has not in any way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Vocolinc VH1 MistFlow Smart Humidifier (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Choose from 16 million colours and apply your favourite light effects to create the perfect ambience to your daily routines, or relax on the couch, set it to purple, to enjoy ‘Movie Time’ with your loved ones.

Helps you keep the humidity in your room at optimal levels, which can make the air feel balanced and improve breathing and sleep, as well as nasal congestion & dry skin.

Improve the air you breathe instantly by adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the water tank. The MistFlow diffuses fragrances that eases your mind and soothes you.

Using the VOCOlinc app, you get even greater control over the MistFlow, with 5 levels of mist control, special colour effects for the Mood Light, and much more, including scheduling, countdown timer and remote access that allows you to control the MistFlow from anywhere in the world.

Features:

• Voice/phone control with Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant
• 2.5L water tank with an anti-bacterial layer, adds clean and cool moisture to dry air.
• Rainbow-spectrum mood light with customizable colours and light effects
• Can be used as part of a custom scene or automation including scheduled on/off times or days of the week
• Up to 30-hour runtime

Specifications:

• Water Tank Capacity: 2.5L
• Button Control: light and mist
• Applicable Area: up to 323 sq. ft.
• Mist Speed Level: 2-speed adjustable (physical), 5-speed adjustable (VOCOlinc app)
• Mood Light: RGB rainbow spectrum
• Wi-Fi 2.4GHz b/g/n IEEE802.11
• Certification: TUV (safety), CE, FCC, RoHS, Wi-Fi alliance

The post VOCOlinc VH1 MistFlow Smart Humidifier appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING/UNBOXING

The VS1 is a Bluetooth-based contact sensor, much like the Eve, Koogeek and Fibaro options, although it does use Bluetooth 5.0, so at least according to the stats, the range for this device should be fourfold compared to a device using BT4.2. It should also be able to transfer data at twice the speed, although something like this is harder to measure when a product of this type is usually quite fast anyway.

We’re looking at the 2-pack, as can be seen on the front of the box, and it’s quite a compact affair, with minimal use of packaging, which is always welcome. The rear of the box lists the basic specs and features in both English and French.

You may notice the lack of a HomeKit logo on the front but fear not, as it’s placed on the opening for the box, as part of the seal. As this is Bluetooth, currently this only supports Apple HomeKit, so no Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant/Home/Nest compatibility at this time, like their T-Guard Smart Lock.

Both sets of sensors are really well held in place with dense foam that hold both parts in place, so there’s little to no chance of these rolling around in the box – there’s simply no space to do so! Along with the sensors and magnets, you get a manual in English and French, as well as a set of double-sided stickers. For the 2-pack, you get four stickers for the main sensor, and two thin strip stickers for the magnet, as the magnets already come with double-sided stickers attached.

The booklet comes with two HomeKit QR Codes stuck to the back page (one for each sensor), with the sensors themselves also having the code stuck to the front. Whilst these codes aren’t particularly large, having them on the front is a bit unsightly, to be honest, so I’d personally be inclined to remove them once I’d saved the codes, as it does spoil the rather slick design. It would probably have been better to stick these to the rear of the device, although there’s precious little blank space as it stands. There’s also a bit of an issue with using the back, as I’ll mention later, although the remedy nullifies the issues anyway.

THE CONTACT SENSOR

The sensor is overall larger than many sensors, but it’s also slightly less deep. The main sensor is 60 x 30 x 9mm / 2.36 x 1.18 x .35in, with the magnet coming in at 45 x 10 x 8mm / 1.77 x 0.39 x 0.31in. As previously mentioned, the HomeKit code is placed on the front of the sensor, but it can’t be scanned, so the 8-digit code has to be entered manually. The codes stuck to the back page of the manual are standard QR codes, so they can be scanned.

The sides of the sensor and the magnet has circular markings to show you the best placement between the two halves, to ensure optimum functionality, but unlike some other sensors, the VS1’s magnet can be placed on either side of the sensor, which is just as well; If one assumes that the sensor portion is fitted to the door jamb, with the magnet being placed on the door (although it doesn’t really matter), given the VS1’s sensor is about a 1/3rd wider than say the Aqara Contact sensor, it’s likely it won’t fit some door jambs, so the sensor in many instances will be more suited to being stuck to the door. Some sensors only have the magnet fitted to one side of their sensor, and so depending on which way your door opens, you may have to place the sensor upside down, which was the case with the Onvis Security Alarm Contact Sensor. As the VS1 has magnets on both sides of the sensor it’s a non-issue.

The device, whilst in my opinion looks very stylish, hasn’t got a lot else to see other than the green circle at the top half of the front face of the sensor. This to me is what makes it look quite different from many other contact sensors. It also looks like a Vocolinc product, with the use of green that you see in their packaging, as well as the buttons for their new Air Purifier, so it would appear there has been some thought gone into the aesthetics. That said, it’s unlikely you’re going to be gazing adoringly at it for any amount of time in spite of the large green LED ring. This ring also acts as a pairing or reset button, with a small but noticeable click when pressed.

This LED light is also something that may not appeal to some users for a different reason, which is battery life; The VS1 uses a standard CR2032 coin battery, but the estimated battery life is a mere six months. Could this be due to the LED being quite large? Possibly. for many Zigbee users, we’re used to the idea of this type of battery lasting upwards of two years, so six months is a little disappointing. I don’t know if Bluetooth 5.0 uses more ‘juice’ than Zigbee, but it’s supposed to be ‘Low Energy’ usage. If the battery could squeeze twelve months of use, it could be acceptable, but I would posit that six months is simply too low for many people. It’s just as well that the battery compartment is easy to access… or is it?

A DESIGN FLAW AND A SIMPLE FIX

The double-sided stickers that come with the VS1 are designed to be placed on the top half of the rear of the sensor body and then stuck to the door or door frame. The battery compartment, which is quite easy to open and close, is also on the back, which means that once the sensor is stuck to a surface, you don’t have access to the battery compartment without first having to remove the entire sensor and double-sided sticker from the door again. Not great, especially if you have to do this every six months. Luckily, if you haven’t guessed already, there’s a simple solution; take the sticker, cut it into a circle the same size as the battery compartment cover, and stick the circular sticker to it. From then on, you only have to rotate the sensor 90º in order to open in and access the battery, with the cover itself staying in place on the door surface. Two things to note with this are that when turning the sensor to get to the battery, it turns anti-clockwise when opening, so you’ll want enough clearance when doing so, which shouldn’t be an issue if the sensor is attached to the door, but could be an issue if you place it on the right-hand side of a door jamb. The battery will also fall out quite easily, so have your free hand at the ready to catch it!

INITIAL SETUP

Contact sensors are very useful but pretty basic devices, and the VS1 is no exception in this case. Adding it to HomeKit via the Home app is also as simple and straightforward as you’d expect, so I won’t even go into this except to say, in the Home app, select ‘Add Accessory’, scan the code and you’re done! As it uses Bluetooth, it does all of this fairly quickly.

For the Vocolinc app, it’s essentially the same deal, although I did manage to easily find a small bug that didn’t allow me to create an automation, despite my HomeKit home meeting the stated requirements. I’ve brought this to the company’s attention, and they’ve said for now it’s better to just use the Home app, as they’re working on an update to the app, which will include some special and exclusive features for the VS1, so by the time you read this, this current limitation may already be old news. Regardless, it doesn’t matter too much, if like me you create your basic automations in the Home app, where automations works fine until the updated app is out.

IN USE

It’s not easy these days to get excited about a class of product when there are many options to choose from, and being that this kind of device only does one thing (The Xiaoyan door sensor does buck the trend with a built-in temperature sensor), it’s equally difficult to write about at any great length. Still, these types of sensors do a great job and this is also just as good at what it does. There’s no denying that for seasoned HomeKit users, with a few exceptions, many aren’t fans of Bluetooth devices if they’re required for time-critical functionality, as it’s well documented that they are a bit slow on the uptake initially if left to go into what appears to be a ‘hibernation’ state after a period of time. Once awake, Bluetooth devices such as the VS1 are for the most part as quick as their Zigbee counterparts, and with Zigbee devices needing a hub, you can see why a Bluetooth device can be appealing on a certain level. I for one, prefer Zigbee, and after getting the required hub, any other sensors that I buy and add, the initial outlay for the hub is mitigated over time. What the VS1 and its ilk have is that they don’t need a hub AND they’ll keep working even when your network goes down, although for remote access that’s not the case.

PERFORMANCE
Has the VS1 performed well? Yes, it has. This is in no small part due to it being relatively close to one of my Apple TVs, wherever I place it, and this is critical to a well functioning Bluetooth device. If the reach of Bluetooth 5.0 is as good as they say, then for most people you should have no issues. In fact, even my Zigbee devices have been slow to react on occasion, although it’s a lot rarer than Bluetooth, generally speaking.

Apart from the ‘issue’ with the way the VS1 is designed to be fitted to a surface, which is easily resolved, the only real ‘fly in the ointment’ is the battery life. The 2-pack is very competitively priced at US$36.99, making each sensor just US$18.50, which when compared to the Eve door sensor at nearly US$40, seems very reasonable. The other side of the coin is the Aqara door & Window sensor, which is only $16.99 but requires a hub, which comes in at $59.99. So, if you’re totally new to smart home tech, the VS1 does seem a better deal;

• 4 x VS1 Door sensors (no hub required) = US$73.98
• 4 x Aqara Door sensor + hub = US$127.95

What you still have to factor in, is that you’re going to replace the batteries every six months, with the Aqara batteries lasting roughly two years. CR2032 batteries are pretty cheap, with a quick scan on Amazon revealing an 8-pack for only US$4.99. So over a 2-year period, taking into account both sensors come with batteries pre-installed, you’re going to need twelve CR2032 batteries for the VS1 sensors and none for the Aqara sensors.

TWO YEAR PERIOD

• 4 x VS1 Door sensors (no hub required) > US$73.98 + US$7.50 for 12 batteries (over 2 years, replacing batteries every six months) = US$81.48
• 4 x Aqara Door sensor US$67.96 + hub US$59.99 > US$127.95 + no battery replacement needed (over 2 years) = US$127.95

FOUR YEAR PERIOD

• 4 x VS1 Door sensors (no hub required) > US$73.98 + US$17.50 for 28 batteries (over 4 years, replacing batteries every six months) = US$91.48
• 4 x Aqara Door sensor US$67.96 + hub US$59.99 > US$127.95 + US$2.50 for four batteries (over 4 years, replacing batteries every 2 years) = US$130.45

So, over a 4-year period, the VS1 is still better value for money, but only if you don’t already have an Aqara hub, which you may have already bought for other sensors previously. Take the price of the hub out of the equations above, and it’s a different story.

TWO YEAR PERIOD

• 4 x VS1 Door sensors (no hub required) > US$73.98 + US$7.50 for 12 batteries (over 2 years, replacing batteries every six months) = US$81.48
• 4 x Aqara Door sensor US$67.96 + no battery replacement needed (over 2 years) = US$67.96

FOUR YEAR PERIOD

• 4 x VS1 Door sensors (no hub required) > US$73.98 + US$17.50 for 28 batteries (over 4 years, replacing batteries every six months) = US$91.48
• 4 x Aqara Door sensor US$67.96 + US$2.50 for four batteries (over 4 years, replacing batteries every 2 years) = US$70.46

This doesn’t take into account the possibility of the Aqara hub failing of course, which the sensors rely on so that being the case, it still could work out cheaper to go with the VS1, but then if your hub does fail, it will also affect other sensors, so you can’t argue that the cost of a replacement hub is laid solely at the feet of the door sensors.

The bottom line is that if your VS1 sensor(s) are close enough to your Apple TV or HomePod, you’re going to get reasonably comparable performance to Zigbee for much of the time, although as already mentioned, Bluetooth does seem to hibernate after a period of inactivity, and can be slow to initially respond, which isn’t great if you’re relying on a porch light to come on when you open a door.

I really like the design of these, but whether that’s enough for me to ignore the paltry battery life, despite CR2032 batteries being cheap, is a tough call. I already have many Zigbee door sensors, and a few Aqara hubs, so it’s not as though I’m short of sensors right now. Having said that, the day before I wrote this review, half my WiFi network went down (the 2.4GHz band strangely enough), and as a result, none of my Aqara devices would work, due to the Aqara hub not being able to connect to my Home Hub (Apple TV) via the network. The VS1 and some other Bluetooth devices (Eve Motion, Eve Door, Eve Room, Onvis Motion Sensor, and more…) were totally unaffected. That did make me think…

Full disclosure: VOCOlinc provided HomeKit News with the VS1 Smart Contact Sensor (2-pack) for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested and has in no way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Vocolinc VS1 Smart Contact Sensor (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

• A Breeze to Automate Your Home (Apple Home Hub* Required): Open a door to activate a custom scene, which engages other HomeKit-enabled products, using the Home app on your iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch. Have your house automatically illuminate to greet you on entry, but only after 6 pm. Have your lights turn bright when your baby opens a storage area with potentially dangerous objects. Turn off the air conditioner when you open the windows in your room
• Immediate Notifications: Your HomeKit Home will send a notification to your Apple devices when anything equipped with the status of the VS1 changes. Get real-time status via Siri and your iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch before you leave your house, or when it is about to rain so that you will never forget to close your doors or windows. Remote access requires an Apple Home Hub*
• Ultra-low Power Consumption and Snappy Performance: up to 6 months battery life achieved by exclusive energy-saving technology and Bluetooth Low Energy technology (5.0); it uses a CR2032 button battery (included in standard packaging), which can be easily replaced
• Advanced Security with Apple HomeKit: “HomeKit-enabled” means personal data is under no circumstances captured, saved to a cloud, or sold to third parties. Even when accessing your home remotely via your Home Hub, all data is encrypted end-to-end and stored on your iPhone or iPad
• Compact, Thin, and Responsive: Designed to easily fit onto your window frames and doors. Setup is quick and simple. Response time is like a snap of the fingers.* Apple Home Hub can be an Apple TV (4th Gen+), HomPod, or suitable iPad

The post VOCOlinc VS1 Contact Sensor appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

• Superior filtration technology: three stages of the advanced HEPA filtration removes up to 99.5% of gases and particles down to 0.3 microns from your room, up to 700 sq. ft.
• Full-angle filtration system: A dual air Inlet to top air outlet design captures harmful gases and particles from all angles.

The VAP1 PureFlow Air Purifier is capable of tackling;

• PM2.5, VOCs, Formaldehyde, Benzenes, Smoke, general Odours, Allergens, Dust, Mould, Bacteria, Pet Dander, and Pollen.

The VAP1 has Industry-leading noise reduction technology, including Whisper-quiet ‘sleep mode’ (30dB) with only 54dB noise at the highest speed. The unit uses a next-generation long-life filter, with an advanced honeycomb filter pattern design that reduces the frequency of filter replacement while protecting from harmful pollutants right until the end of filter’s life. The filter is ‘hassle-free’ when it comes to replacement, taking less than a minute with no special tools required.

The VAP1 features one main button on the top for power. Around the edge of the circular fan outlet vent are icons and indicators for various functions (from R to L);

• Child Lock
• timers/schedules
• filter status
• wifi connection
• night mode
• fans speed
• temperature
• auto mode

Other features:

• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity.
• Voice Control: Works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
• LinkWise App control: monitor the air quality in your room and control all aspects from the comfort of your phone or tablet.
• Large 5.1” LED screen with adaptive auto-brightness functionality, that displays real-time information on the state of both the air quality in your home and the VAP1 itself.
• Smart Air Quality Indicator: Four colour LED to reflect air quality coming from the built-in, high-precision laser air quality sensor. It is important to keep the light green for good air quality.
• Warning (Red) > Poor (Orange) > Moderate (Yellow) > Good (Light Yellow) > Excellent (Green)
• 3 operating modes: Auto/Sleep/Manual
• Kids lock
• Set schedules to switch the device on/off
• Built-in temperature and humidity sensors
• Smart Filter Life Notification: on-screen display and in-app prompt to remind you to replace the filter

The post VOCOlinc VAP1 PureFlow Air Purifier appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

In terms of packaging, we can’t say anything, as the device provided to us by Vocolinc as a test product, came without the standard retail box. Still, we’ve seen lots of the company’s packaging over the last twelve months and have no doubts about the quality or the protection it would provide to protect the plug itself.

THE PLUG – BASICS
The technical specifications for Vocolinc VP3 European smart plug.

• Input: AC 230V, 50Hz.
• Output: AC 230V, 10A, 2300W (pure resistive load).
• Wi-Fi 2.4GHz 2400-2483.5MHz
• Item Weight: 141 g
• Package? Dimensions: 8.4 x 7 x 6 cm
• Physical on/off button
• LED indicator
• Protection from output over current, over-temperature, short circuit and overload.
• Works With Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and the VOCOlinc LinkWise app.

Knowing the previous European Vocolinc smart plug PM5, the first thing we noticed the absence of any USB ports, as well as no night light, although with a much smaller, more compact size. VP3 is available in only one colour – white.

The VP3 uses high-quality plastic, which is actually pleasant to the touch but still also carries over the characteristic circular pattern on the front, which is also found on the PM5. Whilst this is only a plug, and as such doesn’t really need a lot of adornment, you can tell the design was created with great care, which leaves you with the feeling of holding a high-quality product.

With its slightly rounded form, the VP3 seems smaller than it really is, although the size doesn’t differ much at all from most EU smart plugs of this kind. It’s neither the smallest nor the largest compared to others but unfortunately, as with most of the other EU plugs, it also blocks one of the outlets in double European wall sockets.

In addition to the multi-colour led displaying the status of the device, the VP3 also has one button with which we can manually turn the plug on or off, or even use to reset the device when necessary. The VP3 uses the standard Type F plug standard, also known as CEE 7/4 and even sometimes referred to as a Schuko plug. Aside from the switch, there are no other adornments aside from the Vocolinc logo in the company’s distinctive green and grey ‘livery’.

IN HOMEKIT

The process of adding the VP3 to HomeKit is no different to most other devices you may have added previously; The VP3 uses a wifi connection on the 2.4Ghz band, so you have to remember to set the device (iPhone or iPad) you initially use, to the appropriate network when initially pairing the device with HomeKit. When we use this smart plug with the HomeKit system, we simply need to scan the HomeKit code, and after a short time we will be presented with the configuration screen, where we can assign the device to the room/location in our house, as well as set the mode in which it will be used; You can choose from three standard HomeKit options: outlet, light or fan. It’s important to note that each of these options behaves differently when you use your voice to control this smart plug using Siri.

You can use the Home app, but you can also use the company’s own dedicated LinkWise application, which can be freely downloaded from the App Store. Since it is also possible to use this smart plug on the Android platform, there is a downloadable version of the same app available from the Google Play Store.

THE PLUG IN USE
As with many devices using wifi for communication, you can expect a very quick response to commands, and here you will certainly not be disappointed. In my tests over the last couple of months, the VP3 has responded to every command very quickly. As I mentioned earlier, I have been using this smart plug for some time, so I can confirm that VP3 is really quite reliable in everyday use. So far not once has the VP3 lost its connection to the network or HomeKit himself. Additionally, after restarting my network, or when having any other interruption to the local network, the VP3 has always reconnected without fail. You can still find many devices that will regularly fail in this regard, but not with the VP3.

There are a few different options for controlling the VP3; you can use the dedicated button on the plug itself, via the LinkWise app, or via any third-party app that uses the HomeKit system, of course, including the Apple Home app on iOS, iPadOS or even MacOS. You can also control the VP3 with your voice, with Siri.

One of the first things I noticed when using the VP3 is that it has a power monitoring function. This is a very useful add-on if you want to have more information or control over the power consumption of the device connected to this smart plug. Unfortunately, this part is not exposed to Homekit so we can not use it in any of HomeKit automations. Because this is only a software limitation I hope Vocolinc can add that in some future firmware updates.

In the Vocolinc LinkWise app, under the Energy tab, you’ll find some very useful information about power metering. Active power will show live current power consumption, and Cost per kWh will calculate how much electricity consumed by this smart plug. In addition, by clicking on the cost, we can enter our own applicable electricity tariff. You can also find two graphs showing historical data with annual and monthly power consumption. Finally, you can see information about current consumption during the current day. Maybe one day we will see the power metering feature become a standard feature in every smart plug compatible with HomeKit, but for now, it is still not the case.

In the LinkWise app, you can also find an additional function for Schedules, which works independently of HomeKit, which allows the user to program automatic control of the VP3 in terms of turning the plug on and off. Settings are available using the hours and minutes as well as days of the week. On the first page of options in the LinkWise application, you’ll also find a rather unusual but very useful function. This function allows the smart plug to be turned off then back on again by itself, which you might think is nothing special. However, this function is totally activated within the device itself and is independent of any wifi or HomKit connection. This could be of use when, for example, it’s connected to an internet router or HomeKit hub, which you want to restart/reboot. Ordinarily, when using the plug in these two instances, without this function, once you switch the socket off, you’d lose contact with the plug as the router and/or the HomeHub would lose connection once off. Thanks to this VP3 function, it simply restarts the connected device after the time specified by the user, with a timer range of 1 second to 60 seconds.

In the LinkWise app, you’ll also find an icon showing the strength of the connection to the Wifi network, VP3 time synchronisation with an iOS device and a firmware update function. There is one maybe not so small error on this page, in that it displays an image of their US PM1 smart plug, not the VP3, which is a bit of an oversight, although I’m sure they’ll update in due course. The app also has built-in support for Vocolinc’s cloud functionality, which is required if you want to make use of historical data for power metering, in addition to integrating Vocolinc devices with other systems outside HomeKit. The only feature that I personally miss is the ability to export historical data records to a file that could be saved locally or used in various visualisation systems.

As with most HomeKit compatible devices, if you want to control the VP3 remotely, from outside the home using the HomeKit system, you must have an active and internet-connected HomeKit hub in the form of an AppleTV (4 and above), HomePod or suitable iPad.

In addition to the HomeKit system, this smart plug also works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa systems on iOS and Android platforms. In order to use these systems, an account for the Vocolinc cloud service is required. Thanks to Vocolinc cloud, Android users also have remote access to the VP3 from outside the home. I’m happy to report that I didn’t encounter any problems connecting and using the VP3 with either Google Home or Amazon Alexa. The response times are not as fast as in the HomeKit system, but it is not related to VP3 itself but the way in which these systems work.

SUMMING UP

I have the pleasure of using a lot of very well-functioning devices in HomeKit, and this smart plug definitely joined this list. The VP3 is a fairly simple device, but during all the testing period, I haven’t encountered a single problem, and that means a lot when there are still devices in HomeKit with larger or smaller problems. I would not like to designate ‘device reliability’ as a plus point because it should be the basis and standard of every device, so I wouldn’t consider it a bonus that it’s reliable, but it is noteworthy.

A nice, simple look, unobtrusive and easy adaptation to most interiors is definitely one of the advantages, but for me, the biggest advantage is definitely the Power Metering function together with historical data, which are very useful. In general, you have most things in this smart plug that every smart plug should have. One of the things that would be appreciated with future updates or in subsequent models, is a Child Lock function, which would block the physical operation of the button on the housing when required. In addition, a useful feature could be the ability to export historical data to a local file, along with exposing power metering readings to HomeKit for use in automations. For future models, it would not hurt to have a single additional USB port as is the case with the PM5 model which is bigger but has 2 additional USB ports. The big surprise is certainly the very affordable price of the VP3(€26.99 for a single plug, and €45.99 for a 2-pack, as of writing), especially if we need more smart plugs in our homes and this is still the easiest and cheapest way to make life a little easier.

If you think you need more than one smart outlet, check out my review of the Vocolinc VP2 Smart power strip, with four smart outlets.

Full disclosure: Vocolinc provided HomeKit News with the VP3 Smart plug for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested.

The post Vocolinc VP3 EU Smart plug (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

I will not mention the packaging because the strip described here, courtesy of Vocolinc, came to us before the official sale began and did not have official packaging.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

In this case, we’re not exactly looking at the European version of Vocolinc’s US PM2 power strip, which has been available for some time. No, this is a completely new device with a new design and functionality, but more on that in a moment.

The VP2 power strip is only available in white. This smart power strip uses a wi-fi connection for smart control. It has four separate built-in sockets, with the option to manually control each of them, using individual buttons located next to each socket. There’s also an additional button that allows you to turn all sockets on or off at the same time. This button is also used to reset the strip. Each socket has its own separate white LED indicator showing the status of each socket, along with an additional green LED indicator showing the status of the connection to the wi-fi network. This LED is also used to show status when pairing or resetting this device.

The size of this VP2 doesn’t differ much from the smart strips by other companies, even if it may look like this in the attached pictures, but in practice, there are really small differences. It’s also built with what seems to be a high-quality plastic material, which feels nice to the touch.

The technical specifications are as follows (product dimensions are approximate):

• Supply voltage: AC 230V
• Rated load current: 10A
• Maximum power 2300W
• Built-in surge protector
• Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz 2400-2483.5MHz IEEE802.11 b/g/n
• Max. transmit power: 12dBm
• Dimensions: 38 x 65 x 320 mm
• Cable length: 180 cm

SETTING UP

Initial set up is the same and as easy as with most other HomeKit devices. You can use Vocolinc’s own LinkWise app for iOS (also available for Android in the Google Play Store) or the Apple Home app, by scanning the included HomeKit code. Once installed in the usual way, each outlet can be named separately. In addition, a separate name for the entire device can be used in the Home app in iOS13. In the LinkWise app, you can also assign the device to your Vocolinc account in order to use it with Google Home and Amazon Alexa systems. There’s also an option that allows you to synchronise the local time with your iOS device, in case you use the built-in timer function. Finally, you can also assign each socket to the different type of device it’s used with. You can choose between the available standard HomeKit options, like outlet, light or fan. This is useful when using voice control and Siri.

As already mentioned, the VP2 smart power strip uses a wi-fi connection, so generally, the response time is very fast. This device has four independent sockets, each of which can be turned on or off, and as expected, it has done so flawlessly in our tests each time. You can use any third-party HomeKit application, either being on a local network or via remote control (Remote Access requires a Homekit hub of course – Apple TV4+, suitable iPad, or HomePod) anywhere in the world. In addition, you can also directly control the individual outlets via the four buttons on the VP2 itself. From my perspective, I believe that in everyday use, physical buttons, sooner or later, will certainly prove to be useful. As regards the device, if there were to be a power failure, the power strip reverts to its last used state, so if it were off when the power were to be cut, then it would be off when power resumes.

I like the discreet look of all LEDs, as they give me a quick overview of the most important status information – on or off. The colours used in them make it even easier to see the most important information. After having and using this strip or over a week, I have not noticed any problems related to the disappearance or disconnection of the device from the wi-fi network. This is the most sensitive part of any devices connecting via wifi and even more important when we lose access to the device whilst away from home. The reliability of a device is not only determined by the fact that a device does not disconnect itself from the wifi network; It is equally important as to whether it can reconnect after a power or internet outage, so I always do a simple test by restarting the internet router a few times to see if the device can reconnect itself. In the case of VP2 smart power strip, there were no problems in this respect, which makes me happy because a lot of devices using the wifi network have this very problem. It’s also good to see that Vocolinc has left ample space between outlets, so you don’t need to worry when plugging larger power adapters into it.

As with nearly all Vocolinc products (The T-Guard Smart Lock being HomeKit compatible only), the smart power strip is compatible with HomeKit, Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Information about this can be found on the packaging (we’ve only seen a PDF of the packaging at the time of writing) and in the Vocolinc application itself. Additionally, the application includes instructions on how to use the VP2 with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

DESIGN, FUNCTIONALITY AND SUMMING UP

I’ll leave the look and design of this smart power strip for your own assessment, because it is a very individual matter, and not everyone always wants or needs such a device to be visible. Certainly the biggest advantage of this strip, apart from all other functions, is the number of sockets, as there are four of them where most of the competition has only three. The ability to use timers is certainly also a very good and useful addition. What does draw a bit of potentially negative attention is definitely the lack of USB ports. However, after deeper reflection, it doesn’t necessarily need to be to viewed as a disadvantage, because we certainly appreciate the additional socket that we can use to power devices with USB anyway, compared to only three outlets and a fixed set of USB ports that can’t be used for anything else, which we cannot control anyway due to HomeKit specifications. In terms of pros, I would also include the discrete LED status lighting, which, in addition to looking nice, isn’t so bright or large, so it doesn’t disturb or distract you too much, whilst also provides all the information you need. The only thing that I really miss about this product is the ability to measure power consumption and review past measurements which is also useful for looking back on historical data. This is really a decent and very useful function for this type of product. It can teach us a lot about where and how much electricity we use, and can even be used in various automations. I wouldn’t call it perhaps the most intelligent solution or workaround, but if you care about power metering then you can, for example, connect this strip to the new VOCOlinc VP3 smart outlet, which has power metering built-in. The VP3 is another brand new product for the European market which we’re testing now, and one in which you will be able to read about soon.

The VP2 is a very solidly made power strip and works very well in the HomeKit ecosystem. In the same way, you’ll definitely appreciate the larger number of independently controlled sockets. The VOCOlinc VP2 smart power strip should be available very soon through Amazon stores in Europe.

Full disclosure: Vocolinc provided HomeKit News with the VP2 Smart Power Strip for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested.

The post VOCOlinc VP2 Smart Power Strip (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

• Smart control: Works with HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant. The LinkWise app supports both iOS and Android
• Energy Saving and Schedule Settings: allows you to track and plan energy usage with the power meter to automatically turn your electronic device on and off
• Cross-platform voice-controlled home control: Ask Siri, Alexa or Google to control your devices.
• Hub-free and remote access (conditional): No hub required; Control almost everywhere via Apple TV / HomPod / iPad (iOS) or VOCOlinc Cloud (Android)
• Note: Requires iOS 12+ or Android 4.3+ and a secured 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; Make sure your mobile device is stably connected to the Internet while pairing. Use the LinkWise app to keep your firmware up-to-date and connect to the VOCOlinc cloud for troubleshooting purposes. If you have any questions, please contact support@vocolinc.com. For pairing (during setup), this product requires a 2.4 GHz network

Basic specs

• Input: AC 10A, 230v @50Hz
• Output: AC max 10A 230V – 2300W
• Wi-fi: 2.4GHz 2400-2483.5MHz IEEE802.11 b/g/n
• Max transmit power: 12dBm

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