The Home app definitely takes a leaf out of the ‘Widgets’ book, with custom tile sizes, which also includes the ability to not only have your camera feeds where you want them, as opposed to the bottom of the screen, but also combine camera feeds into a larger widget, as seen above.

Whilst the bottom of the screen has removed the ‘Rooms’ tab, you’re still able to access your rooms via the familiar dropdown menu, albeit on the opposite side of the screen. Rooms are also shown as groups on the main screen now, which is something you’d previously seen when adding devices as part of creating a Scene or Automotion.

The settings for a particular device also gain a new option –‘Show in Home View’ alongside the familiar ‘Include in Favourites’.

When it comes to the basic tiles we’re familiar with, these have been adjusted to be more oblong than square, possibly to save space, although now you only get two tiles per row, instead of three. The automations page stays largely the same at this point, it seems.

One thing that’s a perennial request from HomeKit users, is more icons for the different product categories. In the example above, for lighting accessories, not only have the glyphs been redesigned, but have been expanded from the original ten, to fifteen choices. Oddly, one glyph that has been removed is the one for floor lamps. Hopefully, this can return in later updates;

• Bulb (group)
• Downlight
• Bulb 1
• Table lamp 1
• Table lamp 2
• Strip light 1
• Bulb 2
• ceiling lamp
• Desk lamp
• Floodlight
• Can light
• Chandelier
• Downlight (group)
• Strip light 2
• BR30 bulb

Another bone of contention was the rather limited choice of glyphs available for Scenes; Now we’re given a much larger choice of glyphs, almost on a par with the ones you’d get within Siri Shortcuts. This also includes the option to colourise your glyphs, also as found in Siri Shortcuts.

Finally, a quick look at some individual room screens. Note the new temperature glyph in three of the screenshots.

Thanks to Charles Reed for providing the screenshots for this article. Charles is one of the admins for a few Apple-centric Facebook groups, including the ‘Apple HomeKit Users Group’ which currently has over 21K members.

The post A Quick Look at the New Home App in iOS16 appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

You may already know that Apple products including the HomePod, the HomePod Mini, and even Apple TV are all capable of streaming audio in one manner or another, as well as smart TVs that either just come with AirPlay, or are fully HomeKit compatible, which includes AirPlay functionality. There are also AirPlay capable receivers and audio speakers, although, with few exceptions, these aren’t exactly budget-friendly. The second iteration of Apple’s very popular Airport Express wireless router got a rather unexpected firmware update a couple of years back, to provide AirPlay functionality. The reason it was unexpected, is that the product itself had been discontinued by Apple a few years prior to this update, so it just goes to show that Apple really wants you to get a lot out of their products. Sadly, these are pretty hard to find now, due to this very feature.

So, if you already maybe have an old but dearly loved amplifier, or powered speakers, and want to get audio streamed to them via AirPlay, here is a small clutch of products that can help with this very thing.

ARYLIC A50+ WIRELESS STEREO AMPLIFIER

Contrary to what you might think, Arylic, not Acrylic, is the name of a company that specialises in a whole raft of products focussed on multiroom audio. Whilst their products (there are quite a few) are pretty agnostic when it comes to audio streaming, AirPlay 1 (not AirPlay 2) is part of their feature set. The company make Amplifiers, pre-amps, simple streamers, speakers, and even audio boards for DIY enthusiasts.

For this article, I want to bring your attention to one of their most popular products, the Arylic A50+. This austere looking device may seem plain, but when you see the connectivity options on the back of the device, you know this company is both serious about its audio capabilities and equally serious about providing its users with as many ways as possible to help get sound to their destination of choice.

The device has a Bluetooth antenna for direct audio, a WiFi antenna for network connectivity, a Micro USB port, RCA ports, a Sub output, a full-size Optical Audio-in port, as well as specific connectors for its own line of speakers. Even though the A50+ can connect wirelessly to your network using the 2.4GHz band (for maximum reach), the company felt it would be good to also include an RJ45 port for the best network connectivity. There’s even a USB port, that lets you stream audio files from a USB stick.

Even though I love music, and have been a musician for almost all of my adult life, I’ve admittedly never been too focussed on the finer details of High Fidelity, but when you see that the A50+ is capable of 50W x 2 output with 4Ω passive speakers (at 24v), it’s hard not to be a little impressed.

As we’re talking about AirPlay, we can confirm that this is integrated into the product, although once you’re connected to your home network, as it’s an AirPlay 1 device, it won’t be added to your HomeKit home, just so you’re aware. What might be of further interest to some though, is that the companion app also allows for direct connection to various other streaming platforms, like Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster, TuneIn, Internet Radio, iHeart Radio, QQ Music, QQ FM and more.

The Arylic A50+ is available direct from the company’s own online store (use code NEW003 for 5% off everything) for US$199.99, on Amazon.com for US$206.99, Amazon.co.uk for £149.99, and Amazon.de for €206.99

BELKIN SOUNDFORM CONNECT

Belkin and its sister company Wemo, are well known for a variety of electronic products, especially Wemo’s HomeKit compatible switches, plugs and its recently released video doorbell. By contrast, Belkin has tended to focus on a range of computer and phone accessories, so when the company released their Soundform Connect AirPlay audio adaptor, it came as a welcome surprise.

this teeny device uses 2.4G/5GHz WiFi to connect to your home network, is powered by a USB-C adaptor, and offers two options for sending audio to your amplifier; there’s an analogue 3.5mm stereo audio connection for older equipment that doesn’t have digital inputs, and a mini Digital Optical audio Out, if you do have a digital option for your equipment. I have a couple of Xiaomi soundbars that have a variety of inputs, including a Digital Optical connection, so this is perfect in my case.

The company also makes its own Soundform Connect app, which allows you to control and customise other Soundform Connect products, like their earphones and earbuds. At only 43.4mm / 1.71in deep,  62mm / 2.44in wide, and 19mm / 0.75in high, it’s probably one of the smallest AirPlay adaptors available.

Available on Amazon.com for US$99.99, Amazon.fr for around €95.00, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de for around £77.00 / €77.00

TERNCY HOME CENTER BRAUN 

This next item is a bit of an oddity, that nonetheless, we think should be included – even if you might struggle to find it outside of Mainland China! The Terncy Home Center Braun, made by smart home company Xiaoyan, is primarily a Zigbee 3.0 hub for the company’s own range of Zigbee child devices, of which there are many. Whilst it’s a hub, it actually also features a standard 3.5mm audio out that uses AirPlay for even more functionality.

The hub itself is an update to the company’s original Home Center gateway, which didn’t feature any audio out options. The company offers all the typical Zigbee devices, including motion and contact sensors, buttons, wired switches, motorised curtains, and even HVAC systems and smart locks – all of which are HomeKit compatible. With this in mind, buying a hub like this wouldn’t make sense just for AirPlay, so investing in their other devices might be something you should look at first. Still, it’s currently the only hub – Zigbee or otherwise – that offers such a feature.

WIIM MINI

No, this isn’t an Amazon Echo Dot! It’s the WiiM Mini, a budget AirPlay Streamer, but with Hi-Res audio functionality. The WiiM Mini features a lot more than its $99 price tag suggests, with not only Aux In and Aux Out ports, but a full-size SPDIF (digital audio) port on the back. It’s also used a USB-C port for power and has touch controls on the top of its shiny surface.

Offering streaming gapless playback at 192KHz in 24Bit audio, the Mini offers not only AirPlay support but also works directly with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, as well as Amazon Music (not Amazon Ultra HD).

As with the aforementioned offerings by Arylic and Belkin, WiiM has its own app, should you want to use that instead of the standard streaming options.

One of the nice options with the WiiM Mini is that whilst it only uses WiFi for connection to your network, it does support both 2.4 and 5.0GHz 802.11 a/b/c/g/n/ac, as well as Bluetooth 5.0.

Available on the company’s official online store  (use code WIIM005 for 5% off everything) for US$99.00 –  Amazon.com for US$99.00 or Amazon.de for €106.99

The post Looking to Expand AirPlay? A Few Products That Can! appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

While many people who regularly visit this site along with various social media platforms will be cognizant of Aqara, its hub, child devices, and ecosystem, the reason for this article is to help the growing number of people that are getting into smart homes in general, and HomeKit in particular, who may have been hearing the word ‘Aqara’ (including all of the various ways it’s pronounced) bandied about. They then find themselves waist-high – metaphorically speaking – in all the different options that this system offers, as well as hearing mention of ‘other’ hubs that they can’t as of yet find. This inevitably leads to a lot of confusion, and in many cases, hard-earned money, unwittingly misspent on the wrong devices. So today, whilst it would take too long to cover all of the differences between each hub, I hope to put newcomers straight on what each one is capable of, what they can and can’t do, as well as save you time on looking for a device that may not actually be designed for the region of the world you live in if indeed you can find the device you want so badly.

For those that are more familiar with Aqara and the devices that can be used, there’s always the question of what devices are exposed to HomeKit. This was easy when there was only one Aqara hub, but when it comes to certification for exposing devices to HomeKit, even if a sensor or smart plug has been certified to work with HomeKit via one hub, as soon as a new hub comes out, when it comes to these certified child devices going through the new hub, they have to go through the same certification process again, even when the new hub is itself already HomeKit compatible. Inevitably, this can lead to yet more confusion, where an Aqara US smart wall switch is compatible with the Aqara hub but isn’t yet exposed to HomeKit via the hub portion of the Aqara G2H camera, for example. There’s no easy way around this, and certification, even with devices already previously certified, is seemingly a lengthy process. With this in mind, it’s impossible for me to be able to let you the reader know exactly what is and what isn’t currently exposed to HomeKit (the exception being the original Aqara Hub), as I’d first have to own each device in order to check this (not going to happen), and it’s entirely possible that no sooner do I leave something off a list, than a week later, it gains HomeKit compatibility. I hope you can appreciate this limitation I have to put on myself, but with help from other Aqara users, maybe we can amongst us confirm all of the devices across all of the hubs, in order to know for certain.

Some will read this article and be familiar with the parts I touch upon already, so in many ways, this is more for the beginner, confused about the variety of options out there. You can also check out the video below, which merely scratches the surface with the differences between some of the more common hubs, if that’s an easier way to start off.

I will include a hub that isn’t part of the Aqara ecosystem, only so as to explain its relationship with the Aqara products, but first off the bat, all except one of the hubs I’ll mention are Aqara branded, with the one non-branded hub still both made by Aqara’s parent company (Lumi United) and also being capable of working with many of the same Aqara sensors and switches that the Aqara hubs work with. One thing to also note is that it is recommended that you buy a hub suitable for your region if at all possible, for the best support, compatibility and usage. Take a deep breath, and jump in…

AQARA HUB (M1)

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 32 child devices
• Uses Zigbee to connect to child devices (not Zigbee 3.0)
• Uses a built-in plug
• Available in the following variants, with the appropriate type of plug;
  • China (Type I)
  • Europe (Type C)
  • North America (Type B)
  • Hong Kong/U.K. (Type G plug, but not officially on sale in the U.K.)
• Works with Apple Home, Mi Home, and Aqara Home apps
• Two-alarm modes – Off and Away (currently not synced with HomeKit)
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm) and LED ring light

This is the hub that started the ball rolling for Aqara, even though their child devices had been available to buy before this hub existed, which were designed to work with the non-HomeKit Xiaomi – or Mijia/Mi – Hub.

first off, if you find a hub that looks similar to this, but doesn’t have the Aqara logo in the centre, then it’s not the Aqara hub, so don’t waste your money on something that’s not going to be HomeKit compatible. There are two hubs that look vaguely similar to the hub pictured above but are going to have the MI logotype or the Mi ‘Shield’ logo, which comprises stylised versions of the letters M and J.

That aside, what’s the deal with the Aqara hub? Well, it’s a hub that uses WiFi to connect to your network, and by extension, connect to your HomeKit home. The Aqara hub comes with a HomeKit QR code, so it can be added to HomeKit directly, although it’s advisable to add it to the Aqara Home app initially. When in HomeKit, the device will be exposed to HomeKit as two ‘services’; a light, which is the LED ring around the centre of the hub, and a security system, which in terms of HomeKit, simply allows the built-in alarm to be armed or disarmed.

To slightly complicate matters, the Aqara hub can be added to either the Aqara Home or Mi Home apps – but not both. Generally, I’d recommend you use the Aqara app, although if you’ve been using Mi Home for a variety of Xiaomi smart home products like fans, air purifiers and Bluetooth sensors, then you may want to keep using Mi Home. either way, it’ll be exposed to HomeKit. When you’ve added the device to either app, you can begin to add what are often referred to as ‘child devices’. These are Zigbee devices that need a hub, both to operate and to expose them to HomeKit (in almost all cases with Aqara products). You typically add these devices in the Mi Home or Aqara apps, whereupon you’ll be asked to choose your hub in order to add them. Child devices include a variety of sensors, buttons and switches.

The Aqara hub is capable of supporting up to 32 child devices and uses an older version of the Zigbee protocol, with Zigbee 3.0 being the latest official build. The hub only supports Zigbee devices, so you can’t add Bluetooth or WiFi devices to it. Many times people have asked if they can add their Xiaomi Bluetooth temperature sensor or a Yeelight bulb to the hub, and it’s a simple ‘No’. They can work together in automations, but the hub is simply not capable of supporting either of these protocols in the manner of a hub.

Whilst the Aqara app only lists its own brand child devices when adding them, many of the equivalent Mi/Mijia Branded sensors, buttons and switches also work with the Aqara hub, which can be seen if you’re using the Mi Home app. If you want to know what Aqara or Mi branded devices the hub currently supports, you can check out our Aqara 101 article HERE although it probably needs an update.

AQARA HUB M1S

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Uses a built-in plug
• Available in the following variants, with the appropriate type of plug;
  • China (Type I)
  • Europe (Type C)
  • North America (Type B)
• Works with Apple Home, Mi Home, and Aqara Home apps
• Four alarm modes – Off, Away, Home, Night/Sleep (syncs with HomeKit)
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm) and LED ring light

The Aqara Hub M1S is an upgrade to the current Aqara Hub, and looks identical, save for the newer Aqara logo on the front. Aside from the visual similarities, in many other ways, the M1S is the same as the original but uses Zigbee 3.0, so it can use both the current child devices that use the previous iteration of Zigbee and newer child devices that use Zigbee 3.0 (generally dubbed T1 devices). The LED ring has been slightly upgraded, and the sounds on the hub are also slightly different, including the onboard voice prompts. As with the previous warnings about making sure you buy the Aqara hub, and not a Mi or Mijia hub by mistake, if you intend to buy the M1S, make sure it is the M1S, as it does look nearly identical to the older model, so double-check with the store you buy it from. In HomeKit, the M1S is exposed as a light, an alarm system, and a hub (within the settings of the Home app).

* The gateway can directly connect 32 Zigbee terminal devices. If you need to add more Zigbee sub-devices, you can add Zigbee relay devices to the gateway first, and then add Zigbee terminal devices. Relay devices have expanded functions; After expansion, the gateway can support up to 128 Zigbee sub-devices. Among the Zigbee products branded as Aqara or Mijia, the neutral wire products are ‘relay’ devices, and the battery-powered or non-neutral products are ‘terminal’ devices. Each relay device can be expanded to 16 terminal devices.

AQARA HUB M2

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz or Wired Ethernet to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Includes an infrared transmitter to control IR-based devices (not exposed to HomeKit)
• Uses a Micro-USB port in combination with any USB type power supply
• Available in the following variants, with the appropriate type of plug;
  • China (Type A)
  • Europe (Type C) (no USB adaptor provided)
  • North America (no USB adaptor provided)
• Works with Apple Home and Aqara Home apps
• Four alarm modes – Off, Away, Home, Night/Sleep (syncs with HomeKit)
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm)

* The gateway can directly connect 32 Zigbee terminal devices. If you need to add more Zigbee sub-devices, you can add Zigbee relay devices to the gateway first, and then add Zigbee terminal devices. Relay devices have expanded functions; After expansion, the gateway can support up to 128 Zigbee sub-devices. Among the Zigbee products branded as Aqara or Mijia, the neutral wire products are ‘relay’ devices, and the battery-powered or non-neutral products are ‘terminal’ devices. Each relay device can be expanded to 16 terminal devices.

The Aqara M2 was announced in July of 2019 and has taken over a year to finally surface in China, but is now widely available in the UK, EU and US. The M2 is different from the two previously mentioned hubs – design-wise for the most part – although it’s still a Zigbee (3.0) hub. Aside from the design, instead of using a built-in plug for direct connection to a wall socket, the M2 uses USB, with a micro-USB port on the back, where you can use a Micro USB to USB cable, and connect it to a USB power source. This avoids the issue of regional plugs and the need for an adaptor. The M2 also has an ethernet port, so if you prefer a wired connection, and have a free port on your router, then this should provide an even more stable connection. It also supports 2.4GHz WiFi if you don’t have the wired option. In HomeKit, the M2 is exposed as a hub and alarm system.

Also included is an Infrared transmitter, which allows the M2 to act as a replacement for various IR remotes you may have dotted around the house, like ones for TVs, AC units, fans, games consoles etc. The IR transmitter isn’t exposed to HomeKit, as Apple’s smart home platform doesn’t officially support IR units with the exception of devices like the Tado Smart AC Controller V3+ (read our review HERE). However, you can control devices that are using the M2’s IR functionality, with the use of Siri Shortcuts in the Aqara Home app, so it’s the best you’ll get for now. As Aqara buttons, sensors and switches are compatible with both HomeKit and Aqara Home, you can, of course, programme any of these to trigger an IR function previously programmed, so for example, if you had an Aqara/Opple wireless switch, you could programme one of the buttons to trigger a HomeKit bulb, with another triggering a previously created IR function in the Aqara app.

The Aqara M2 also has Bluetooth 5.0, although there’s almost nothing mentioned about this in the literature, so rather than being a hub for Bluetooth devices, it’s more likely it’s only used for initial pairing of certain devices.

AQARA P3 AC COMPANION

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Uses a larger, built-in 16A plug
• Includes an infrared transmitter to control IR-based devices (not exposed to HomeKit, except for AC units)
• Currently only available in China, with Type I, 16A plug
• Works with Apple Home, Mi Home, and Aqara Home apps
• Four alarm modes – Off, Away, Home, Night/Sleep (syncs with HomeKit)
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm)

The Aqara P3 is first and foremost a sort of beefed-up smart plug, that allows you to also control the power to whatever’s plugged into it, although it’s specifically designed for wall-mounted AC units that require more power, using Chinese 16A plugs. These plugs are larger than the ones you typically find on lower-powered devices that come with a Chinese Type I plug. It essentially controls all of the main functions of your AC using a built-in infrared transmitter, to replace your standard AC remote. While HomeKit doesn’t support IR functionality, in the case of the AC, the P3 exposes your unit as a thermostat, so controls like heat, cooling and turning the AC on and off are available directly in HomeKit. Like the M2, the IR transmitter in the P3 can also be programmed to control other devices that use IR remotes, although they’re not exposed to HomeKit. The P3 shows up in HomeKit as a thermostat and a security system, as well as a hub, but only when you click on the settings for a child device using the P3 as a hub.

Just like all the other hubs I’ve mentioned, it uses 2.4GHz WiFi and Zigbee 3.0 for child devices. There are two previous iterations of this device, but only the P3 is officially HomeKit compatible, so be careful if you’re considering buying this device, which, due to the larger and less common Chinese plug, is probably not recommended for use outside of Mainland China.

AQARA CAMERA HUB G2H

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 64* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Regional models are supported in the following areas – China, North America, Europe, the UK
• Works with Apple Home and Aqara Home apps
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm, two-way audio)
• Alarm functionality restricted to Aqara Home, not exposed to HomeKit
• Available in White outside of China, and in Red, Blue, Yellow, or White for the Chinese model

* The gateway can directly connect 32 Zigbee terminal devices. If you need to add more Zigbee sub-devices, you can add Zigbee relay devices to the gateway first, and then add Zigbee terminal devices. Relay devices have expanded functions; After expansion, the gateway can support up to 64 Zigbee sub-devices.

The Aqara G2H is a combined HomeKit compatible camera and hub. In fact, the camera is also compatible with HomeKit Secure Video (HSV). The hub is also exposed to HomeKit of course, which in turn allows compatible child devices to be exposed to HomeKit. In HomeKit, the G2H exposes two services – camera and motion sensor. It also appears as a hub, but only if you look into the settings for one of the child devices that connect to it. Furthermore, as a camera can’t be designated as a hub in HomeKit, the G2H’s hub service lists the Motion sensor as the hub in this instance.

While the camera can use HomeKit Secure video, it also has the option to record to an SD card that can be added to the camera, as well as cloud-based recordings via Aqara’s servers. These recording options can only be accessed via the Aqara app, and if you want to make use of them, you need to be signed into the Aqara app, with the camera ‘binded’ to the appropriate server. Under normal circumstances, you should also be signed into the Aqara app to add child devices to the G2H’s hub, although you can manually add devices outside of the Aqara app, with the use of the button on the top of the camera (three presses puts the G2H hub into pairing mode).

You can use a Chinese G2H even if you’re not located in China, but you do need to be signed into the Chinese server in the Aqara app in order to bind the camera fully to make use of the aforementioned additional recording options. This also means that if, for example, you’re in the US, with a Chinese G2H, signed into the China server, you can’t easily add a US Aqara wall switch, so it’s best to get the G2H for your region, for hassle-free service. Like the Aqara M2, the G2H uses a micro USB port for power, so you can use any suitable micro USB to USB cable along with a USB power source to power it.

AQARA CAMERA HUB G2H PRO

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Regional models are supported in the following areas – China, North America, Europe, the UK
• Works with Apple Home and Aqara Home apps
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm, two-way audio)
• Four alarm modes – Off, Away, Home, Night/Sleep (syncs with HomeKit)
• Available in White only

You’d be forgiven for thinking we’d posted the same G2H camera twice in the article, as the G2H Pro is visually identical to the G2H, save for the small LED, that can display different colours that match the mode the hub or camera is in, just like the M2, M1S etc. The G2H only has a blue LED. Whilst the G2H is also a Zigbee 3.0 hub, the Pro model ups the stakes by fully exposing the alarm system to HomeKit.

* The gateway can directly connect 32 Zigbee terminal devices. If you need to add more Zigbee sub-devices, you can add Zigbee relay devices to the gateway first, and then add Zigbee terminal devices. Relay devices have expanded functions; After expansion, the gateway can support up to 128 Zigbee sub-devices.

The Aqara G2H Pro, like the previous model, is a combined HomeKit compatible camera and hub. The camera is compatible with HomeKit Secure Video (HSV). The hub is also exposed to HomeKit of course, which in turn allows compatible child devices to be exposed to HomeKit. In HomeKit, the G2H exposes three services – camera, alarm system and motion sensor. It also appears as a hub, but only if you look into the settings for one of the child devices that connect to it. Furthermore, as a camera can’t be designated as a hub in HomeKit, the G2H’s hub service lists the Motion sensor as the hub in this instance.

The camera part of the G2H Pro also features a few extras, including the ability to block out certain areas in the camera’s field of view, so instead of footage, there will be a black section, or sections, depending on what parts you have blanked out.

AQARA E1 USB STICK HUB

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128 child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Uses a USB-A plug to insert into any suitably powered USB socket.
• Regional models supported in the following areas – China, North America, Europe, UK
• Works with Apple Home, Aqara Home and Mi Home apps
• Contains a WiFi repeater (support for only two WiFi devices)
• Four alarm modes – Off, Away, Home, Night/Sleep (syncs with HomeKit)
• No audio speaker

The Aqara E1 USB Stick Hub is part of Aqara’s Eco range and is therefore pretty cheap. As with all other newer Aqara hubs, the E1 uses Zigbee 3.0, and despite the lower price and smaller physical footprint, it’s still capable of supporting the new standard of 128 devices, with the help of zigbee repeaters. It also contains a WiFi ‘hotspot’ or repeater, although it can only support 2 separate WiFi devices, so it’s fairly limited. It exposes all four alarm modes within HomeKit, and it will sync with other Aqara hubs with the four alarm modes exposed to HomeKit.

AQARA G3 CAMERA HUB

Uses WiFi 2.4 and 5GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Regional models supported in the following areas – China, North America, Europe
• Works with Apple Home and Aqara Home apps
• Includes audio speaker (for alarm, two-way audio)
• Four alarm modes – Off, Away, Home, Night/Sleep (syncs with HomeKit)
• Feature motion tracking for humans and pets
• Utilises facial recognition, gesture recognition, motion detection, and abnormal sound detection
• Has built-in IR blaster

The Aqara G3 is a combined HomeKit compatible camera Zigbee 3.0 hub, and HomeKit alarm system. The camera is also compatible with HomeKit Secure Video (HSV). The hub is also exposed to HomeKit, which in turn allows compatible child devices to be exposed to HomeKit. In HomeKit, the G3 exposes three services – camera, motion sensor and security system. It also appears as a hub, but only if you look into the settings for one of the child devices that connect to it. Furthermore, as a camera isn’t designated as a hub in HomeKit, the G3’s hub service is listed as the Security system in this instance.

While the camera can use HomeKit Secure video, it also has the option to record to an SD card that can be added to the camera, as well as cloud-based recordings via Aqara’s servers. These recording options can only be accessed via the Aqara app, and if you want to make use of them, you need to be signed into the Aqara app, with the camera ‘binded’ to the appropriate server. Under normal circumstances, you should also be signed into the Aqara app to add child devices to the G3’s hub, although you can manually add devices outside of the Aqara app, with the use of the button on the top of the camera (three presses puts the G3 hub into pairing mode).

You can use a Chinese G3 even if you’re not located in China, but you do need to be signed into the Chinese server in the Aqara app in order to bind the camera fully to make use of the aforementioned additional recording options. This also means that if, for example, you’re in the US, with a Chinese G3, signed into the China server, you can’t easily add a US Aqara wall switch, so it’s best to get the G3 for your region, for hassle-free service. The G3 is now available outside of Mainland China, having been released in the U.S., Canada and France, with other territories to follow later. Unlike the G2H, the G3 uses a USB-C port for power, so you can use any suitable USB-C to USB A cable along with a USB power source to power it.

In addition to the G3’s basic functionality as a camera with a motion sensor, it also has all four alarm modes exposed to HomeKit, which the G2H does not offer. The G3 records in 2K via an inserted SD card, and can support cards up to 128GB.

Within the Aqara app, the G3 also offers a lot more than the G2H, which includes motion tracking for dogs & cats and humans, with separate functionality for both types. It also has standard motion detection, as well as facial recognition, gesture recognition, and abnormal sound detection. You can also call the account holder of the camera by pressing the LED ring, and the G3 even includes an IR blaster to control devices that use an infrared remote control.

MI SMART GATEWAY

Uses WiFi 2.4 GHz to connect to your network/HomeKit

• Can support up to 128* child devices
• Uses Zigbee 3.0 to connect to child devices
• Acts as both a Bluetooth hub and Bluetooth Mesh hub for Mijia Bluetooth and Bluetooth Mesh devices
• Uses a Micro-USB port in combination with any USB type power supply
• Available worldwide, with no regional restrictions
• Works with Apple Home and Mi Home apps
• No audio speaker, only a buzzer to confirm certain functions

The Mi Smart Gateway, also known variously as the Mijia Gateway 3, or the Mijia Multimode Smart Gateway, is not an Aqara product, although it’s made by Aqara’s parent company (Lumi United) for Xiaomi. As such, it is not compatible with the Aqara Home app, only Mi Home and of course Apple HomeKit. Like the Aqara M2, this uses a micro USB power connection, which makes using this in different regions easy, with a suitable USB power supply. Unlike all other hubs as part of the larger Xiaomi ecosystem, this is now region-free, so not only should you be able to buy these locally, but if you previously bought a Chinese model, that will now be usable in any region. Unlike the M2, this doesn’t come with an ethernet port, and neither does it have a speaker or LED light, so in this sense, it’s the most basic of hubs. However, it is Zigbee 3.0, and region-free, as already mentioned, so these could be seen as minor plusses compared to the original Aqara hub. Additionally, it can work with both Mi and Aqara branded sensors, although as with all hubs that have come after the original hub, you may find some devices have yet to be certified to be exposed to HomeKit. In HomeKit it doesn’t show up with its own tile, as there are no additional functions, like a light or security alarm, so you can only see the existence of this device in the ‘Hubs and Bridges’ section in the settings for the Home app.

Aside from the Zigbee 3.0 connectivity, the Mi Smart Gateway also acts as a Bluetooth hub for Xiaomi smart home devices that use Bluetooth. HomeKit compatible Bluetooth devices in HomeKit use either a direct connection to your phone or a Home Hub (Apple TV, HomePod/Mini, iPad). In Mi Home, Bluetooth devices also connect directly to your phone, but many Xiaomi smart devices also contain Bluetooth hubs, like some of their cameras, sensors or even ceiling lights. These allow those Bluetooth devices to be accessed remotely, as the devices that contain a Bluetooth hub invariably use WiFi. Not only does the Mi Smart Gateway fulfil this type of function, but it is also designed to work with Bluetooth Mesh devices in the same way. Bluetooth Mesh is similar to Zigbee, in that as you add these mesh devices to your home, the reach of the devices is expanded outward, like an ever-expanding fishing net, with each additional device relaying information back and forth, thereby removing the issue of a Bluetooth (mesh) device being out of range of either your phone or a Bluetooth mesh gateway. Yeelight makes a Bluetooth mesh gateway that also works with Apple HomeKit, but it works exclusively with its own range of Bluetooth mesh lighting products at present. This would be the same for the Mi Smart Gateway, although at present I’m not aware of any Bluetooth mesh devices that are designed to work with the Mi smart Gateway, much less whether they’re exposed to HomeKit. That said, Xiaomi has a series of Bluetooth devices coming out – motion sensor, contact sensor, and smoke sensor – that all use Bluetooth, so it’s possible that these are designed to work with the Mi Smart Gateway and from there (eventually) get exposed to HomeKit. It’s all a bit of an unknown at the moment though.

To wrap things up, as with any area of technology, as things improve, newer models come out, and hubs are not immune to this fact either. Aqara already have more hub-based devices on the way, including a wall outlet based hub, an LCD display wall mounted hub, and even a USB stick hub are all in the making, as was revealed in our post back in September, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from purchasing a hub now, as many of these upcoming ones won’t surface for a while, and even then only initially in Mainland China.

That’s everything I have to say on these different options for now, and I hope it’s of some use for those a bit lost and bewildered at the options out there, but if there’s something I missed, or there are further questions you have, feel free to drop a comment below.

The post Aqara Zigbee Hubs and Their Differences (updated 27/04/22) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

This video is in Chinese, but with English subtitles.

The post How to Make Your Bathroom Smart on a Budget appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

It’s easy enough to set up if you follow these steps, although if like me you have a lot of cameras, you may want to think about which cameras you want to get notifications on, in order to avoid a deluge of notifications when you’re trying to watch your favourite show or movie.

The following instructions are based on the assumption that you have an Apple TV HD or 4K capable of running tvOS15 and you’ve updated to the latest firmware.

• Go into the settings section of your Apple TV, and select AirPlay and HomeKit
• From there, scroll down to the HomeKit subsection and select Cameras & Doorbells

• Choose the camera(s) you want to appear on Apple TV for both viewing and for motion notifications
• For each camera, select whether you’d like to receive notifications, and what kind of detection is reported

• If you select When Specific Motion is Detected, you have a choice to activate up to four different options – People, Animals, Vehicles, or Packages (NEW)
• Once you’re all set up, you will start to receive notifications on your Apple TV via a Picture in Picture (PiP) pop-up screen

• If by chance you have HomeKit compatible cameras that don’t have the capacity for HomeKit Secure Video (HSV) functionality, then you will most likely only be able to set Activity Notifications on or off. You can see this in the Abode Iota cam and the D-Link Omna 180 cam in the screenshot above.

• If you have a HSV capable camera, but it isn’t set to the Stream and Allow Recording option in HomeKit, you’ll see this warning. You can still see the live stream, but you won’t get notifications.

• If you’re getting a lot of notifications at a particular time when you don’t need them, then from the fullscreen view of the particular camera, you can select the Snooze Activity icon
• A screen will pop up, offering three Snooze options – snooze for 15 minutes, snooze for an hour, snooze until tomorrow.

• When viewing a live stream of one of your cameras, regardless of whether it’s recording or not you will see two separate icons, one for devices related (but not restricted to) the room the camera is in, and another to view all of your cameras in a grid format.
• The devices icon, once pressed, shows the devices relevant to the room the camera is in, as well as devices you’ve deemed relevant via the Home app.
• From here, you have basic control – on/off for the most part, so you don’t get control of lights that have dimming and colour capabilities, other than on or off.

• Besides cameras and doorbells, certain devices can also report back on their status, like door locks. You can see in the corner of the screen, my Nuki Lock 2 has been unlocked.

There is probably a bit more to discover with tvOS15, but this is one addition that has been highly welcome – even if it’s just to keep an eye on a naughty dog…

The post How to Add Video Camera Notifications to Your Apple TV appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The post 3 products to BUY and 3 to AVOID for your smart home (2021 edition) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

I’ll test out the Original Aqara Hub, the G2H Hub, the M1S and the newest to the Aqara lineup, the M2. From Cameras to Alarm Systems, I’ve found these hubs to be multi-purpose. These products use Zigbee and are fast, affordable and reliable in my experience so far.

Aqara Amazon Links:

• G2H Hub: https://geni.us/tBQP
• M2 Hub: https://geni.us/5jCA8
• Light Switch: https://geni.us/Pj3R9J
• Motion Sensor: https://geni.us/VUiQ
• Cube: https://geni.us/YGmCg
• Vibration Sensor: https://geni.us/PJzA
• Water Leak Sensor: https://geni.us/hxsgZV
• Door & Window Sensor: https://geni.us/qWm8A9
• Smart Plug: https://geni.us/Wuy4
• Temperature & Humidity Sensor: https://geni.us/tnpDB
• Mini Switch (Button): https://geni.us/WhuuRK

The post Aqara Hubs – Choose the Right Hub For Your HomeKit Home appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Today I show you how I turned my dumb vertical blinds into smart vertical blinds.

BUY DIRECT FROM SOMA – https://geni.us/SOMA (affiliate link)

The post The Ultimate Smart ‘Vertical’ Blinds appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Products mentioned;

• Eve Energy Smart Plug: https://geni.us/sAiAw (Amazon)
• LectroFan for white noise: https://geni.us/pBYSs57 (Amazon)
• Blueair Air Purifier: https://geni.us/LE3G3O (Amazon)

The post Getting started with Apple HomeKit appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

How did I live before the Homepod Mini? That is still to be determined but the important thing is that it’s here now. I use this little sphere of magic every single day. I could give you 99 tips & tricks for the Homepod Mini but in this video, I’ll focus on my Top 7 uses for a Homepod Mini. As in, practical and real-life uses that save our family time, money & energy and just generally enhance our Smart Home!

Affiliate LInks:

Below are links to some great products for your Smart home. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you and this would help support my channel. The below genius links are set up to direct you to the correct Amazon store based on the country you live in.

THREAD Products – Learn more here https://www.threadgroup.org​

• Eve Aqua: https://geni.us/oE0Osuy
• Eve Window and Door Contact Sensor: https://geni.us/zwIghJY
• Nanoleaf Essentials A19 light bulb: https://amzn.to/2ZYMF0g​
• Nanoleaf Shapes: https://geni.us/GLETd6Y

The post Top 7 Uses for a Homepod Mini in your Homekit Smart Home appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.