First spotted by Chris Aston-Roebuck and Mark Burr in the ‘Apple HomeKit Users Group’ on Facebook, it appears that the recent rumblings of new Ikea Trådfri smart products are finally becoming official, with a notification in the iOS Trädfri app informing users of “what’s new”. In this case, it’s the new Smart Plug that started to appear on in-store displays last month. In the app, a simple line drawing of said smart plug is shown (see image below), with the following wording;

“Control Outlets
The new TRÅDFRI control outlet makes other devices in your house smarter. Just plug in and play!  Learn More”

In addition to the smart plug, Ikea are also selling a starter kit, comprising the plug and a remote to control the smart plug. The smart plug currently appears on Ikea’s Sweden online store for 99Kr, whilst the starter pack is pried at 149Kr. Ikea’s website states these items will be available in October, although the product has already appeared in some stores in Sweden. A simple search on Ikea’s UK and US websites don’t currently return any results for a Smart plug, so the products is still forthcoming for these territories it would seem. This news follows hot on the heels of the recently reported FCC filing for an Ikea Trådfri smart blinds device.

One important note is that even though these smart plugs are designed to work with the Trådfri gateway, and by extension, HomeKit, actual support for these to work with HomeKit won’t be available until October, when Ikea will assumedly be pushing out a firmware update to either the gateway, the plug, or both.

The post Ikea Smart Plug Available in Swedish Stores Now appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Koogeek have been churning out quite a few products over the last couple of years, and if you follow their progress, you’ll see there’s plenty more to come, with a smart padlock, camera, a new white bulb and an air quality monitor, so do start saving! As for the current batch of products they have already available, this is one product I find really useful – in fact I’ve got two of them – and they’re really handy when you’ve got a set of regular lamps that need that automated touch. In my case they’re used for a corner tall lamp, and two floor lights on either side of our sofa.

Starting off with first impressions of the box itself; now ordinarily you wouldn’t need to concern yourself with the box that the device comes in, but considering a lot of people buy online these days, which in turn means these are shipped – in many cases, long distances – it makes sense to know that the box that your device comes in has at least a modicum of protection. This box doesn’t really provide a lot of said protection to be honest, and although both of mine arrived without any damage, you could see the bashing that a delivered item can sustain, even when surrounded in bubble wrap, so not great in terms of protective packaging. The design itself is very ‘Apple’ though, so that’s something if you’re into the aesthetic side of things. Importantly You have the ‘Works with HomeKit’ branding on the front, with a few bullet points on the back, listing some of the features of the Power Strip, like Independent Control, USB Charging, Energy Monitoring and more, which we’ll touch on later.

One you’ve opened the box, it’s clear there really isn’t a lot of protection provided, being that the Strip itself comes in a simple latex bag with elastic bands to keep everything in place. Despite this, once unwrapped, the Strip feels really ‘tough’; I’ve owned a lot of power strips over the years, and this definitely feels a lot more substantial than any of those. The power cord feels very thick and durable too, so this soon leaves you feeling a lot more confident.

Setting up the device is super easy, if you’re used to installing devices via HomeKit; All you need is to plug the device into the mains, and have your HomeKit code at the ready. This is provided inside the accompanying booklet (not pictured) and on the device itself, but seeing as you might be placing this in a more difficult to reach place, the code inside the booklet suddenly becomes very handy. As is standard with a HomeKit device installation, it’s a breeze, with the now familiar ‘Add accessory, Scan Code’ scenario. Once you’ve gone through this simple process, you’ll have to name each of these outlets, starting with the 1st outlet, being the one nearest to the ‘Koogeek logo (or the one furthest from the USB ports). As all three outlets are on one device, you can only choose one room for all three outlets to be in, obviously. Once the outlets are named, they are ready to use.

The Power strip allows for three individually controlled outlets, along with three physical buttons with corresponding LEDs to control the power and indicate the power state. All fairly straightforward. Along with these outlets you get three USB ports, two of which are labelled ‘iPhone/iPod’ along with a third, more powerful port labelled ‘iPad’. The ports themselves provide 1 amp of power for the first two ports, and 2.1 amps for the iPad port.

These US ports cannot be individually or collectively controlled, so they’re as dumb as it gets in terms of ‘Smarts’,  however they do free up sockets that otherwise might be used solely for a USB charger, so in that respect they’re very welcome. The iPad port is powerful enough for me to power my basic 3m LED light strip, so this also saves me finding a USB plug and the use of an outlet to plug it into.

On the back of the device at the bottom, you have the details of what the device is capable of and what kind of power it’s designed to handle. At the other end, the HomeKit code along with serial number and MAC code are also provided. At the side of the device there’s a circuit breaker, useful in the event that the device is overloaded, it would cut the power, allowing you to use this button to reset the device to receive power again, which you tend to find on most power strips these days. On the subject of power, the Power Strip does protect against power surges. The rated current is 15 amps, with a total rated power of 1800 watts. Finally, it should be stressed that this is designed for indoor use only.

Overall, this is a really great piece of kit, which not only provides three outlets for just a little more than the price of one smart plug, in some cases, but as the power plug itself is standard, it doesn’t take up two wall outlets. This being the US version, its input is rated for 120v AC and 60Hz, but Koogeek have since released a version suitable for the EU, with a UK version in the works, allegedly.

The post Koogeek 01US-1 Smart Power Strip (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

iDevices are one of the better HomeKit manufacturers, and have steadily brought out a great range of smart products that work seamlessly with other HomeKit products, as well as providing compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. I have two of these particular devices, and along with the fact they work really well with HomeKit, are solidly built, and stay connected to the network like glue (some devices disconnect occasionally), they also look great.

Like many other brand-savvy manufacturers, iDevices have a consistent theme with their packaging, deploying purple across the top, as their colour of choice. The box itself it’s nice enough although maybe not quite as sturdy on the top as some others I’ve come across. However, the device itself is held in place quite tightly, so there should be no instances of the smart outlet coming free and subsequently bouncing around. Indeed, the plug itself feels very solid, so I don’t imagine the carton being squashed from the top would make any difference to the plug. Inside the box, you simply get a concise setup manual,  ‘support’ card, which contains specific information for contacting the company for help or enquiries, and the device itself. There’s also an included booklet for Android users (not pictured).

Setting up the device is very straightforward, with options for either installing via iDevices’ own HomeKit-compatible app, or simply via the Home app, by way of the standard ‘add accessory, scan code’ method, which I won’t go through here. The required HomeKit code is on the device itself, but there’s also a copy of the code included in the manual. As with almost all HomeKit devices, this will only work on a 2.4gHz wireless network, which whilst slower than the newer 5.0gHz system, does offer greater signal reach. You can have a router that has both, but you will have to ensure that when you’re setting it up, it is able to pick up the 2.4gHz signal. If you’re having to reset this device as opposed to it being a brand new install, there is a little more to getting this back into HomeKit, which I’ll explain* at the end of this article.

Looking at the ‘Switch’ itself, as mentioned before, it’s feels really solidly built, as though you could easily stand on it without it falling apart (please don’t try this at home folks…). The main housing is a sort of slightly off-white matte plastic on the top and bottom, with slightly glossier plastic for the rest of the body, which is quite understated, with the iDevices logo indented across the top. On the side of the device is the socket itself, and on the opposite side there’s a large physical One/Off button. As with other smart plugs, this outlet doesn’t really do a lot other than allow you to control ‘dumb’ devices like lamps, coffee makers etc, but it does have within the iDevices app, the ability to monitor energy consumption, which is good news for anyone conscious of their electricity bills.

Once you have the Switch set up in the Home app, you will notice that there are not one, but two tiles; one to represent the switch itself and therefore whatever is plugged into it, and the other tile to represent the night-light strip that runs the length of the switch. Depending on the colour you choose, the strip can be a great night-light if it’s placed in the right location. The hue and brightness of the night-light strip can be adjusted, and of course you can just choose to not use it at all – all totally separate from the main outlet.

To me, the LED strip is a real gem, as it not only gives you a free night-light, as I’ve mentioned, but utilised cleverly, it can even be used to give you information on other smart devices. For example, you could have this device in your home office, which might be on the other side of the house, and with that you may not hear someone come home as they open the door. But, if you have any kind of HomeKit enabled door sensor, you could get the LED strip on the plug to light up red when the door opens, and maybe green when the door closes. I already employ this method, as I spend a lot of time in a room where I don’t often hear the door open, and this is a great way of knowing when someone has come home.

The size of the device is almost perfect, as you can have two of these sitting in adjacent sockets quite snuggly. Currently there are three devices that I have that could be classified as ‘slim’; these are the WeMo Mini Smart plug, the iHome iSPX6 and this one. Whilst the iDevice switch isn’t quite as slim as the other two, it is the shortest, and having the socket on the side does present some advantages over the other two (imagine sockets behind cupboards or sofas for example). Add to this, the night light, which can be used for many automations by itself.

As this is a HomeKit compatible device, there is little reason to go into iDevices’ own app, although it is necessary to have it on your iPhone or iPad for software or firmware updates. Besides this, the energy monitoring functionality is only available in the company’s app.

I’m guessing that most people who are reading this review will generally be in the HomeKit ‘camp’, but if you’re also one of those that has a Google Smart Speaker, an Alexa device, or you simply have someone in the home that uses an Android phone instead of an iPhone (like most sensible people…), then it’s good to know that this smart outlet will work with those platforms as well, and in tandem, so you’re not stuck with an ‘either or’ situation. My iDevices switches work with both my HomeKit setup and my Google Home Mini, and there have not been any issues to date.

Wrapping up, this is in many ways the perfect smart outlet for me, as it’s small enough to not cover two outlets with the one plug. It has the separate night light capable of the standard 16 million shade of colours as well as adjustable brightness. The position of the socket does really help when you have to place this in areas where depth is an issue.

* Going back to the setup procedure I touched on earlier, I should point out that whilst the steps for setting up a brand new device is very rudimentary, if you’re reinstalling after previously removing this device from your ‘HomeKit setup, or for some reason you have to reset the device, then there is a routine you will have to go through before you can re-add it. This involves plugging in the device, making sure there is power going to the outlet, then holding down the physical button on the side until the LED strip flashes red rapidly. You then continue to hold the button down for a further 5 seconds, then let go of the button. The LED strip should then flash blue continuously, which indicates the switch is ready for pairing. From there, the installation procedure is as before.

• Requirements:
  Home Wi-Fi® (802.11 B/G/N)
  WPA or WPA2 Network Security
  Free iDevices® Connected App
  HomeKit requires an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 8.1 or later.
  
• Size & Weight:
  Depth: 1.65″ (42mm)
  Width: 2.71″ (69mm)
  Height: 1.57″ (40mm)
  Weight: 3.3 oz
  
• Power:
  Power Input: 120 VAC, 60Hz
  Number of Power Outlets: 1
  Resistive: 1800W
  Tungsten: 600W
  Motor: 1/2 HP
• More info:
  https://store.idevicesinc.com/idevices-switch/

The post iDevices Switch Smart Outlet (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

If you’ve read my previous reviews, you’ll be aware that I put a lot of stock into presentation (the packaging basically), and on this count I would say that WeMo have delivered admirably. As with many of the current manufacturers of smart devices, the container that the smart plug came in was super sturdy, being made of a thick recycled (?) cardboard, enclosed in a green and white outer sleeve. Green seems to be the colour of choice these days, with iHome and Vocolinc both also opting for this colour scheme. Whether this is an effort to imbue their products with some form of ‘eco-friendliness’ I’m not sure, but it certainly works on an aesthetic level.

Once you’ve taken off the outer sleeve, you can really see that WeMo have gone the extra mile, with a lovely design on the inside of the carton – something you’d only see once you had already purchased the product, so this isn’t just to entice you, it’s to encourage and excite you into taking WeMo seriously, in that they think about the smaller details.

After you’ve open the box fully to reveal the smart plug itself, you can see that it’s housed nicely within the centre of the box, giving it little chance to move around and potentially get damaged. There’s an included manual to help with quick setup along with any problems you might have with the plug, in the form of a list of troubleshooting tips.

Ok, that’s enough about the ‘Hipster’ packaging. Onto the device itself.

At the end of the day, of all the categories of smart devices, smart plugs offer the most choice, and while some can do small things that others can’t do (like monitor electricity usage for example), they all basically do the same job of turning a ‘dumb’ device on or off, giving said device some level of automation. This device is no different to any of those in that basic respect. It’s fairly slim, or wide, depending on how you look at it, but being this slim it does offer the advantage of not taking up more than one wall socket, which in turn means that it can be stacked with another WeMo smart plug quite comfortably.

The design of the plug itself is quite unassuming, which would lend itself to blending into a typical, mainly white kitchen. Simple branding aside, the only other thing on the front is a rather convenient on/off switch, with a small LED that lights up in white, when there’s power going to the plug. Going back briefly to its dimensions, while it’s not quite as slim as the iHome iSPX6, it comes close, although it is slightly taller. it does beat out the iDevices Switch in the ‘skinny’ department, but once again it is wider/taller, so it really is down to the individual as to what works for them.

Onto the setup: As this device isn’t a ‘straight-out-the-box’ HomeKit product, with no HomeKit code provided – or even needed – the procedure was a little bit more involved; not necessarily complicated, but a little long-winded nonetheless. First off, you need to download the WeMo app to get things started. Once the app is downloaded and running, you simply plug the device into an outlet and let the app guide you through the process of initially setting it up to work with the WeMo app. Interestingly, even though the setup process for getting it to integrate with HomeKit comes later, the first thing you’re asked on opening the WeMo app is access to your ‘Home Data’, meaning your current Apple Home data. Once you’ve okayed this, you choose which device you want to set up, you’re then presented with a few tips as to setup process itself. This involves connecting your iPhone or iPad to the wi-fi signal of the plug itself in order to exchange you home wi-fi network settings. Once all that’s ‘in the bag’, the app will attempt to connect to the device itself, which in my case took a little bit of time.

It eventually spots the plug and asks you to name the device (if you so wish – I stuck with ‘Wemo Mini’). You’ll then be prompted to provide an email address to complete the process before it proceeds to finally connect directly to your home network. After that is complete, you then get to choose whether you’d like it to send you notifications.

As I already mentioned, this was a lengthy, if straightforward process, but once you’re at this point, you’ll see the smart plug show up as a device that can now be programmed or controlled within the WeMo app. Chances are that there will be at least one, if not two firmware updates awaiting you. One of these will be for the plug itself, which is reassuring to know that kinks are spotted and ironed out by way of these updates. The other is to enable the plug to work with HomeKit, which is the whole reason this is being reviewed of course! Once you’ve updated the firmware, you’ll finally get to the section that allows for HomeKit connectivity. You’re given options for connecting the plug to IFTTT, Nest, Alexa and finally, the Apple Home App. Google isn’t on this list for some reason, but you can connect to Google assistant via the Google Home app.

We’re on the home straight now, so it’s just connecting the plug to the Home app, which in most respects appears in the same way it would if you were adding a standard HomeKit compatible device, minus the part where you have to scan a code.

From here on in, like with a standard install, it’s simply a case of choosing which room the plug resides in, whether it appears as a Light, Powerpoint or Fan, and whether you wish to add it to your favourites. It will then appear in your standard Home app, along with any 3rd party apps you may use.

I’ve only been using it for about 24 hours, and so far I’ve found it to be as responsive as all my other plugs, with no real sign of extra lag from touching the tile in the app, to the corresponding on or off. The device itself emits a small ‘click’ when it’s turned on or off (which may be good for some and terrible for others), and the LED above the physical switch turns white or turns off respectively.

As previously stated, it does work with other platforms, and while it isn’t compatible with Wink, unlike the aforementioned iHome smart plug, it does have IFTTT, which may actually be of more use.

After setting the device up, I unplugged it from mains power briefly, to see if it would reconnect without any issues, and it did reconnect after about a minute or so. However, I did a second test, where I left it disconnected overnight, and on this occasion it took a full uninstall and reinstallation to get it back to where I had it, which in fact took two attempts, with the first take managing to somehow render the physical button unresponsive. A second full reset solved the issue and once I’d gone through the lengthy installation process again, it was all good.

In my final assessment, it’s great to see how devices are going to work with the new Software Authentication process, and I’m hoping that when other manufacturers do get on board, the set up isn’t as long as this one was, even though I can see that most steps seemed to be necessary. However, there are a ton of choices for smart plugs out there, and while this device is a little cheaper than many of them, you do find some good deals occasionally, which essentially boils this down to just another smart plug.

Pros

• slim, so easy to stack with another of these if needed
• relatively cheap
• good support from a reputable company

Cons

• long-winded set up process
• not great at remembering settings if left unplugged

Still, I’d recommend it for those on a budget who also don’t want to obscure two wall outlets with one plug.

The post Belkin Wemo Mini Smart Plug (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The post ConnectSense Smart Outlet 2 appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet is designed for both consumer and commercial-grade applications. Available in both 15A and 20A options, the Smart In-Wall Outlet is easy to install by a certified electrician and can be provisioned quickly to an available wireless network.

The Smart In-Wall Outlet is compatible with Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa, allowing for complete control and monitoring of any device that is plugged into the Outlet. The Outlet’s relays can be used to turn on/off each individual outlet through the available app, capacitive touch controls, or voice control via third-party devices.

The Smart In-Wall Outlet has also been designed to operate in commercial environments such as office buildings, airports, factories, universities, and IT locations. The Smart In-Wall Outlet allows for various networking options to meet the needs of commercial customers allowing them to choose their connectivity type, dependent on the network used.

Features:

• Dual on/off relay controls
• 125V/20A commercial rating
• Precise power monitoring
• Plug detection for safety
• Pairing using NFC technology
• Tamper resistent
• Wiring screws
• Sustain up to 6000V/10K Amp impulse
• Multiple wireless networking options
• Easy setup and configuration
• Local memory cache of data
• UL/cUL/FCC pending
• UL498B-SA
• Capacitive touch
• Dimmable LEDs

http://info.gridconnect.com/smart-in-wall-outlet-updates

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