The strip comes in at 1.5m/59in and can be extended by up to 10m/32.8ft. The controller that comes with the strip is pretty much the same as the one you would get with Nanoleaf’s own Essentials colour strip, only in black, although the connector from the controller to the strip is different. The power supply is also much the same, but one again in black.

As this strip is designed to sit in a recess for Secretlabs’ own gaming table, the strip is a lot deeper than standard strips, so the sides are black, which means colour only emanates from the front of the strip itself.

Due to the strip being designed for the Secretlabs desk, which is made of steel, the strip comes with a series of magnets on the underside, which allows it to adhere without the need for double-sided stickers of the kind you tend to get with standard light strips. The connection from the controller to the strip is proprietary and fits at 90º to the strip itself.

The strip also has a diffuser built-in, so individual LEDs are barely visible even at the lowest light levels.

As the strip is HomeKit compatible and uses Thread, you can add it directly to the Home app if you wish. The device has a QR Code but also has an NFC chip for even easier pairing. Once added, you get all the standard controls. you can also see that further controls are available via the Nanoleaf app.

As mentioned, the MAGRGB is fully controllable in the Nanoleaf app, with all the same controls and features you would see with Nanoleaf’s own multicolour options.

Multicolour scenes can also be exported to the Home app, even if those can’t be edited in the Home app themselves.

The post Nanoleaf/Secretlab MAGRGB Light Strip – First Look appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING | UNBOXING

The packaging of the tedee keypad is minimalist. Due to its small size, everything fits in a flat brown box in which you will find the tedee keypad itself, a few sheets with codes and information with a link with which you can download the digital version of the user manual. There’s also a small envelope with a set of mounting screws that can be affixed to the exterior wall along with a special Allen key used to open the device in order to replace the batteries.

Technical specification of tedee keypad

• Model: TKV 1.0
• Weight: 120 g (without batteries), 155 g (with 3 AAA batteries)
• Dimensions: 48mm x 135mm x 28mm
• Power supply: 3 AAA batteries (included)
• Battery life: as stated by the battery manufacturer
• Bluetooth communication: Bluetooth BLE 5.0 / 2.4GHz
• IP protection class: IP65

The tedee keypad is available in a single dark grey colour and is made entirely of plastic. The keypad buttons are rubberized and illuminated. The whole thing is certified with the IP65 protection rating, which allows the keypad to be mounted outside. IP65 means it provides protection against low-pressure jets of water from any direction, as well as against condensation and splashes of water. tedee keypad can be mounted with the included pair of screws or with the use of adhesive tape which covers the back of the housing.

The device is powered by three 1.5 volt AAA batteries, which are already installed in the device when you buy it. When you need to replace the batteries, all that’s required is to unscrew one screw on the bottom, using the included Allen key, allowing you to remove the entire device, separating it from the backplate fixed to the wall.

THE KEYPAD

The layout of the buttons is very simple and clear. In addition to the buttons numbered from 0 to 9, there are three additional buttons, which I’ll go into more later. The device itself is not big but it is definitely not the smallest keypad compared to other companies, although I consider that an advantage because the size of the buttons themselves and the breaks in the arrangement of them make it easy to use regardless of who uses it, or the size of their hand/fingers. After pressing any button, the keyboard will be illuminated with a yellowish light, along with a discrete sound emitting from the built-in buzzer. Both of these functions can be managed from within the Tedee app.

The principle of operation of the tedee keypad is quite simple, as one would expect; It allows you to enter an appropriate, predetermined pin code, to open the tedee lock without the need for any additional devices. You have the ability to create up to 100 different pin codes, each containing between 5 to 8 digits. From a security point of view, this gives users between 100,000 to 100,000,000 different possible code combinations! In addition, Tedee also made sure that it is not possible to enter simple pin codes with repeated numbers (000000 for example). In order to unlock the lock, you have to enter the appropriate previously set up pin code using the number buttons, then press the button on the keypad marked with a padlock symbol. Each entry of the correct code is also confirmed by the single green blink of the LED located in the upper part of the keypad. If an incorrect code is entered, the LED will blink red once.

If the button marked with the bell symbol is pressed, the LED blinks green several times and a push notification will be sent to phones that have the Tedee app installed, and are logged in to the account to which the tedee keypad is assigned. The button marked with the symbol C associated with the English word Clear, allows you to delete the entered code if you’re not sure whether you have entered all the correct numbers or the correct sequence. If you also have the keypad’s buzzer activated, you will also hear the sound corresponding to the LED blinking that is also confirmed with each press of a button on the keypad.

Tedee Smart Lock (review)

ADDING THE KEYPAD

Before you can use the tedee keypad with tedee lock, it needs to be added to your Tedee account which first requires connecting both devices via the Tedee app. It’s a very simple and intuitive method that literally takes a minute. In the Tedee app menu, you need to select the ‘add new device’ option, then after selecting the keypad option, the application will allow you to add the device by manually entering the device code or by scanning its code. The activation code – in the form of a QR code and in the form of numbers – is placed inside of the device itself, under the batteries, and can also be found on a piece of paper in the packaging.

After scanning the tedee code, the keypad will be added to your account, whereupon a list of available, with nearby locks for which you can connect the keypad, will be shown. All you need to do is select the appropriate lock from the list and then press the ‘pair’ button. The tedee keypad can only be connected to one tedee lock at a time. It communicates with the lock via the Bluetooth protocol and it’s worth remembering to place the keypad near the lock during the process of adding it and later when using it.

The manufacturer recommends a distance of no more than 2 metres. In addition, if you also have the tedee smart bridge, the tedee keypad will also be automatically connected to it, thanks to this you will gain such additional functions as push notifications when someone presses the bell button on the keypad, automatic keypad firmware updates and notifications about low battery status. However, by design, the tedee smart bridge is not required to use the tedee keypad with tedee lock. After successful activation, the tedee keypad will be visible on the home page of the Tedee app among our other devices.

By pressing the name of the keypad, you get access to settings and features for the keypad itself. Here you can see which lock the keypad is associated and to which user it is assigned. You can also disconnect it from the lock, in case you want to connect it to a different lock. You will also find access to the options to create and change the pin codes used in the keypad. In practice, these codes are saved in the lock itself and not in the keypad and we will be redirected to the appropriate place in the lock options. Here you will also find access to all settings related to the keypad itself. In the settings, you can give the keypad any name, check the connection status and battery status. Additionally, in the battery tab, you can also mark the type of batteries used in order to correctly display their status. You can choose between standard 1.5v batteries and rechargeable 1.2v Ni-MH batteries, depending on which type you prefer.

The next setting option shows you the software version and allows it to be updated. You can also activate the built-in buzzer, which will make sounds every time you press a button on the keypad. Two volume levels are available, low and high. The sounds made by the keypad are discreet and the two settings do not differ drastically from each other, but they are still loud enough to fulfil their role in confirming a button press, whilst not disturbing the surroundings. The next setting is to set the keyboard backlight; You can turn it off or on and you have three brightness options – low, medium, or high. In the case of the buzzer and the keyboard backlight, it is worth remembering that using the maximum values will increase energy consumption.

The next setting concerns an additional doorbell button located on the keypad itself. You can activate or deactivate it. Its function, when active, is to send a push notification to phones that have the Tedee application installed and are logged into the account connected to the keypad. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, it is not possible to use this button in any other way or to make it available to other systems. Maybe it will not replace the classic doorbell, but it can be useful, especially when you are not at home. The rest of the settings are time zone settings, notification options about available firmware updates for keypad and low battery status, device information and logs.

One of the most important things in addition to reliable operation in this type of device is certainly the ease and flexibility of managing pin codes, thanks to which you can open the lock. You will not be disappointed here. As mentioned before, you can create up to 100 different codes from 5 to 8 digits. When using the tedee keypad in your home, it is certainly hard to imagine that you would use even half of the number of available codes, although let’s not forget that solutions of this type work very well in small and medium-sized companies and also in rental apartment solutions. The options for the codes can be found in the Tedee app in the section where you manage the permissions of tedee lock users, or in the options of the tedee keypad itself. You can create codes that never expire and work at any time without any restrictions, for example for household members, or you can use one or all of the three available options to restrict when a single code is supposed to work. These options can be freely mixed with each other, so it is possible to set any combination. 

The first of the three available restriction options is Temporary, which is time/interval based, using a specific date and time range. After this time has elapsed, the code will stop working. The next option, Specific Days, allows you to select the days of the week for which the code will work. Without using the previous restriction option, this schedule will automatically repeat every week. The last option, Daily Hours allows you to limit the use of the code to set hours. As in the previous example, if you do not use any additional options, these hours will be automatically repeated every day. The code created in this way can be easily shared directly from the Tedee app. Since the code is all numbers, all system-wide split and transfer options are available. From iMessage to Mail, AirDrop and more.

You can delete, create, or change already created codes at any time. However, it is worth remembering that if you have a tedee smart bridge, you can do it from anywhere, via remote access, when you are away from home. In the event that you do not have a tedee smart bridge, all changes will be sent to the lock only when your phone connects via Bluetooth directly to the tedee lock. Additionally, each use of the code is recorded and shown in the Tedee app in the tedee lock’s historical data, with the username of the code or the name of the code itself when sharing access with other people. Any attempts to enter a wrong code are also noted there.

IN USE

There are many ways and various additional accessories that allow you to unlock smart locks without the need for a phone or watch. These options vary between manufacturers and different lock models. As usual in such cases, there are always some advantages and disadvantages. If you want one specific solution that will work in every situation, I think that the keypad is just such a general solution. At first, biometric data such as fingerprint readers or cameras, keycards based on RF or NFC communication, various keyfobs or even one of the recently very popular topics in the form of the latest addition from Apple, called HomeKey, sound very interesting and certainly can in many cases, make our lives easier, but they have one major drawback. They require direct contact with the person you want to provide access to your lock or install an additional application. Even in the case of Apple HomeKey, you cannot assume that each person uses the Apple system and has an Apple ID. In the case of keypad devices, you do not have this problem and you can create a code at any time that you can remotely share or simply pass it on, and it does not require anything from people to whom you share this code. Of course, it all depends on what you need. If you do not need to provide other people with access to your tedee lock, then the tedee keypad can still be useful at times when you do not want to take your smartphone or smartwatch with you, or if the batteries in them happen to run out at the most inconvenient moment.

While using the tedee keypad and changing its options, I didn’t run into any problems. It just worked as intended. One thing is also worth mentioning; The specificity of Bluetooth devices is that when they are not used for some time, they go into what is known as ‘sleep time’ for maintenance and prolonged battery life. In some devices from other manufacturers, this causes a noticeable delay in response to the first commands. You won’t notice anything like that with the tedee keypad. The device reacts almost instantly, every time and to every command without delay. The size of the keyboard is so universal that it is easy to use regardless of the person. The keyboard backlight and sound feedback fulfil their purpose very well. It is also resistant to all external weather conditions and it’s hard to really complain about anything here.

In the video above, I quickly demonstrate three features; the ‘doorbell’ button, the result of adding an incorrect pin code, and the tedee lock, unlocking after entering a recognised pin code.

The tedee keypad is not protected in any special way against possible theft, except for one Allen screw that opens the device to replace the battery, but apart from the effects of possible vandalism, you do not have to worry about security. No data or codes are stored in the tedee keypad itself. All data is stored in tedee lock and the keypad is only used for the mere transmission of button presses. The same tedee keypad cannot be reused with another account without first deleting it from your account, so it becomes rather useless to any would-be thief.

The Tedee company is also developing further additional functions, such as increased security features for example; the function that automatically locks the keypad keyboard when you try to enter an incorrect pin code several times. A function is also being developed that will enable the locking of the lock with the keypad, which is not possible at the time of writing. These features will be made available through future app and firmware updates. Additionally, perhaps the most interesting fact is that the tedee keypad also has an NFC module that is not used at present. Although you could not receive any specific information on any plans related to the use of the NFC module, this opens up many potential opportunities and I am personally convinced that it will not go unused, so we will certainly hear about it over time when Tedee introduces additional new features.

There is one thing that I think would gain a lot if it was changed which is related to the push notification sound received via the doorbell button. Currently, the standard system sound for iOS notifications is used, which does not differ in any way from the sounds of most other notifications, which in the case of not looking at the phone screen does not distinguish it in any way. If it were possible to use a different sound or different sounds to choose from, then the user would know without even looking at the screen that someone was ringing your door via the keypad. The option to activate the so-called Critical Alerts in iOS for the tedee keypad would also be useful. Critical Alerts consist of the fact that the notification sound is played even when our phone is muted.

If you want to be able to open the tedee lock without taking your phone or smartwatch with you, and you want a simple and reliable way to share your lock with other people in any situation without requiring anything from the people you want to share it with, I think you will be very pleased with buying a tedee keypad. The price is also affordable and comparable with similar devices from other manufacturers.

Full disclosure: Tedee provided HomeKit News with the Tedee Keypad 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 Tedee Keypad (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Let’s check how it works, what it offers, and what HomeKit users can expect, but first a quick overview of the company itself;

Tedee the company, is based in Poland, Europe, and make use of a lot of technical expertise of two main companies, one of which, GERDA, are a well known and highly respected lock manufacturer, which is good news, knowing that a company has the specialist know-how when it comes to locks, your first line of defence when it comes to privacy and your property. The other company, Predica, specialise in cloud services, which in today’s world is probably just as important when it comes to smart devices. Whilst we at HomeKit News, focus on the HomeKit side of things, its also fair to point out that Tedee want to make as many customers as possible aware of the benefits of their smart lock, and so the tedee lock is compatible with a host of different platforms and systems and is actually manufactured in Poland. One thing the company can proudly claim is a recent award at the 2021 IF Design Awards (Hannover), where the tedee lock won first prize in the ‘Product Design in the Building Technology’ category. No mean feat when you consider there were upwards of 10,000 competitors in this field.

Usually, we devote a few words to the product packaging itself. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we’re unable to do so in as much detail, as at the time of putting this review together, the device was still in the approval stage for HomeKit certification. Due to this, the packaging you see here may differ from the final version.

Let’s start with the technical specification of this product itself;

Technical specifications of tedee lock

• Available colours: Black or White
• Models: TLV1.0, TLV1.1
• Weight: ca 196 g
• Dimensions: Ø 45 mm x 55 mm
• Operating temperature: 10-40°C (indoor only)
• Operating humidity: maximum 65%
• Power supply: 3000 mAh LiPo battery
• Bluetooth communication: BLE 5.0 |  2.4 GHz
• Security: TLS 1.3
• Can be paired with tedee bridge
• Can be installed on Euro-profile cylinders (Recommended: GERDA SLR modular cylinder)
• Battery life: Approx. 14 months with an average of 8 locking processes per day.
• Charging time: approx. 8 hours.
• Product support period: 5 years

Technical specifications of tedee bridge

• Model: TBV1.0
• Weight: ca. 51.6 g
• Dimensions: 64.5 x 63.5 x 28 mm
• Operating temperature: 10-40C (indoor only)
• Operating humidity: maximum 65%
• Power supply: 5V = 300mA
• Wi-Fi communication: 2.4 GHz
• Bluetooth communication: BLE 5.0 | 2.4GHz
• Security: TLS 1.3
• Can be paired with tedee lock
• Recommended setup: max. 2 meters from tedee lock (1-10 meters range from your router)
• Product support period: 5 years

The Bridge may be powered in two ways;

• Via a standard USB charger – connected directly to 100-240V AC socket
• With a micro-USB cable – connected to a USB power source (e.g. USB charger, power bank or a laptop)

On the official website, additional optional accessories for mounting the lock are also available for purchase;

• 4 Different Types of Gerda EU Cylinder (Gerda SLR Modular Lock Cylinder is Attested with Safety Class 6 According to PN-EN 1303: 2015-07)
• Nordic Adapter for use with cylinders commonly used in Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland).

ABOUT THE LOCK

The tedee lock is a retrofit device, which means you don’t need to replace the entire lock you already have. You only installed the tedee lock itself on the inside of the door and connect it to the mechanism of the lock that’s already installed. On the outside, much like products by August for example, there’s no visible trace that you’re using a smart lock at all, and on the inside, thanks to the design of the tedee lock, you get a small turnable knob that contains the entire smart portion of the lock, which you can also use manually to open and close the door.

The first and most important thing before buying the tedee (or any smart lock), is to make sure that this type of lock will fit your door. Both in terms of mechanical assembly and the dimensions of the lock itself. In this case, I wouldn’t worry too much about the dimensions because the dimensions of the tedee lock are really quite small, but I’d still recommend that you make sure of your dimensions in relation to where the lock will go anyway.

As for the assembly itself, in addition to the mechanism connecting the tedee lock with your main lock, you also need to pay attention to whether your door opens to the outside or inside. In my case, the distance from the centre of our main lock axis to the edge of the door is quite tight in terms of space. Thankfully, Tedee (the company) took care of all the information and help on this topic, which you can find on the Tedee website – https://tedee.com/can-i-install-tedee-smart-lock/

The assembly of the lock itself also depends on the type of main lock you have. At the aforementioned address, you’ll also find information on all available options. In my particular case, the Nordic Adaptor was used, because my main lock does not use a Euro-profile cylinder. The assembly itself in this case was very simple and consisted of unscrewing two screws, replacing the old lock knob with the adaptor and then attaching the tedee lock to the adaptor using the included hex key. The whole thing took about 10 minutes.

Before we can use tedee lock, we need to add it to the Tedee application and calibrate it, which I will write about in the following part describing the Tedee application itself.

The set I tested consists of three parts; the tedee lock (silver version), the Nordic Adaptor and the tedee bridge. Each of these parts is available for purchase separately or can be purchased in various ready-made kits.

The first and basic part is the tedee lock itself, which contains the main motor and therefore the lock itself. The lock comes with an attached cable for charging the lock’s built-in battery. One end of the charging cable is a standard USB-A connector, to plug into a suitable power supply, whilst the other end,  intended to connect to the lock, is a Micro-USB connector with a magnetic tip. This is a very cool and useful idea that allows you to charge the battery of the lock without having to disassemble or remove it from the door. In addition, the magnetic tip protects against damage to the lock. If someone were to activate the lock while charging, the end of the charging cable will simply separate from the lock itself without causing any damage.

In addition, the box also includes an Allen key used to install the lock, plus documentation containing the user manual and codes required to activate the lock in both the Tedee app and HomeKit.

The first thing you definitely notice is the small size of this lock. It is probably one of the smallest, if not the smallest, lock of this type that works within the HomeKit ecosystem. Despite its small size, and maybe thanks to this, the tedee lock gives the impression of being heavy, which in this case is the most positive feature. It is made almost entirely of metal with the only part made of plastic being the front face of the lock, which acts as an additional button with various extra functions, such as opening, closing and closing with a delay. In addition, there is also a colour LED embedded in the front of the lock face, which provides additional information about the status of the lock, using different colours.

The whole thing looks very minimalist because everything is hidden in the lock housing itself, which also functions as a doorknob, which you can freely turn and with which you can open and close the lock manually at any time, even when the battery is exhausted. In addition, this solution also makes the lock unobtrusive as you can hardly see that you have an additional smart lock on the inside of the door. On the outside of the door, everything looks even better, because regardless of whether you use one of the Gerda EU cylinders or the Nordic Adapter, you will not find any visible signs that a smart lock is in use.

The entire lock, from the very beginning, makes a very positive impression and draws attention with the care of its workmanship. The materials used in the tedee lock, regardless of whether you turn the knob or press a button on the front face, are just as pleasant to touch and additionally make it enjoyable and easy to use.

THE NORDIC ADAPTOR

The next part of the set is in my case the Nordic Adaptor, as an alternative to using one of the Gerda EU cylinders. In Scandinavian countries, a different type of inner mechanism is used. The Tedee company has also planned for this, hence we have this additional product. In the box, in addition to the adapter itself, you will also find a plate with 2 plate mounting screws and a tailpiece with a cam.

The adapter itself is a metal plate placed between the inside of the door and the tedee lock, and is used to fit the current Scandinavian oval inlay to the tedee lock. When you need and/or use the Nordic Adaptor, then no insert replacement is needed. You keep the internal lock mechanism you already have and, of course, use the same keys you already have. In my case, I only had to buy other screws because the ones included with the adapter were a little too short.

TEDEE BRIDGE

The third and last part of the set is the tedee bridge, which also comes with an adaptor. The tedee bridge is a small, white, flat, plastic cube with a built-in coloured LED that indicates the status of the device. The bridge itself is not required to use the tedee lock, either via HomeKit or the Tedee app, but adds a lot of extra and useful features. Its main function is to allow communication with tedee lock using Wi-Fi, as the lock itself only uses the built-in Bluetooth protocol. By connecting the tedee lock to the network using the Wifi protocol, you’ll be able to remotely manage it on a regular basis, without being at home, you’ll be able to activate automatic firmware updates for the lock, and will be able to receive additional push messages informing you on various events related to the lock. You also get access to all logs for the lock on an ongoing basis. In addition, you can also access the Tedee portal, which allows you to easily manage multiple users and tedee locks; for example, if you own a company or use tedee locks in different geographic locations or in more commercial solutions. One of the additional features of the tedee bridge is its built-in iBeacon (a form of locator based on Bluetooth technology), which improves and speeds up the auto-unlocking function because thanks to the constant power supply it can send a more continuously and stronger signal. When controlling the tedee lock with HomeKit, the tedee bridge is not used, and the tedee lock only communicates with HomeKit via Bluetooth.

The Tedee company also used a very interesting and unusual solution in the case of powering the bridge. The included, separate adapter acts as the power supply at the same time. You can also use the USB-A socket built into the bridge to connect the adaptor directly to the bridge and then, as a single device, plug it directly into a power outlet. If you need to place the tedee bridge at a greater distance from the power outlet, you can use a regular, longer USB-A cable with which you can connect the bridge with the power supply, which you can then place separately in a power outlet.

HOMEKIT INTEGRATION

As I mentioned earlier, tedee lock is not a completely new device on the market, but it is proven and as of typing up this review, has received official certification from Apple and can therefore be integrated into the HomeKit ecosystem. The tedee lock itself has many built-in functions that allow you to conveniently use this lock even without additional integration with other systems, but HomeKit integration with all our other HomeKit devices opens up completely new possibilities that would not be possible otherwise. The functions available in individual HomeKit categories are permanently established by Apple and device manufacturers, and unfortunately, in HomeKit there’s not much room to show off functions that go beyond the system specification, therefore most devices from the HomeKit side often act and look identical to a large extent. Often, however, you can combine the functionality of these devices from the manufacturer’s and HomeKit’s side, which gives you even more possibilities. No less an important point is also that of the reliable operation of the device and other technical parameters, which I’ll touch on later.

According to the HomeKit spec, any device can be added to the HomeKit system using just the Apple Home app and without the need for third-party apps, and tedee lock is no different. All you need to do is scan a separate HomeKit code found in the attached documentation and you will be able to add the tedee lock directly to HomeKit. In practice, however, and certainly in the case of smart locks, you shouldn’t totally discount the use of the manufacturer’s application, regardless of whether you’re talking about tedee lock or locks from other manufacturers, for one simple reason; Smart locks require calibration before they can be used and this function is not available in the HomeKit system, so despite the fact that you can add a lock using the Apple Home app itself, you’ll be sent back to the manufacturer’s application to complete the setup, so in this particular case I would suggest starting with installing the Tedee app, available via download for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices from the Apple Store (an Android version is also available, downloadable from the Google Play store).

THE HOME APP

After adding and calibrating the lock, tedee lock will be ready for use in HomeKit. You can use it as a trigger or in actions with all kinds of automations and scenes. For example, you’re able to open or close the tedee lock with any HomeKit device or change the state of other HomeKit devices using a given the tedee lock state. After sharing the tedee lock with HomeKit, you will also be able to operate the lock using Siri voice commands. When using Siri and using the tedee lock with HomeKit Automations, a HomeKit hub is required – Apple devices such as the HomePod, HomePod Mini, Apple TV or suitable iPad. You will be able to receive push notifications when the lock opens or closes, and it will also be available to all people sharing your HomeKit home.

You can also create automations using geolocation services. These are the kinds of things most HomeKit smart locks are capable of. Some prefer to only operate their devices in HomeKit itself, but for some people, all additional functions provided by the manufacturer, independent and available outside of the HomeKit framework, are just as important. I personally belong to the latter category for several reasons. First of all, with important devices such as smart locks, I don’t want to make everything dependent on one HomeKit system, which, as most of you probably know, can have its own set of problems. In addition, HomeKit still lacks some useful functions or the available functions don’t always work the way we would like. That is why I consider every additional and optional function that works independently of HomeKit itself to be a plus, and there is no shortage of these in the case of tedee lock.

In the Homekit system, the tedee lock provides the function for opening and closing the lock, as standard, as well as show the battery charge status. When the battery level drops to 20%, the Apple Home app displays a warning to give you advance time to recharge the battery. Regardless of that, the Tedee app itself can also notify you on low battery levels via push notifications.According to the manufacturer, the lock can last up to 14 months on a single charge, with up to 8 uses per day. Of course, it all depends on how often you use tedee lock on a daily basis, as well as the type of door and the number of turns necessary to open/close the door. In my own experience, with very intensive use of the tedee lock in the last few months, related to, among others, testing and writing this article, with a dozen or so uses a day your battery should last for at least 6 months, which is still a very good result.

The available parameters that we can use in HomeKit automations are the opening or closing state of the lock, which may not come as a surprise. The response time to commands sent to the locks via HomeKit, unfortunately, leave a little to be desired, due to its reliance on Bluetooth, as standard, so we can’t expect the same immediate response time as offered by some other devices that use Zigbee, for example. In the case of the tedee lock, this time usually varies from 1 to 2 seconds, which is not a problem, especially since not every lock offers a similar response time. In case of any problems with HomeKit, with a local Wifi network, or for example, a power outage, you still have access to the lock itself from HomeKit via a direct Bluetooth connection as long as that the device is powered by a battery. In all my time using the tedee lock, with or without the Tedee bridge, I haven’t once had a ‘No response’ from the tedee lock in HomeKit.

There are three different device states when using the tedee lock in HomeKit: locked, unlocked and jammed. The first two are obvious. In the case of the ‘jammed’ state, it means that the tedee lock is unable to confirm whether the lock is open or closed, which in this case is mostly due to physical conditions. For example, a door that is not fully closed, or a problem with the lock tab itself. In some other products, the jammed condition can also be caused by opening the lock manually or decalibrating it. With the tedee lock, this never happened to me. I currently use it on a daily basis in all ways, including manual turning of the knob in addition to using a button on the front, and I have never seen jammed status because of that, and the bolt mechanism has never needed to be recalibrated for this reason. Certainly, the so-called short calibration, also recommended by the Tedee company itself, is helpful in this case. It consists of the fact that the lock rotates only as much as it is required to shift the lock tab, i.e. the lock never extends the whole way. Thanks to this, you also shorten its operating time, which means a longer battery life between charges.

As for the volume of the tedee lock, I have heard quieter locks, but I think that the tedee lock still belongs to the category of those more silent locks compared to devices offered by other companies. It is also often a subjective opinion, but let’s not forget that it is also conditioned by the base on which the lock is mounted and even the acoustics of the immediate surroundings.

THE TEDEE APP

HomeKit support for the tedee lock is certainly a very welcome addition, extending the already rich functionality of what the lock offers, but also HomeKit generally itself. In this case, I believe that you can use the functionality of both parts at the same time quite successfully, and choose the parts that are most useful to you.

As previously mentioned, the tedee lock has its own independent companion app, available for download for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices from the Apple Store. The Tedee app is very clear and easy to use. The main page is occupied by all the devices you have added, such as Tedee locks and bridges. You can see the status of all your devices there. For status information in the case of locks, it’ll show whether you have an active connection and whether they are closed or open. In the case of bridges, it’ll show whether they are connected to the Wi-Fi network. In addition to the fact that you can manage multiple devices from one place, you also have the ability to manage devices located in different geographic locations. It’s a very useful and convenient solution when, for example, you have several tedee locks in different houses, or you use them in a company. By pressing the three bars in the upper left corner, you get access to our account settings, application settings, widget settings, adding new devices and the Tedee help and support section.

To add a new device, regardless of whether it is a lock or a bridge, simply scan the QR code attached to each device or enter it manually. Remember that this QR code and its numbers are not the HomeKit code, which you receive separately. This is the code only used when adding Tedee devices and has nothing to do with HomeKit.

By clicking on a given device on the main page, you’re taken to the management and settings section of that product. On the lock management page, you will find three large icons. The largest shows the current status of the lock and animations while it’s in use. Below you will find two smaller ones that act as buttons for opening and closing the bolt. Additionally, there is also an optional setting for the opening button. When it is active, it is not enough to just touch the button, but then you have to hold it for a moment to unlock the lock. This prevents accidentally touching the button, resulting in inadvertently unlocking the door.

At the very bottom, you’ll find three more tabs. The first one is used to manage users of a given device and their rights. There, you can send the so-called ‘virtual keys’, i.e. invite new users and change or delete already created permissions. Inviting new users is done by entering their e-mail address, then without leaving the application and using the Tedee cloud, an email is sent to the address provided with links to download the application and a request to create a new account associated with the given e-mail address. You can grant the invited users’ administrator privileges with access to most functions or guest privileges.

Regardless of the authorization level, you can additionally manage the access time to the lock. There are options for unlimited access, or you can introduce your own time restrictions with any date, time and individual weekday ranges. In addition, you can also allow the person to remotely access the lock, or prevent remote access. It’s a very flexible solution and you can set everything for every occasion. Of course, you can change any setting or completely remove access to the tedee lock at any time. However, it is worth remembering that some functions, such as remote management, require a Tedee bridge. In the event that you don’t have a Tedee bridge, some settings will only update when the tedee lock is connected directly via Bluetooth with the Tedee application of the person to whom these settings apply.

The middle tab gives you access to all tedee lock settings, information and options. You can change the name of your lock there, check if you are connected to the lock via a bridge and Wi-Fi, or directly via Bluetooth. Other available information is the current battery charge status, version and availability of firmware updates for the lock.

The next item is the settings for the Auto-lock function. It consists of the fact that the lock closes by itself after meeting several conditions. You have two options available here; The first option is when the lock closes by itself after any set time, starting after opening the lock. Many people probably don’t appreciate this feature, especially when you can set similar functions in operation and convenient automations, when the lock is, for example, integrated into HomeKit. First of all, I think this is an excellent way of additional security in any case where, for example, HomeKit automations fail for some reason, which unfortunately happens when someone accidentally unlocks the lock or simply fails to lock the lock. This function is built into the lock itself, which means that it is completely independent in operation from the software and integration with other systems.

The second option is when you manually move the lock knob not far enough to close the lock. called the ‘semi-locked’ option, which will then complete the closing by itself. It may happen that someone who is not used to using the lock may not fully close it, but in this case, you do not have to worry about that either. For both options, you can set any reaction delay time.

Probably one of the most useful of the additional functions. is an Auto-unlock feature. Apple in the HomeKit system has, in my opinion, provided us with a substitute for what a real Auto-unlock should look like. Unfortunately, the Apple version does not work very well in practice. First of all, it is only activated when we cross the 200-metre geolocation ‘circle’ surrounding our house, and in order to open the lock, we need confirmation from our side that we want to open the lock. In practice, this is not that different from opening a lock using the app itself. The solution used by Tedee for Auto-unlocking does not differ from the solutions of other lock manufacturers, except for a few details, but it works very well all the same. Auto-unlocking in the case of the tedee lock is based on the fact that after exceeding the set geolocation field surrounding your house, the search function for direct contact with the tedee lock using the Bluetooth protocol is launched. As soon as a direct connection with the lock is established, the lock opens by itself. This usually takes place 3-5 meters from your door. The lock opens automatically, but only when you are really close to your door, not a few hundred metres from it. Of course, if someone still would like to use the option of prior confirmation for unlocking the lock, this option is also available. In addition to the activation and deactivation of the Auto-unlock function, you can also set your own lock location by entering any address, selecting the location using the map or relying on the automatic setting using the phone’s GPS. This can definitely be helpful in some cases when the boundaries of the automatically set geolocation area are in inconvenient places. The HomeKit system itself, unfortunately, does not allow such settings. In addition, you can also change and adapt the geolocation area to your own needs. There are settings from 100 to 1000 metres, you can also set your own time for which, after crossing the geolocation limit, the Tedee app will actively search for contact with tedee lock.

After this time, Auto-unlock will not work and to activate Auto-unlock again, you would have to go beyond your geolocation. You can set the activity time in the range from 1 to 60 minutes. This function is useful when you’re driving and are close to your home or just passing by but have no intention of opening your lock. Without this function, the constant waiting and searching for the lock signal would definitely affect the battery life of your phone. The biggest challenge when using Auto-unlock is the stability and reliability of the feature. Certainly, no one would want their lock to open on its own in the middle of the night, for example. Using this function is certainly a great convenience and changes your routines, but safety should still be a priority, and unfortunately, so far no one has come up with a 100% reliable method of determining whether you and your phone are outside or inside the house. A great help, in this case, is certainly the geolocation area, which means that the lock will not open a second time by itself until you go beyond the geolocation area again. Usually, this method works reasonably well but unfortunately, it is not very reliable, especially when you are not using your phone. Various techniques are used to determine your position as accurately as possible, such as GPS, which unfortunately is not very useful when you are inside the house. Additionally, information from your local Wi-Fi network or mobile network connection is also used. The problem is that the phone cannot accurately determine your location by GPS alone when you’re at home. Additionally, a locked phone disconnects every time from the Wi-Fi network, so only the cellular network remains. In this case, depending on the location of the mobile network mast to which your phone connects, it may turn out that the phone incorrectly determines your location with the possibility that it will appear to be outside of the established geolocation used for Auto-unlock, so when your phone establishes a direct connection with the use of Bluetooth, the lock will just open by itself, even though you are at home. Here, Tedee showed a lot of creativity and uses an additional security method that I have not personally seen in any other smart lock. In the advanced Auto-unlock settings you will find the ‘Check Wi-Fi’ function. When you turn on this function, the Tedee app will check and remember the Wi-Fi connection status of our phone when leaving the home geolocation zone. At the next activation of the Auto-unlock function, this information will be used to compare the last used Wi-Fi network and when the network names match then Auto-unlock will not function. The names will only match in the event of sudden jumps in the location of our phone, but when leaving the geolocation area normally, the lack of a Wi-Fi network will always be remembered. So far, this is probably one of the best safeguards against unwanted auto-opening of locks when using Auto-unlock. It is also worth mentioning here that if you also decide to buy the Tedee bridge, it has an additional built-in Bluetooth locator, the so-called iBeacon, which improves and speeds up the process of detecting the lock when using the Auto-unlock function, which is of course also available without the Tedee bridge.
At the very end of the Auto-unlock settings, you will also find information on when and how this function was last automatically activated.

The next item in the settings section is the Pull spring function, which is most useful and used more often for doors that do not have a handle. It works by holding the latch so that the door can be opened by pushing against the door if your hands are full. Among the lock settings, there are also separate settings for a button built into the front of the tedee lock. You can freely and independently activate or deactivate the following options; Opening or closing with a button, and closing with a delay, which is achieved by holding the button for a while longer than normal (until the LED blinks blue) as you leave the house, resulting in the lock being automatically locking after a specified time. The available time period is from 1 to 60 seconds.

For people who previously purchased the tedee lock before it received official HomeKit support and therefore do not have a separate HomeKit code, another feature in the lock settings allows the tedee lock to be added using the Tedee app itself, and so does not require a separate HomeKit code to scan. (requires new tedee lock firmware update)

Here you’ll also find here the lock calibration function, without which you would not be able to use the tedee lock. The tedee lock calibration process itself is very simple and only takes a moment. It consists of fulfilling two commands displayed within the Tedee application. First, you have to manually set the lock in the closed position using the knob and confirm it in the application, then repeat the same process by setting the lock in the open position. After a while, the calibration will finish and the lock is ready for use. In some products from other companies, the locks may lose their calibration after some time of use, especially when you use manual opening, amongst other reasons. With the tedee lock it’s a nice surprise that during all my time of heavy use, in all ways, I never needed to recalibrate the lock.

Other options are settings for the lock’s time zone, settings for what kind of push notifications you would like to receive from the Tedee app, for example, available updates, low battery, battery charging complete, whether the lock was opened manually or by a specific user, and much more. Some notifications require a Tedee bridge, but this is due to the fact that tedee lock itself does not have built-in Wi-Fi.

The last function available in the settings section is Force unlock. This function allows you to force communication with the lock via Bluetooth in case you’re using the tedee bridge and you’re having problems with connecting via Wi-Fi. Additionally, in case of any other lock issue, this will also try to force unlock your lock via Bluetooth connection regardless of the actual lock position.

The last of the three tabs at the bottom of the main page of the lock gives you access to the lock activity list. All information about events is stored there in chronological order. For example, whether the lock was opened or closed automatically or manually, and by whom, or information about firmware updates. It also lists when the lock was used with HomeKit. Unfortunately, in this case, HomeKit itself does not distinguish between individual users, so here you are unable to find out exactly who operated the lock at that moment, except that HomeKit was used.

TEDEE BRIDGE IN THE TEDEE APP

In the case of the Tedee bridge, everything in the Tedee application looks similar to the lock except that due to the nature of the device itself, there are fewer options and settings available. As is the case with the tedee lock, you can share the bridge with other users and manage their permissions. However, this does not affect the permissions and functionality of the tedee lock itself. This only allows you to grant access to other users to manage the settings of the Tedee Bridge itself. In addition, you can change the name of the bridge there, check the connection status of the Wi-Fi network, check the availability of updates, set the time zone and select the type of push notifications that you would like to receive. In the case of the bridge itself, only two types of notifications are available, informing about a new firmware update being available and a successful update. We also have the option of changing the Wi-Fi network to which the bridge is connected, without the need to reset it. This is a small but useful detail and I would definitely like to see such a solution in other products where a reset of the entire device is usually required in those instances where you want to connect it to another Wi-Fi network, or simply change the network name or password.

The Tedee app can also be secured with its own, separate pin code, which prevents the app from being opened by unauthorized persons. At first, this function may even seem unnecessary, especially in times when we rarely use phones that are not protected by a code on their own. One useful example would be to deter your own younger children from inadvertently change any settings, or unlock the lock. Additionally, the relatively frequent and regular updates of the Tedee app make a very positive impression.

OTHER PLATFORMS

The tedee lock, in addition to the just added HomeKit support, can also be integrated with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. There are also other integrations with systems from Fibaro, Grenton, Consolomio, eeDomus and Homey. For more commercial applications, there is a public platform for programmers and the already mentioned, Tedee web portal, available to everyone, thanks to which we can also manage more devices remotely from any web browser.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH TEDEE LOCK

As mentioned before, I have been using the tedee lock for several months, and luckily I also got access to Homekit support for the lock whilst it was still in beta. Despite using the beta version of the lock firmware and the beta version of the Tedee app, everything worked very smoothly and without any problems worth mentioning. There is definitely a noticeable difference in response time depending on whether you control the lock using the Tedee application or using HomeKit. The tedee lock responds much faster to any commands when using the Tedee app, but nevertheless, I find the response time to HomeKit commands is still very good compared to many of the other locks available in HomeKit. It’s hard to say whether it depends on HomeKit itself or whether there is still a place in this topic for future optimizations by Tedee. What attracts the most attention initially is the size of the tedee lock itself. I would dare to say that this is probably the smallest lock of this type available to HomeKit users today. The materials used, unconventional solutions, such as, for example, the magnetic cable for charging the lock’s battery, or the universal power supply attached to the bridge, together with the careful workmanship of everything, give a very positive overall impression.

The only thing I miss the most today is the ability to open the lock without using my phone – for example, with codes, NFC or a Keyfob solution. It’s always possible that our phone battery can run out, or we would like to facilitate access for children, or less tech-savvy family members etc. Contrary to appearances, there are also times when we cannot or simply do not want to take the phone with us. Of course, there is always the possibility of using a standard physical key, but not using a key is almost certainly a major reason why you’d buy a smart lock in the first place.

Despite the fact that tedee lock does not have such additions as of today, it looks like this situation will change soon. We received information directly from Tedee that such a device in the form of a separate Keypad with a built-in NFC reader is already prepared and should be available for sale at the beginning of October this year. We also received imagery of this device from Tedee, which we can now show you. Whilst you can use separate pin codes to open the lock, you will also be able to use a device using NFC functionality.

Additionally, the Keypad includes an extra button with a bell symbol. This is designed to send a notification to the Tedee app when the button is pressed. This is definitely not the equivalent of a classic doorbell and is not related in any way to HomeKit or the built-in ringer function on Apple devices, but it certainly opens up a lot of new potential opportunities for Tedee’s future and for us a good topic for speculation. As soon as we have access to the new Tedee Keypad, we will definitely come back to this item and present exactly how it works.

Tedee lock with HomeKit support will be available for purchase on the Tedee official website from September 1st. In addition to the silver color, there is also a black finish option. The first batch of the black finish locks sold out very quickly, but another batch should appear in the coming days. Certainly, the good news for everyone who already has the current tedee lock is that they will soon receive a firmware update that will also allow HomeKit support for current devices. This update is already at the certification stage and may be released this week, or as Tedee assures us, by mid-September at the latest.

Usually, I do not comment on the prices of the products themselves, so instead I try to present as accurately as possible what you will receive in return for the price of a given product, leaving the assessment to the users, because even though the price of the set described by me belongs to higher-end products generally, if you need a smart lock which you can rely on instead of spending time, solving problems, along with a minimalist and very attractive design that can be easily integrated into various interiors, I can say that you definitely would not be disappointed. Additionally, Tedee provides a 5-year warranty on its products.

I believe that even without HomeKit integration, the tedee lock itself was a very attractive proposition, and now that we have received additional support for HomeKit, the attractiveness and capabilities of this product have only increased even more.

Full disclosure: Tedee provided HomeKit News with the Tedee Smart Lock and extras 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 Tedee Smart Lock (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

So here we simply present a series of photos, along with tidbits of information, so you can decide for yourself if you can resist buying this shiny gem of white plastic…

The new dimmer uses matte plastic, which is nice to the touch. The new middle button, although essentially a sort of mini rocker switch, still feels like two separate buttons, in practice. The previous model had its magnets in the faceplate. Philips have now moved the magnets into the switch itself, so you can attach the switch directly to a magnetic surface without the need for the faceplate. The faceplate itself has also had a small improvement, in that it’s now wide enough to cover a standard EU wall switch recess.

INSTALLATION SCREENS

NEW/IMPROVED OPTIONS

Time slots for the Hue Dimmer have been increased from two to five, all of which can have their timeslots customised. The Time-based mode is also a new addition.

The top button has two separate actions now – press and hold. Each action has two further options.

HomeKit remains much the same in this respect, and regarding the rumours that the new dimmer would only expose three buttons, and not four, we’re glad to report there are still four buttons exposed to HomeKit, as before.

The post Philips Hue 2021 Dimmer Switch – First Look appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

It all started in 2015, when Shortcut Labs, then a newly established Startup, conducted a crowd-funding campaign that ended successfully, resulting in the creation of Flic buttons. In the beginning, they could only be used in conjunction with your smartphone, via an app for iOS and Android. Since then, the number of integrations with other systems has grown rapidly, and an app for macOS has also been added.

With a subsequent campaign, Shortcut Labs created its first Flic Hub, which extended the use of their Flic buttons, with options that allowed the buttons to be used without the need to use your phone as a bridge with other systems. Then, a year ago, new, improved versions were also created in the form of new buttons – Flic 2 along with an updated hub dubbed Flic Hub LR. An additional open platform was also created, which enabled the integration of Flic buttons into third-party applications, using tools available for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac OS and Windows platforms.

Fast forward to today, and we can now also use Flic buttons with the Apple HomeKit system, so today I’ll look to see what it means and how it works. For this to work, you are required to have the latest version of the hub (Flic Hub LR) with software version 3.0.2 or newer, which exposes the Flic buttons to HomeKit. This means we can use both the first-gen Flic buttons as well as the second-gen (Flic 2). If you have already bought the Flic Hub LR or the hub you bought does not yet have the required software, we describe the upgrade process to the HomeKit support version HERE.

PACKAGING

The Flic 2 starter kit comes in a simple white box with the grey Flic logo and basic information about the content and certification.  On the box, you won’t find any information about HomeKit and other integrations that you can use with Flic buttons, however. There are so many of them that it is even hard to imagine that information could be placed on the packaging. Therefore, if you are interested in a full list of available integrations and functions, please visit the official Flic website. Everything has been packaged in a very thoughtful way, using every free space to fit everything in such a small package.

Technical specs for the Flic 2 Starter Kit:

Flic 2 smart buttons:

• Line-of-sight range: up to 200m (requires Flic Hub LR or other Long-Range capable device)
• Indoor range: up to 50m (requires Flic Hub LR or other Long-Range capable device)
• Battery life: up to 3+ years
• Battery type: CR2032
• Customizable: Custom printing, removable stickers
• Connectivity: All compatible apps
• LED: Green, Yellow, Red
• Surface material: Durable high-quality soft-touch plastics
• Clip-on Rigid metal clip
• Size H: 8.5mm D: 30mm
• Chip: Bluetooth 5 LE Long Range
• Profiles: Flic protocol (multi-app) HID and MIDI (Coming late 2020)
• IP rating: P44 standard (not waterproof)

Flic LR Hub:

• Bluetooth 5 low energy. long-range BLE
• Dual-band WiFi 2.4 GHz / 5.0 GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Ethernet port
• Micro-USB Type-B
• Power Consumption 2.5 Watts (typical) or 5W Watts (max)
• 3.5mm audio port
• 2.5mm IR accessory port
• Size 85 x 65 x 12.5mm
• The Flic Hub supports up to 63 connected buttons simultaneously

Additional optional accessories are also available for purchase on the official Flic, io website:

• Additional Flic 2 buttons
• Flic Metal Clip
• Flic 2 Sticker Sheet
• IR Accessory

The kit I tested included four Flic 2 buttons (the number of buttons depends on the selected starter kit), the Flic Hub LR, a Micro-USB cable, a multi-regional USB power supply, an IR Transmitter (only available in some starter kits), removable stickers, warranty, and safety guide.

The Flic Hub LR is a small, flat, rectangular box made of plastic that is pleasant to the touch. On the rear side of the hub you’ll find all available connections; a port for the IR accessory, a 3.5mm Audio Out port, an Ethernet port and a Micro-USB power port. There is also an LED that lets you know that it’s operating, and a pin-hole placed under it, to restore the hub to factory settings,  as well as to force firmware updates. Underneath are four rubberised feet to prevent the hub from moving, which is very light, and a sort of diagram with a description of the ports. In addition, you’ll also find the serial number of the device and the factory password that is needed after restoring the hub to its factory state. While using the device, you can also protect it by setting your own password.

From the outside, the Flic Hub LR looks identical and has the same dimensions as the previous Flic Hub. The only way you can distinguish between the two versions, in addition to the print underneath, is the side of the hub, which has the letters LR.

The Flic 2 buttons are also made of ‘nice-to-the-touch’ plastic and are probably the smallest smart buttons available in HomeKit, except for the first version which is even smaller. In addition, the first version also differs in the material used, with the first version using soft silicone. The Flic 2 buttons are powered by a single CR2032 battery, which, according to the manufacturer, should last for over 3 years, so we won’t be able to test that claim very soon. Battery replacement is very easy. All you have to do is twist the button base and take it off.

The base is covered with a reuseable self-adhesive material, so after placing and sticking a button in somewhere, if you then want to move it to a new location, you only have to rinse the self-adhesive surface with water and you can just place it somewhere else. If you prefer a magnetic solution, it is also very easy to stick a flat magnet on the underside of the button. In the future, I’d love to see such a solution from Flic.

unlike the first version buttons, which were slightly convex, the top of the new buttons are almost flat, but with a very slight concave profile, so these have been adapted to be used with stickers, making it easier to remember the functions set for a given button. The set includes one sheet with 9 stickers. You can also buy an additional set of two sticker sheets, for a total of 40 stickers, containing various useful symbols and a few blank ones for you to print your own graphics onto.

The set also includes a white short Micro-USB Type-B cable used for power, and a black universal USB power supply with adaptors for use in the EU, UK, US and China/AU. The Flic Hub LR can also be powered from other power supplies or directly from USB ports, with recommended power being 5V+/1A. All parts of this set have been carefully made and the whole thing made a very positive impression upon me from the very first moment. Don’t look for a HomeKit code anywhere, neither on the packaging nor on the devices. You won’t find it, because it just isn’t needed anywhere in the case of Flic 2. Which I’ll explain next.

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

The first step when installing the Flic 2 system in order to use it with HomeKit is to install Flic app, version 5 or newer, for iPhone or iPad, available for download from the App Store. The Flic app is also available on the Android platform, but since we mainly deal with the topic related to Apple HomeKit, I will focus on iOS only.

After installing the Flic application and connecting the Flic LR Hub to the power supply, an account must be created. which is needed in order to use some functions, integrate with other systems and provide firmware updates for the hub.

Then, while remaining logged in to the hub, we can connect the Flic buttons with the hub following simple instructions from the Flic app. It is also possible to connect Flic buttons directly to a phone or computer, without using Flic LR Hub, but then integration with the HomeKit system won’t be available.

After successfully adding the buttons to the hub, in the options for each of them, you’ll see a button offering the option for the button to be exposed to HomeKit or to be solely used with Flic functions. Unfortunately, as of today, it’s not possible to use Flic 2 in HomeKit and your own Flic integrations at the same time. I don’t know if this is due to restrictions on the part of Apple, or if Shortcut Labs will be able to allow simultaneous functionality in the future, as is the case with some other similar products. Knowing a very large amount of Flic 2 integration, adding concurrent commands in HomeKit would certainly further enrich the functionality and attractiveness of this system.

The Flic 2 buttons appear in HomeKit just like any other device of this type. To each button, you can assign three independent commands containing any number of scenes or device settings, run using Single Press, Double Press and Long Press. Communication between the buttons and the hub takes place using the Bluetooth protocol and is then transferred via the Flic LR Hub to HomeKit via an Ethernet or Wifi connection.

I must admit that personally, I am not a supporter of Bluetooth-based solutions, at least where one expects and requires a quick response to sent commands, but there are exceptions, and one of them is Flic 2. From the first click, you could easily forget that the Bluetooth protocol is used because everything works so quickly, smoothly and reliably. HomeKit reacts almost instantly to every click. It is also impossible to notice the typical experience from Bluetooth devices powered by batteries, where they first wake from sleep after not using them for a while, which results in the initially long, delayed response.

If you encounter any minor issue, they’re most often caused by the HomeKit system itself, not the Flic 2 buttons, and the same applies to other devices in this category. Restarting you Home hub (Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod Mini etc) will typically restore the HomeKit system to full functionality.

The Flic LR Hub also has a built-in LED showing the current status of the device. It is also possible to set the LED on the hub to confirm each click. Since the hub also has an Audio Out port, you can connect any speaker to it, thus allowing you to receive click confirmations by sound when using the Flic buttons in HomeKit.

It is impossible not to mention, even briefly, other functions that Flic 2 offers apart from cooperation with HomeKit. As the Flic 2 buttons use Bluetooth technology, we can connect them not only with the Flic Hub LR but also directly with mobile phones and computers. As of today, the Flic application is available for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. Technically, it’s possible to connect the FLic 2 to multiple devices at once, but Shortcut Labs does not recommend doing so for reasons of system reliability and stability.

The button programming itself is very similar to HomeKit. To each of the three button actions, Single, Double and Long press, we can add an unlimited number of any functions from all available integrations.

When using FLic 2 without the Flic LR Hub, its function is taken over by the device to which the buttons are connected. It can be a mobile phone or a computer. Depending on which method you use, different integrations and functions are then available. Some are common, such as those used for lighting control, and some, specific to a particular platform. For example, on macOS, we can take screenshots, on iOS, use FLic 2 as a Home Button, and on Android, open applications. Of course, there are a lot of these functions and integrations and it’s impossible to list them all here, but can find them all at the address mentioned at the beginning of this article. The scope of integrations with other systems is very wide. You can find integrations from many companies, in addition to standard ones, such as lighting control or smart speakers. There are also integrations with the IFTTT system, Slack, GitHub, or the ability to send commands via HTTP.

IR REMOTE ACCESSORY

Wen using Flic LR Hub, the IR function is also available, which means we can use Flic buttons instead of the usual IR remote. To use it, you need an additional accessory in the form of an Infra-Red transmitter that can be connected to the hub using the 2.5mm mini-jack contact located on the back of the hub.

This accessory is included with some starter kits but can also be purchased separately. You then need to learn the IR codes of the remote control and write them down, giving them your own names so that you can easily find them and use them while programming the commands on the Flic buttons. In addition, as already mentioned, the hub has an Audio Out port that allows you to connect the hub with speakers and play sounds. In the case of using Flic buttons via HomeKit, it’s possible to turn on simple sounds confirming individual button presses. In addition to HomeKit, there is also a function that allows you to play various pre-saved sounds. When you use the Flic button with a mobile phone, you can also record your own custom sounds that will be played on the phone when the button is pressed.

MY EXPERIENCES

There are many possibilities for using buttons, but you can rarely find such a versatile and universal product as the Flic buttons. The only disappointment I found was that when I decided to use the Flic buttons in HomeKit, I lost access to all the other functions they offer. I do not know what it is caused at this time, especially seeing other products that, despite working in HomeKit, retained their other functions but this could be due to some limitation on the part of Apple itself or it could simply be enabled at a later date with future updates. It is a pity that as of today we cannot use HomeKit and other functions at the same time, because it would open up a lot of new and interesting possibilities for using Flic, but it’s worth noting that this applies to individual buttons and not the entire Flic LR Hub. You can still use multiple buttons with the same hub and just use some of them in HomeKit, while others can still have access to all of the other functions within the Flic 2 system. In addition, you can also use the first generation Flic buttons with the Flic Hub LR, and they will also have the ability to be added to HomeKit. They just have a smaller battery life and range than Flic 2 buttons.

Since I started testing this product, I haven’t run into any issues other than the ones we sometimes see, which tend to be dependent on HomeKit, and really, they have nothing to do with the product you’re using. The reaction time is really quite fast, and not only for Bluetooth technology. The operation itself is very simple and each function and integration is also well described in the Flic app.

I found everything to be nicely designed and made of high-quality materials, so it’s hard not to recommend this product. The price of the starter kit may not seem so attractive at first, but it should not be forgotten that it does not differ from the prices of other products using the hub, and in the smallest starter kit you get the Flic Hub LR and three Flic 2 buttons. The price of the next buttons remains in the lower range of similar products, and in addition to the devices themselves, you get access to one of the richest offerings when it comes to the functionality of this type of device. The Shortcut Labs company also often puts various types of promotions, where an even lower price is offered. In each HomeKit setup, there is certainly a need to have at least a few buttons, for a variety of reasons. The larger ones will work (like ones from Eve or Aqara), but if you need small, discrete buttons, then you should strongly consider using the Flic buttons, as they can offer new and creative ways to use HomeKit.

Full disclosure: Shortcut Labs provided HomeKit News with the Flic Hub LR Starter Pack 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 Shortcuts Labs Flic Hub LR (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Unlike the aforementioned E-Ink sensor, the new device, dubbed the QingPing Air Monitor Lite, utilises a single colour OLED screen, with almost retro-looking text for the main part of the display, which is 50 x 60mm (H x W). The total size of the device is 63.6 x 46 x 54.6mm (W x H x D). Above the main display are icons for battery levels, display mode, and WiFi signal, although it also uses Bluetooth 5.0 for connection to HomeKit apparently.

There’s also a separate colour LED strip above the display that changes colour depending on the quality of the air, with Sky Blue being the cleanest air, to Red meaning highly polluted. It uses a 2000mAh battery, so can be used without power for periods of time, and is powered or recharged via a USB-C port. To switch the display to show the different sensor readings, there’s an inset groove on the top of the device, with you simply having to sliding your finger along to do so, or simply tap on the groove itself to switch sensor readings.

Of course, one of the big points of interest here is HomeKit support, which is does indeed provide, as well as including support for Mi Home. Mi Home would be especially useful for those with Xiaomi Air Purifiers, that can be triggered via automations based on air quality from an independent source, although if you have an Air Purifier in HomKit, like the Vocolinc VAP1, then you can also do the same in HomeKit of course.

The QingPing Air Monitor Lite is currently listed on various AliExpress stores for around US$80.00, UK£63.00 plus shipping, although according to a QingPing representative, the Air Monitor Lite will not ship until next month, following a month-long round of crowdfunding via Youpin that starts tomorrow at 10am Beijing Time.

Big thanks to Krzys for the tipoff!

The post QingPing Release HomeKit Compatible Air Quality Monitor appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The G2H can also be found on Amazon.de, although it’s almost certainly the case that these are for the Chinese version, given that all four colour options are offered, with the EU/US/International version only being available in White. Whilst there has been a mixed record of products launching on the listed dates with online stores like this, the date does roughly tally with Aqara’s own claim that the EU version would be launched in November, so it’s a fair bet that this is accurate. Webhallen has the G2H listed at 799 Swedish Krona (converted to roughly €77.50), although we expect the price will probably float around the €70 mark.

If you’re not at all familiar with Aqara or the G2H, the company are currently at the forefront in terms of HomeKit compatible switches and sensors, with nearly all of their child devices using Zigbee, which in turn communicate with a central ‘hub’ that then gets the aforementioned child devices exposed to HomeKit. What’s even better with the Aqara G2H, is that not only is the G2H a fully compliant HomeKit enabled camera that’s compatible with HomeKit Secure Video, but the camera also has a built-in hub. This is great news for those who’ve yet to dip their toe into the Aqara ‘pool’ of products, as you get the camera and hub in one package, allowing you to bypass the need for a separate Aqara hub.

Still, the Aqara hub currently available does a lot of things the camera can’t, which includes an alarm system exposed to HomeKit (the G2H has an alarm system, but it’s not exposed to HomeKit), and full-colour night light.

You can check out the Swedish listing here. In the meantime, you can check out our overview video for the G2H above, or Eric Yao’s review of the Chinese version below;

Aqara G2H Gateway Camera – HomeKit Edition (review)

If you happen to be in North America, you can still order the US version of the G2H from Amazon.com

The post EU Aqara G2H Listing Surfaces Online appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The Rio Arc is a standalone electric heater (Smart Panel Heater) that you can either hang on the wall or place anywhere in our home, with the provided feet, and manage it from your HomeKit system, or use Rio Heating’s own app. Perhaps just as importantly, you can also operate it manually using buttons located directly on the body of the device itself. You can use all these methods simultaneously, without any conflict.

The packaging for this device, due to its size, certainly differs from most other HomeKit devices, except for TVs perhaps, and it’s certainly one of the larger HomeKit devices that I’ve had the pleasure to test out. The packaging contains basic information on the Rio Arc, in that it works directly with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant systems. With the company app for iOS, the recommended version is at least iOS12.

Technical specifications for the  Rio Arc.

• Power rating: 2000W
• Voltage: 220-240V~ Frequency 50Hz
• IP rating: IP24
• Dimensions: 820 x 450 x 100mm
• Room coverage: Area up to 24m2
• Finish: Curved black glass
• Colour: Black
• Product code: ARC20B
• Safety and certifications: Full CE marking | Lot 20 compliant | Apple-certified
• Compatibility: Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz 802.11 /b/g/n, Bluetooth (used only for pairing process)

Included accessories: Wall fixing kit, aluminium feet for portable use, 1.5m cable with UK plug, full user guide.

THE HEATER

The first thing you will notice immediately after unpacking the Rio Arc is its appearance. The entire front part is covered with a black, slightly curved glass plate, and at first you don’t tend associate the device with an electric heater. You might even think it’s a small TV.

The rest of the device is made of black metal, along with silver accessories in the form of aluminium feet and four silver screws holding the glass plate onto the front of the device.

In addition, an LCD display has been built into the glass plate, showing all relevant information about the current status of the device. The display is not touch-sensitive, however, and in order to manually control the Rio Arc, there are 4 buttons on the side of the device, the functions of which I will describe later.

The size of the Rio Arc itself doesn’t differ much from the size of an average household radiator, although its 100 mm thickness means that for this type of device the Rio Arc is relatively quite thin, meaning it doesn’t take up as much space. The Rio Arc gives one the impression of very careful craftsmanship with an exclusive look, and, apart from its basic heating function, it can also be a nice decoration for the home.

The Rio Arc power supply is built directly into the device itself so you connect it to the power supply via a cable permanently attached to the device, along with a dedicated power button that it protected by a transparent plastic lid to avoid inadvertently turning it off, which would result it the Rio Arc being both disconnected from your network and HomeKit. The version tested by me has a UK plug, so I had to use an adapter to connect it to an EU socket, although our voltage requirements here are the same as the UK. The forthcoming US version will be powered by 110-120V.

Earlier this summer, Rio Heating introduced the Rio Arc to retail, but only initially in the UK. However, versions with EU and US plugs are already in preparation and should be available for sale in Q4 of 2020, starting with the US version. We also received information from Rio Heating that the finish for the Rio Arc, in addition to black, will also be available in red, white and grey. Additionally, the company plan to introduce a smaller 1.5 kW version.

The Rio Arc set comes with two aluminium feet in case we want to put it on the floor as opposed to wall mounting it. The appropriate screws are also provided for mounting the Rio Arc to a wall. Also included, as you’d expect, is an English-language user manual with information on safety and the general operation of the Rio Arc. Mounting the feet is very easy and simply involves screwing them to the device with a few screws. I personally haven’t tried hanging the Rio Arc on the wall but the back cover is well designed for that, and there should be no problems provided you know how to properly screw holes into brick or masonry. Detailed instructions can be found in the operating instructions. The built-in 1.5m cable may not seem long enough for some situations, but Rio Heating does not recommend the use of extension cords, so it is worth planning where you want to place the Rio Arc. This device is intended only for domestic use and not in rooms with high humidity or near water or other liquids.

INITIAL SETUP

For communication, the Rio Arc uses a WIFI connection, so during the initial configuration of the Rio Arc you must connect the device to your Wifi network and initially use the Rio Heating app, available for download from the App Store or Google Play. On iOS, you can also set it up directly using the Apple Home app, as is standard for nearly all HomeKit compatible products. During the process of connecting Rio Arc to your Wifi network, a bluetooth connection is used, so remember and make sure that Bluetooth is active on your phone. Apart from initially adding the device, the Bluetooth connection is not used anywhere else.

If we want to use the Rio Arc simultaneously with the Rio Heating and HomeKit applications, the device should be added to both applications. In this case, Rio Heating recommends that you add Rio Arc to the Rio Heating app first, and then to the Home app. The process of adding to both applications is not much different. In both cases you need to scan the QR code displayed on the Rio Arc screen. Along with the QR code, a digital HomeKit code is also displayed in case you have problems scanning the code from the screen. The code is displayed by holding the top button for five seconds. In the case of the Home application, you will be automatically logged in to your currently used network, while in the case of the Rio Heating application, you must select the appropriate WiFi network and enter the password.

Additionally, in the Rio Heating app, there is an option to bypass the QR code, which instead requires authorisation, by entering a 2-digit code into the app that is displayed on the Rio Arc’s own screen. Back to the Home app briefly, and the next step during configuration is to name the device and assign it to the appropriate room in HomeKit. The Rio Heater app does not use room division and does not synchronise names with the HomeKit system.

CONTROL VIA THE HOME APP

The most interesting way to control the Rio Arc is with HomeKit automations. You can use any triggers and conditions available for each device in the HomeKit system to do this. The commands that Rio Arc can perform in automations in conjunction with triggers, are turning the device on and off, and setting the target temperature. This gives you a lot of possibilities. For example, you can program the Rio Arc to turn on or off at a given time, or at different times, depending on the days of the week. You can also make the Rio Arc turn on or off depending on the temperature, not only from the temperature measured using the built-in sensor, but any sensor available in your HomeKit system. You can also use geo-location and program your automation in such a way that Rio Arc will turn itself off after the last person leaves the house, or it can turn on when one of the household members is on the way home, because you can use any location for this, not only home, which affords you the time and opportunity for the Rio Arc to heat the room before you actually arrive home. There are many possibilities, and you can use almost everything that is available in HomeKit. However, it should be remembered that the Home app itself, unfortunately, does not support all automation options (like temperature) that are available in HomeKit, and for this purpose we often have to reach for other HomeKit apps from third parties. One such example, apart from the automation options already mentioned, is the ‘Child Lock’ feature in the Rio Arc. Unfortunately, this feature is not available for automations in the Home app even if you can toggle it on and off in the settings, but is available when using other HomeKit apps.

Additionally, HomeKit allows you to check the status of the device and control it from remotely, when we are away from home. You can also change, delete or create automations remotely. for this you will, of course, need access to the internet and one of the devices that act as an active Home Hub – an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad, logged into the same iCloud account.

CONTROL VIA THE RIO HEATING APP

Simultaneously, or completely independently of the HomeKit system, you can use the Rio Arc with the company’s own app that uses a cloud-based system from Rio Heating. The Rio Heating App is designed very clearly, which makes it very easy to use. As with any cloud-based system that allows you to manage devices from outside the home, firmware/hardware updates, and receiving push messages, requires the setting up of an account within the app. As with most HomeKit devices, you will need the Rio Heating app for any firmware updates.

On the main screen, you can choose which device you want to control (if you have more than one) and from there, see the options and settings of the specific device, which are current temperature and target temperature, which have a slider for setting the target temperature along with switch to change the mode on the Rio Arc. A Manual mode is available so that you can control the device yourself, as well as the Program mode where pre-programmed programs are used.

Programs can include one radiator or group of radiators, and can include any number of separate time-based ‘Scheduled’ on, off, and temperature adjustments for all devices that can be added to the program. If you want to have different schemes for each of the radiators then you have to create separate programs for the individual devices, as each device can only be added to one program. When creating schedules, you can choose any day or a selection of days, set the time in 10-minute increments, and choose a temperature in the range from 15º to 25ºC. For some reason unknown to myself, it is not currently possible to select a temperature lower than 15ºC in the program, as it is actually possible when using the manual controls on the  Rio Arc or within HomeKit.

When using programs, there are also options to temporarily modify the programs by changing the temperature, extending the current program or directly running the next ‘Next Cycle’ schedule. In the device options, you’ll find information such as the name of the Wifi network to which the device is connected, the current firmware version, information about when the system had the last contact with a given device, and which programs the device is assigned to. In addition, there is an option called ‘Auto Dim’ which temporary turn the screen on, but only when manual changes are made from the Rio Heating app. When this feature is active and changes are made via HomeKit, the screen never turns on. In the same section, you’ll also find a button that allows you to remove a given device from the system. Managing the ‘Child Lock’ function is also available in the app’s settings. Activating or deactivating this function applies to all devices assigned to the system and cannot be used for selective devices.

If you’re not planning to use the Rio Arc for an extend period of time, for example when we go on vacation, you can turn on the ‘Frost’ option, which literally freezes all system functions until you turn it off. It is also possible to set a reminder directly in the application to disable this function by setting the date of our return.

DAY-TO-DAY USE

The general efficiency of the Rio Arc seems to be in line with the manufacturer’s description, and increasing the temperature by, for example, 2-3 degrees in a room of about 20m2 doesn’t take more than a few minutes to achieve. Some elements of the device may get very warm, which the manufacturer warns you of, but because warm air is distributed through the dedicated grilles on the top and bottom of the device, the front itself is covered with a glass plate and the sides of the device with buttons for manual control, they hardly heat up.

When it comes to power consumption, the Rio Arc consumes up to 2000W when it is active and heats the room, but in Standby mode or when the temperature does not require heating, then the power consumption is only 1W.

Rio Arc, in addition to integration with the HomeKit system, also works with systems from Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. However, it is worth checking the availability of these integrations first, because as of writing this review it seems that they’re not available in every region.

In everyday use of the Rio Arc, I didn’t encounter any problems, regardless of whether it was the WiFi connection, an automation or just controlling the device. Rio Arc reacts quickly and reliably to all commands, both using the HomeKit system and its own Rio Heater system. One thing worth mentioning is that when I used the Rio Arc simultaneously with HomeKit and the Rio Heating app, unfortunately not all changes were reflected in both apps, but it doesn’t affect the operation of the device itself and Rio Heating have informed us they’re working to improve upon this soon.

For future variants, I’d definitely like to see an OLED display instead of an LCD, which stands out too much from the rest and spoils the whole impression a little even when turned off. Certainly, the option of replacing the power cable would also be useful in cases where 1.5 m is insufficient and the use of extension cords is also discouraged.

Rio Arc, apart from being the first device of this type to work in the HomeKit system, is also a very ‘Flexible’ solution for all those who do not have or cannot use thermostats in all parts of the house, or simply need a device that can be easily and quickly moved to almost anywhere in the home. What I can say is that the Rio Arc’s performance and design give the impression of a high-end device. I would say you can’t easily complain about the price either. which I think is actually quite reasonable for such a well-designed piece of equipment. Ordering the Rio Arc, via the Rio Heating website gets you free delivery within the EU and UK, at at the time of writing costs £199.00, so if you need an intelligent electric heater that does not look like a classic radiator, but in addition to heating, it can also be a nice decoration at home then I recommend it thoroughly.

Full disclosure: Rio Heating provided HomeKit News with the Rio Arc Smart Heater Panel 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 Rio Arc Smart Panel Heater (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

First of all, here are some technical specifications for Onvis S3EU Smart Plug:

Power

• Input: 230V~, 50Hz
• Rated current : 10A (MAX)
• Rated Power: 2300W

Wireless Connection

• 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n Wifi

Compatibility

• Europe: Type E & F sockets

Safety

• Internal protector: 10A built-in type non-replaceable fuse
• Ambient temperature: 35℃ (MAX)

PACKAGING | DEVICE

From the very first moment, from the packaging to the product itself, there’s a feeling of the high-quality materials used. The package contains details of all functions, so if you do happen to find this in a physical store, then you will be able to know if this is the right product for you immediately. Of course, on the front you can see that the S3 plug works not only with Apple HomeKit, but also Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

After opening the package, inside, apart from the socket itself, you will find the user manual in English, German, French and Spanish. Information on how to connect the socket to the aforementioned systems is included, as well as information on how to contact technical support in case of any problems. The S3 plug itself gives the impression of being very carefully made of matte plastic with grey accessories and quite discreet, inconspicuous, Onvis logo. It has one single button that is used for various functions that I will describe later.

Its size does not differ from other sockets of this type available for the European market, but the rounded edges certainly make it visually appear a bit smaller than it really is. Unfortunately, as with most of these types of products, it is in fact, quite large. So, just like nearly all other EU smart plugs, it blocks the second outlet in standard double sockets, and you will not be able to connect two S3 plugs directly next to each other. The Onvis S3 plug also has built-in overload protection.

Overall, the device makes a very positive impression, but let’s see how everything works whilst it’s in use, and what additional functions – if any – there are.

S3 IN THE HOME APP

Since I’m describing products from the perspective of HomeKit users, I’ll start with the procedure of adding the S3 to the HomeKit system. You can use the Apple Home app itself for this purpose, which is available on iOS, iPadOS and also on macOS, but if you also want to have access to all additional functions not supported by the HomeKit framework, along with access to hardware updates for the plug itself, then you will also need to use the Onvis app, which is available for download from the Apple Store for iOS, iPadOS, and also for the Apple Watch.

The process of adding the S3 plug itself is no different from the standard procedure for adding new devices to the HomeKit system, regardless of whether we use the Apple Home or Onvis application.

You need to scan or manually enter the HomeKit code that is found on the plug itself, or in the user manual. After scanning the code, you’ll see the standard procedure for adding the device to HomeKit, where you can assign the device to the place in our home, where it will be used, and give it it’s own name. You also have the option of specifying the plug’s operating mode; There are three standard HomeKit options to choose from: outlet, light, or fan. It’s most useful when you want to control the plug using voice and Siri, with the plug receiving an appropriate icon depending on the selected operating mode. It’s also worth mentioning that if you use the Apple Home app to add the plug to HomeKit, then you can always install the Onvis application and everything will work without the need to reconnect or re-add the device, so the order and method do not matter here.

The S3 uses a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection to communicate with HomeKit. I’ve been using this plug for a few weeks and at the very beginning of using the early firmware version of the plug, when programming, I had a few command response issues. However, Onvis took care of this issue quickly and fixed all these bugs very quickly. Since then, I’m happy to say the S3 works and reacts very quickly and reliably to any commands. I also didn’t notice any problems with the WiFi connection itself. It is important to note that if you get this smart plug with earlier firmware than version 1.2.13, then you will need to make sure to upgrade it to a newer version before using it.

In the HomeKit system itself, you have access to basic functions such as turning the plug on and off using the application, via your voice, or programmed scenes and automation, regardless of whether you are at home or not. To use these functions when we are outside our local WiFi network, you’re required to have an active internet connection and a HomeKit hub, which is responsible for all automation and remote connections from outside our local network. For this purpose, you can use devices such as an Apple TV (4th gen or above), HomePod, or suitable iPad.

From the Apple Home app, the only available parameters to use when creating an automation are the plug, in on or off status. Unfortunately, the Apple Home app does not show and does not support all the functions available in HomeKit’s framework itself for this, which is the same for other smart plugs, so if you want to use functions such as reporting the current power consumption, creating an automation based on it or displaying the status of something that is currently connected to the plug, then you need to use a separate HomeKit application from third parties. In addition to using the app, you can, as with any HomeKit device, also control it using Siri voice control.

S3 IN THE ONVIS HOME APP

Regardless of the functions available via HomeKit, the Onvis application also gives you simultaneous access to all additional functions, such as a timer, countdown timer, firmware update and various power consumption graphs.

On the main page, the plug is represented with a tile showing us the current state of the plug, and whether it’s enabled or disabled. By briefly pressing the tile, you can quickly and easily turn on or off the plug, as expected.

All these additional functions have been placed in the plugin options, which you can open by long pressing on the plug symbol.

On the options page, starting from the top, you’ll see a symbol that informs you as to whether the plug is turned on or off by means of a backlight effect. Then you get a toggle switch with which you can disable or enable the plug. The next symbol informs you as to whether a device is connected to the plug or not. A green symbol means that a device is currently connected to the plug. If nothing is connected then this symbol will be displayed in grey.

Additional functions have been placed at the very bottom of the options page. These are a Timer with which you can program a day and time period for when you want the plug to be turned on and off. You can create any number of independent programs there.

The next feature is Countdown. This function is to turn the plug on or off after a specific amount of time. Timer settings from 1 second to 2 hours is possible, although when attempting to set the timer, the clock allows you to go up to 2 hours and 59 minutes, but will throw up an error when you try to save the timer.

Another function is Usage, i.e. saved data on power consumption by the device connected to the plug. This data is saved locally in the Onvis App and displayed in graphs. You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly or yearly reports. In addition, you can choose whether you want to see a summary of electricity consumption or the total cost of electricity consumption. In the Onvis app settings, you can set any rate of electricity costs.

At the very end You will find Records, a record of the time and time when the plugin was turned on and off.

There is also an extra options page accessible with the checkbox symbol in the upper right corner. There, additional information about the current state of power consumption is displayed. There, you can check the version and update the plug-in firmware, as well as options for connecting the plug to Amazon Alexa and Google Home systems.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE S3

The Onvis S3 plug also has one physical button located on the housing and a LED diode. By pressing the button shortly, you can simply turn the plug on or off, and by holding the button for a longer time, you can reset the plug to its factory state. A continuous blue LED light means that the plug is on and connected to the Wifi network, while the blinking blue light informs you that there no connection to the Wifi network. Under normal working conditions, if the LED is not showing, it simply means the plug is not on and not powering any device, although it could also be that if it’s not receiving power you would also notice a ‘no response’ issue in HomeKit.

The Onvis S3 is also designed to work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, however despite the markings on the box itself and in the Onvis app, support for Amazon Alexa and Google Home was not at the time of writing and when we tested this product, and as such, we couldn’t see how the S3 works with these systems.

SUMMING UP

Overall, despite some initial firmware issues with the Onvis S3 plug, which were quickly fixed by Onvis, it quickly became one of my favourite smart plugs for Apple HomeKit thanks to its connection stability and quick response to commands. Each additional feature certainly adds even more value to it. Certainly, a very welcome function is the measurement of power consumption and historical data related to the device. Unfortunately, not every smart plug has this feature and I believe it should be standard as it’s a very useful feature. If I miss something with this plug, it is certainly the ability to export power data from the Onvis application, along with a child lock function, which often turns out to be useful, especially when there are very young children at home. In the Onvis application itself, it’s clear there’s a lot of room for fixes in its operation and general UI improvements. For example, I would like to see easier access to information about the current power consumption and which today is hidden at the bottom, but these are mostly just cosmetic changes and generally do not affect the operation of this plug. As for ‘cosmetics’, it’s certainly not one to blend into the background, with the grey accents as part of the bodywork, which look a bit dated, but if this is going to be hidden from view, it’s not a big deal ultimately.

If you are looking for a European version of a smart plug that works with Apple HomeKit and you can rely on, I can definitely recommend Onvis S3EU to you.

Full disclosure: Onvis provided HomeKit News with the Onvis S3EU Smart Plug 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 Onvis S3EU Smart Plug (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

It comes in a small nicely detailed white box, which looks and feels decent, with most of all important information and specifications printed on it, with some product and application images.

Inside the box, you’ll find the device itself, the power supply, with different adaptors for regions including Australia, Europe, the UK, and North America, a USB power cable, and documentation in the form of a quick start guide, safety instructions, and a support contact sheet.

Technical specifications for the Eve Extend.

• Power: USB to Micro USB (5 V, at least 500 mA)
• Dimensions 75 x 23 x 78mm / 3 x 0.9 x 3.1in
• Compatibility: All Bluetooth-enabled Eve accessories except Eve Thermo (2015) and Eve Room (2015), both without display. Due to technical reasons, compatibility is not possible. Compatible Eve accessories
• Connection: Wi-Fi (2.4 / 5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n)

THE DEVICE

The Eve Extend is quite small and light, with a casing made of high gloss white plastic that has a feel of quality. This style will be recognised by Eve users from earlier devices, such as Eve Motion sensor and Eve Room (1st gen).

Thanks to the small size of both the Eve Extend and USB power supply, it’s easy to find any unobtrusive location to place Eve Extend. You can use the included power supply, but because the Eve Extend only requires the typical 5V/ 500 mA voltage, you can also use any typical USB socket with the same specs to power the device. In the box, in addition to the main device itself, you get a small USB power adapter with plug adaptors for the aforementioned regions as well as a USB-A to Micro-USB cable. Departing from this topic for a moment, it’s hard not to mention that the power supply itself can also be used with the included adapters as a universal USB charger when going to countries with a different type of socket to your own.

The Eve Extend only has one socket, placed on the rear of the device – a Micro USB type – used to power the device, along with a single button that allows you to reset the device. On the base, you’ll we find the HomeKit code and four rubber feet, which helps stop the device from sliding around (on smooth surfaces). This is especially useful for how light Eve Extend is. There’s also a single coloured orange led light which informs us of the status of the device when pairing or turning on. When using the device itself, this led light has no function and when it is not lit, it is completely invisible because it is hidden under the plastic housing. Once installed, the Eve Extend does not require any interaction from the user, and the appearance of the device is not of any relevance to us in any way during regular use, so if the device’s coverage range permits, it can easily be hidden out of sight.

INITIAL SETUP

Generally, any HomeKit device can be added using one of the many third-party HomeKit applications available, including the official Home app, but in the case of Eve Extend, due to the specificity of the device’s operation, we cannot do without using the Eve for HomeKit app, and despite the fact that the Eve Extend is a HomeKit device, and also appears in other HomeKit apps, this device will not be useful to us in any other app except for Eve for HomeKit.

Just adding Eve Extend to our HomeKit home is no different than adding any other HomeKit device. The Eve for HomeKit app is available in the App Store in separate iPhone and iPad versions.

After scanning the HomeKit code, you will first see a request for permission to add the Eve Extend to your local Wi-Fi network, after which the standard options will appear, allowing you to give your device a name and assign it to a room in your home. The only additional option offered is to directly assign our Eve Bluetooth devices to Eve Extend, although it is not required, and we can skip this step for now, because I would like to first explain how the Eve Extend works and what it can do for your Bluetooth devices, as well as the fact that assigning devices to the Eve Extend can be done at any time.

It has to be stated that the Eve Extend only works with Bluetooth devices from Eve Systems and you can add a maximum of eight devices to each Eve Extend. Why is it like that? To eliminate any speculation on this subject, the answer is very simple. Technically, The Eve Extend is not a pure extender for a Bluetooth signal and therefore does not work with Bluetooth devices from other companies. Eve Extend simply doesn’t amplify, extend or do anything else with the Bluetooth signal itself, despite being called ‘Extend’. This device has one Bluetooth receiver, hence being limited to a maximum of eight connected devices, whilst balancing performance. With this in mind, it essentially acts as a bridge. It converts all Bluetooth commands from Eve accessories and forwards them to your Wi-Fi network. You can compare it to how any other hub or bridge works when transmitting commands from, for example, a Zigbee or RF protocol hub over a Wi-Fi connection. It can be definitely claimed that the Eve Extend is the first Bluetooth bridge operating within the HomeKit system. As for it extending the Bluetooth signal, it is possible and depends on placement, i.e. as in the case of other bridges, you must take into account, apart from the range of the Bluetooth signal between Eve Extend and the devices connected to it, also the Wi-Fi signal range between Eve Extend and your router. It is thanks to such use of the function of redirecting the signal from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi that we get a greater range and freedom to place your Bluetooth devices away from your Home hubs (Apple TV, HomePod etc). For example, by placing the Eve Extend on the edge but still within sufficient range of the Wi-Fi network, we can then extend the range between the Bluetooth device and the HomeKit bridge by several meters, via this additional Bluetooth connection.

For your devices to start using getting the benefits of the Eve Extend, you must first add them to the Eve Extend. Before you do that, the devices must be added to HomeKit, in addition to making sure that all compatible devices are using the latest firmware, because for these devices to work with Eve Extend, Eve Systems released some required updates for certain devices, like the Eve Door contact sensor for example.

ADDING DEVICES TO EVE EXTEND

To add a device to the Eve Extend with help of the Eve for HomeKit application in the options for Eve Extend, simply select ‘Assign Accessories’ and you will get a list of devices that you can add. The addition itself takes a moment, and after successful addition, the device is no longer directly connected to HomeKit. From that moment it is instead exposed to HomeKit via the Eve Extend, thereby acting as a bridge. It should be noted that when you turn off the Eve Extend after this point, you will also lose contact with all devices that go through the Eve Extend. However, this is not unusual and works exactly the same as other bridges, like the Philips Hue Bridge.

After adding devices, the Eve Extend’s status in the Eve for HomeKit app will show you the number of connected devices, whether each of them is available, or the number of disconnected devices, if at least one of them loses connection. In the ‘detailed view’, you will be able to see a list of all added devices and their statuses.  The Bluetooth devices themselves will always be visible as usual as individual devices too.

If we need to remove a device from Eve Extend for any reason, you simply open the options for that device and select ‘Unassign from Eve Extend’. Before the removal, you’ll receive a warning that after the removal this function will initiate the process of directly pairing the removed device to HomeKit with the HomeKit code for the given device being required.

When using Eve Extend in the Home app, it’s not easy to see any existence of this device. There are only two places where you can see it as such, with the first location being the settings of your HomeKit home where you will see the Eve Extend in the list of ‘Hubs and Bridges’ in use. The second place is a ‘detailed view’ for any of devices connected through the Eve Extend, where probably for the first time in the case of Bluetooth devices you will see that these have a Bridge. An additional effect of such a working system is that our phone can no longer communicate directly with these devices via Bluetooth because all commands transmitted from Eve Extend are transmitted instead via Wi-Fi connection, which means that we also do not need to have Bluetooth active on our iPhones for this specific reason.

DAY-TO-DAY USE
In everyday use, the Eve Extend is completely transparent and simply does its job, and does it very well. During the time stared to use this device, I have not encountered any problems. This solution extends the range of your Eve Bluetooth devices with respect to the HomeKit bridge but thankfully, that’s not all we gain. Communication with devices, connected in this way, has become noticeably faster. Of course, we still can’t count on the same response time compared to some other wireless protocols, because many Bluetooth devices that aren’t used for a period of time fall into a sort of low energy ‘sleep mode’, which requires a moment to ‘wake up’, but the communication itself is noticeably faster, and the same is true when updating historical data saved locally in the devices and updated in the Eve for HomeKit app, when connected to the device. Everything just seems to work faster. In theory, there is no reason why a connection via the Eve Extend should work faster than a direct connection, for example via Apple TV, but for now, let it be the secret of Eve Home and the clear evidence of noticeably faster performance, which alone is enough for me.

When it comes to compatibility with other systems, I can only reiterate that, as with any other device from Eve, they are designed to only works with the Apple HomeKit, so no Google or Amazon functionality is to be found.

WRAPPING UP
The Eve Extend is a very interesting idea and useful solution that works very well on the same basis that other systems using bridges work, in communicating with their sub-devices. Here we have the first such solution for Bluetooth devices that works directly with HomeKit. If you have compatible Bluetooth devices from Eve Home and you have problems with their range or you just want to speed them up, it’s definitely worth considering this solution. Eve Extend is not unique and doesn’t do anything that HomeKit hubs from Apple can’t already do, but it does it for a much more competitive price and in a much smaller and more convenient package. For example, it is certainly a better solution to put Eve Extend on a window sill, instead of an additional Apple TV for a better connection, for example with devices rated for outdoor use, like Eve Aqua or Eve Degree, or even inside the house, if we need to expand or strengthen the Bluetooth signal, it could be better solution wherever we do not need or want additional HomeKit hub. The only thing that the Eve Extend currently lacks is greater functionality for led light, which could, for example, show the status of the connection with Wi-Fi or power status, in the same way as other devices, to warn you with a flashing LED or some form of colour change in case of any irregularities, and refer you to the app for more information, but it is a minor addition and even without it I really appreciate how easy is to set it up and how reliably it works.

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