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Home Kit A Let Down?
- Thread starter parseckadet
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Really appreciate the reply. Yeah, just as I expected, it won't be simple or cheap. Today's tech is not quite there yet.
Well to be honest, it could be simple. I'm not sure exactly how it is implemented, but take a look at some current stuff. These you could install yourself. I'm not sure if this is how Apple's would function (I imagine so) but if they do, you can do this part. Now, if they implement it in the actual switches, and for the garage door, you will need help probably, but for most functionality, I would argue it is actually as easy as plugging something in, or changing a bulb.
Cheap though, you're right, it definitely won't be.
Would be good if say apple tv could be the full time controller so you set up your rules in that and the iPhone is the portal to control those rules.
The other thing is that home control stuff isn't cheap if you want it throughout your house. I however think that its a really good start. This is the first stage to bring a framework and method to do the control. The next step I think would be a controller to do further rules and actions that are multi levelled and more complex. The beauty of it would be that you could put so many different brands and systems together to look like a single system.
Its a great start and I hope all the companies jump on board, with Apples power I think it will happen.
The other thing is that home control stuff isn't cheap if you want it throughout your house. I however think that its a really good start. This is the first stage to bring a framework and method to do the control. The next step I think would be a controller to do further rules and actions that are multi levelled and more complex. The beauty of it would be that you could put so many different brands and systems together to look like a single system.
Its a great start and I hope all the companies jump on board, with Apples power I think it will happen.
Also this is interesting, apple rebranding the home control company at this time. They have the knowhow to make further deeper control in the future.
http://www.indigodomo.com
http://www.indigodomo.com
What I want is for Apple or someone to make a "hub" type thing that connects to a power outlet and my home wifi and acts as the microphone for "hey, Siri" commands. So rather than requiring my iPhone to be out of my pocket and plugged in there will already be something there ready to listen to my command. Obviously I would like it to work with apps on my iPhone or Mac, and for what I'm suggesting the Mac would probably need to be the base of it's thinking. And let me customize the "hey, Siri" part so I can make my own initiation command. Hey Hal, Hey Skynet, Hey Baby. Maybe even throw a speaker on it too so I can ask Siri questions about the weather or whatever. Throw a few of those around the house and we'll live like the Jetsons.
I'm sold already! What you've suggested is not a huge leap yet could change the way we interact in our homes.
People have been trying to make automatic homes since the 1930's. The issue is that most people, me included, just don't give a f_ck. I flip the light switch or turn the dial and I'm done.
It would probably be somewhat simple. I think all that would be needed is an iMac that has Siri capabilities, the apps to control the household devices (i.e lights, locks, thermostat), the hubs that may or may not be required to control those, and a small wifi enabled speaker and microphone that could be placed in strategic places throughout the house. The first few things exist, although we don't have Siri for Mac OS yet. The third I can't seem to find. I'm envisioning something about the size of an Apple TV that has some multidirectional microphones and a speaker.
Not having seen the HomeKit WWDC courses, I'd imagine that the idea would be to allow third party apps to have limited access to Siri. You install their apps, and then you use Siri to interact with them.
It would HAVE to be some sort of thing like this since there's no way that an iPhone could interact directly with Insteon, Zigbee, or Z-Wave devices.
A good example would be having all those things connected to a SmartThings or a Vera hub and then saying the comment "Hey Siri, Good Night!" Siri then instructs the SmartThings app to go into Good Night mode.
Another would be something like "Hey Siri, turn down the temperature to 72" and it sends the instructions to the Honeywell App, which then sends the instructions to the thermostat.
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Someone has already started on work like this...
http://www.theubi.com
It would HAVE to be some sort of thing like this since there's no way that an iPhone could interact directly with Insteon, Zigbee, or Z-Wave devices.
A good example would be having all those things connected to a SmartThings or a Vera hub and then saying the comment "Hey Siri, Good Night!" Siri then instructs the SmartThings app to go into Good Night mode.
Another would be something like "Hey Siri, turn down the temperature to 72" and it sends the instructions to the Honeywell App, which then sends the instructions to the thermostat.
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Someone has already started on work like this...
http://www.theubi.com
iBeacon in the house would allow this to happen, maybe it's a working progress
Quite a lot, I imagine, but it's not like many people are going to buy all of them at once. We can buy pieaces of automated home equipment gradually, when they make sense. What with refrigerator, TV, computer, coffee maker, microwave, smartphone, tablet, stereo, etc., a typical home could easily have more than $10,000 in electronics, but we don't sit around saying, "Wow, we spent $10,000 on all this!" because the purchase is spread put over some years.
Z wave door lock: $200
Z wave hub: $99
Z wave switch: $50
Or
Belkin light switch $50
Use IFTTT to program is based on a geofence: $0
All you would need, besides a control hub, would be a relay like this:
https://shop.smartthings.com/#!/products/evolve-lfm-20-fixture-module
Home kit had only just been released and it's just the start, I think in 5 or so years time smart plugs, smart lights etc and all goods and appliances will have features that interact with your phone. Only problem is right now it's too expensive for the masses. I was gonna buy some phillips hue lights but 250 australians dollars for 3 light bulbs? no thanks, Or 50 dollars for one plug? ouch.
HomeKit, from a development point of view, is a way of abstracting how you communicate with home devices. Currently there are numerous protocols, apps and methods manufacturers need you to use to control their devices.
HomeKit unifies this into the OS with a standard way of communicating with these devices. Think of it as the DirectX or OpenGL of home automation. With these graphics standards, you don't care what the underlying graphics card is, you program using a standard set of interfaces and it works.
As an analogy... with a car you turn the steering wheel and the front wheels turn. You don't know, and don't need to know, that different car manufacturers have different steering mechanisms between the steering wheel and the front wheels. The result is the same regardless.
HomeKit unifies this into the OS with a standard way of communicating with these devices. Think of it as the DirectX or OpenGL of home automation. With these graphics standards, you don't care what the underlying graphics card is, you program using a standard set of interfaces and it works.
As an analogy... with a car you turn the steering wheel and the front wheels turn. You don't know, and don't need to know, that different car manufacturers have different steering mechanisms between the steering wheel and the front wheels. The result is the same regardless.
surely some dev is going to abuse this siri functionality with home kit right?? i mean there is STILL no dedicated siri api which was slightly disappointing (is that even true??) but you get a partial siri api with hkit? open the exploit flood gates.... 