The Internet of Things
The Nest replaces a traditional thermostat and provides features like an internet connection, an app to control it, the ability to control it over the internet, usage reports, and intelligent features like learning patterns and suggesting improvements to save energy and improve performance. Internet of Things devices is sometimes referred to as home automation or smart home devices. Those names are a bit misleading because the Internet of Things isn’t just the products used in the home. Internet of Things functionality also shows up in offices, factories, arenas, and other outside-the-home locations.
Why You’d Use HomeKit
Apple introduced HomeKit as part of iOS 8 in September 2014 to make it easy for smart-home device manufacturers to interact with iOS devices. The protocol was necessary because no single standard existed for devices to communicate with each other. A series of competing platforms are available, but without a single platform, it’s hard for consumers to know if the devices they buy will work with each other. With HomeKit, all devices will work together and can be controlled from a single app.
Devices That Work With HomeKit
Hundreds of products work with HomeKit. Some examples include:
Haier D-Air air conditionerHoneywell Lyric thermostatHunter HomeKit Enabled Ceiling FaniDevices Switch Connected PlugNest ThermostatPhilips Hue lighting systemSchlage Sense Smart Deadbolt
How to Know If a Device Is HomeKit Compatible
HomeKit compatible devices often have a logo on the packaging that reads “Works with Apple HomeKit.” Even if you don’t see that logo, check the other information provided by the manufacturer. Not every company uses the logo. Apple has a section in its online store that features HomeKit-compatible products. It doesn’t include every compatible device, but it’s a place to start.
How HomeKit Works
HomeKit-compatible devices communicate with a hub, a device that gets its instructions from an iPhone or iPad. You send a command from an iOS device — to turn off the lights, for example — to the hub, which then communicates to the bulbs or plugs on the network. In iOS 8 and 9, the only Apple device that worked as a hub was the 3rd or 4th generation Apple TV, though users could also buy a third-party, standalone hub. In iOS 10, the iPad can work as a hub in addition to the Apple TV and other solutions. The Apple HomePod smart speaker also works as a HomeKit hub.
How to Use HomeKit
You don’t use HomeKit itself. Instead, you use products that work with HomeKit. The closest thing to using HomeKit for most people is using the Home app to control their Internet of Things devices. You can also control HomeKit-compatible devices through the Apple digital assistant, Siri. For example, if you have a HomeKit-compatible light, you could say, “Siri, turn on the lights,” and it would happen.
Apple’s Home App
Home is Apple’s Internet of Things controller app. It controls HomeKit-compatible devices from a single place rather than controlling each from its program. The Home app controls individual HomeKit-compatible Internet of Things devices. Use the Home app to turn devices on and off and change settings. What’s even more useful, though, is that the app controls multiple devices simultaneously using Rooms and Scenes. A Room is a group of devices that operate together with a single command. For example, if you have three smart bulbs in the living room, control them with a single command like, “Siri, turn off the lights in the living room.” Scenes work similarly to Rooms but control multiple Rooms. A Scene is a specific configuration of all of the smart appliances that are activated with a command, which can be tapping a button in the Home app, issuing a voice command to Siri, or crossing a geofence that you set up. For example, create a Scene for when you pull into the driveway after work that automatically turns on the lights, adjusts the air conditioner, unlocks the front door, and opens the garage door. You could use another Scene just before sleep to turn off every light in the house and set your coffee maker to brew a pot in the morning.
