Apple’s HomeKit home automation
Apple’s new HomeKit home automation can control your appliances and more | Ars Technica.
One of the things announced at yesterday’s WWDC keynote. HomeKit sounds exciting. It’s something I’ve been expecting from Apple since last summer. I saw the promise of Smart Things and related ideas like Nest and Hue and I realized this is a space Apple should want to play in. The possibilities and the need for unification are really strong. I’m hoping there will be a hardware component like the Smart Things hub and sensors coming out later this year. I can understand the advantages of using third party devices. The one really interesting thing is that I think Apple will have some “Killer App” for this kit. I don’t know what but I’m guessing they have an idea of what application for this will really push new hardware and software.
Personally, I’ve wanted to hook up a simple cobbled thermostat driven space heater for our son’s bedroom. He sleeps so much better when it’s warm, but we don’t want the rest of the house 6 degrees warmer like his crib area. Every time I’ve come close to putting that together I’ve ended up pulling back because of the startup investment in the hub and sensor and plug units. In the home automation world, pretty much everything starts at 50 bucks, and there are always more components to buy.