How’s it going, fellow smart homers? So like last weekend, had a packed weekend with family visiting us and had a great time. Bouncy castle out the back garden for the kids and lots of food and drink for the adults! And here are a few newsworthy stories I encountered these past seven days:
A New Smart Thermostat 🥵
Since Nest pioneered the smart thermostat back in 2014 ish….many companies have followed suit and produced their own versions. Consumers nowadays have loads of choices when it comes to smart thermostats, and the list has extended last week with a new player entering the fray. The company is called Mysa and from their Website, they have been around since 2014. They already provide smart thermostats for electric baseboard heaters and electric in-floor heating systems. And have extended their smart thermostat portfolio to include a newly released device for air conditioners. Although availability seems to be limited to the USA and Canada, it might be worth reaching out to see if they intend on supplying to other countries. All the details are available here.
Talking Smart Thermostats 💬
From what I remember I may have covered the Apple announced earlier this year that third-party speakers would be able to support HomeKit. One of the players to embrace this new feature was Ecobee. And, this week new feature has come to fruition. Since last Tuesday and after a software update, newer Ecobee smart thermostats will now include Siri support. Some key points include:
- The voice processing is not done at the smart thermostat and is instead taken care of by the nearest HomePod Mini.
- Ecobee smart thermostats will support various Siri voice commands.
- Intercom and doorbell rings will also be possible when configured correctly.
In addition to all the above, the new software update will include Apple AirPlay 2 support. From a practical perspective, this will enable homeowners to use their Ecobee smart thermostat as a streaming speaker, which is pretty cool. Check out this article to read some more on this exciting announcement for Ecobee smart thermostat owners.
This Weeks Blog Post ✍️
Samsung SmartThings is a comprehensive home connectivity platform that uses Zigbee and Z-Wave technology to enhance automation. It is regarded by many as one of the most efficient ways to automate your home.
Through Samsung SmartThings, you can connect all your smart devices and have them work together to create a smart home. Whether it’s Samsung home appliances or from other brands, you can use the SmartThings app to configure and control them from one user interface.
Here are some of the aspects you might need to know about SmartThings and its functionality; >> Read the complete article on the blog
Expensive Mesh 6️⃣
Netgear is getting into Wi-Fi 6, with the release of a new mesh router, branded the Orbi 6E. Aesthetically, it looks really cool but large and is packed with a bunch of features, namely:
- Support for four Wi-Fi frequency bands.
- Up to a 30% increase in Wi-Fi speeds.
- The ability to segregate smart home devices into a dedicated band.
Although the features are awesome, it comes in at a very high price-point. If you want to learn some more about this new release, head over to this Verge article.
Weekly Smart Home Voice Command! 🎤
Hey Siri, I’m Home
This is it for today, See you next Sunday 😉. If you have colleagues, friends, or neighbors that would benefit from knowing about smart home devices, please consider sharing them.
They can sign up for the newsletter by going here.
– Gerard