Home Automation
How the smart home will evolve
The question on my mind with regards to the smart home these days is the following: Will software be abstracted from hardware? Or put another way, will hardware descriptions and communications protocols move to the software layer?
It’s a question that was debated at last week’s Structure Connect conference and one that has important implications for how quickly the smart home sees mainstream adoption.
Read the full story: Gigaom
Osram Sylvania and Belkin enter partnership
Osram Sylvania and electronics manufacturer Belkin have entered into a partnership to collaborate on residential solutions. The partnership will bring Osram’s Lightify smart connected lighting ecosystem together with Belkin’s WeMo home automation ecosystem.
Osram Sylvania says it will first add WeMo compatibility to the Sylvania Ultra iQ BR30 LED lamp in the USA, followed by the launch of Osram Lightify in Europe later this year and then a broader portfolio of connective lighting products for the home.
The first WeMo-enabled Ultra iQ LED lamps will be available in autumn in the US through selected e-commerce retailers. The lamps will connect to the WeMo ecosystem via the WeMo Link and will work with other products in the WeMo range. Controlled via the WeMo app, the LED lamps will also work with IFTTT, which connects them to other web-based services and applications, such as Facebook, SMS, Gmail and Calendar, to perform custom tasks or trigger events. For example, users can program the lamps to turn on when it rains or receive a text message when the lamps are turned off.
Read the full story: lighting.co.uk
ZigBee Certified Products Surpass 1,000
– Continual growth in ZigBee Certified products signals the growing demand for the Internet of Things
SAN RAMON, California, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of organizations creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, today announced that there are now more than 1,000 ZigBee Certified products available to the market, demonstrating the rising demand for the Internet of Things.
ZigBee standards have been implemented in products developed by more than 400 global manufacturers. The rising number of Alliance members and ZigBee Certified products is a reflection of market demand. In fact, analysts from Research and Markets have forecasted that the global ZigBee enabled devices market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 67 percent from 2014-2018.
The ZigBee Certified program ensures that quality, interoperable ZigBee products are available for product manufacturers and their customers. The program focuses on two areas, the ZigBee Compliant Platform program and the ZigBee Certified Product program. The ZigBee Compliant Platform program evaluates all platforms before they can be engineered into products, including testing for compliance to a ZigBee specification. The ZigBee Certified Product program tests any product using an Alliance-developed standard, ensuring that the product is fully compliant to the standard. To learn more about the ZigBee Certified program, visit: http://www.zigbee.org/Certification.aspx
Read the full story: PR Newswire
Five smart lighting solutions
Having a smart home isn’t just about clever appliances or smartphone-controlled heating, there are also robotic vacuum cleaners, Bluetooth-enabled showerheads and music-playing mirrors available. However, and perhaps more importantly, you can also get clever lights too.
You switch lights on or off everyday and they can play an essential part in creating an ambience in a room, but once you are comfy on the sofa, the last thing you want to do is get up to turn the light off. Therefore, we have rounded up five of the best smart lighting options to consider installing that will ensure once you have sat down to watch that film, the only thing you’ll need to move for is getting the popcorn out of the microwave.
Read the full story: Pocket-lint
Smart lighting explained
If you’re new to home automation and want to give it a go, you should probably start with smart lighting.
The easiest way to get started with simple home automation is to buy accessories or devices that are specialised for certain tasks. Smart lighting, for instance, gives you flexibility because you can control it with timers, plus you can set schedules and monitor bulb status remotely, etc. You can somtimes even hook smart lighting networks up to web-apps like IFTTT to achieve some really neat effects. It’s a great way for beginners to start automating stuff.
Don’t worry if you’re clueless about what smart lighting is and what it can do for your life and home. Pocket-lint has explained everything below, detailing the different types of smart lighting available, how they work, and the many products you can buy today. Keep reading to learn more.
Read the full story: Pocket-lint
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