Smart Home & Home Automation discussion thread

[LegendKiller]

That's an excellent point. However, what about when you simply close a vent? This is just a motorized version of that. All of my vents have levers on them to close them manually, so I'm not sure how a motorized version would be any worse since it's essentially doing the same function, just without me standing there pulling the lever.

The difference is that *you* control the vents manually. Every HVAC guy I have talked to says not to shut down too many vents, otherwise you get backpressure. How does this thing prevent that and how can you trust them to accurately code the prevention?

 

[Kaido]

The difference is that *you* control the vents manually. Every HVAC guy I have talked to says not to shut down too many vents, otherwise you get backpressure. How does this thing prevent that and how can you trust them to accurately code the prevention?

To be fair, I don't know how many not to shut...half the vents in my house are closed all the time haha.

 

[CAL7]

I'm having a lot of issues with Z-Wave pairing (initial pairing as well as keeping pairing). This is with Wink, but my plea for help is more generic. The whole inclusion/exclusion process seems like black magic.

The instructions all say that a device cannot be included in a network if it is already included somewhere else. Is there a way to know?? Do most, or any, controls identify or log devices that are excluded (wink gives obscure green or red flashes, but they could mean anything)?

 

[Kaido]

Alarm.com launches an Apple Watch extension to manage security at a glance:

http://www.cnet.com/products/alarm-com-for-apple-watch/

This is cool!

 

[Kaido]

CNET: "Smart Home Buying Guide: Home Automation"

http://www.cnet.com/news/smart-home-buying-guide-home-automation/

 

[Kaido]

Another neat smartlock option: "Friday"

http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/friday-smart-lock/

* Designed for DIY installation
* 4 interchangeable shells (porcelain, stainless steel, wood, and bronze)
* Android & iOS apps
* Grant one-time or permanent (but revocable) access to other people
* Supports Apple HomeKit & Thread
* $99 Indigogo, or $150 retail

One of the difficulties of being into smarthome stuff right now is that the majority of stuff is crowdfunded, which means you can't just buy it off the shelf. I'm not overly fond of buying first-generation products because that means that you have to be the beta tester & discover the bugs (re: Wink Hub). Now that Samsung is committed to making all of their stuff IoT-friendly, I'm hoping we'll see a lot more commercially-backed products become available soon.

 

[Muadib]

SmartThings 2 delayed.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/samsung-smartthings-home-automation-version-/

 

[Kaido]

Aeotec just announced a multi-color LED bulb:

http://aeotec.com/z-wave-led-lightbulb

Built-in Z-wave (updatable), 16 million colors, and 70 watts. This will give the Philips Hue bulbs a run for their money!

 

[Kaido]

Ubiquiti unveiled their own wireless mini camera: (UniFi Video Camera Micro, p/n UVC-Micro)

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi-video/unifi-video-camera-micro/

* $99 (no monthly fees b/c no cloud storage)
* 720p @ 30fps
* Infrared LEDs (with automatic IR cut filter) for nightmode
* Built-in speaker and microphone
* Size of a golf ball
* Magnetic mount (provides power & positioning)
* Mounts to anything: metal (magnetic), wood (screw mount), laminate (adhesive sticker), glass(adhesive sticker), brick (screw)
* 16' power cable
* iOS app available (Android app due at the end of April 2015)
* Package includes: Camera, base, power adapter, flat base plate, corner base plate, mounting tape, 5 screws, 5 screw anchors, 6 cable clips

Intro video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_9fcMq6MJo

Quick Start Guide: (PDF)

http://dl.ubnt.com/guides/unifivideo/UVC-Micro_QSG.pdf

Link to iOS app: (app reviews are excellent, and as usual for Ubiquiti, the GUI looks awesome)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unifi-video/id964967062?mt=8

Link to NVR software: (UniFi Video -> UniFi NVR)

https://www.ubnt.com/download/

They sell a standalone 500-gig DVR for $330, or you can just fire it up on Linux or Windows computer (support for Debian 7, Ubuntu 12, Windows 7 64b, and Windows 8 64b). That's pretty awesome...720p with a great mounting system & no monthly fees for $99. Right now I have a Foscam as a babycam (cheapo unit but works fine) and recently purchased a very inexpensive D-link camera for a patio grill cam, but the D-link's software is pretty terrible, so I may have to pick one of these up to replace it. Remote access is done via the NVR software (PC or their NVR). Software has tons of neat features:

http://dl.ubnt.com/datasheets/unifi/UniFI_Video_DS.pdf

I like this a lot...budget-friendly, good-quality, great user interface, expansion options, kit includes everything you need (mounting hardware, long power cable, etc.), etc.

 

[Kaido]

Ananadtech: Belkin WeMo and Ubiquiti mFi Home Automation Platforms Review

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9162/belkin-wemo-and-ubiquiti-mfi-home-automation-platforms-review

Ubiquiti has a pretty neat hardware & software lineup:

 

[herm0016]

we are using wirelesstags.net sensors and wemo control for some things in our house, they talk to each other and you can use iftt. I like the wireless tags sensors because they are small and have good range with precision measurements that can actually be calibrated. The chicken coop is the first project. heat, light and maybe the door will be automated.

 

[Kaido]

we are using wirelesstags.net sensors and wemo control for some things in our house, they talk to each other and you can use iftt. I like the wireless tags sensors because they are small and have good range with precision measurements that can actually be calibrated. The chicken coop is the first project. heat, light and maybe the door will be automated.

Wow neat, so kind of a better version of Tile then?

 

[Kaido]

Tesla announced their grid-connected whole-house battery backup system. More details here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2429970

 

[tkarns24]

Its a 2 story house , so the first thing I did was do a security assement and determine what is vulnerable and what what needs or is worth protecting. Here is my list

• Front door (deadbolt/ Camera)
• Front window (open/close/glass break)
• garage door ( open/close/ camera)
• kitchen window (open/close/glass break)
• Patio door (open/close/glass break)
• back window (open/close/glass break)
• right side window. (open/close/glass break)

Since those are the only entry points to a solid cinder block first floor, those are the areas that I would like to secure. For the upstairs windows, I am not doing anything about them, because if you come though those windows then you are on a mission. Because the home is preexisting I can't do a lot of hard-wiring, but I will do it for some areas.

• For lighting I am going with UPB
• Whole house audio
• Ac control
• some appliance control (coffee maker/ Stove)
• Sprinkler system
• Alarm system I want to go HAI Omnipro. Can any one give me feedback on how reliable it is.
• smoke /Co detection
• water leak detection

I am running 2 cat6 cables to everyroom (4) for video. I am looking at Homeseer or CastleOS as my controller system. I am also working a a budget of a total of 5k for this stuff so that means classified/ebay and begging (lol).


Guys I really appreciate any knowledge or advice that you are wiling to impart me with.

 

[Kaido]

<snip>

Guys I really appreciate any knowledge or advice that you are wiling to impart me with.

OK, so a $5k budget & Homeseer or CastleOS as the central controller. Should be more than doable. Here's some options to look into; you'll have to look into individual compatibility with whatever controller you choose to go with:

Front door (deadbolt/ Camera): I have a Schlage lock. Zwave, keypad, and key control. It's awesome. For the doorbell camera, Ring currently has the best reviews:

https://ring.com/

Front window (open/close/glass break): Open/close sensors are a dime a dozen; glass break sensors are a little more tricky. I've used them hardwired, but the wireless ones have iffy reviews. If you can handle the wiring, might be

http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-5853-Wireless-Glass-Detector/dp/B001UKH4OY/

http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Z-Wave-Vibration-Sensor-ZS5101US/dp/B00M0C82XI/

Alternatively, a vibration sensor might work. Aeotec's multi-sensor is out next month:

http://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-Z-wave-Multisensor/dp/B00WMEVRRW/

Garage door ( open/close/ camera): Ecolink has a tilt sensor available:

http://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Z-Wave-Wireless-Tilt-Sensor/dp/B00HGVJRX2/

For lighting I am going with UPB: Any particular reason? Any particular brand?

Whole house audio: Sonos is the best on the market, is wireless, & can stream-sync to multiple units (unlike say the AppleTV which does not have the time-sync technology that makes Sonos unique). Alternatively, you can hardware with a system like HTD's Lync, which also adds an intercom system:

http://www.htd.com/Products/Lync

Ac control: What kind of system do you have now for HVAC? Nest & Honeywell are the top dogs:

https://nest.com/

http://yourhome.honeywell.com/home/...7-Day-Programmable/Wi-Fi+Smart+Thermostat.htm

Some appliance control (coffee maker/ Stove): Two options here: an appliance power control module (on/off + timer), or buy a new appliance with built-in smarts. I'm not a coffee drinker, but it looks like Mr. Coffee has a wifi model available:

http://www.mrcoffee.com/coffee-make...er-with-wemo-bvmc-pstx91we/BVMC-PSTX91WE.html

GE has wifi ranges & wall ovens available:

http://www.geappliances.com/connected-home-smart-appliances/

Sprinkler system: If you're not in any rush, I like Eve the best, but it's currently getting Kickstarter funding:

http://www.eveirrigation.com/

Rachio is available now:

http://rachio.com/

Alarm system I want to go HAI Omnipro: Leviton makes quality hardware. Are you planning on DIY or having an installer handle it

Smoke /Co detection: Nest Protect:

https://nest.com/smoke-co-alarm/life-with-nest-protect/

Although if you're creative, you can go the DIY route with your Omnipro:

http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/16273-hai-and-altronix-with-dsc-4-wire-smokes-help/

Water leak detection: WallyHome works with Nest:

http://www.wallyhome.com/how/

 

[Kaido]

Samsung drops the smarthouse bomb:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/12/samsung-artik-iot/

Samsung's Artik platform aims to jump-start the Internet of Things:

Samsung is debuting three new IoT modules: Artik 1, a tiny 12mm device with Bluetooth and a nine-axis movement sensor; Artik 5, which runs a faster 1 gigahertz dual-core processor and on-board storage; and Artik 10, which is powered by an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The latter also includes Wi-Fi and Zigbee connectivity, which means it should play nicely with plenty of existing IoT equipment. All of the Artik hardware includes a secure-element, which should help lock things down better than software encryption, and Samsung's also providing an IoT software stack so developers can get up and running quickly. And while the Artik platform is technically open, Samsung's also pushing its cloud services heavily to developers.

So we have:

1. Artik 1: 12mm device with Bluetooth & 9-axis movement sensor

2. Artik 5: Faster 1ghz dual-core CPU & onboard storage

3. Artik 10: Octa-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Wifi, Zigbee.

Each one has:

1. A secure element, which I'm assuming is hardware encryption

2. IoT software stack for developers

3. Samsung cloud service available for developers

Let the games begin!

 

[Kneedragger]

Samsung drops the smarthouse bomb:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/12/samsung-artik-iot/

Samsung's Artik platform aims to jump-start the Internet of Things:



So we have:

1. Artik 1: 12mm device with Bluetooth & 9-axis movement sensor

2. Artik 5: Faster 1ghz dual-core CPU & onboard storage

3. Artik 10: Octa-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Wifi, Zigbee.

Each one has:

1. A secure element, which I'm assuming is hardware encryption

2. IoT software stack for developers

3. Samsung cloud service available for developers

Let the games begin!

Very cool, looking forward to seeing more.

Um.... Didn't Samsung buy Smart Things last year?!

 

[Kaido]

Very cool, looking forward to seeing more.

Um.... Didn't Samsung buy Smart Things last year?!

Yup, for like $200 million. They'll be releasing the v2 hub later this year. The Artik chips are what will go into the devices that connect to the hub. They have a more detailed press release here:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...ntroduces-Open-Cloud-Expand-Accelerate-Growth

Looks like they are trying to be the Amazon S3 of the IoT world:

announce a new open software and data exchange cloud for the “Internet of Things” (IoT) called SmartThings Open Cloud. Open Cloud is powered by SAMI, a Data Driven Development platform that Samsung announced last May with simple open APIs and SDKs to send and receive diverse data, regardless of the source. Because it's open, SmartThings devices and Samsung’s digital appliances and consumer electronics products will all be able to leverage Open Cloud. Device makers and developers can also connect devices and services directly, further expanding the SmartThings community and accelerating innovation for the IoT at large.

With SmartThings Open Cloud, device makers can bring new products to market more rapidly by focusing on building connected devices without having to build and maintain their own device cloud infrastructure. Open Cloud provides a secure device cloud that accomplishes this by delivering device authentication, connectivity, data sharing and normalization, and security. It also has the ability to aggregate a diverse, wide array of data from third party applications, services and devices that can be accessed for visualization and analysis, opening up new potential for discovery within the developer community. With over 100 devices and services already connected to Open Cloud, SmartThings users will also benefit from access to a wider range of devices as well as new capabilities and user experiences. Companies using Open Cloud for their devices will have the option of enabling automatic SmartThings integration to allow access by SmartThings users.

So basically:

1. Over 100 devices & services are already connected to the Open Cloud

2. Developers don't have to build the infrastructure, they can just plug into the existing cloud API's & SDK's

3. Although it's run by Samsung, it is an open platform, which is nice

Things are really going to heat up in next year!

 

[Kaido]

Small hack for those with Xfinity Home Security (HA based on iControl) - my buddy recently had a system installed & wanted to add more door/window sensors, but Comcast sells them for $50 a pop. Turns out they are using the Visonic MCT-320 sensors, which go on eBay for $15 shipped. All you have to do is go to the central touchscreen hub, go into settings (installer passcode is 4321), and pair it from there (iirc toggle the battery to put it into pairing mode). 3 for the price of 1!

 

[herm0016]

for appliances, there is a range of wemo devices as well. we registered for the crock pot you can control from you phone anywhere. they have heaters, coffee makers, crock pot, and more.

http://www.belkin.com/us/Products/home-automation/c/wemo-home-automation/

 

[TomSmith4345]

Thanks Kaido. Really useful and amazing list.

 

[Kaido]

Thanks Kaido. Really useful and amazing list.

Glad you found it useful! Lots of exciting things coming over the next two years...

 

[Kaido]

Apple's HomeKit has been extremely disappointing so far. Not much in the way of news:

http://mashable.com/2015/06/08/apple-wwdc-homekit-healthkit-updates/

The company quickly breezed through updates related to HomeKit and HealthKit on Monday, but there are indeed a few upgrades underway for the platforms.

Snuck in between news of Mac OS El Capitan, iOS 9 and Apple Music, Apple announced that HomeKit will soon be able to handle more products such as security systems and mechanical blinds. The news comes just a few days after the first batch of HomeKit-compatible gadgets were given launch dates &#8212; and two are available for purchase now.

While most of those products are outlets or brides that act as a go-between device that connects an iPhone or iPad to, for example, lights in the home, Apple will now support other products like motion sensors, carbon dioxide monitors, window shades, thermostats and security systems. Philips told Mashable that it will bring its existing Hue smart lighting system with HomeKit starting this fall.

While there were rumors that Apple could launch a Home app to serve as a hub to control the smart devices, a dedicated app was never announced.

There's a few products already available:

http://mashable.com/2015/06/02/homekit-products/

Philips Hue was the big one:

http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/9/8750515/philips-hue-apple-homekit-integration

imo Samsung is going to absolutely smash the whole idea out of existence once the SmarThings v2 hub is released later this year. Apple hasn't done anything to compete with Sonos' hardware, even though they could totally kill them with their $99 Airport Express streaming players (assuming they can fix sync via software, or else add an updated radio in a newer model), and they are moving extremely slowly on the smarthome front. Pretty disappointing as I do love Apple's "set & forget" approach, which is basically the route Wink has tried to take with their smarthome hub. Plus Apple just launched their Spotify competitor, so I don't really know how much work is being done on HomeKit stuff...not much in the way of rumors either

 

[Kaido]

Samsung reveals plans for new mirror and transparent OLED displays:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/10/samsung-mirror-transparent-display/

http://gizmodo.com/samsungs-mirrored-and-clear-oled-screens-are-straight-f-1710300713

This will be super neat for kitchen windows, bathroom mirrors, etc. It'd be great to have the mirror version by the front door so you can check yourself on the way out & also see your agenda for the day, plus the weather & so on. Previously the only way to do this was to either stick a monitor behind a 2-way mirror like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqgxMxs7wao

Or use something like Holofoil (transparent rear-projection glass "tint") with a projector:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TivUJEziEAo

Having everything inside the glass itself definitely makes installation easier!

 

[openwheel]

Now we are talking high tech. That looks fantastic. I'd love to see home builders integrate these features into homes.