With the introduction of the smart plug, came a new convenience that has even further enhanced the functionality of today’s smart home. Smart plugs have been a game-changer for those who want to integrate their ‘dumb’, or average fixtures (i.e. lamps and air conditioners), into their smart homes. One of the best selling smart plug’s … Read more
In 2021, GLEDOPTO released their latest product – a smart triac AC dimmer, which is Zigbee based and can introduce smart (on/off and dimming) functionality to standard ‘dumb’ bulbs – such as dimmable LEDs, halogen and incandescent lights. This is wired into the lighting circuit and sits inside the light switch, and it worked really … Read more
Whilst it’s not obvious from the Philips Hue app, it IS possible to automatically cycle between different colors with your Hue lights and light strips. This is possible via the “Hue Labs” feature, which I show step-by-step in this guide. I also cover this topic in much more detail on my blog here. However please … Read more
Smart switches are one of the keys to a fully unlocked smart home. These switches you let transform your standard home lighting into a seamless smart experience. Smart switch come from a wide range of manufacturers that feature several different types of controls – from basic on/off functionality, to more advanced dimming (Through dimmer switch) … Read more
The Ring Doorbell Pro 2 has recently been released, but is it worth upgrading to if you already own the Pro 1? After all, the Pro 2 is now one of the most expensive smart doorbells on the market, so surely it has something to justify its price increase… right? Well, I cover all this … Read more
In the ever-growing sector of smart home products arises yet another contender – the SwitchBot. Released in 2016 on Kickstarter, then in 2017 to the general retail market, these simple, affordable, yet intuitive smart devices are practically in a class of their own. They complete a variety of functions – from opening and closing curtains, … Read more
The Philips Hue Motion Sensor is a versatile tool in your smart home ecosystem. These motion sensors allow you to go from app-controlled lighting to a truly smart system that responds to your needs and does the work for you. Motion sensors have been established in lighting for decades, and they run on very simple … Read more
The marketing of smart plugs is great: easily control your household appliances and devices from anywhere in the world, or even via smart routines and schedules. Simple. However if you look at the “fine print” of many smart plugs, they say that they only work with mechanical switches. Many devices have electric (not mechanical) switches, … Read more
Black light is used everywhere from security to parties. These lights use UV-A wavelengths to cause a glow-in-the-dark reaction called fluoresce. You’ve probably seen this in black light posters at party stores or when you’re getting your stamp checked after re-entering into a concert. It can be an exciting twist on traditional lighting to be … Read more
The goal of most smart home owners is to get their homes to operate seamlessly and achieve interoperability with all of their smart devices. With the introduction of smart home hubs such as Amazon’s Echo, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple HomeKit, just to name a few, this goal of interoperability seemed to become a reality. However, … Read more
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