[runlikeyum]

Hey Guys,

Just committed myself to a lifetime of debt and building a single store 4 bedder home in Sydney over the next 12-18 months. I'd like to take the opportunity to Jarvis the hell out of my new home.

What would the ideal setup to make the ultimate smart home powered by home kit?

Is Nest still the best for thermo's?

What is the best smart lock?

Garage door options?

Lighting options? Do smart downlights exist?

Thanks in advance guys

Sam

[tech_fan]

Lots of HVAC installers do not like the Nest. I have a high tech HVAC system and had to get rid of my Nest and use the Honeywell system.

Hue lights are good. Potential is there. The software apps are confusing as all heck though.

I have a Schlage smart lock. Its ok. I like the concept of Keyvo which is made by Kwikset.

I currently have the Smarthings controller to home automate my house. I have learned over the last 6 months that its reliable about 25% of the time.

[runlikeyum]

Is anyone using Insteon products? It looks like they have the most stuff...i'm thinking go getting all their stuff (thermo, door sensors, garage door opener, lights, remotes and camera's) and just connect it to home kit?

Am i too dependant on one company here? Can i use the eebee thermo instead of insteon and not lose functionality? eebee is prettier ;-)

Keen to see how the new Apple TV can fit into this

Sam

[dbowden123]

Hey Sam,

I'm in the same position at the moment and would love to hear what you end/ed up deciding.
The Insteon Pro Hub doesn't have the best reviews (Amazon). Have you considered the Lutron Range?

Dan.

[runlikeyum]

Hey Dan..yea i've decided to sit and wait. My construction doesn't start till early too mid next year and as far as I can see, there is no "suite" of products out there that can do what I want. the only one that came close was Insteon Hub pro coz it has so many peripherals...unfortunately it just doesnt work. I'm surprised Apple still has it on its Apple HomeKit list still coz Insteon have admitted they got home kit wrong and they are trying to resolve now ( I saw a screen shot of some customer service response recently)

If insteon sorts their sh!t out and it delivers on the function they promise, then I will go with them. Basically they have 6 months to sort it out if they want my business.

If that fails then I will likely form a hybrid design based on Apple Home Kit approved list. I was impressed with Homekits expansions in iOS9 to create scenes.

[PaulElliott]

Hi Sam. I'm in the same position as you, except we're developing our Bayside Melbourne home into five high-end apartments. One for self and wife. I'm planning to make all apartments HomeKit smart and have been eagerly waiting arrival of new HomeKit gear. Insteon was also high on my list, but yes, off to a false start. We'll probably be commencing building in the second half of 2016 so I am hoping that a viable 'all-of-home' solution will available by then. Right now HomeKit seems like an afterthought to Apple. Hopefully it will gain momentum in the following months!
Paul.

[rvorthman]

I just outfitted my entire home with HomeKit accessories. I can tell Siri to turn on my coffee maker, control my lights, lock the doors and open the garage door, and more. See this video for a demonstration. The text in the video shows what devices were used.

[runlikeyum]

thats impressive man..can you expand more on how you used Raspberry Pi ? Programming required?

[rvorthman]

The Raspberry Pi is running Homebridge which allows non-HomeKit devices to work with Siri. Read about it here: https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge

[dlopes6]

Awesome setup! Curious on what is your favorite HomeKit app to organize your home in?

[rvorthman]

I bought myHome for $15 because it supports iBeacon triggers. I use it the most, mainly to justify the price. It also supports home screen widgets so you can add buttons to your iPhone to enable scenes. Eve Home is also very good and it's free. iDevices is free too and slightly faster than the others, but the interface is not quite as nice as Eve's, but still just fine.

Really all the HomeKit apps I have tried are very similar. They are all nice. One is not so much better that I can recommend it above the others.

[runlikeyum]

Have you tested the new Apple HomeKit app and widgets in iOS10?

[rvorthman]

Yes, I like the iOS 10 Home app because it has a fast and simple interface. It is now my preferred HomeKit app for quickly turning on an accessory, or adding/removing accessories from scenes. I also prefer to setup simple triggers with the Home app, because the interface is simple for triggering a scene at a certain time, on certain days of the week or a geofence. I love how I can swipe up the notification center while the phone is locked to quickly access favorite scenes or accessories. I can rotate the crown of my Apple Watch to adjust the brightness of lights.

It is still missing some advanced features. iBeacon proximity can not trigger a scene (like turning on the lights when entering a room). It also does not support trigger conditions. (like turning on the lights when entering a room BUT ONLY IF between 8am and 8pm). I still have to use the MyHome app for iBeacons and conditional triggers.

I've decided that Eve Home is the best HomeKit app. It has a great interface, supports conditional triggers and best of all it is free.