Category: Home Automation

There are lots of different smart switches available for your home. Today we will focus on the light switches I chose to install in my house, and you will learn all the reasons. I prefer the Lutron Caseta because it is easy to install, works reliably throughout my house, and integrates fully with Homekit or…

When it comes to cooking, I love to work in my Kitchen. If you cook as much as I do, you know how helpful it is to have an assistant when you are preparing meals, and getting dinner ready. Thankfully there is a device you probably already have which can make the job easier. The…

Are you ready to take your home to the next level?  Have you ever thought “How do I make Siri turn on lights?” If you have an iPhone, then you have everything you need to get started to turn your home into a smart home.  The technology is no longer out of reach, and it’s…

This is the first HomeKit enabled Bulb that supports Thread. It sort of looks like a standard US Lightbulb that fits Into the usual screw in fixtures but has a unique design (more about that below). And right now, it’s one of the lowest priced smart bulbs, coming in at less than $20 on Amazon.…

Are you wondering what the best place for a HomePod mini is? I’ve done a little informal research and put the device in a few different places in my bedroom to find out where it works best for me. All in all I tried 3 different places and I’ll summarize the information below. Before I…

The other day I decided to order my first HomePod mini to begin to replace my various smart speakers I have around my house. At first I wasn’t sure if it was the right solution for me, but as I went more into the HomeKit Home Automation world, I learned that a HomePod mini was…

When it comes to choosing the best hub for your Homekit Home Automation system, you really have only 3 choices. An Apple HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K or a dedicated iPad. If you have each of these devices or even multiple copies of each, Apple makes it super easy and actually decides which device…

The Best Home Automation system is easy to use, affordable, secure, and reliable. It will do exactly what you want it to, when you want it to. I have evaluated the three major systems currently on the market, and for my uses, Apple HomeKit is the easiest, most secure, and fun to use. The other…

Apple AirTags have so many uses! Here are my top 7, and a list of 16 more ways you can use Apple AirTags. You can read more about each AirTag use as well as some other common questions asked about AirTags Luggage Musical Instruments Camera Bag Laptop Bag Tools Tech Devices (games, kindle, GoPro) Binoculars…

While it may be confusing at first, finding what devices are Homekit Compatible is not that difficult. There should be, clearly marked on the side of the packaging an orange icon that says “Works with Apple Home”. If the product you are wondering about has this printed on it, you can be guaranteed that it…

When I was getting started with Home Automation I knew some of the more basic things that were possible, but I really didn’t know how far it could go. I’m still on my journey with HomeKit, and am always excited to see what others do to make their life at home easier, and more responsive.…

When I was a Kid we used to play Doorbell Ditching. We would sneak up to a house, ring the doorbell and then run across the street to watch the owner open the door to nobody there. But we can’t do that anymore. Doorbells today come with motion sensing cameras that record visitors who even…

When it comes to Home Automation, there are a lot of different systems, or frameworks out there. I’ve been using Apple HomeKit for a few years now because of how easy and secure it is. I’d like to share some of the different things it can do to automate your home, simplify your life, and…

Should you DIY, or hire a professional to automate your home? I was wondering this exact same question a few weeks ago and I learned that for most homeowners (and especially renters) Home Automation can be done without hiring anyone and with quite a substantial savings to your wallet. Should You Hire Someone to Automate…

When I was getting started with home automation I didn’t know if it was better to buy smart bulbs and replace the traditional bulbs in my current fixtures or if I should replace all the regular switches in my home with smart switches. After reading a bunch of articles and thinking about my particular situation…

I didn’t know how easy Getting started with home automation in the Apple ecosystem would be. Let me tell you – it is so simple! While it’s not necessary to have a hub, if you do, you’ll be able to control all the devices in your home from anywhere in the world. These are the…

Every year, during their World Wide Developer Conference, Apple announces new products and major updates and upgrades to their devices and software. One of the major upgrades was iOS 15 – the newest operating system, and it had a lot of exciting upgrades for Homekit. In the WWDC 2021 HomeKit presentation which was virtual, they…

I started with home automation the same way most people do. I picked up an Amazon Echo Dot for under $20 and simply plugged it in. I thought it was cool to be able to ask questions to Alexa and have her answer them. In the beginning some of the answers were spot on and…