Smart Home & Home Automation discussion thread

[Kaido]

http://gigaom.com/2014/07/15/nest-a...-a-wireless-mesh-standard-for-the-smart-home/

Microsoft joins the AllSeen Alliance:

https://allseenalliance.org/announcement/microsoft-joins-allseen-alliance

The AllSeen Alliance, the broadest Internet of Everything open-source project, today announced that Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) has joined the group’s multi-company effort as a Premier Member to make it easier for a broad range of everyday devices, objects and services to interoperate seamlessly and intelligently.

With the addition of Microsoft, the AllSeen Alliance now totals 51 members, including heavy hitters in consumer electronics manufacturers, home appliance makers, automotive companies, Internet of Things cloud providers, enterprise technology companies, innovative startups, chipset manufacturers, service providers, retailers and software developers.

The AllSeen Alliance was established in December 2013 to address a major challenge facing the Internet of Things, which according to McKinsey Global Institute has the potential to create an economic impact of $2.7 trillion to $6.2 trillion annually by 2025: Making sure smart connected devices and objects can work together regardless of brand, operating system and other infrastructure considerations.

AllSeen Alliance members are collaborating on a universal software framework, based on AllJoyn open source code, that allows devices to autonomously discover and interact with nearby products regardless of their underlying proprietary technology or communications protocols. With over 1 billion Windows devices in the market across a variety of verticals, AllJoyn will ultimately expand across these segments, creating a truly horizontal ecosystem for the Internet of Everything.

Microsoft joins Haier, LG, Panasonic, Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., Sharp, Silicon Image, Technicolor and TP-Link as Premier Members of the Alliance, in addition to 42 Community Members.

DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS! :awe:

 

[Kneedragger]

My first reaction was "gee great, another protocol in the HA scene", but their approach actually makes sense: there is no good, standardized, "true" low-power automation protocol & hardware on the market today. As they point out, ZigBee is fragmented, plus Zwave suffers from some reliability & control issues, as well as standardization issues for controlling it between hubs & software management systems. I think that if Apple was smart, they'd integrate HomeKit in with Thread. One sticking point is that Nest kinda-sorta does Thread already, and ZigBee stuff could, in theory, be upgraded, but we all know how growing standards & improved hardware works, haha.

So far, I like the concept behind Wink the best: a small, low-power central hub running an embedded OS that simply acts as a basic controller & command relay device. Basically a smarthome router. And in the future, you could simply buy a replacement v2 $50 hub that has support for say Lutron's RA stuff, Nest's Thread stuff, etc. so it's not an overly huge investment - more akin to upgrading your 802.11g router to an 802.11n model. They're having some initial rollout issues, but they have a fairly powerful machine (Linux + a 400mhz CPU with various radios), so I think most of that can be ironed out with software updates (I hope!).

Yeah I was thinking the same going through that article. I guess we still need to wait and see what happens when the dust settles. I was telling a friend 2014 looks like the year of home automation but I think next year is a better year..

I think Wink could support Thread right? It has all the tech built in right?

With all these companies throwing HA hardware into the wild basic consumers are going to get really confused.. Then by the time it gets sorted out they won't even want to look at it again..

 

[Kaido]

Yeah I was thinking the same going through that article. I guess we still need to wait and see what happens when the dust settles. I was telling a friend 2014 looks like the year of home automation but I think next year is a better year..

I think Wink could support Thread right? It has all the tech built in right?

With all these companies throwing HA hardware into the wild basic consumers are going to get really confused.. Then by the time it gets sorted out they won't even want to look at it again..

I would imagine so, if Thread is truly a ZigBee-upgradable spec with the IPv6 & all that jazz, then it should be cake. Otherwise, heck - buy a new $50 hub, you know? That's even cheaper than buying a new wireless router! So definitely a sustainable upgrade path due to the low cost for consumers. That's what I like about Wink - super cheap hub, no monthly fees, etc.

I don't even know if 2015 will be the year of home automation. From my perspective, it would be cool if the HomeKit framework merged with the Thread protocol & hardware and got adopted by the AllSeen Alliance to talk to the AllJoyn open-source system. Apple has fantastic discovery capabilities with Bonjour; Airplay is just so dang easy to use, so if they could couple that type of check-in system with an IPv6-based low-power hardware system that was in everything & talked to everything, that'd be gold. I think it pretty much boils down to:

1. Must be low-power (especially being able to run off batteries for a long time)
2. Must be mesh (automatic wireless networking for relaying signals to devices)
3. Must have authentication (so you can tie it into your system securely - another HomeKit feature)
4. Must have automatic discovery (needs a bulletproof check-in system, which Apple is good at)
5. Must be a standard spec (not fragmented like ZigBee is now, or hit-or-miss like Zwave's standard control sets are where some Zwave devices work & some don't or some kinda-sorta do)

AllSeen has the community (42 members including Microsoft, Sharp, Panasonic, LG, etc.). Thread has the protocol & hardware (low-power ZigBee IPv6). Apple has the discovery & authentication. The only real missing piece is a central controller hub; you still need a way to relay control messages, to authenticate devices against an account, to schedule things, and so on. And everyone is going to want to make their own hub. At the very least I think that Thread should take off, so at least you could have ONE standard communication protocol is that is 100% reliable, instead of fragmented ZigBee or flaky Zwave/X10/INSTEON/etc.

Again, I'm not an overly huge fan of smarthomes as much as I am of home automation (adding basic scheduling & remote control capabilities). Like if my brother stops by my house while I'm at work, I'd like use my iPhone to unlock the door & let him in. Or turn off all the lights in the house when I go to sleep & make sure all of the doors & windows are locked & closed. Or get a text message when my laundry is done so I remember to swap them out from the washing machine to the dryer. Simple stuff that just adds the extra bit of control you wish you had is what I'm after. So yeah, I wouldn't mind having a smart washing machine with a Thread chip in it for that kind of stuff (or to relay an error code to a technician or whatever for repair, or to monitor power consumption over time, etc.).

 

[Kaido]

With all these companies throwing HA hardware into the wild basic consumers are going to get really confused.. Then by the time it gets sorted out they won't even want to look at it again..

And that's exactly why multi-radio hubs like Wink exist. I mean, just look at the music industry...iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, yada yada yada. Most people I know IRL either go the free route (Pandora) or the paid route (Spotify) and never think about it again. Same with Netflix - 90% of the people I know have a Netflix account. Wink is filling a niche that almost doesn't exist yet...because you know that the home automation war will come, and already has to a small extent (ADT Pulse, Xfinity Home, Belkin WeMo, Lowe Iris, etc.). By being everything to everyone, coupled with a simple interface (Apple-style), they're going to make huge wins in the residential DIY'er arena (provided they can get their initial rollout bugs squashed).

In theory, if everyone could agree on a centralized standard like Thread and EVERYTHING came out with a Thread chip, then life would be good. But I mean, look at NFC...that had tremendous potential to replace your wallet, your car keys, etc. & it's pretty much gone nowhere. And even if everyone did adopt Thread, you'd still have companies fighting over selling hubs or centralized control software. I like Wink's initial offering because they cater to Apple & Android right off the bat. I'd like to see them add a web GUI for control at your computer & also support for Windows phones, but I mean, that's the whole basic idea - a simple way to control the electronics in your life. But business interests is going to prevent that from happening easily, so we'll see how things turn out over the next few years.

 

[Kaido]

Great post over in the Security sub-forum: "Smart Lightbulbs Reveal Wi-Fi Passwords"

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2391008

That's why stuff like Thread will be super-useful (upgraded ZigBee protocol) and why we need stuff like Apple's HomeKit authentication system. And really, it's going to need a central hub because you're going to need a Wifi-to-Thread bridge with script storage, users, etc. Some companies like SmartThings go the "Cloud First" route, which is weird for a home automation system, but if you threw in 2-factor authentication, it would be useful for controlling your home away from home, so possible HA as SaaS with the devices being controlled via the web. Hmm. Also, Samsung is apparently looking to purchase SmartThings:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/gadg...smartthings-to-take-on-nest-and-apple-homekit

 

[Kaido]

Added Oplink Connected:

https://www.oplinkconnected.com/

Excellent overview video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp-MHba2ErQ

Found it via a nice article here on DIY security systems:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/jul/19/diy-defense/

My grandma recently had a fall & was stuck by herself for several hours before she was able to get help, so I've been looking into monitoring systems for her. Life Alert is your standard "I've fallen and I can't get up" type of deal, but this adds stuff like cameras, door sensors, motion sensors, pocket pushbutton alarms, etc. and has optional service plans available. This seems like a much better idea for monitoring stay-at-home people since you can get a better idea of what's going on with the sensors & cameras.

 

[Kaido]

Genie Smart Lock:

http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/22/genie-smart-lock/

The lock ideas are getting better...this one uses Bluetooth Low Energy with a secondary Wi-fi hub for communication so that you get a 1-year battery life from the door lock. I think that's pretty smart because no one wants to have to replace their door lock batteries every few weeks! Plus this one has a Bluetooth keyfob, as well as a software option to send digital keys to other people for access, which is pretty cool. Still in the conceptual phase, but I like where this is going!

 

[Kaido]

I also read in a review that Kwikset's smart locks can be easily picked, as demonstrated in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR-h64WwfW8

10 seconds with a screwdriver & pliers...apparently not very well-designed!

 

[shabby]

I also read in a review that Kwikset's smart locks can be easily picked, as demonstrated in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR-h64WwfW8

10 seconds with a screwdriver & pliers...apparently not very well-designed!

Damnit same lock i have
Hope i can replace just the core.

 

[Kaido]

Droplet: basically a smartphone-controlled plant sprinkler:

http://smartdroplet.com/

Pricey at $300!

* Combination water timer, smart controller and targeting sprinkler head
* Easy to setup via smartphone, tablet or laptop
* Advanced logic leverages real-time weather data, soil information and plant species data
* Waters tree drip lines, not the trunk

 

[Kaido]

If anyone is interested in DIY, I found an Arduino-compatible Zwave board for $20 shipped:

http://www.amazon.com/Shanhai-Wirele...dp/B00HFVR5KU/

They also make an XBee shield for Arduino if you want to make some DIY ZigBee projects:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10854

More info on XBee here:

https://www.sparkfun.com/pages/xbee_guide

 

[Kaido]

Legrand has a really neat kitchen system out; video introduction below:

http://www.legrand.us/adorne/dream/video/under-cabinet-lighting-system.aspx

It's not technically a smarthome system, so much as a "smarter" system. It's called Adorne and it's basically an under-counter Lego kit:

http://www.legrand.us/adorne/select/under-cabinet-lighting-power.aspx

It starts with the tracks:

1. 10" (can be cut down to 8" to fit)
2. 12"
3. 18"
4. 27"

Then the modules:

1. Cradles (smartphone & tablet-sized)
3. Speaker with smartphone cradle (3.5mm & Bluetooth input)
4. Lightning (linear light & puck lights available)
5. Power outlets (15A tamper-resistant)
6. USB outlet

There's some other misc pieces like track extenders & corner pieces, control boxes with dimmers, etc., but the basic idea is:

1. Add dimmable under-counter lighting
2. Add more outlets
3. Get your tablet or phone off the counter
4. Listen to music, cooking videos, etc.

The mobile device setup is pretty nice because you can charge your phone via the USB ports, use your tablet for recipes without having to prop it up on something, or have a little kitchen speaker for listening to music while you cook. Plus you get lighting & a ton of outlets for appliances, which is cool. This is really nice if you want an easy way to add a more functional version of under-counter lighting.

 

[jalaram]

According to Lifehacker, the Schlage Z-Wave deadbolt is on sale for $160. That seems like a good price.

Link

Not sure if this one is also Wink compatible.

 

[jalaram]

[Edit] Ugh. DP.

 

[Kaido]

Pēq will let you control and automate your home for a monthly fee:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/15/peq-smarthome/

I'm not a big fan of monthly payments (outside of a security alarm system), but I do like their GUI.

Thinking about upgrading your home? There are plenty of home automation systems to choose from -- and now, there's one more. Pēq (pronounced 'peek') is a new smart home service designed to take the guesswork out of device compatibility by offering a store of self-branded products that integrate seamlessly with the system's central control hub. It's kind of like SmartThings, but with a monthly subscription fee. Pēq's $9.99 service gives users access to smartphone, PC and tablet control apps, the ability to receive e-mail or text message alerts, remote video streaming capabilities, automatic firmware updates and, of course, access to customer service seven days a week.

The system is said to be heading to Best Buy exclusively, but Pēq's collection of hubs, plugs, thermostats and sensors can also be purchased from the company's own website. Pēq's selling point seems to be about making smart home setup simple, but that doesn't mean it's cheap: systems start at $120 for a simple door and window sensor kit and can cost as much as $490 for bundles with motion sensors and lamp modules. Paired with the monthly fee, that could get expensive - but who doesn't want to pay $10 month to see when nana is playing Nintendo Wii? Check out a quick demo (in all it's grandma spying glory) in the video below.

 

[notposting]

Samsung bought Smarthings, btw.

http://blog.smartthings.com/news/smartthings-updates/smartthings-samsung-open-platform/

 

[Kaido]

Some humor:

http://i.imgur.com/7tOeCCE.jpg

 

[Kneedragger]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/eve-smart-irrigation-system/#!bGBC8z

 

[Kaido]

Sticker sensors from Estimote:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/21/estimote-stickers/

The sensors are wireless & track location, motion, and temperature data. This sounds like an enhanced version of the Dropcam Tabs system (which was recently axed). This would be great for an easy security system installation...you could tag doors, windows, garage doors, and stuff like your bikes & cars. Or if you're into fitness, tag how many times you open the fridge door

 

[Kaido]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/eve-smart-irrigation-system/#!bGBC8z

I like the smart pegs...this may be the system to buy if you have a lawn. That way you can do scheduling, integrate cloud data (weather information such as rain & season information such as snow & cold), and local data via the peg (temperature on top & dual moisture sensors on the bottom). That's quite a bit of information to base it all off & could result in a really great-looking lawn, especially if you combined it with a liquid fertilizer injection system (fertigation) & a robotic lawnmower for continuous automatic maintenance.

 

[Kneedragger]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/01/elgato-avea-smart-lightbulb-eve-smart-home-sensors/

 

[Kaido]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/01/elgato-avea-smart-lightbulb-eve-smart-home-sensors/

Wow, surprising for Elgato to join the market! I've used their equipment in the past (TV-related) with good results. And also, ugh for Bluetooth...Bluetooth drains my phone's battery really badly; the only time I ever use mine is in the car for calling or for streaming to my Soundbot wireless speaker in the shower.

 

[Kaido]

Quick update on Lutron's Caseta system:

http://www.casetawireless.com/Pages/Products.aspx

They now have 2 controllers:

1. Smart Bridge
2. Smart Bridge Pro

The Lutron app (iOS & Android) controls the bridges. The bridge can support up to 50 devices & lets you control lights (Caseta wireless dimmers & switches), shades (Serena battery-powered shades), and the temperature (via third-party Honeywell Wi-fi thermostats). The regular one is $120 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-L-BDG-W...dp/B00L5NUT16/

The Pro version is a professionally-installed option that adds some extra features: support for Triathlon battery-powered shades & certain styles of Sivoia QS wireless shades, as well as support for integration (third-part A/V remotes & security systems). It's designed for a quick installation (30 minutes) for system integrators:

http://www.volutone.com/LUTRON-L-BDGPRO-WH-CASETA-SMART-BRIDGE-PRO-P15442.aspx

From what I've read, the Pro integrates with Alarm.com (a Lutron partner):

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-custom/thread.cgi?34188

Caseta has third-party support for the Wink Hub & Staples Connect. From what I've read, the Staples version (by Linksys) came out first, then Lutron released their own bridge:

http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marke...aples-connect/

The Wink Hub has a Lutron radio built-in, so you don't need the Smart Bridge to interaction with their accessories:

http://www.winkapp.com/

The basic product lineup includes:

1. On/off switch (no neutral required)
2. Dimmer switch
3. Pico remote control (works wirelessly with switches)
4. Plug-in lamp dimmer
5. Shades (Serena for regular bridge, Triathlon & some Sivoia for the Pro bridge)

Accessories:

1. Pico remote tabletop pedestal (single or dual remote with weighted base)
2. Pico remote Car visor clip
3. Pico remote wallplate bracket (ex. replace an existing 3-way switch)
4. Claro screwless wallplate

The Pico remote is pretty neat...it has a 10-year battery life & can be handheld or mounted on a tabletop pedestal, on the wall, or on your car's visor, and has a programmable "Favorite" button. The wallswitch accessory is nice because you can easily add a second (or third or fourth) lightswitch anywhere you want, which is convenient for having a lightswitch at different entrances, for example. It's only $15 on its own:

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-PJ2-3BR...dp/B00IZCQVO4/

It is also bundled with a lot of the Zwave lightswitches. I ordered a couple to test out: (both $60 each with an included Pico remote)

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-P-PKG1P...dp/B00JJY1QG0/

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-P-PKG1W...dp/B00JJY0S4G/

This is where it gets a little complicated. Caseta is intended as a basic DIY system for lights & some of their shade products - basically just adding remote control to home products - but that doesn't necessarily include support for the other systems they sell. Lutron has a reputation for solid products, but their naming conventions are pretty whack, which includes what technology supports which devices. So basically, they use a proprietary RF-based communication system. Their current RF system is called "Clear Connect RF Technology". A bit of a history lesson here:

http://www.cepro.com/article/lutron_brands_its_rf_technology_as_clear_connect/

So originally:

1997: RadioRA (418 MHz band - didn't interfere with stuff like cordless phones & baby monitors)
2003: RF HomeWorks (434 MHz)
2006: RF Sivoia QED electronic shading system
2007: Aurora RF control system
2008: ClearConnect RF Technology
2009: RadioRA 2 (ClearConnect-based) & added wireless capability to GRAFIK Eye QS (commercial) & Sivoia QS products (commercial & high-end shading)

ClearConnect is used in:

1. Caseta
2. Radio Powr Savr sensors
3. GRAFIK Eye QS
4. Sivoia QS Wireless
5. RadioRA 2

There's an excellent whitepaper on ClearConnect here:

http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocumentLibrary/Clear Connect Technology whitepaper.pdf

They have a lot of alliances for third-party integration:

http://www.lutron.com/en-US/company-info/Pages/aboutus/partner-affiliates/partners-affiliates.aspx

The Radio Powr Savr wall & ceiling sensors are pretty slick little guys that tie into the Maestro line of switches (RA2-based) for handling room occupancy sensing wirelessly; good article here:

http://news.thomasnet.com/companyst...nsor-Set-a-Higher-Performance-Standard-834296

So anyway, back from that tangent: ClearConnect is tied into specific products lines & is a base technology for different products. For example, RadioRA 2 is entirely different from Caseta - it's more targeted towards system integrators & talks to RS232 & IP equipment, such as Philips touchscreen controllers, whereas stuff like Caseta mostly runs off a small central hub that talks to your smartphone. I'm still not entirely clear on the whole story, but it's important to note that "ClearConnect" support means nothing; what's important is which product line something supports. For example, the Wink Hub supports Lutron ClearConnect, but from what I understand, it really only supports the Caseta subset of ClearConnect, not the RA2-based systems like Maestro.

So I'll be installed a couple of the Caseta switches to mess around with on my new Wink Hub this weekend; we'll see how that goes & I'll decide where to go from there as far as new hardware.

 

[Kaido]

Interesting article on how Home Automation is getting more geared towards consumers:

http://www.cepro.com/article/cedia_home_automation_vendors_go_down-market_as_diy_thrives/

imo it really doesn't have to be all that complicated. I think the Wink Hub is one of the devices that is most on-track...buy stuff from Home Depot, install it yourself (or optionally have a handyman do it), and then voila, simple smartphone control. I think that the possibly upcoming IFTTT control set would have most of the bases covered for scenario planning (ex. opening the garage door based on location, time of day, and the last time it was opened), so chances are with a good set of video tutorials on their website, you wouldn't even need an integrated to set things up for you, especially if you added guided setup wizards to help non-highly-technical people out with getting it up & running the way they want it to.

 

[Kneedragger]

Wow, surprising for Elgato to join the market! I've used their equipment in the past (TV-related) with good results. And also, ugh for Bluetooth...Bluetooth drains my phone's battery really badly; the only time I ever use mine is in the car for calling or for streaming to my Soundbot wireless speaker in the shower.

Yeah I was very surprised to see the news!