Although last week was relatively quiet, there were still interesting developments in the world of Apple Home. We present the unusual EVVR smart plug, take a look at the Nanoleaf Holiday String Lights, and discuss account obligations at Philips Hue. Furthermore, we present the Freedompro Shutter Module, a shutter control for the DIN rail.
Unconventional HomeKit Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring
The EVVR Energy Monitoring Smart Plug offers an unusual design that can be very useful for some use cases. With a 40 cm extension cable, it saves space and allows you to control devices with up to 16 amps. The power consumption measurement is done via the manufacturer’s own app, with no account requirement.
The plug can be flexibly represented in HomeKit as a switch, light or fan. Future updates promise new features like 24-hour Wi-Fi restart and Home Assistant support. Pre-orders are available with discounts of 30-55%.
New Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights for Festive Lighting
Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights are the perfect addition for the festive season. With 250 individually controllable LEDs and the ability to display multiple colors simultaneously, they offer a variety of lighting effects. This string of lights can be used not only indoors, but also outdoors thanks to IP44 protection class.
Communication takes place directly via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, through which the light chain can also be integrated into Apple Home thanks to Matter. The Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights can be pre-ordered for €119.99 from the Nanoleaf online store.
Philips Hue Inventor Comments on Account Requirement
In an interview with The Verge, George Yianni, the creator of Philips Hue, has commented on the reasons for the announced account obligation. He emphasizes the need for this change for security and the ability to manage devices more efficiently. According to Yianni, the previous method of identifying the system owner by physically accessing the bridge is no longer sufficient.
We are not completely convinced by the explanation. Previously, physical access to the bridge was required for authentication, whereas in the future, only credentials will suffice. This does not seem particularly convincing in terms of safety in our eyes. On the other hand, we can understand a more comfortable access.
HomeKit Roller Shutter Control with Freedompro Shutter Module
If you want to control your shutters via HomeKit and prefer to place the device in the fuse box instead of the flush-mounted box, Freedompro has the right device on offer. The Freedompro Shutter Module 4C 5A allows simultaneous control of two shutters or similar devices and provides a maximum load of 5A 240 V, 50/60 Hz per channel.
With integrated power measurement and a low intrinsic power consumption of less than 0.2 watts, it is an efficient solution. The integration into Apple is done via Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz). By the way, the Aqara Dual Relay Module T2 can also be used to control roller shutters and can be installed either in the flush-mounted box or in the fuse box via the enclosed top-hat rail adapter.
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