Apple HomeKit devices are popping up! So wait, what’s HomeKit again?

By Joshua Smith Published August 27, 2015

We’ve dreamed of smart homes that predict our needs and adapt to them for decades — just think of The Jetsons. But only recently has true, consumer-friendly home automation become reality, with platforms like Apple’s HomeKit. Apple announced HomeKit more than a year ago, and throughout 2015, manufacturers have embraced it and started selling the building blocks of a HomeKit home.

While other platforms like Zigbee and Z-Wave have a considerable head start, new HomeKit-compatible devices are being announced on a regular basis. With the increasing number of compatible devices and Apple’s loyal following, it’s only a matter of time before HomeKit claims its place in the home-automation landscape.

Recommended Videos

In this video, find out what exactly Apple’s HomeKit is, the many uses for it, and how it can control your lights, thermostat, garage door, and more, with your iPhone or iPad as its central controller.

Joshua Smith

Former Video Contributor

Just another not so ordinary kid living this thing we like to call life.

Topics

Phones

Google’s new Android XR tools let developers test apps without needing to buy expensive smart glasses

Google has also added new Android CLI tools to help AI coding agents test apps and catch performance issues.

Gentle Moster smart glasses powered by Android XR

At the 2026 Android Dev Summit, Google has announced some interesting features coming to both Android XR and Android CLI. Developers can now build and test apps for smart glasses without owning the hardware, while Android's command-line tools are getting upgrades that help AI coding agents test applications and identify performance problems. Both announcements could eventually mean better apps for both Android and extended reality hardware users.

Building Android XR apps without owning smart glasses

Wearables

Some Galaxy Watches may be too old for Samsung’s biggest sleep apnea upgrade

Samsung is adding three levels of breathing disturbance data, but the full feature won’t reach every watch that supports basic apnea detection

Samsung is making its Galaxy Watch sleep apnea tracking more useful than a simple warning. The upgraded system estimates how often breathing disturbances occur each hour, then sorts the result into three frequency levels.

There’s a catch for anyone holding onto an older model. Detailed results require Wear OS 7.0 or later, while watches stuck on older software will keep simpler alerts.

Wearables

A tiny smart patch could help you get your workout form right

The experimental wearable could help you understand your workout form without relying solely on a trainer's eye.

Actual image of wearable sensor patch along with its electronic module

Not everyone can afford to hire a personal trainer. And let’s be honest, learning exercises from YouTube or the gym regulars isn’t exactly foolproof. We need a solution that is both affordable and accurate.

A research group at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), led by Dr Biswajit Saha, has a solution. He created a bendy wearable sensor that works in the gym and for sports like tennis and swimming.