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.
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.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.