HomeKit is here

[AtariBaby]

Let me start by saying that I'd rather this not turn into an Apple vs. Android thread, or a Apple lovers vs haters thread, but if that's what the thread turns into, so be it. I'm well aware there are positives and negatives on each side.

I have an iPhone 6, with iOS 8, and it includes an app called "HomeKit", which Apple hopes will become the center of app developers and end users integrating home controls into iOS.

Anyone heard much about this yet, z-wave/micasaverde integration, for example?

[AtariBaby]

Sorry, google.com is showing me this is a much discussed topic. I got zero results using the simplemachines search, for some reason.

[integlikewhoa]

So how do you like it? 

[BOFH]

Someone at work decided to upgrade their iPad to IOS8 right when it came out (ignoring IT department recommendations to wait at least 2 weeks for bugs to show up and be fixed) and now is screaming bloody murder as some of their most used apps such as Reflections) do not work properly with it.

So is Homekit compatible with z-wave out of the box?

Not really worried about it as about 10 months ago I switched my 4S to a LG G2 and haven't looked back. But just to have an correct answer if one of the iOS fanboys at work asks me about it...

[integlikewhoa]

So is Homekit compatible with z-wave out of the box?

Not really worried about it as about 10 months ago I switched my 4S to a LG G2 and haven't looked back. But just to have an correct answer if one of the iOS fanboys at work asks me about it...

At this point I don't think HOMEKIT does crap. It's already been said that it won't ever have anything to do with VERA. It's not hardware yet so it doesn't have anything to do with z-wave at this point either.

I think the point is they want to basically create an app that everyone uses and designs their hardware to work with.  But only if they make money off you.

[BOFH]

I think the point is they want to basically create an app that everyone uses and designs their hardware to work with.  But only if they make money off you.

1 of the 2 reasons I switched from iOS to Android. I got tired of Apple dictating what I could and could not do with the phone I purchased and paid for. So no way will I let Apple dictate what I can and cannot do with my HA. I still have my old 4S that I now basically use as a Pandora box when I am at work.

[mbairhead]

I'm interested as well. As far as I can tell, it is supposed to talk with other H/A controllers. What isn't clear to me is how it talks to them and how you get a controller to work with (or be complient with) HomeKit. I like that it has scenes, iBeacons, GeoFencing and Siri baked in. Would be very convenient if Vera worked with it...or it worked with Vera.

[integlikewhoa]

I'm interested as well. As far as I can tell, it is supposed to talk with other H/A controllers. What isn't clear to me is how it talks to them and how you get a controller to work with (or be complient with) HomeKit. I like that it has scenes, iBeacons, GeoFencing and Siri baked in. Would be very convenient if Vera worked with it...or it worked with Vera.

I think apple wants hardware manufactures to pay to play. And then VERA would need to follow apples rules on how it would work in order for them to link up. Not going to happen with VERA. 

[mbairhead]

I'm interested as well. As far as I can tell, it is supposed to talk with other H/A controllers. What isn't clear to me is how it talks to them and how you get a controller to work with (or be complient with) HomeKit. I like that it has scenes, iBeacons, GeoFencing and Siri baked in. Would be very convenient if Vera worked with it...or it worked with Vera.

I think apple wants hardware manufactures to pay to play. And then VERA would need to follow apples rules on how it would work in order for them to link up. Not going to happen with VERA.

Can you source that for me? I've been doing a lot of reading and can't find any refrence to any of that. You do have to pay for a developers license but I don't think that's too exorbitant, the iOS license is $99. You do need to join the MFi program too but I think that's free.

https://developer.apple.com/homekit/

[waynehead99]

The apple tv had an update to its software recently that included homekit. To me that's writing on the wall of their plans.

[Z-Waver]

The apple tv had an update to its software recently that included homekit. To me that's writing on the wall of their plans.

Can you expound on this at all? I'm not sure what you mean or think you see.

I think Apple "plans" for everyone to adopt their Homekit framework making home automation easier and integrated with Apple devices and ultimately providing a monetization stream for Apple. I think they had a similar plan for their Apple TV, but it doesn't seem to have gained the traction that they had planned, in my opinion. I suspect that Homekit will enjoy equally lackluster adoption.

I see Homekit as beneficial to Apple app developers. Tangentially, Apple users should enjoy the added benefit of more home automation apps. But for me and my Apple devices, I receive ZERO benefit from Homekit, even if Vera supported it.

[SirMeili]

The apple tv had an update to its software recently that included homekit. To me that's writing on the wall of their plans.

Can you expound on this at all? I'm not sure what you mean or think you see.

I think Apple "plans" for everyone to adopt their Homekit framework making home automation easier and integrated with Apple devices and ultimately providing a monetization stream for Apple.

The bolded part is what would worry me about it. How would they use it to monetize? I have no idea, but it still worries me.

Not to mention, I have absolutely zero iOS devices, so HomeKit is of absolutely no use to me. If they want to help create and maintain a standard like WebKit (Chrome and Safari), I'm all for that, but I am not for this "closed standard" that they want people to use so that creating HA apps on their hardware is easier. It only benefits iOS users and that's a no-go for me. I'm sure Manufacturers will jump on HomeKit support because it's Apple, but it's just another closed part of their ecosystem that does absolutely nothing for the HA movement at large (IMHO).

[Juppers]

HomeKit is just a framework that would allow easy cross platform communication. While IOS8 has it built in, nothing is preventing anyone from making an app or program that could utilize the framework on other platforms. The end result, if it is widely adopted, would be easy management of other platforms from any platform. If Vera and Hue both adopted the framework, you could control Hue lights from Vera without any plugins or special configuration. or wink, or an ISY, or Nest, so on and so forth.  You don't have to have IOS to benefit from HomeKit.

[integlikewhoa]

You don't have to have IOS to benefit from HomeKit.

Yeah, we see.

[waynehead99]

The apple tv had an update to its software recently that included homekit. To me that's writing on the wall of their plans.

Can you expound on this at all? I'm not sure what you mean or think you see.

I think Apple "plans" for everyone to adopt their Homekit framework making home automation easier and integrated with Apple devices and ultimately providing a monetization stream for Apple. I think they had a similar plan for their Apple TV, but it doesn't seem to have gained the traction that they had planned, in my opinion. I suspect that Homekit will enjoy equally lackluster adoption.

I see Homekit as beneficial to Apple app developers. Tangentially, Apple users should enjoy the added benefit of more home automation apps. But for me and my Apple devices, I receive ZERO benefit from Homekit, even if Vera supported it.

Having it in the appletv gives another device that is always available to interface with devices. I would bet that most home kit certified devices are going to be wifi/ip. This is an easy way to essentially make a controller of some sorts.


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