Apples assault on the smart home Does HomeKit have what it takes to win the market

With the first devices that work with Apples HomeKit now hitting the market, can Apple dominate the smart home as it did the smartphone?

Ecobees HomeKit-enabled thermostat. Image: Ecobee

Along with HealthKit, one of the marquee features announced with the launch of iOS 8 was Apples HomeKit, a home automation framework designed to get separate smart home devices talking to each other, all controlled centrally by a iPhone or iPad.

With the home automation market set to be worth $71bn by 2018, according to Juniper Research, its no surprise that Apple is interested in staking its claim to the smart home in the same way it has the smartphone.

But for a long time after HomeKit launched, there was little sign of an ecosystem building around it or high profile supporters. There were also rumours of delays to its release, and speculation that a new Apple TV would be launched to double as a HomeKit hub, suggesting home automation might be anything but a home run for Apple.

Now, however, the first wave of HomeKit hardware products by third-party manufacturers are beginning to hit the shelves: the last couple of weeks have seen Philips launch its HomeKit Hue Bridge for controlling home lighting, while August has unveiled a HomeKit-connected door lock. These products join a handful of others from companies including Ecobee, Honeywell, Incipio, Insteon, and Lutron.

With partners taking care of the hardware, Apple recently tackled the software side of HomeKit, giving it a few more useful features in iOS 9: a more user-friendly set-up procedure, for example, and the introductions of scenes, where devices can be activated together - opening the garage door and turning on the front porch light at the same time, say. Its also brought HomeKit-compatibility with the latest WatchOS update, so you can control your home from your wrist.

With the software in place and hardware now trickling out, are we seeing the first coming of HomeKit - or a platform thats yet to, and may never, catch on?

NextMarket Insights is predicting the former, with 180 million HomeKit devices shipped by 2020. "Apples track record of creating excitement for nascent markets is unparalleled," Michael Wolf, the companys chief analyst, wrote in a recent blog. "HomeKit will create awareness about the smart home among average consumers and will accelerate development in the category among home system, appliance, and service providers."

But, as Wolf highlights, the smart home is an area rich with competition: Googles Brillo, Nests Weave, and Samsungs SmartThings are just three of the high-profile efforts by tech companies to make their own ecosystems the heart of the smart home.

For Ecobee, whose smart thermostat is HomeKit-compatible, when deciding which software partners to work with, the size of the potential ecosystem is a key factor.

"The phone you have in your pocket will be key to the connected devices you end up buying," Ecobee CEO Stuart Lombard told ZDNet. "As a manufacturer, theres lots of opportunity to be a part of many ecosystems. We want to focus on the ecosystem that really resonates with the consumer. The Apple installed base, the brand, and its gravitational pull are really important."

Joe Dada, CEO of Insteon, which makes a HomeKit-enabled device hub, agrees. "In the end, it comes down to simple math - do we think theyre going to get significant penetration? Just being a big player doesnt guarantee anything, and a lot of efforts into this space have failed. We have to read the minds of the leaders inside these organisations and try to get a feeling for where theyre going to go with this. Is this going to be a serious initiative theyre going to stick with, or is there a chance theyre not going to be serious about it?... Theres a difference between [companies taking] a leadership role and we dont want to be left behind."

Apple, the companies believe, is indeed serious about the industry, and the demography overlap between smart home enthusiasts and Apple users is clear: both are characterised by tech-savvy consumers with a higher than average income.

But while consumers may be happy to tie themselves into a single ecosystem with their smartphone, the decision to do the same with their home is more problematic - there could be a mixture of mobile operating systems running under a single roof, potentially leading to all sorts of compatibility problems. For those opting for a particular ecosystem, be it Apple or anything else, they need to make sure that framework not only works with their own, and their partners and familys, smartphone operating system, but that its also compatible with all the other home automation gear they already have.

And with Apple yet to release its own HomeKit app (though a trademark for an app called Home may suggest one is on the way), that leaves consumers having to deal with various third-party apps with differing set-up processes and attitudes to managing other players HomeKit hardware.

For buyers, it may seem like smart home is still in the Wild West phase, with both consumers and manufacturers waiting to see who wins the 20-man bar fight. For now, hardware makers are hoping to keep everyone happy by working with multiple partners: Philips Hue bulbs work with the Hue Android app as well as its HomeKit-enabled Bridge, while the majority of Insteons many hardware devices can be managed by their respective Apple, Android, and Windows Phone apps.

"We think it will be one size fits all. If you have to figure out which ecosystem works with what, and that [hardware] doesnt work with this [ecosystem] but it does with that, then thats not a great customer experience," Ecobees Lombard said.

For Insteons Dada, "consumers will rule the day" - companies that offer the sorts of compatibility that buyers want, whatever those may be, "consumers will reward them with purchases".

As it does with iOS apps looking to get onto the App Store, Apple has to certify all the hardware that wants to offer itself as HomeKit-compatible. The smartphone world may give us some indication as to whether Apples more closed approach will prove popular with consumers. Look at it one way, and there are hundreds of millions of iPhone users happy with Apples somewhat walled garden. Look at it the other way, and there are hundreds of millions more who prefer Androids arguably more open attitude.

Theres no doubt that Apple will end up with a sizeable part of the smart home market but, as with mobile, its unlikely to be the most popular player.

As NextMarket Insights Wolf sums it up: "While HomeKit will certainly see traction, its ability to coalesce consumers and product manufacturers around a single unifying effort faces an uphill battle. Competing offerings from Google with Weave, Samsungs SmartThings, and industry-driven efforts such as AllSeen and UPnP are also jockeying to establish themselves with manufacturers and consumers alike. While HomeKit could soon be one of the leading platforms in smart home, it will by no means be the only platform."

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Anwsered 8 1 how to disable multimedia device detection and have a private network

8.1 how to disable multimedia device detection and have a private network

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We had to "FIX" this c r a p before on 50 computers with w8.Ê AND NOW AGAIN???????????????????

HOW DO WE DISABLE AUTO INSTALL BUT STILL HAVE A PRIVATE NETWORK ????????????????????????

Who are these idiots that do this stuff?

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15 Android Apps You May Have Never Used

Just as soon as you get your brand-new Android smartphone, there are a few apps you are probably going to download immediately, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, maybe Kindle, along with your favorite games. But with more than a million apps in the Google Play store, itÕs pretty much assured that there are going to be a lot of options that you never even thought of, either because youÕre not sure what they do or you simply donÕt even know they exist. HereÕs a list of some top picks that you probably donÕt about that you might want to try:

Wikitude

Wikitude is a free browser that will open up your eyes to the world around you using your devices camera. This augmented reality browser is neat because it lets you explore and interact with your surroundings. You can search for places around you, like "restaurants" or "accommodations," or look up nearby events, tweets, Yelp recommendations or even a relevant Wikipedia article or two. Vendors in the area also serve up mobile coupons through the app so youll know when youre located near a good deal. Wikitude also comes with a bunch of cool AR games, like ÒAlien AttackÓ, "Swat The Fly," and "Bubble Tap."

Tasker

Whether youre interested in keeping your phone screen on while you read an e-book or you want it to ring a bit louder, Tasker is ready to do your bidding. Take advantage of this clever apps numerous triggers, such as time, day and location, to save yourself some time and make your smartphone even smarter.

Buzz Launcher

Tired of the way your phones interface looks? Wish you could change more than just the wallpaper? From app drawers and calendar widgets all the way to home-screen layouts, Buzz Launcher lets you change the look of your interface so it feels like youre using a completely different device. You can choose from one of more than 200,000 beautiful user-created designs, or just create your own. You can even build your own widget and personalize your phone even more than you thought possible.

A.I.type

It would be nice if your keyboard were smart enough to know what you want to enter, but not so darn presumptuous that it auto-corrects your words all the time without even providing any notice. A.I.type features a context-based next-word prediction engine that warns you before (and after) it corrects your text. With different skins, such as iPhone 4s and Windows 7 layouts, you can emulate other devices and operating systems. A.I.type also offers you navigation and editing buttons, like Back and Undo, so your fingers will never have to leave the keyboard again. It also learns from your typing habits, refining its prediction engine as you type.

CamDictionary

Whether youre getting ready for a trip to Japan or just want to understand the menu at a fancy French restaurant, CamDictionary can be a lifesaver. This app translates the words it sees through your devices camera, in real time, so you dont have to worry about taking a picture just to get your explanation. Thirty-six languages are supported, and you can use CamDictionary almost anywhere in the world. You can even learn a new language, thanks to the pronunciation guides and audio clips that play through your native speakers.

Google Goggles

Google Goggles is a cool program that lets you look up anything you see around you by just snapping a photo with your phones camera. Shoot pictures of bar codes, QR codes or any image such as a famous landmark, billboard or movie poster. The app will do a Google Images search, and then return information such as movie titles, locations and even translations of foreign text in your pictures. You can also use this app to add additional contacts by taking a snapshot of a business card, thanks to built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

WeChat

Messaging apps that send texts, photos, videos and location information are everywhere these days, but WeChats claim to fame is fun. A cool live chat walkie-talkie-style feature will allow you and a group of friends to send short voice messages to each other. It also has a robust library of free and paid stickers that make messaging pals truly entertaining. The free app works on iOS, Android, Windows and BlackBerry devices, plus theres a web client for the desktop.

Accupedo

Accupedo is a pedometer that does exactly what youÕd think, and does it very well. Unlike many other fitness apps, this step tracker doesnt ask you to set up an account and log in before you start tracking. Accupedo tracks your steps, the distance youÕve walked, calories burned, and the time youÕve spent walking, then shows you weekly, monthly and yearly reports of your progress. You can share your daily walking log on social media, or have it emailed to yourself for safekeeping. Set goals based on the number of steps you take, distance walked, or the amount of weight that you want to lose.

PasswordBox

Security breaches are more common than even burglaries and muggings nowadays. Guard yourself against would-be identity thieves with PasswordBox, which lets you manage the credentials of services like Facebook, Netflix and your bank account. The app generates secure passwords for new profiles that you create while you browse the web, and guards your information with AES-256 bit encryption. Access all of your accounts with one master password. You can also store your credit card, banking and ID information inside the app and have it covered by the same protection.

FoxFi

With FoxFi, you can make full use of your phones data plan without paying extra for tethering. The app turns your smartphone into a hotspot for all your other devices, so now you can surf on the go with your laptop or tablet. You dont even have to root your phone to use this app, and your carrier will never know the difference.

Avast

ItÕs easy to keep your Android safe with Avast. The program offers tools like virus scanner, virus removal, firewall, app manager and app lock. It protects your smart phone from phishing attempts, prevents spyware and viruses from installing, and even features a web-based phone locate feature if you happen to have lost your device. If your phone is swiped, you can remotely wipe it and prevent sensitive information from being accessed.

AllCast

AllCast lets you stream your devices photos, music or videos to almost anything else. Cast to your Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV or Smart TVs directly from your Android. You can control playback and volume options while never without getting up from your couch.

Addappt

You probably know how much of a pain it is when youve changed your phone number or home address, making sure the right data gets to the people you want. Addappt takes the pain out of that process by letting you share your contact information directly with your friends. When you update your details, the changes are automatically synced on your contacts phones so they donÕt even have to lift a finger. The app pulls initial information from your deviceÕs address book and subsequently updates it so youll have the same information across the board.

Opera

If youre still using the stock Android browser or Chrome, youve been missing out. Opera is now the best browser for Android, and not just because its the fastest. The app offers three different browsing layouts -- Phone, Classic and Tablet -- so it can focus on easier one-handed use, or more space for content. Tabs are conveniently docked in an overlaid carousel, so you can quickly scroll through them. A Flipboard-like Discover feature puts stories from the Internets most popular content providers in one convenient panel as well.

Toshl Finance

Toshl Finance helps you organize your expenses in a fun and easy manner. Its quirky robotic characters and easy-to-use interface make entering daily expenditures simple. Just set a daily reminder to fill in your spending for that day, create custom, separate budgets, plan for upcoming bills and then track your spending while you travel. You can also sync your info across different devices and monitor your finances with some nice colored charts. A monthly $1.99 subscription unlocks several premium features such as multiple budgets and more graphs on the web version.
Image Credit: emptyglass

Author Bio:

I am Jeniffer the editor @ Key Difference.Have a passionate about SEO service, technology, email marketing services, mobile application development ,ect..I wish to share my knowledge with others and jump into blogging.

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5 Awesome Web Design Pinterest Boards You May Have Missed

Pinterest is a wonderful tool for new and seasoned website creators looking for additional inspiration, tips, industry connections and perhaps even new clients. There are many talented and well-known designers who use the Pinterest platform to create boards dedicated to the subject of website design and development. These boards are essentially collections of content (mostly images) that the contributor thinks will be interesting or helpful to other users of the site. When this content is being posted by reputable web professionals, the advice and wisdom that you can gain may actually increase your abilities, and your profits too! By knowing which posters to follow and who is posting the most helpful information, it will ensure that you spend less time browsing through the hundreds of other lower quality boards, and more time learning about the industry from the people who know it well. If you would like to stay on the cutting-edge of the website design world, here are some amazing Pinterest boards that we think you should be following.

1) Rusty C. Cook (ohrusty)

In addition to posting about well-designed web and mobile websites, Chicago, IL based designer Rusty C. Cook also has boards dedicated to other subjects relevant to the industry that many would find helpful, such as typography, branding and general layout.

2) Eva Morell (evamorell)

Freelance designer Eva Morell is a very prolific Pinterest poster, curating over a hundred different collections of design related images and other inspirational content, including a comprehensive board dedicated to great website design examples.

3) Web Design Library (webdesignorg)

Stacy Summers is the chief editor of webdesign.org, and she shares her extensive knowledge about the subject of her expertise to her dedicated Pinterest fans on her board ÒWeb Design Tips & Tricks.Ó

4) Design Quixotic (helloquixotic)

With almost 82,000 followers, Brooklyn, NY, Art Director and Designer Thea Kennedy has a collection dedicated specifically to digital design, with many images and screenshots of superbly designed websites to inspire.

5) Waila Skinner (waila)

As the head of W Creative in Missouri, independent designer Waila Skinner has learned a plethora of website design tips, hints and tricks over the years, and regularly posts unique tutorials and links to quality content.

We hope that you have found our list of useful and informative web design Pinterest boards helpful in your quest to become a better webmaster. By learning from the pros, you will pick up good habits and learn how to spark your creative and business side in ways that you never thought to be possible. In addition to the Pinterest users listed in this article, itÕs always a good idea to see who the masters follow as well. By clicking on the board ownerÕs profile, you can get a list of the people that they also follow, which can often lead to even more awesome Pinterest collections. In an ever changing industry such as website design, a never-ending source of spectacular, up-to-date content is a must-have tool in any designerÕs arsenal.

Image Credit: kromkrathog

Author Bio:

This post comes from Sarah at Orange Digital, a hardworking web design agency in Brisbane. Not just a web design firm, their blog contains plenty of social media tips and tricks including ways to leverage your Pinboard for more business.

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10 lessons from video gaming that have helped my career

Mark Kaelin has been playing video games since the 1970s. Despite the typical gamer stereotype, he thinks gaming can teach some important career skills.

I have been playing computer video games for more than 30 years nowÑit is one of my favorite hobbies. The interesting thing about playing games for so long is that through games I have trained my brain to process complex, sometimes seemingly unrelated data into actionable informationÑa skill that has proven invaluable for my career.

As Steve Johnson explained in Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Todays Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, playing games provides tools needed for a successful career in information technology. Along the way, games have also taught me many lessons about life, work, and problem solving. Here are 10 things I learned from being a gamer all these years.

1: There is no such thing as it cant be done

At one point or another in our interactions with colleagues within an enterprise we have all heard the dreaded phrase: "It cant be done!" Of course, this is a lie because anything can be done. If games teach us anything, it is that anything is possible.

What the "cant be done" crowd is really saying is "We have never done it that way before so we are reluctant to try something new." As a seasoned gamer, I know that attitude is a recipe for failure. The real question is not "can" something be done, but rather "should" it be done.

2: The obvious solution is not always the best solution

When solving a problem, there is often an obvious, safe, and conventional solution. I remember an old saying in IT: No one ever lost their job by buying equipment from IBM. But that doesnt mean the safe answer is always the best answer. Sometimes you have to take a chance on the unconventional answer, on the answer that requires a certain amount of risk. Whether it is a computer game or the game of life, the riskier solution is often the most rewarding.

3: You should observe before you act

This lesson may seem counter to the previous one, but they go hand in hand. Choosing a solution with more risk is advisable only after you have taken the time to observe and study the possible outcomes. Bad things happen when you act impulsively. Taking time to contemplate all the potential outcomes allows you to make informed decisions that have predictable outcomes. Taking risks is important, but they should always be calculated risks.

4: Sometimes it is better to say nothing

Often when playing a role-playing game there is an option to say nothing as another character goes on a rant. In fact, saying nothing is often the best option. This is true in the enterprise environment as well.

Letting your boss or your coworker blow off steam without any input, encouragement, or discouragement from you can be your best choice. In many cases there is no reason for you to insert yourself into the situation. Your wisest choice is to observe, listen, and let it play out.

5: Its important to pick your battles

Just like in a game world, in the enterprise environment part of your worth is measured in your reputation with your colleagues. You spend time and effort every day building up a rapport with the people your work with. This goodwill should be spent only on important battles within the organization.

Realizing that some battles cant be won and that other battles are not worth fighting in the first place can help you preserve your goodwill for later, more meaningful battles. Swallow your pride and pick your battles wisely.

6: Its best to stay true to your character

One of the first choices you have to make in a role-playing game is how your character will present itself to the world. Will you be a hero with noble intentions of righting wrongs or will you be a brooding anti-hero who solves problems with noticeable indifference?

Working in an enterprise also requires you to decide how you will interact with your colleagues. In the long term, the choices you make for the enterprise should reflect your true personality. If you are the helpful type, you should be true to your character and be helpful. However, if your personality is a bit prickly, you might have to adopt a more appropriate role within the organizationÑa role that matches your natural predilections.

7: A strategic plan will help guide your decisions

When you play a game there is almost always an overarching storyline, quest, or goal. All the smaller storylines, quests, and goals you encounter along the way are there to move you toward that ultimate goal. There is always a strategic plan.

Enterprises also have overarching strategic plans. All the decisions you make in an enterprise, no matter your level within the organization, should be made with that strategic plan in mind. It doesnt matter whether you are in charge of buying staples or buying billion dollar pieces of equipmentÑyou should always make decisions based on the strategic plan.

8: A tactical plan will help get things done

While keeping the strategic plan in mind is all well and good, actually getting something done requires a tactical plan. When we talk about teamwork and collaboration in the enterprise we are really talking about the implementation of a tactical plan.

By forming a tactical plan, everyone knows what is expected of them, and more important, what is expected of everyone else. The key to any plan is that everyone involved accomplishes their assigned task. Creating a workable tactical plan is the bedrock for getting things done whether in a game or in an enterprise.

9: Plans never survive intact

This lesson tends to cause tremendous amounts of frustration for many gamers and enterprise employees alike. Simply put: No plan, no matter how well thought out, will survive its implementation intact. This is probably the most difficult lesson to accept.

As your tactical or strategic plan is implemented, facts and circumstances are going to change. Results that seemed self-evident at the start will fail to materialize and events that seemed impossible during planning will take place like they were always meant to be. This is how life (and games) works and you must learn to prepare for it and embrace it.

10. Having fun is essential

The last lesson is a follow up to the previous one. Life is going to throw you a curve ball from time to time. There will be obstacles to overcome, there will be hardships, and there will be moments of frustration, but you must keep your perspective. You cant take yourself too seriously.

All these obstacles are what make the game interesting. It doesnt matter whether the game is on your computer or not. Life, real or imagined, is unpredictable. Overcoming lifes twist and turns is what makes it engaging. That is the fun part.

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