This week’s review of smart life includes the following: Apple’s new trends in smart homes, a report on sales of smart thermostats, how gas sensors support home monitoring systems, future “cave people†and a related Survey of the most interesting patterns in smart home shopping.
Apple's New Patent Reveals Apple's Smart Home Program
It is no secret that Apple has entered the smart home. We have witnessed the application of its related patents, including home control through Siri, devices that can control home “scenesâ€, and Apple Watches for home automation. Now, Apple's application for a new patent implies that Apple TV will play an important role in the smart home program.
The patent is entitled “Device Configuration for Multiple Users Using Remote Biometrics Technology.†This patent describes biometrics technologies such as fingerprints, retina scans, and facial recognition technologies that are used in smart homes. Current users do not need to perform too much. With multiple configurations, you can enjoy exclusive user experience. From the above description, we can see that this patent is actually an enhanced version of Apple’s previously filed “scenario†patent. The previously applied patented technology can allow different networking devices to operate. For a smart light bulb, the light bulb can be based on the user. What to look for while changing colors. However, in this patent application, it will use the profile to determine the settings of each networked device, and then automatically pair and automatically apply after the biometric scan.
The patent application did not specify Apple TV, but the patent did mention examples of how the system works on devices like set-top boxes.
Users love smart thermostats
A new report from Parks Market Research and Research said that more and more consumers are now in love with smart thermostats.
According to a report called Smart Home Energy Management Strategy, 40% of the 10 million thermostats sold in the United States are smart thermostats. The report also made a prediction, saying that by 2017, the market share of intelligent thermostats will reach 50%.
Tom Kerber, director of home control and energy research at Parks Market Research, said cooling and heating account for 50% of household bills. Consumers place their hopes on smart thermostats to cut costs. Moreover, electricity suppliers are adding intelligent thermostats to home energy management programs to help consumers save energy and collect data on energy use.
New Sensors for the Elgato Eve Series
Ams claims that its AS-MLV-P2 MEMS VOC gas sensor supports Elgato's new Eve home monitoring equipment, especially the Eve Room.
Eve Room can measure indoor temperature, humidity and air quality. The ams sensor is a low-power gas sensor that measures VOC (volatile organic compounds) in the air. It converts the measured VOC concentration to air quality data, and it is claimed to be extremely accurate. This gas sensor can measure concentrations of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, organic acids, amines, aliphatics, and aromatic hydrocarbons in the air. High concentrations of these components are harmful to the human body.
Elgato's Eve series products are compatible with Apple HomeKit, because of the ams sensor, this series of products has become the most advanced product on the HomeKit platform.
DIY smart home products, insurance companies do not buy it
Although in-store home automation and home security DIY products are becoming more and more abundant, surveys show that consumers are more willing to purchase products supported by security service providers and home insurance companies.
"Strategic Analysis" launched a survey called "Smart Home Strategy", which included 7,000 consumers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey found that electricity/broadband providers and mobile Operators are the second most popular supplier, while electronics and home improvement retailers, such as Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe's, are also ranked high, between Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Apple Inc., for the least popular Suppliers are pay-TV and online retailers.
