Question

Home Automation Integration.... Specifically Apple HomeKit

  • 12 April 2016
  • 17 replies
  • 16663 views

Imagine syncing your Sonos to begin playing your favorite station upon arriving home.
What about active syncing with Phillips Hue lights. Apple TV recognizing the Sonos system on a wifi integrated level allowing for custom audio output depending on app used.
A wake up call of birds chirping throughout the house and a slow sunrise through your Hue lamps.
Just saying the possibilities are endless and amazing. Apple supplies the kit, just integrate it with the Boost software (said ignorant of how this could work)
Just imagine and share your thoughts.
Thanks

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17 replies

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Already at my home...
Wake up starts with dimmed lights and very quiet music, central Alarm clock running on my home automation server, accessible from Android phone or PC.
I even get speech announcements, say for example how much time is left till the alarm clock goes of. Or in the morning time announcements in the bathroom for my wife....
The doorbell chimes via Sonos, cell phone the same... possibilites are truly endless
Chrihuc,

I usually wake up next to the wife with her hair in rollers. The over-fed and over-sized family dog (who looks similar to the wife) is usually barking loudly downstairs to go outside (he is well trained)... The wife is still learning.

The dog is often the reason I wake up most mornings. He has been known to fetch a newspaper from the letterbox albeit the paperboy must tear it to shreds pushing it through the door. (The dog denies responsibility).

Most days, it's freezing cold in the house coz the boiler-timer has recently broken and the sun is often eye-squintingly bright through the bedroom window, as it rises over the house across the road. The bedroom curtains just won't close for some reason. I haven't found a phone app that can pull curtains across.

I think it's usually the postman who rings the doorbell early, but I've never met him. He seems to have a certain 'ring' which makes the wife always look at me and tell me that I ought to get off to work otherwise I will hit the traffic.

The postman must be a nice bloke though, as he recently left me his old work jacket, which I found at the bottom of my bed... Lucky me!

My little Sonos Play-1 speaker is stored safely in the back bedroom where I sometimes sleep, as apparently I have been known to snore (just slightly) at night and wake the wife. The speaker is right next to the light cord which I can just about reach from the single bed. In one foul swoop I can turn off both the light and mute the speaker at the same time. That's technology at its best.

Occasionally the local Police Beat Bobby likes to call round, rather early some mornings and start tidying my eldest sons bedroom... I'm still to figure out if this is connected to anything in the house, but it seems to happen automatically some days, whenever the front door lock falls off its frame. I assume that it's faulty and no longer under warranty.

What more can any man wish for?

Ken Griffiths

P.S. If my wife is reading this... It was a joke okay!!... I have enough scars and bruises for this year .. ha ha

Oh by the way, what does a bird sound like? ... I live in a big City!
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Ha ha 🙂 thanks for giving me something to laugh ;)

Back to real life.
About the Sonos start playing, once you arrive home. I thought about it. But how would you handle that? My likes are changing quite often. What if your wife is already home (and she does not agree with your preferences...)?
Did you play around with the Hues? The lowest setting is still to bright for my wife in the morning 😞
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Is there any plan to support Apple Homekit ? I really want it.
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Is there any plan to support Apple Homekit ? I really want it.

Nothing we can announce publicly around Homekit support, but I'll pass your interest on to the team. Thanks for asking.
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This would be amazing. The response about publicly seems promising. Sonos really needs to go down this route, its all about everything being connected these days and more so in the future. Amazon echo is cool too. Make it happen sonos
This would be great - especially following the recent 'Home' app announcement for iOS10... if there was a widget in there to control Sonos on a per-room basis (and link to Apple Music) that would be AMAZING!!

If this is something that is in the works and will be up for beta testing at some point, you can definitely count me in!!
This is a a must have. I spent a ton of money on apple, and a ton of money on Sonos equipment.
So go spend $50 on an Echo Dot. Integration of Alexa with Sonos is announced and in the works. Homekit is lagging the market, so unlikely Sonos is interested just now.
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Sonos works well with home automation using Smartthings.

When I turn on my alarm at night (actually can do via echo saying "Alexa turn on security system" - Smartthings tells what alarms are set for the next day and gives me the local weather forecast for tomorrow through Sonos.

In the morning I have a Smartthings alarm that turns off my alarm system, tells me good morning and gives me the forecast all via Sonos.

If an alarm triggers - in addition to the siren Smartthings plays an announcement via all Sonos speakers in my house.

I can trigger Sonos music on and off via Smartthings controls.
So go spend $50 on an Echo Dot. Integration of Alexa with Sonos is announced and in the works. Homekit is lagging the market, so unlikely Sonos is interested just now.

I won´t do that - even if it only costs about 60€.

Apple/Siri (nearly) does ist all for me WITHOUT buying an additional "SPY" which is always connected with the cloud!!!


I won´t do that - even if it only costs about 60€.

Apple/Siri (nearly) does ist all for me WITHOUT buying an additional "SPY" which is always connected with the cloud!!!


There is no evidence that Echo listening has ever been misused while covert monitoring of cell phone microphones is common and happens much more frequently than people realize. If this is a real concern for you then you need to get rid of you cell phone first and worry about lesser threats like Echo only after your primary risk has been neutralized.


There is no evidence that Echo listening has ever been misused while covert monitoring of cell phone microphones is common and happens much more frequently than people realize. If this is a real concern for you then you need to get rid of you cell phone first and worry about lesser threats like Echo only after your primary risk has been neutralized.


Exactly. There is nothing different about the Echo microphones that makes them more likely to be used to "SPY" on a user. Neither a button nor a "wake up" word prevents a malicious programmer/hacker/corporation/government from enabling a microphone for spying, and a phone follows you everywhere you go. As far as being "always connected with the cloud!!!", does the poster really believe Siri is not connected to the cloud?
There is a big difference:
you can "listen" to cellphones for sure but you have to intrude individually!

With Amazon Echo there is already a established connection into my house -24hours 7 days

AND of course I'm not willing to buy extra stuff when the existing phone could do the job!!!
There is a big difference:
you can "listen" to cellphones for sure but you have to intrude individually!

With Amazon Echo there is already a established connection into my house -24hours 7 days

AND of course I'm not willing to buy extra stuff when the existing phone could do the job!!!


I'm not sure I see the difference. Why is intruding into individual cellphones any more difficult/secure than intruding into individual Echo devices? Also, you do know you can explicitly tell Echo to not listen and require a physical touch to wake up (ala the Tap)?

Also, what makes you think there is not just as much an "established connection" between your phone and the cloud as there is between Echo and the cloud? Matter of fact, Echo is WiFi only, and unless you turn on airplane mode, your phone's connection is 24/7 wherever you carry it. Even Echo can't hear you through walls or outside on the patio.

On the last point, well yes, you would need to buy another device. However, something makes me think that the day Apple releases their own version of the Echo or Dot, you'll be right there in line at the Apple Store. 😉
of course I'm not willing to buy extra stuff when the existing phone could do the job!!!

So your phone has a microphone array that can easily understand what you're saying from across the room while you're playing music? Sure hasn't been my experience with Siri, who has a difficult enough time under the best conditions. IME Alexa is vastly superior than Siri at comprehending my utterances.
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While I agree Alexa's ability to hear and understand is better than Siri, the latter has made rather large adjustments with ios10, and you don't have to talk like a robot to the robot anymore. Apple CarPlay with Siri is actually extremely useful now, where before it got frustrating repeating requests. It also seems to pick up "hey Siri" much better and can perform different tasks than before.
Updates to mac to now include Siri are a nice addition, tho I have yet to really tap into this potential yet.

Apple vs android.... a pointless battle. Way I see it, Apple fell behind in bringing shocking new tech to the mainstream, but they do tend to perfect it with an incredibly seamless interface when they catch up.

I hope Sonos ties into HomeKit. tbey were quick to work Apple Music into the fold, why not this?