What does the Lightwave rf Lighting Starter Kit do?!

This starter kit contains everything you need to start automating your homes lights. The great thing about this solution is it retrofits your existing light switch and works with most existing lights and fittings.

Due to the way Lightwave works it has an impressive range, meaning the hub can be 15m away from the switch. Unlike ZWave, Zigbee or WiFi with shorter ranges.

How easy is it to setup?

Setup requires basic DIY, as you need to replace your existing switch – if you are unsure please seek professional help. The switch is installed like any ‘normal’ light switch – we did it easily.

You also need to setup the hub and app. Setting up the hub was easy and the app guides you through the setup in a few steps.

What’s the connectivity?

Lightwave rf works with an impressive list of integrations, including:

• Amazon Alexa
• Apple HomeKit
• Google Assistant

These then connect into the scenes and features allowing you to control via voice or the control app, for example Apple Home.

We tested it with Alexa and the command was instantly completed with zero lag.

Lightwave Lighting & Power Starter Kit (Smart Series)

How much does this the Lightwave starter kit cost?

£185 – the good thing is once you have the hub in the starter kit you can buy additional switches from only £59.99. This is reasonable when compared to other smart light solutions, for example Philips Hue.

The switch comes in stainless steel or white, it also includes a handy spacer for switches with a shallow back box.

What’s it like living with it?

Great – the app is full of features including:

• Automation – If you have additional lightwave products like sensors they can be used to automate. As well as a rules and timers.
• Scenes – Allowing you to easily set your favourite scene for TV or reading.
• Schedules – Great for security if you are away on holiday and want to simulate occupancy and make people think you are home.
• Wake Up – Creating gentle wake up routines

One slight frustration was checking if the switch is compatible with existing light fittings, they do have a feature on their website however its not very extensive.

The range is as impressive as advertised, with no issues having the hub quite a distance from the switch.

What are our final thoughts?

This is a different approach to smart lighting and prevents the problem most smart lights have, that when the switch is off the bulb becomes dumb.

Where this solution really comes into its own is it connects to the rest of the Lightwave range, allowing heating, power and presence automation.

Even Google Assistant has now been affected by the upcoming nuptials of Prince Harry and Megan Markle.

From today you can now ask the smart speaker’s assistant a range of questions about the upcoming Royal wedding. This is baked into both Google Home and Google Home Mini.

These Easter Eggs* include:

• What do you think about the Royal Wedding?
• Teach me Royal etiquette
• I don’t care about the Royal Wedding.
• How can I be a princess?
• Is Meghan a good match for Harry?
• I wanna marry Harry.
• How do I get an invite to Harry’s wedding?
• Give me a fact about royal weddings.
• What do you think Harry will do on his stag?
• What do you think Meghan will do on her hen?

Each has a great response, we won’t spoil the fun by telling you what they are but our favourite is ‘How do I get an invite to Harry’s wedding’.

All that is missing is where can I find my own prince or princess!

*If you’re wondering what on Earth does Easter have to do with it? An Easter egg is a name for a secret or joke hidden inside a computer program.

The post Hey Google gets Royal wedding fever! appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

The question everyone is asking is which doorbell is the best and what is the difference of Nest Hello Vs Ring!

To make it a fair comparison we used Ring’s latest model the Ring Doorbell 2.

(Note: Ring does have a Pro model but it’s not as popular as their Ring 2)

As you can see specification wise they are very similar.

What are the differences between video doorbells Ring and Nest Hello?

Looking at the specs side by side you can see a few key differences:

1. Size & Design

The first being the Nest Hello size and design. Nest Hello is much thinner and more discreet than the Ring 2. This is mainly due to the fact Ring has a battery in it you can remove and does not require a hard wire like Nest Hello. Ring also comes in a few different finishes to match your design.

2. Video

The second key difference is the video, both are HD however Nest Hello has not gone for 1080p but instead UXGA. This means it has a longer full person view:

You can clearly see the different size when the Ring and Nest video is compared:

(Thanks to Jojo Galang‎ for the photo)

3. Facial Recognition & Subscription

Nest Hello has facial recognition, a pretty interesting feature. To use facial recognition you need a subscription. The subscription cost is slightly higher with Nest Hello than Ring but at this level is negligible.

However Ring did update their user agreement ( see https://smarthomegeeks.co.uk/news/ring-just-announce-facial-recognition/ )

in December to cover facial recognition so hopefully it’s a feature coming!

4. Connectivity

Ring 2 only supports 2.4GHz whilst Nest Hello supports 5GHz. Ring have probably done this by choice as 5GHz is much faster and currently less congested however the range is not as good. Not many users will have a WiFi point right by their front door so it could be argued 5GHz is not the best option.

Nest Hello vs Ring – Conclusion?

At this stage its very hard to tell which is better, as the above clearly shows they are very similar products with small differences.

One big difference we didn’t compare  is the fact one is Google and one Amazon. At present this is not such a big deal however as always we suspect Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa will be integrated more and more with this smart home tech.

If you have already invested in Google smart home tech you might be wise looking at Nest, however if Alexa is your friend have a look at Ring.

When we get our hands on a Hello Nest we will update with anything additional we find!

For further information their websites are:

Nest
Ring

The post Video Doorbell: Nest Hello vs Ring appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

Nest Hello Doorbell was first announced in September 2017 along with a range of smart home products. Its follows the success of the very successful and now Amazon owned Ring Wifi Doorbell.

Spec wise the Nest Hello Doorbell packs a punch:

• HD Video – 3-megapixels
• Wide view – 160 degree field of vision with 4:3 ratio
• HD Talk and listen – basically two way audio
• Person detection – preventing false alerts from cats or clouds
• Facial recognition – subscription required
• Quick Responses – these are pre-recorded replies you can set in the app
• Slimline unit – 117 x 43 x 26mm

In true tech style Nest Hello has already been released in the USA. The UK release date is still TBC however based on previous Nest releases we expect it to be very soon.

Nest Hello costs $229 so we expect a UK price of £150-£170.

We look forward to testing and comparing Nest to Ring as soon as we can! In the meantime here is Nest hello vs ring looking at the specs.

Watch this space for more updates.

The post Nest Hello released in USA appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

You can buy Nest products from Amazon UK.

That has all just changed with the announced of 3 exciting new products, all of which integrate into the existing Nest App and are coming to the UK.

Nest Secure Alarm system

The Nest Secure Alarm System comes in 3 parts:

• Nest Guard This is the main unit that all the other parts connect too, think of it like it hub.The base station has a backup keypad on the top, for manual disarming, as well as an integrated speaker for the alarm as well as to allow for voice guidance during setup and use. The unit also acts as a motion detector ‘protecting’ the room it is in.  Finally, it comes with an internal backup battery to ensure protection continues if the power is cut, something lacking from most smart home alarms.
• Nest Detect
  
  As with most alarm systems Nest Secure comes with window and door sensors; Nest Detect.  However, unlike most alarm systems that have separate motion sensors and window/door sensor Nest has integrated them into one smart unit. This allows one device to let you know if it has been opened and if motion is detected inside. Nest Secure alarm comes with two Nest Detects with more being able to be purchased separately.
• Nest Tag
  
  It is very clear Nest are targeting traditional alarm owners, as such this system comes with traditional fobs to allow users to arm and disarm without using the app. The system comes with 2 Nest Tags again with additional being able to be purchased separately.

The complete system has a RRP of $499, UK pricing TBC.

It goes on sale in November 2017 in USA with us in the UK expecting it in early 2018.

Cam IQ Outdoor

Nest has recently updated their cameras introducing the IQ range. As part of this announcement they introduced Cam IQ Outdoor. This features integrated Google Assistant as well as face recognition. This allows it to recognise your visitors compared to potential unwanted visitor.

It boasts a 4k sensor with 12x zoom as well as the normal 2-way microphone and noise cancelling.

Cam IQ Outdoor costs $349 for 1 or $600 for a twin pack, UK pricing TBC.
Worldwide release from November 2017

Hello Doorbell

Yep another Smart Doorbell has just been announced however this one claims to be a lot smarter.

If you use Rings Video Doorbell you will appreciate how frustrating fake alerts can be for cars or sometimes clouds. Hello Doorbell can tell the difference between objects and people, claiming no more false alerts.

One other interesting feature is pre-recorded responses you can play from the app; for example
“I’m in the garden and cant come to the door”. Great if you’re in a meeting and can’t talk.

PS. You can buy Nest products from Amazon UK.

There was no release date or price for Hello Doorbell just ‘Coming 2018’, this has probably been done as a heads up just before Christmas to prevent people buying Ring, the current market leader.

The post Nest announces 3 new products appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

What is Google Wifi?

Google wifi is essentially a mesh router, designed to spread fast wifi around the home without dead spots.They have commented for medium to large house or houses with thicker walls more than one might be required.

Taking a leaf from Apple the device is designed to be on display rather than hidden away, not looking like a standard router at all.

One innovative feature is the accompanying app that is built in parent controls allowing devices access to be paused. Brilliant for bedtime!

Prices start from £129 or a twin pack for £229.

Watch this space, we will get a review live as soon as we can get our hands on one!

The post Google Wifi coming to the U.K.  appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.