id="cnetReview" section="rvwBody" data-component="indepthReview"> A well-placed LED light strip can really jazz up the look of your living space. And, if you're an iOS user looking for one that you can control using Siri commands, you've got a couple of options. Apple HomeKit-compatible starter kits like those from Lifx and Philips Hue will set you back at least $90, but a third option, the Bluetooth Smart Plus Flex Strip from Sylvania, costs just $60.
Enlarge ImageAt $60 for a 6-foot starter kit, Sylvania's light strips are the most affordable option that works with Apple HomeKit.
Ry Crist/CNET For the money, you get 6 feet of smart, color-changing light that can connect directly with your iPhone ($950 at Best Buy) or iPad ($200 at Amazon), no hub necessary. You just stick them up under your cabinets or behind your TV, then sync them up with Apple's Home app. From there, you'll be able to automate them alongside other HomeKit-compatible gadgets, or control them using Siri voice commands on your phone, tablet or HomePod smart speaker.
With no support for Android devices or for competing voice assistants like Alexa and the Google Assistant, Sylvania's HomeKit strips aren't as well-integrated with other smart home partners as Lifx and Hue. That might matter quite a bit if you're looking for camisetas futbol baratas the most flexibility from your smart home gadgets, or if you aren't committed to a specific voice assistant yet. But if you're an iPhone loyalist just looking for a cost-efficient, Siri-centric smart home rooted in Apple's Home app, then these lights might be just what you're looking for.
Since they communicate using Bluetooth, Sylvania's HomeKit light strips don't require you to connect a hub to your router. Just plug them in, open up the Home app and scan the pairing code that comes printed in the instruction manual. To control the lights when you -- and your phone -- are outside of Bluetooth range, you'll need to have an Apple TV ($179 at Apple), an Apple HomePod or a dedicated, always-on iPad connected to your home network.
Enlarge ImageApple's Home app makes it really easy to add devices to your setup -- just scan the code and give the lights a name that Siri can recognize.
Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET Enlarge ImageThe starter kit includes three two-foot strip segments, the Bluetooth radio module, and the power supply. Connect it all together and plug it in, and you'll be good to go.
Ry Crist/CNET The starter kit includes three 2-foot LED strip segments, the Bluetooth radio module, and the power supply. Additional 2-foot segments sell in a two-pack for about $30, and a single power supply and Bluetooth radio can control up to 20 feet in total. You can also trim a segment with a pair of scissors if it's a little too long. Each strip includes its own 3M peel-and-stick backing, making it easy to stick them up just about anywhere that isn't too far from a power outlet.
The performance wasn't perfect, though. Sylvania's strips worked as advertised in my tests, and the Home app's controls seemed snappy enough, but they were noticeably slower at responding to those Siri controls than other HomeKit-compatible smart lights that don't use Bluetooth. Ledvance, Sylvania's parent company, chalks it up to recent changes to Apple's HomeKit specifications that came with iOS 11.
"Ledvance is currently certifying an over-the-air update for the products with Apple that will address the new requirements, and also increase performance significantly for Bluetooth devices which connect directly to the phone vs connecting via a router like other products," a company spokesperson told me.
PUEBLO CONTINENTE
Sylvania's colorful HomeKit light strip: Smart, but sluggish
Phoebe Keane (2019-07-13)
| Enviar respuesta
id="cnetReview" section="rvwBody" data-component="indepthReview"> A well-placed LED light strip can really jazz up the look of your living space. And, if you're an iOS user looking for one that you can control using Siri commands, you've got a couple of options. Apple HomeKit-compatible starter kits like those from Lifx and Philips Hue will set you back at least $90, but a third option, the Bluetooth Smart Plus Flex Strip from Sylvania, costs just $60.Ry Crist/CNET For the money, you get 6 feet of smart, color-changing light that can connect directly with your iPhone ($950 at Best Buy) or iPad ($200 at Amazon), no hub necessary. You just stick them up under your cabinets or behind your TV, then sync them up with Apple's Home app. From there, you'll be able to automate them alongside other HomeKit-compatible gadgets, or control them using Siri voice commands on your phone, tablet or HomePod smart speaker.
With no support for Android devices or for competing voice assistants like Alexa and the Google Assistant, Sylvania's HomeKit strips aren't as well-integrated with other smart home partners as Lifx and Hue. That might matter quite a bit if you're looking for camisetas futbol baratas the most flexibility from your smart home gadgets, or if you aren't committed to a specific voice assistant yet. But if you're an iPhone loyalist just looking for a cost-efficient, Siri-centric smart home rooted in Apple's Home app, then these lights might be just what you're looking for.
Since they communicate using Bluetooth, Sylvania's HomeKit light strips don't require you to connect a hub to your router. Just plug them in, open up the Home app and scan the pairing code that comes printed in the instruction manual. To control the lights when you -- and your phone -- are outside of Bluetooth range, you'll need to have an Apple TV ($179 at Apple), an Apple HomePod or a dedicated, always-on iPad connected to your home network.
Enlarge ImageApple's Home app makes it really easy to add devices to your setup -- just scan the code and give the lights a name that Siri can recognize.
Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET Enlarge ImageThe starter kit includes three two-foot strip segments, the Bluetooth radio module, and the power supply. Connect it all together and plug it in, and you'll be good to go.
Ry Crist/CNET The starter kit includes three 2-foot LED strip segments, the Bluetooth radio module, and the power supply. Additional 2-foot segments sell in a two-pack for about $30, and a single power supply and Bluetooth radio can control up to 20 feet in total. You can also trim a segment with a pair of scissors if it's a little too long. Each strip includes its own 3M peel-and-stick backing, making it easy to stick them up just about anywhere that isn't too far from a power outlet.
The performance wasn't perfect, though. Sylvania's strips worked as advertised in my tests, and the Home app's controls seemed snappy enough, but they were noticeably slower at responding to those Siri controls than other HomeKit-compatible smart lights that don't use Bluetooth. Ledvance, Sylvania's parent company, chalks it up to recent changes to Apple's HomeKit specifications that came with iOS 11.
"Ledvance is currently certifying an over-the-air update for the products with Apple that will address the new requirements, and also increase performance significantly for Bluetooth devices which connect directly to the phone vs connecting via a router like other products," a company spokesperson told me.
Continue to next page 01
02
Añadir comentario