Elgato brings Apple HomeKit-enabled Eve Energy smartplug to US [u]
Elgato on Tuesday announced that one of its HomeKit accessories, the Eve Energy smartplug, is now finally available stateside, following an earlier debut in Europe. [Updated]
Devices plugged into the Eve Energy can be turned on or off using Siri voice commands, or else the Elgato Eve app for iPhones and iPads. The app also lets uers monitor energy consumption, including through daily, monthly, and annual graphs.
The product can be combined into broader HomeKit "scenes" with other devices, though Elgato notes that since it uses Bluetooth Smart instead of Wi-Fi, it can't be triggered automatically that way. The company is expecting to offer a free update enabling automatic triggers once Apple adds support in a future version of iOS.
The Eve Energy is also limited to a single passthrough outlet, but is powered by the wall socket.
Elgato is selling the U.S. version of the Eve Energy for $49.95. Buyers must have a device with iOS 9.1 or later that also supports Bluetooth 4.0 Smart. For control away from home, people must have a third- or fourth-generation Apple TV.
Update: A previous version of the article indicated that the product runs on batteries, but Elgato has corrected its information to say the Eve Energy runs off wall power.
Devices plugged into the Eve Energy can be turned on or off using Siri voice commands, or else the Elgato Eve app for iPhones and iPads. The app also lets uers monitor energy consumption, including through daily, monthly, and annual graphs.
The product can be combined into broader HomeKit "scenes" with other devices, though Elgato notes that since it uses Bluetooth Smart instead of Wi-Fi, it can't be triggered automatically that way. The company is expecting to offer a free update enabling automatic triggers once Apple adds support in a future version of iOS.
The Eve Energy is also limited to a single passthrough outlet, but is powered by the wall socket.
Elgato is selling the U.S. version of the Eve Energy for $49.95. Buyers must have a device with iOS 9.1 or later that also supports Bluetooth 4.0 Smart. For control away from home, people must have a third- or fourth-generation Apple TV.
Update: A previous version of the article indicated that the product runs on batteries, but Elgato has corrected its information to say the Eve Energy runs off wall power.
Comments
The ultimate product that can't be far off from one the leading guys is: ACTUAL OUTLETS to replace existing Outlets, that support Home Kit.
But I have to question the point of bluetooth and batteries of a device that is plugged into a power source to begin with. Surely these people have seen "USB charger-in-outlet wall" no? It seems it would have been a no-brainer here to put a standard 120V "switchable" outlet along side two high power USB ports and use the same power supply circuitry to power the radio. I in fact have a power strip that I plug 4 wall warts into that also came with 2 USB outlets (one of them that the iPad can be charged from)
The thinking here is that you want to use these for anti-theft/security devices (plug in lamps, television, etc) as well as turning on/off things remotely. If I was returning from shopping I'd have the device turn on the fan/air conditioning.
That was my exact thought. Perhaps they were thinking that you wouldn't be able to turn the lights off and on remotely if the power was out..... /s