In our latest YouTube video, we give you some ideas for helping get your kids out of the house for school in a timely and stress-free manner. In my house, this involves using wakeup lights to rouse the kids in a gentle manner (at least as gentle as it gets at 6:30 in the morning).…
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In the ever-evolving world of home automation, finding the right smart home hub is crucial for a seamless and connected experience. Hubitat, a key player in the smart home hub market, has recently unveiled its latest offering – the Hubitat Elevation C8. Whether you’re new to home automation, a current Hubitat owner, or contemplating a…
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Alfred is a relative newcomer to the smart lock market. I first learned about them at CES 2020 when I passed what I thought were some of the most interesting locks I’ve ever seen. Very sexy in my opinion. Currently Alfred makes an entry-level line (DB1) and a professional line (DB2). This article discusses the…
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Hubitat Rule Machine can be a little overwhelming for first time users. The good news is, there are easier places to start your powerful home automations in Hubitat. We’ll look at four often overlooked apps that are user friendly. The apps include Motion Lighting, Simple Automation Rules, Groups and Scenes, and Button Controller. For the…
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The Yale YRD256 line provides options for all home automation enthusiasts regardless of your platform. There are options for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave Plus which aligns it with Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, Hubitat, Connected by August and other popular platforms. You can even use it with an app or no automation at all. Connected by…
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This page is a work in progress. As I test more locks, they will be added here. Thank you for your patience. Make/Model Protocol Install Complexity Proximity Unlock Motor Noise Power-fail Backup Hub Command Reliability Lock Status Report Reliability User Report to Hub Reliability Alfred / DB1 Bluetooth Z-Wave Low Yes Low USB High High…
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If you’re a dedicated Z-Wave enthusiast or you’re looking for reliable Z-Wave lock to integrate with your security system, this lock deserves a serious look. While it doesn’t have all of the cool features contained in the YRD256, this lock (YRD156) contains the functions required to ensure your smart home is safe and secure. Buy…
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Update April 2020 – Wink employees have been active again on their Facebook and Twitter pages. I see that people are getting support. Wink also announced a mandatory firmware upgrade, which is encouraging. Unfortunately there’s not much other news available. Wink has been silent. Very silent. According to one article, they already have. So if…
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Hubitat Elevation Smart Home Automation Hub Live Stream Hubitat Elevation setting up devices and building dashboards. This will be a LIVE Q&A. For devices, we will cover tips on how to pair, troubleshooting, exclusion, and features of various types of devices. For Hubitat Elevation Dashboards we will cover basic settings, dashboard widgets, advanced template settings,…
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