The Smart Home Technology Revolution Blows Up<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Smart home automation advances have reached an inflection point, with the mass adoption of open standards, allowing an already vast and growing number of smart devices to link to a single hub device. \u201cMatter\u201d is the open standard that\u2019s revolutionizing smart home technology, allowing a smorgasbord of smart devices to be controlled from one central hub.<\/p>\n
This article looks at how large technology companies are integrating Matter into their systems, checks out a new Matter hub from Aqara, and profiles a new Matter-connected device that\u2019s baking up a storm.<\/p>\n
Connections Matter<\/strong><\/p>\nGoogle has supported the Matter protocol since 2021.\u00a0 Both its Nest Hub and Nest Mini can act as a hub for Matter, controlling an ever-increasing variety of connected devices, which currently includes, smart locks, lighting, thermostats, TVs, sensors, smart switches, air purifiers, air conditioners, fans\u2026even washing machines and Roomba robot vacs.<\/p>\n
Apple iOS 16.1 supports Matter for many of the same types of products through its Home app, Siri, and Control Center, and for other Matter-compliant devices, a request to pair can be made using Apple\u2019s Matter Support Framework.<\/p>\n
Amazon was a driving force behind the Matter standard. Matter-compliant devices connect to Alexa through the Alexa app. No need to set up a smart home skill\u2013\u2013you can simply ask Alexa to discover all compatible devices. Echo acts as a Matter Administrator. Amazon will also be the first streamer to implement Matter-Casting, Matter\u2019s home video and audio beaming feature1<\/sup>.<\/p>\nAquara Takes the Matter Plunge<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Aqara, a company known mainly for its line of Zigbee-connected products, will enter the Matter universe with the release of its Aqara Hub M3, a Matter-supporting device, capable of running not only Zigbee and Matter devices but also Aqara\u2019s growing line of Thread-enabled devices. All-in-all the M3 will be able to control over 160 devices in 10 sectors2<\/sup>.<\/p>\nHome Cooks Keep Getting Dumber, but Ovens Keep Getting Smarter, so it’s all OK.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Lastly, a technological revolution that\u2019s been in the making for the past 10 years\u2013\u2013ovens that LITERALLY keep an eye on your food. The Matter-compliant Samsung AI Bespoke Wall Oven Series is their most advanced oven ever. Introduced in 2023, it\u2019s available at a very bespoke $3000 price. But look at what you get!<\/p>\n
This designer, flat profile wall oven, watches over your food with a high-res camera as it’s cooking…so you can monitor your food, while live streaming your cooking adventures (or misadventures) to the world. It provides cooking temperature recommendations for 80 dishes and even has sensors to warn you when your food is in danger of burning.<\/p>\n
1<\/sup>Roth, E. (2024, January 12). CES 2024 was all about interoperability beyond the smart home. The Verge. https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/24035815\/ces-2024-interoperability-android-google-samsung\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n2<\/sup>Aqara Press Release (2024, January 9). Aqara Releases Details around its First Matter-compatible Devices. Aqera. https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/24035815\/ces-2024-interoperability-android-google-samsung<\/strong><\/a> ; Wiggers, K. (2024, January 11). The top Matter-compatible devices announced at CES 2024. Tech Crunch. <\/span>https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/01\/11\/the-top-matter-compatible-devices-announced-at-ces-2024\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\t
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