AppleInsider Staff
Elgato, known for its EyeTV line of digital TV video capture hardware, on Monday announced Eve, an expansive range of app-connected smart home sensors that monitor energy and water usage, weather, smoke and more.
Announced as a set of six products, the Eve system will let users remotely monitor conditions from a variety of sensor, from air quality and temperature to security. In addition, integration with Apple's HomeKit framework enables control over certain products through Siri.
Elgato plans to release three sensors — Eve Energy, Eve Door and Window, and Eve Water — in the first quarter of 2015. Eve Energy is a smart electrical plug unit that connects directly to a power outlet to measure energy consumption over time, while Eve Door and Window detects when a house door or window is ajar. Eve Water is an inline water sensor that measures temperature and consumption.
Other hardware offerings are planned to measure air quality, temperature, barometric pressure and humidity indoors with Eve Room, while Eve Weather can be placed outdoors to monitor temperature, air pressure and humidity.
Finally, Eve Smoke looks to be a smart smoke detector in the same vein as the Nest Protect, though in a slightly larger format.
Everything is controlled through the free Eve app, itself scheduled to launch later this quarter. With HomeKit integration, iOS device users will be able to set up and monitor Eve sensors remotely, as well as control other HomeKit-enabled hardware. For example, HomeKit can turn off house lights, set the temperature of a smart thermostat, lock doors and perform other macro tasks with one command.
Aside from Eve Energy and Eve Door and Window, Elgato has yet to reveal availability or pricing for other products in the Eve lineup.
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
Andrew Orr
Christine McKee
9 Comments
Seems pretty cool, though I wonder how long the batteries in these things will last? Maybe this explains the seeming abandonment of EyeTV's development...
"Eve Energy is a smart electrical plug unit that connects directly to a power outlet to measure energy consumption over time..."
The image of the Eve Energy sure doesn't help figure out how that works. Maybe that is a non-US plug?
"Maybe that is a non-US plug?
Yeah, that's a standard European plug. I assume they'll be making a North American plug version as well.
Yeah, that's a standard European plug. I assume they'll be making a North American plug version as well.
Thanks.
Rumor is that Belkin is working on a hub like system (not WeMo) that can learn the power signature of everything in a house. Put it on the meter, and it is smart enough to tell when specific appliances are used, and how much each is using. That's a system I'd be interested in. No dorking around with plugs.
Thanks.
Rumor is that Belkin is working on a hub like system (not WeMo) that can learn the power signature of everything in a house. Put it on the meter, and it is smart enough to tell when specific appliances are used, and how much each is using. That's a system I'd be interested in. No dorking around with plugs.
Why would I care?
I'm interested in control, not statistics.