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Samsung SmartThings, Nanoleaf holiday lights, and smart smoke detector on HomeKit Insider

HomeKit Insider

On this week's episode of the HomeKit Insider podcast, your hosts discuss Samsung's SmartThings improvements, the Owl smoke detector, and an impressive home garden.

Andrew rode solo this week on the podcast as he dove into the limited news since our last episode. We stared with Samsung's press event that had plenty of smart home-related announcements.

Notably Samsung announced it would be building its home hubs into additional products, including soundbars. This doesn't differ all that much from Apple that had already been putting its Home Hubs in the Apple TV and HomePods.

Samsung also brought support for Matter bridges in the SmartThings ecosystem, a key factor that will encourage additional manufactures to start supporting Matter.

Nanoleaf also announced a new set of full-color LED holiday lights that are up for preorder at $119 and will begin shipping mid-October.

Rise Garden introduced a new version of its impressive in-home garden, the Rise Roma. This version allows users to grow tomatoes, peppers, and other plants up to three feet in height all within their home.

Your host went hands on with two products during this episode, the Owl smart smoke detector and the SmallRig Arca quick release camera plate.

The Owl smoke detector also can detect carbon monoxide, motion, sound and measures temperature and humidity. All reported to Apple HomeKit.

The SmallRig quick release plate is great because not only is it functional for your camera, it also has a hidden compartment for an AirTag tracker.

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