Brian Tong joins HomeKit Insider to talk smarthome, Apple Intelligence & more

By Andrew O'Hara

On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, Brian Tong swings by to talk about the latest news for the week including Apple Intelligence, Logitech's walk-back, and a new affordable presence sensor.

HomeKit Insider Podcast

Brian Tong is a frequent face on the Apple scene after hosting The Apple Byte at CNET. He's recently secured several exclusive looks, including a ride around Apple Park with Greg Jozwiak.

And, on this week's HomeKit Insider podcast episode, he joins us to talk about the news of the week, starting with UAG's release of a new MagSafe-compatible wireless charger this past week that features a compact design and accompanying travel pouch. It unfolds to provide a stand, Qi charger, and Apple Watch charger.

We do like that it had a carrying for when you bring it with you, plus the multiple world adapters for the USB-C power brick, but the fast charge Apple Watch puck felt a little loose. Otherwise, this is a solid charging solution.

Hanneke Faber said in a recent interview that she believed Logitech's smart home products were "pretty much gone." Now the company is saying that its CEO's comments were incorrect and that they remain committed to their products and they are still available.

This doesn't give us confidence in the future of the line, though.

Meross has released the new MS600 presence sensor for under $30. These sensors are far more accurate than a motion sensor when creating automations because they can only trigger when you're in a room versus any errant motion.

It uses radar, PIR, and light sensors to detect when a person is in the room and is powered up over USB-C. It works over Matter and no Aqara hub is required.

Finally, the Thor latch lock is coming to market with Apple Home support over Thread. It has a built-in keypad and fingerprint reader.

This is designed for in your home, such as a wine cellar, bar, or home office that you want to keep locked. It powers over 4 AA batteries.

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