On this week's episode of the Smart Home Insider podcast, Mary-Ann Rau sits in talk through the week's news and discuss the first heat pump to integrate with Apple Home.
Mary-Ann Rau is the CEO and co-founder of Merino Energy, a new start-up that just put its first product available for preorder. It's the Merino Heat Pump Mono and is the very first home heat pump to integrate with Apple Home.
Unlike traditional HVAC units, the heat pump easily installs into any room with an exterior-facing wall and requires no outdoor module. It's sold as a flat-price purchase, which includes professional installation and no surprise fees.
Before the interview and deep discussion on the best ways of heating and cooling the smart home, we hop into the news.
Philips has released the first television sets to act as a Matter endpoint. The Ambilight 75MLED910 was spotted by CyberModStudio and can be controlled from compatible Matter platforms.
Reolink seemingly still is shunning both Apple Home and Matter with a new partnership. Reolink cameras will be able to integrate directly into Homey, which sets off a whole discussion on the merits of going with an open platform versus direct integrations.
We also tested a new app this week. HomeMapper, which is currently in beta, scans your network to find all smart home devices and can surface serial numbers, connection methods, and more.
Finally, we talk about the launch of the new Aqara P100 and W200. We also provide a deep-dive review of the Aqara W200 as the first thermostat to support Apple Adaptive Temperature and Clean Energy Guidance.
Links from the Smart Home Insider podcast
- Merino Energy on launching a heat pump
- Heat pump week
- Philips Amblight TV
- CyberModStudio TV reveal
- HomeMapper Testflight beta signup
- Aqara W200 written review
- Aqara W200 video
- Preorder Merino Heat Pump Mono
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