In our previous video we showed you how to install and add a Xiaomi (or Aqara) Gateway. Today, we show you how to add a child device – in this example, we use the Aqara Motion Sensor. This is a motion sensor. This sensor allows you to turn lights on when someone walks into the room. To use this, you
Read more
Hi folks! It’s been a while! This tutorial video is on adding a Xiaomi gateway! Note that this gateway is also known as a hub, and it is also known as Mijia or MiHome. This is NOT the Aqara hub. We also take you through how to create an account and rename your home! Today we finally get to doing
Read more
Apple has just concluded the WWDC and one of the biggest things that has a direct impact on us Home Automation enthusiasts is the new Back Tap feature. You can be used to trigger Shortcuts, screenshot or even open Google Assistant. If you’ve been using both Siri and Google Assistant like me, you’ll know how cumbersome it is to launch
Read more
In Part 1 of this series, we talked about Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. If you haven’t read that yet, feel free to head over. I’ll be waiting… As promised, today we shall cover the remaining items on the list: 3. Zigbee/Z-WAve4. Other proprietary technologies 3. Zigbee/Z-Wave Now this is where it starts to get complicated. Fred not, for I shall try
Read more
No, it’s not what you think. We haven’t stopped talking to each other after we made our home smart. I mean, I wasn’t referring to not having to tell the wife to switch off the lights… I refer to how your smart devices talk to each other in your home. Now in order for devices to work together, they must
Read more
A quick look into choosing between smart bulb-dumb switch versus smart-switch-dumb bulb options. This post will help you understand the pro’s and con’s of each setup and guide you in your journey of smart-homing.
Read more
Before you go into full blown home automation, we need to have a basic understanding of wire circuitry at home. Prior to that, let’s do a little time travel – Singapore is former British colony because of a certain Sir Stamford Raffles who supposedly stepped onto our shores… the rest, as they say, is history. Like literally. But that also
Read more
In my last post, I talked about the 3 factors that will affect the kind of smart home system you would want to invest in. Before I feel into this trap deep abyss of home automation and smart home, I’ve always struggled to think of useful examples in everyday life. However, having actually lived in one, we begin to appreciate
Read more
It’s a common belief that having choices is good – I mean, that is what capitalism is about, isn’t it? Yet, a study from the year 2000 already told us that more isn’t always better. Psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper studied 2 groups of shoppers in an upscale shopping mall – the first group saw 24 varieties of gourmet
Read more
Yee Light, Philips Hue, Sonos speakers, Google Home and Amazon Echo, Samsung Smart Things. What have these got in common? What is the difference between Smart Device and Home Automaton? Most people confuse the two. Strictly speaking, they’re not the same. It’s akin to calling an MP3 player “iPod”, food containers “Tupperware”, or calling vacuum cleaners “hoovers”, sticky tapes “scotch
Read more