How HomeKit Helps You Throw a 'Smart' Holiday Party
Apple's HomeKit feature helps set the mood for any gathering.
— -- Your smart home can also help you throw a smart party.
With the holiday party circuit around the corner, leveraging Apple's HomeKit and a slew of connected home products hitting the market makes it easy to control almost every aspect for creating the perfect party.
Apple's HomeKit is the framework for anchoring connected home gadgets to a single device, tossing out the need for users to go to each product's individual app anytime they want to control a product. While HomeKit was announced a little more than a year ago, it has moved to the forefront with added Siri integration in iOS 9, along with a growing list of new HomeKit compatible products.
While there are everyday scenes, such as waking up and getting home from work that require simple cues such as "Good morning, Siri," HomeKit also allows users to set custom scenes that can enhance any holiday party.
Eager to give it a try? Here's a look at some of the latest HomeKit compatible products that will help make it a party to remember.
Philips Hue
The right party is all about the lighting, and these color-changing bulbs can help set the scene. Depending on how wild of a party it is, Philips Hue also lets users sync their lights to their music, pumping up the party ambiance.
iDevices Switch
Every party of course needs a little music. This smart switch can turn on your speakers or other gadgets it's connected to, using HomeKit as the remote control. Take the stress out of party planning by setting a scene for when the guests arrive -- a quick "Guests arrive" command to Siri can turn on the music, lamps and any other gadgets hooked up to the smart switch.
If the party is ending with hot toddies on the backyard deck, be sure to integrate iDevices' rugged outdoor switch into your pre-programmed party scenes. This smart device helps control different areas around the exterior of your home, including the all-important lighting.
Smart Thermostat
Even the little details such as temperature can often be forgotten when hosting a party. The ecobee3, a smart thermostat, is able to control, monitor and schedule the temperature of your home while also detecting the temperature in various other rooms.
Schlage Smart Sense Lock
No traditional keys are necessary with this smart deadbolt. Homeowners can enter a pin to get inside, or use the connected HomeKit iPhone or iPad to unlock the door, meaning there's no need to run for the door every time the bell rings.
As an added bonus, when paired with an Apple TV in your home, you can unlock the deadbolt or check its status while you're away.
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