<p>In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent tackles a unique smart home dilemma from a viewer named John, who runs his home automation through Android while his wife uses Apple devices. John wants to know if he can use an old iPad as a home hub to give his wife easier access to their home's smart features, like thermostats, greenhouse controls, and outlets, without having to go through his phone.</p><ul> <li>Android-first setup is actually advantageous, as it means devices are already configured independently rather than being locked into Apple's HomeKit ecosystem</li> <li>For HomeKit-compatible devices, adding them to the wife's iPhone/iPad is as simple as scanning the HomeKit codes in Apple's Home app</li></ul> <p>Some suggested approaches for the iPad hub:</p><ul> <li>Use as a portable control panel that can move between rooms</li> <li>Mount it permanently as a dedicated control center using a device such as elago's Home Hub Mount, which allows for clean cable management.</li> <li>Mikah recommends using Home Assistant (home-assistant.io) as a powerful third-party solution that works with more devices than just HomeKit or Google Home, has robust automation capabilities, and has apps for multiple platforms, making it accessible to both users.</li> <li>Mikah also emphasizes the importance of "smart," which means proactive automation, giving examples like automatic fan control based on humidity sensor readings, proximity-based lighting control, and custom scenes triggered by pressure sensors.</li></ul> <p><strong>Host:</strong> <a href="https://twit.tv/people/mikah-sargent">Mikah Sargent</a></p> <p>Download or subscribe to <em>Hands-On Tech</em> at <a href="https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech">https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech</a></p> <p>Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at <a href="https://twit.tv/clubtwit" rel="payment">https://twit.tv/clubtwit</a></p>
Source: https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech/episodes/198
Published: 2025-01-12 14:14:30