Archive

Starling Home Hub allows you to connect Google Nest devices to HomeKit. I am looking to display all my Nest Cam devices in HomeKit specifically.

Currently, I am doing it with Homebridge and homebridge-google-nest-sdm plugin. I paid US$5, so this plugin can use the Google Smart Device Management (SDM) API.

Aqara Water Leak Sensor is an IP67 dustproof and waterproof sensor that can detect when an area comes into contact with water and then trigger some home automation.

My use case is not to trigger some automation but to let me know when the drainage system under my sink is overflowing with soap lather. Often, this is due to using too much soap when washing the dishes.

I bought the Aqara Wireless Mini Switch from Souky’s Shopee Store for S$27.90. If you prefer to shop on Lazada, you can get it from Souky’s Lazada Store as well. I use both platforms depending on which one has better promotions.

Aqara Wireless Mini Switch is a no-frills button with three trigger inputs: Single Press, Double Press, and Long Press.

Thanks to Souky, I managed to be one of the first customers in Singapore to install the Aqara D200i Smart Door Lock. Not to be confused with the D200, which is sold only in China, the D200i is the global/international version of the D200.

Besides being able to add to the Southeast Asia region in the Aqara app, The other significant difference is that the D200i supports remote unlocking.

Aqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor is another sensor from Aqara that can measure the temperature, humidity, and TVOC.

TVOC stands for Total Volatile Organic Compounds. TVOC groups a wide range of organic chemical compounds to simplify reporting when these are present in ambient air or emissions.

Bought the Aqara Temperature and Humidity Sensor during 9/9 from Souky’s Lazada Store for S$22.75 after the usual double-digit sales day discount. If not, it retails for S$27.90.

This HomeKit compatible small wireless sensor measures temperature, humidity, and air pressure.

The much awaited Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 has finally launched in Singapore on 20th April 2023. It retails for S$159 and you can get it from Souky store on Lazada or Shopee.

Unlike the typical motion sensors that use Passive Infrared (PIR) Sensors, presence sensors use 60 GHz mmWave radar sensors to detect “presence” instead of “motion.” Because of this, it can detect multiple people in a room. It can also tell the difference between a person in a room that is not moving and no one in it. This is something that motion sensors could never differentiate.

Most, if not all, igloohome locks come with only Bluetooth connectivity. So your phone needs to be in the range of the device to control it. So what if you want to control it via Wi-Fi? That is where the igloohome Bridge comes into the picture.

igloohome Bridge retails for S$110 and is a bridge between your phone and igloohome locks.

igloohome Smart PadLock 2 is the successor to the igloohome Smart PadLock which was launched three years ago. The changes are mostly on the hardware side.

One of the major differences is using a rechargeable lithium battery which is chargeable via the USB-C port. If the Padlock 2 battery is flat, you can charge it using a power bank instead of a 9V alkaline battery.