HomeKit Insider Podcast

In this episode of HomeKit Insider, Chris LaPre from the CSA joins us to talk about Matter, Apple Home, and the future of the smart home. The bulk of this week's episode is a conversation with Chris LaPre, chief technology officer at the Connectivity Standards Alliance. The CSA is the member-led organization responsible for Zigbee and Matter. Our far-reaching discussion focuses on the evolution of Matter and Apple Home, what new device categories we'll see, and what might happen with Matter 1.2, which adds support for several new device categories, including robot vacuums. In other news this week, Govee launched its new Neon Rope Light 2, which it showed off at CES. Govee has not historically supported Apple Home, but Matter will allow the new product to appear in the Home app. The second generation Rope Light is more flexible, lighter, and has new mounting brackets. Govee also has a new AI assistant that can turn plain text into light scenes. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum cleaner has also been launched in the US. It's quite expensive and lacks many industry-standard features, like a multi-function docking station, but it does have impressive suction power. Unfortunately, Dyson has remained mum when it supports Matter and the Home app. Finally, Sonos has launched new 8-inch ceiling speakers. They have support for AirPlay and can be used in a multi-speaker setup with your other Sonos speakers.

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