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Airversa has released the Humelle, a humidifier that connects to Apple Home over the Thread protocol via a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K hub. The device includes a built-in temperature and humidity sensor, letting users set a target humidity in Auto Mode so it adjusts mist output automatically. It holds a 3.2-liter top-fill tank rated for up to 60 hours of runtime and projects mist roughly 40 inches high.
SwitchBot has released the K11+ Pro, a compact robot vacuum measuring under 10 inches across and 3.62 inches tall, paired with a small self-emptying dock roughly 9.4 by 7.1 inches. The device uses LiDAR mapping with a close-range sensor for furniture detection, stores up to five floor maps, and supports Matter, allowing it to integrate with Apple Home alongside the SwitchBot app.
Ikea has cut $20 off its donut-shaped Varmblixt smart lamp, bringing it to $79.99 until November 11th. The 180-lumen lamp offers 12 preset colors and can be controlled via an included wireless remote without needing an app or hub, while also supporting Matter for integration with Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.
Amazon announced the Alexa Home Map, a new interface that renders a home as an interactive 3D blueprint with animated icons for connected devices like lights and speakers placed where they physically sit. The map also integrates with outdoor security cameras to depict vehicles, pedestrians and weather conditions like rain or snow in real time, using stylized visualizations rather than photorealistic imagery.
SwitchBot has released its RGBICWW Light Bars, a two-bar lighting set combining dedicated cool- and warm-white LEDs with 12 total RGBIC color zones across the pair. The bars connect directly to Apple Home via Matter over Wi-Fi, requiring no separate hub, and include 26 preset effects, six music-reactive modes with a built-in microphone, and a wired physical controller.
Apple is rolling out Sound Glow, a feature that lights up the touch surface of HomePod mini and the second-generation HomePod with colors drawn from the currently playing song's album artwork. The feature requires software version 27.2, is enabled via the Home app or Apple TV Control Center, and does not work on the original HomePod.
A smart-home explainer describes why Wi-Fi-connected accessories often stop functioning when the internet or router fails, since they typically rely on cloud servers for instructions and scheduling. It recommends using local hubs instead, such as HomePods, Apple TVs, or Zigbee- and Thread-based bridges like the Philips Hue Bridge, which can store and run automations without an active internet connection.
In episode 086 of 9to5Mac Overtime, hosts Jeff Benjamin and Fernando Silva discussed Apple's purported smart home refresh, covering a $299 device called Apple HomeView, a HomePod mini 2, an updated Apple TV 4K, and an Apple Home Collection product line. The episode was sponsored by case maker Rokform, which is offering a discount code tied to upcoming iPhone models.
A HomeKit Weekly column advises smart home users to buy outdoor-rated smart plugs now for Halloween decorations, noting the same hardware and automations can be reused for Christmas lights in December. It recommends ensuring a home hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or HomePod mini) is set up first, and suggests dual-outlet outdoor plugs and devices like Eve Energy for indoor use such as Christmas trees or fog machines.
Apple's latest iOS 27.2 beta introduces three changes: granular settings to enable or disable specific Messages 'Suggestions' like calendar and reminder prompts, two new Home app options for smart locks covering auto-lock timing and door-left-open alerts, and a visual overhaul of the Music app that replaces its red branding with black-and-white icons and blue tab accents.
Apple introduced the Apple Home Collection, a set of cameras, thermostats, sensors, a video doorbell and a smart lock co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The devices launch alongside HomeView, Apple's first dedicated smart display, marking the company's first in-house hardware push into the smart home after 12 years of relying on third parties through HomeKit.
Apple held a smart home event introducing the HomeView smart display, a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, and a refreshed HomePod mini, according to discussion on 9to5Mac's Happy Hour podcast. Hosts Benjamin Mayo and Chance Miller also noted the new Apple TV's high price and shared their first impressions of the devices.