Home automation
Make Apple Watch the heart of your home
Apple Watch integrates neatly with HomeKit, Apple’s system for home automation (see page 20 for more). Built into the Watch is support to control music playback in iTunes on your Mac, and the Watch works as a remote control for Apple TV , too.
You can also control the Camera app on your iPhone, which is great for taking group shots and selfies. Third-party devices take the Apple Watch much further as a remote control. With the right equipment you can control the lighting in your home, open and shut your garage doors, or monitor a home surveillance system.
79 iTunes control
You can control iTunes on your Mac from your Apple Watch. Open the Watch’s Remote app and tap Add Device, then open iTunes on your Mac and click the rightmost icon below the playback controls (if there’s an iPod or iOS device connected, click the device icon and then click Remote in the list). Enter the code shown on your Watch into iTunes and then, on the Watch, tap the library’s name. You can now play, pause and skip iTunes tracks from your Apple Watch. A deep press enables you to choose an AirPlay speaker on your network to receive audio.
80 Apple TV remote
The Remote app can also connect to Apple TV . This also enables you to play, pause and skip tracks, and you can use the app to navigate the Apple TV ’s menus. Swipe up, down, left and right on the Watch’s screen to move around menus and tap the play/pause icons to control playback. Quickly tapping ‘menu’ goes up a level, and holding it goes to its main menu. 81Control
your lighting with Elgato Avea Elgato has a smart lightbulb called Avea (elgato. com/en/smart/avea) that can be controlled directly from your Apple Watch. Open the Avea app on your Watch and it locates nearby Avea lightbulbs. You can then choose from a range of preset colour options (and you can create custom colours on the iPhone app). Being able to dim the lights from your Apple Watch when you’re settling down to enjoy a film is a great trick.
82 Camera Remote
You can remotely control your iPhone’s Camera app from the Apple Watch. Tap the Camera Remote app on your Watch’s Home screen and it will open its iPhone counterpart. Use the Watch’s display to see the view from your iPhone’s camera, and tap the shutter button to take a shot. Tap the ‘3s’ button to get a short delay while you pose for the shot.
83 Change the focal point
This works just like on your iPhone. Tap the area you want to focus on and a small yellow square shows that it’s now the focus point.
84 Side button shutter
Rather than concentrating on the Watch’s screen to take a photo, just press the side button, which also acts as a shutter release.
85 Withings Home
You can use the Camera app along with the iPhone to act as a surveillance camera. If you like the idea of using the Apple Watch for surveillance then take a look at the Withings Home (withings.com/eu/withings-home.html). It has a built-in, high-quality camera and automatically senses (and records) movement in its field of view. You’re also able to monitor the camera remotely using the Withings Home app on your Apple Watch.
86 Control your heating
Honeywell Lyric (lyric.honeywell.com) may not be as big a name as Nest or Tado, but this smart thermostat is first out of the gate with Apple Watch support. Being able to monitor, and adjust your home’s heating from your Watch is handy, but it’s the persistent tracking that makes a big difference. By keeping your Watch on yourself, the heating will turn on and off as you enter and leave your home.
87 Home control
If you want to take home automation further then Insteon (smarthome.com) is the name to watch. Insteon has a huge range of home automation products, ranging from door locks to home sensors, thermostats and lights. All of this is controlled from its hub and Insteon already has an Apple Watch app available.