Elgato Eve
THIS APPLE HOMEKIT-COMPATIBLE SMARTHOME GEAR REALLY HAS EATEN FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE.
WHILE MOST HOME automation systems focus on using a central hub to process and manage the data and interactions of its sensors, Elgato’s modular Eve kit takes a different approach — distributing the processing load across each of the range’s four unit types and allowing them to interact directly. The system relies on Bluetooth connections between units and the iOS app rather than communicating through your router’s Wi-Fi connection or a proprietary hub. The alternate integration of Elgato’s Eve system significantly reduces the initial outlay if you want to do one specific home automation task, but a clever optional integration with Apple’s second-generation TV also accommodates the off-site sensor control that you get from a traditional hub or home automation setup.
EVE ENERGY
Energy is the crux of the Eve range. Not because it carries the smarts to act as a home hub (as the processing power is shared across units), but rather, since this plug and power socket allows you to control anything and everything you plug into it. Energy can be turned on and off using the Bluetoothconnected Eve app (iOS only), but you can also create automated power routines with the help of other Eve products. Depending on the sensors it’s paired with, you can turn devices on and off based on temperature, air quality, motion and whether or not a door or window is closed. Like most of the other units here, the Eve Energy has more than one function, and also keeps track of energy consumption.
EVE ROOM
As the most expensive and complex of the Eve devices, Elgato’s $140 ‘Wireless Indoor Sensor’ packs a lot of smarts into its square 7.9cm frame. In addition to a digital thermometer that is accurate to 0.3ºC, this compact unit includes a humidity sensor and an air quality sensor to give you a well rounded picture of a room’s ambient conditions. As one of the only units on the market with an air quality sensor that measures both carbon dioxide levels and the number of volatile organic compounds (VOC), this clever device can be used to trigger an air conditioner, dehumidifier or even an air purifier by combining it with the Elgato Eve Energy switch.
EVE WEATHER
Taking an almost identical form as its indoor sibling, the Eve Weather wireless outdoor sensor relocates the former’s topside ventilation to the rear of the unit, in order to facilitate an IPX3 splash-proof water resistance. In addition to the necessary weatherproofing, this 3cm-thick tile replaces the air quality sensor for an air pressure gauge. We’re guessing that a running hectopascal measure will be overkill for most people, but since the device keeps the temperature and humidity sensors and only requires two of the Eve Room’s three batteries, it isn’t really a limitation. As with the Eve Room, the app makes the sensor data much more useful than it might seem at first, storing up to 21 days of recorded information locally on the unit and and then uploading this to an easy-to-manage graph, which you can view on the Eve app.
EVE MOTION
Slightly less complex than the Room, Weather and Energy units, Eve Motion is more in line with what we’ve come to expect of home automation products. The primary function of the Eve Motion is to use its 120º motion sensor to detect any movement within a 9m range. Much like its competitors, you can adjust the sensitivity threshold for recognition, but the Eve Motion can also trigger its own actions when paired with an Eve Energy or a compatible Apple Homekit accessory, such as a smart bulb. Its IPX3 splash-proofing means you don’t have to worry about leaving it outside and the company suggests that its two AA batteries and Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy connection will allow it to last more than a year.