a review by Tom Piper
Smart home devices have really come of age, particularly since the best ones are now HomeKit compatible. My experience traces back almost 30 years with the first X-10 remote lamp and appliance modules, plus timer, computer and remote controllers. We now have very intelligent and innovative devices that are amazing.
The Eve Energy Strip and Eve Light Strip from Eve Systems (established in 1999, with previous EyeTV and Elgato premium products) are two incredible devices from a broad family of lighting systems. Eve accessories are truly wireless thanks to Bluetooth low-energy technology by just scanning the included HomeKit code with your iPhone or iPad camera. Their setup was incredibly quick and simple using my iPhone XS Max.
The Eve Energy Strip individually controls three outlets with my Eve app or Siri, thus allowing me to sync lighting and comfort tech with preferences. This allows me to understand energy consumption, plus receive surge, overcurrent, and overvoltage protection. This makes my attached devices immune to energy spikes, short circuits, excessive currents, and almost any component or grid-based fault.
The Eve app visualizes total consumption by day, week, month, and year. I can also see the projected cost of all those watts. I can completely shut down power drainage such as entertainment tech, kitchen gadgets, office equipment, when not in use. This avoids appliances which are in standby mode from consuming up to 10% of household energy, thus saving electricity.
In addition, the Eve Energy Strip is ideal for setting scenes with other HomeKit-enabled accessories along with multiple electronic devices. I can easily create a scene combining Eve Light Strip and my Eve Flare, which connects my television, Eve Energy and iHome modules to set a great atmosphere for my evening’s viewing. It provides me with comfort and class with the most sophisticated HomeKit-enabled LED strip ever. It produces true-to-life colors at the command of my voice, using my HomePod. With 1800 lumens of pure eye candy, this premium triple-diode architecture radiates the warmest and coolest of whites, plus a vibrant color spectrum spanning every hue. It lets me set the perfect atmosphere with a quick tap or Siri voice command. This light strip connects directly to my iPhone, iPad or HomePod via Wi-Fi without an additional bridge.
Controlling these HomeKit-enabled accessories automatically and away from home uses my a HomePod (or I could have used my Apple TV with tvOS 11 or later, or an iPad with iOS 11 or later set up as a home hub). Scenes make multiple accessories work together, all upon a single command. I can even set my scenes to work automatically based on the time, location, actions, and more with my home hub. The real magic happens with multiple HomeKit-enabled accessories which collaborate in scenes so I can switch on lamps, set a fan in motion, and activate my media center. Or, or I can call it a day with a "Good Night" scene that turns off your electronics, appliances, and lights.
Eve is a growing ecosystem of connected accessories designed exclusively for the HomeKit-enabled household. From controlling and automating devices and appliances to monitoring my indoor and outdoor environments, each Eve accessory brings a unique set of features to the table. All of which I access via my iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch in my home. I set scenes in a flash using Siri, my Control Center, or Apple Watch. I can also see concise records, gain insights, and enjoy full control of my connected home.
The Eve Energy Strip is available at https://www.evehome.com for only $99.95, and the Eve Light Strip (2m/6.6ft) for $79.95, Extension (2m/6.6ft) for $49.95, and Eve Light Strip + Extension (4m/13.1ft) for $119.90 (USD). These are amazingly versatile and responsive devices which give me quality and efficient results, which is why I highly recommend these and other Eve products. There website will show you the full line of Eve HomeKit-enabled products.
