WHAT DO YOU NEED?
The first requirement is an iPhone or an iPad with iOS 8.
(Sorry, Android and Windows users, you'll need a different system. Google is starting to enable similar functionality through its Nest smart thermostat and smoke detector and Microsoft is trying to enable smart-home controls using its Cortana voice assistant. Of course, if makers of smart-home products enable multiple systems - and some of them plan to - consumers won't have to worry about which device works with what.)
OK. Now you'll need a HomeKit-capable product; those will start coming out in a few months. HomeKit-enabled products certified by Apple will carry a HomeKit logo.
The easiest way to start is with a HomeKit power plug, such as ones that iHome, iDevices and Grid Connect soon plan to sell for $40 to $80 each. Your appliance hooks into that plug, which then goes into a regular electric outlet. The HomeKit power plug has a HomeKit-certified chipset with a wireless connection to get instructions from the app.
Insteon, a maker of more than 200 automated products including thermostats and light bulbs, also plans to sell a hub to make all of its existing and future products compatible with HomeKit. The HomeKit-compatible hub will sell for $150. By contrast, it sells a $40 hub that lets you control Insteon devices through an app, but it won't work with HomeKit products from other companies.
Meanwhile, a garage-door opener from Chamberlain and door locks from Schlage will be enabled for HomeKit from the start, with no need for an intermediary power plug. Elgato's Eve home-monitoring system will have sensors to measure air quality, temperature, humidity, air pressure, energy and water consumption. Other products to come will likely include wireless speakers, lamps and security cameras.
As you start adding more HomeKit plugs and HomeKit-enabled products, you can define zones and scenes to tap into HomeKit's power.
If you have a third-generation Apple TV streaming device (released in 2012), you can use Siri to control your home from elsewhere. Otherwise, you need to tap on the app and use Siri only when you're on your home wireless network.
