Aqara Hub M3 was officially launched in Singapore on 8th May 2024 for S$209. You can get the Aqara Hub M3 from Souky’s Store on Shopee or Lazada. It is the direct successor of the Aqara Hub M2, which I am using currently. Two significant features of the M3 Hub are that it is a Matter Controller and a Thread Border Router. Matter Controllers allow you to add 3rd party Matter devices to the M3 Hub. The support is minimal now as only selected Philips Hue lights, Leviton switches, and Google Nest thermostats are supported. Thread Border Router connects a Thread network to your IP-based network suc ..read more

Divoom Times GateDivoom Times Gate reminded me of LaMetric Time which I backed on Kickstarter 9 years ago. Sadly, I had to throw it away as the battery expanded. I bought the Divoom Times Gate from Divoom’s Official Store on Shopee. It retails for S$189 and is available in Gray and Pink. At that time, some sales were going on, and the price dropped to S$158. After deducting all the vouchers, I paid about S$137 for it. Of course, I chose Gray as it comes with an Orange accent. Orange is my favorite color. Divoom put a lot of effort into the packaging. It came with a paper bag, and the Divoom Ti ..read more

Aqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro is the latest smart wall switch from Aqara that is available in Singapore after Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 and Aqara Smart Wall Switch D1. The price of Aqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro starts from S$77 on Souky’s store in Lazada and Shopee. Aqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro – Box FrontAqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro – Box BackAqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro – BoxAqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro – Box Contents There are two colors available, white and black. Each color is available in 1-gang to 4-gang configurations. Aqara Smart Wall Switch Z1 Pro – Front Although availabl ..read more

Bought the Aqara Motion Sensor P1 on 11/11, after all the discount vouchers, and paid S$26 for it. Normally, it retails for S$36 on Souky’s Lazada Shop. Aqara Motion Sensor P1 is a battery-powered motion sensor using two CR2450 batteries. It has a 5-years battery life on paper, but I am skeptical about it. If the battery could last me for more than a year, it is good enough for me. Aqara Motion Sensor P1 – Box FrontAqara Motion Sensor P1 – Box BackAqara Motion Sensor P1 – BoxAqara Motion Sensor P1 – Box Contents Considering it is battery-powered, the P1 Motion Sensor is very responsive. It is ..read more

The Aqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 is a 2-gang wireless Zigbee switch that is battery-powered (CR2450). Aqara only has this in 2-gang. Essentially, it is the wireless version of the Aqara Smart Wall Switch H1 EU. You can get it from Souky’s Lazada or Shopee store for S$39.90 before any platform discount. Aqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 – Box FrontAqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 – Box BackAqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 – BoxAqara Wireless Remote Switch H1 – Box Contents Since this is a wireless switch and is compatible with Apple HomeKit, you can use it for automation on both Apple Home and A ..read more

Starling Home Hub allows you to connect Google Nest devices to HomeKit. I am looking to display all my Nest Cam devices in HomeKit specifically. Currently, I am doing it with Homebridge and homebridge-google-nest-sdm plugin. I paid US$5, so this plugin can use the Google Smart Device Management (SDM) API. homebridge-google-nest-sdm works occasionally as the API is frequently rate-limited by Google. There is also no thumbnail display on the Apple Home app. HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) does work with the plugin. I heard many good things about Starling Home Hub on the r/HomeKit, so I decided to bu ..read more

Aqara Water Leak Sensor is an IP67 dustproof and waterproof sensor that can detect when an area comes into contact with water and then trigger some home automation. My use case is not to trigger some automation but to let me know when the drainage system under my sink is overflowing with soap lather. Often, this is due to using too much soap when washing the dishes. I bought the Aqara Water Leak Sensor on Souky’s store on Lazada. It retails for S$28.90, but there is a S$2 discount at that time, so I ended up paying S$26.90 for it with free shipping within Singapore, thanks to Lazada’s free shi ..read more

I bought the Aqara Wireless Mini Switch from Souky’s Shopee Store for S$27.90. If you prefer to shop on Lazada, you can get it from Souky’s Lazada Store as well. I use both platforms depending on which one has better promotions. Aqara Wireless Mini Switch – Box FrontAqara Wireless Mini Switch – Box BackAqara Wireless Mini Switch – BoxAqara Wireless Mini Switch – Box Contents Aqara Wireless Mini Switch is a no-frills button with three trigger inputs: Single Press, Double Press, and Long Press. Aqara Wireless Mini Switch – Front CR2032 battery powers it, and the battery life on paper lasts about ..read more

Thanks to Souky, I managed to be one of the first customers in Singapore to install the Aqara D200i Smart Door Lock. Not to be confused with the D200, which is sold only in China, the D200i is the global/international version of the D200. Besides being able to add to the Southeast Asia region in the Aqara app, The other significant difference is that the D200i supports remote unlocking. Aqara D200i Smart Door Lock retails for S$999 on Souky’s Shopee Store or Souky’s Lazada Store and if you need installation, there is an additional S$200 more. Aqara D200i – Box FrontAqara D200i – Box BackAqara ..read more

Aqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor is another sensor from Aqara that can measure the temperature, humidity, and TVOC. TVOC stands for Total Volatile Organic Compounds. TVOC groups a wide range of organic chemical compounds to simplify reporting when these are present in ambient air or emissions. Prolonged exposure to VOCs can be harmful to your health. I bought this to monitor the air quality within my renovated house, as the newly installed carpentry gives off chemical compounds into the air. Aqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor – Box FrontAqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor – Box BackAqara TVOC Air Quality ..read more