Re: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-08 Thread Dave Grossoehme 
Steve how many heat pump and furnace usits do you have running for the 
home?  I have 2 unitsd in my home 1 for upstairs and 1 for the 
downstairs.  I have an Ecobee Smart thermostat for upstairs and 
downstairs.  You can ask for the upstairs temperature or downstairs 
temperature or the temperature in the home.  If upstairs temperature is 
ask for you receive the temperature for that floor, and the same for 
downstairs.  If you ask for the home temperature from either thermostat 
you will receive an average temperature.  There are additional sensors 
which help to keep the temperature the same throughout the house.


Dave


On 8/6/2023 3:17 PM, Sieghard Weitzel wrote:

I think this brand was also mentioned in the iMore review I just posted.
I am also curious if anybody on the list has a mini-split heat pump system with 
multiple indoor heads. We just installed such a system and it's fantastic as we 
now get air conditioning as well as heating and with temperatures climbing 
higher and higher each year it seems the air conditioning is definitely a nice 
option. However, as there are 4 independent units in the house (bedroom and 
living room upstairs as well as our guest bedroom and family/rec room 
downstairs) a single thermostat somewhat defeats the purpose although I believe 
you can link the units to various smart thermostats. At this point it's not a 
critical issue because each unit comes with a remote control and for the most 
part you just need to turn it on and then there is a toggle like a volume 
rocker where you can turn the temperature up or down. Of course the temperature 
is displayed on the remote so I haven't checked yet if an app like Seeing Ai 
can read it.
There is also an app, the system is from the company Daikins, and while I have 
figured out how to use the app it is certainly not what you could call 
accessible. The installer helped me to figure it out, I was able to label a few 
unlabelled buttons and the labels also seem to stick, so like I said, it's 
useable for changing temperatures and so on, but I definitely still have to 
contact the developer and see if they are open towards improving accessibility. 
I assume it might be possible to link each unit's built-in thermostat to an 
external smart thermostat, but if I needed to buy 4 smart thermostats that 
could get pretty expensive. I am intriqued by the option to add room sensors to 
the Ecobee Premium or the Honeywell T9, but I have to find out if it would be 
possible for the Ecobee to then turn on any of the 4 indoor units independently 
if it receives a signal from the sensor in that room That of course would be 
amazing, but it might be too much to expect.

Best refgards,
Sieghard

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 12:06 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Richard,

Okay, I am posting the info to the model I purchased, below.  This model was 
suggested by V iPhone list member, James.  It was the best purchase I've made 
in years.

Mark

Original Post:
I’ve had a Sensi model st55 for 2 years now. Be sure you get this cheaper 
$80.00, model available from Amazon.  It has buttons that control selecting 
heat or air conditioning and changing the temperature and more.  It also works 
with Alexa and there is an app for I Phone and I think, Android.
Note, the more expensive model is flat screen only.  No buttons.  The buttons 
are important for a blind person to use the thermostat in case your internet 
goes down.

The $80.00, thermostat with buttons is model ST55.  Here is an Amazon link.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NB1OB0I/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8=16b53869f5473df1c2e96eaa091b5ae3_cr_id=1865675060401_rd_plhdr=t_rd_r=a4851b0d-8d87-4199-8c2b-32c4437daff2_rd_w=8kn92_rd_wg=ViTHK_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_bkgd

HTH,

James B

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:17 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big

RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-06 Thread Sieghard Weitzel 
A valid point, I think most of the high-end smart thermostats will have touch 
screens, but then again you may not have to spend $300 if a $80 device does all 
you want and has buttons. For me it's not such a big concern because while "Hey 
Siri" or "Alexa" may not work without internet, "Hey Jackie" works really well 
for me, she also responds to "Honey" and "Sweetie" so a definite bonus!
Of course now that we have the mini-split heat pump system where each of the 4 
different indoor units has its own remote control (with buttons, not touch 
screen) also helps. We still have an electric backup furnace which replaces our 
old natural gas furnace and which is a central forced air system and it's still 
connected to my old Honeywell T5, but we only need that if it gets to be around 
-25 Celsius or colder when the air source heat pump is no longer efficient 
enough and if I don't feel like lighting a fire in our wood stove.

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 12:18 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Sieghard,

Thank you for this information.

One complaint I have received from two totally blind list members is that the 
Ecobee is a touch-surface-only device.  While this is not a problem as long as 
the internet connection is up and running, when down, the unit is completely 
unusable by a blind person.

The model I purchased has hardware buttons that can control the unit without 
the Wi-fi or Internet.  

Although rare, there have been times when I’ve had OS hardware hick-ups and it 
is good to be able to control the unit without a smart device, at hand.

Mark

From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of Sieghard 
Weitzel
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 12:06 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hi Richard,

While I am obviously not Mark and I don't know what he is using, I would take a 
look at the Honeywell T9 and T10 and Ecobee is also Home Kit compatible and 
seems to be very highly ranked in many reviews. Both the Ecobee and T9 can be 
paired with remote sensors which you can put in other rooms.
Here is a good article which I found recently and which summarizes some of 
these choices and more; the Ecobee premium also has a built-in  microphone 
which allows you to use Siri and Alexa directly from the thermostat which I 
think might be quite nice. There is also one mentioned which is a connected 
smart thermostat, but it has a knob like an old radio dial which allows you to 
change the temperature on device..

https://www.imore.com/best-homekit-thermostats

-Original Message-
From: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:17 AM
To: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!

-Original Message-
From: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM
To: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big 
deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this capability, 
completely independent of a sighted person.

When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the A/C 
off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is already 
nice and cool.

Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am 
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level of 
accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.

Mark


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You

RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-06 Thread M. Taylor 
Hello Sieghard,

Thank you for this information.

One complaint I have received from two totally blind list members is that the 
Ecobee is a touch-surface-only device.  While this is not a problem as long as 
the internet connection is up and running, when down, the unit is completely 
unusable by a blind person.

The model I purchased has hardware buttons that can control the unit without 
the Wi-fi or Internet.  

Although rare, there have been times when I’ve had OS hardware hick-ups and it 
is good to be able to control the unit without a smart device, at hand.

Mark

From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of Sieghard 
Weitzel
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 12:06 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hi Richard,

While I am obviously not Mark and I don't know what he is using, I would take a 
look at the Honeywell T9 and T10 and Ecobee is also Home Kit compatible and 
seems to be very highly ranked in many reviews. Both the Ecobee and T9 can be 
paired with remote sensors which you can put in other rooms.
Here is a good article which I found recently and which summarizes some of 
these choices and more; the Ecobee premium also has a built-in  microphone 
which allows you to use Siri and Alexa directly from the thermostat which I 
think might be quite nice. There is also one mentioned which is a connected 
smart thermostat, but it has a knob like an old radio dial which allows you to 
change the temperature on device..

https://www.imore.com/best-homekit-thermostats

-Original Message-
From: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:17 AM
To: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!

-Original Message-
From: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM
To: mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big 
deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this capability, 
completely independent of a sighted person.

When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the A/C 
off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is already 
nice and cool.

Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am 
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level of 
accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.

Mark


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To

RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-06 Thread Sieghard Weitzel 
I think this brand was also mentioned in the iMore review I just posted.
I am also curious if anybody on the list has a mini-split heat pump system with 
multiple indoor heads. We just installed such a system and it's fantastic as we 
now get air conditioning as well as heating and with temperatures climbing 
higher and higher each year it seems the air conditioning is definitely a nice 
option. However, as there are 4 independent units in the house (bedroom and 
living room upstairs as well as our guest bedroom and family/rec room 
downstairs) a single thermostat somewhat defeats the purpose although I believe 
you can link the units to various smart thermostats. At this point it's not a 
critical issue because each unit comes with a remote control and for the most 
part you just need to turn it on and then there is a toggle like a volume 
rocker where you can turn the temperature up or down. Of course the temperature 
is displayed on the remote so I haven't checked yet if an app like Seeing Ai 
can read it.
There is also an app, the system is from the company Daikins, and while I have 
figured out how to use the app it is certainly not what you could call 
accessible. The installer helped me to figure it out, I was able to label a few 
unlabelled buttons and the labels also seem to stick, so like I said, it's 
useable for changing temperatures and so on, but I definitely still have to 
contact the developer and see if they are open towards improving accessibility. 
I assume it might be possible to link each unit's built-in thermostat to an 
external smart thermostat, but if I needed to buy 4 smart thermostats that 
could get pretty expensive. I am intriqued by the option to add room sensors to 
the Ecobee Premium or the Honeywell T9, but I have to find out if it would be 
possible for the Ecobee to then turn on any of the 4 indoor units independently 
if it receives a signal from the sensor in that room That of course would be 
amazing, but it might be too much to expect.

Best refgards,
Sieghard

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 12:06 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Richard,

Okay, I am posting the info to the model I purchased, below.  This model was 
suggested by V iPhone list member, James.  It was the best purchase I've made 
in years.

Mark

Original Post:
I’ve had a Sensi model st55 for 2 years now. Be sure you get this cheaper 
$80.00, model available from Amazon.  It has buttons that control selecting 
heat or air conditioning and changing the temperature and more.  It also works 
with Alexa and there is an app for I Phone and I think, Android.
Note, the more expensive model is flat screen only.  No buttons.  The buttons 
are important for a blind person to use the thermostat in case your internet 
goes down.

The $80.00, thermostat with buttons is model ST55.  Here is an Amazon link.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NB1OB0I/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8=16b53869f5473df1c2e96eaa091b5ae3_cr_id=1865675060401_rd_plhdr=t_rd_r=a4851b0d-8d87-4199-8c2b-32c4437daff2_rd_w=8kn92_rd_wg=ViTHK_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_bkgd

HTH,

James B

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:17 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big 
deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this capability, 
completely independent of a sighted person.

When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the A/C 
off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is already 
nice and cool.

Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am 
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level of 
accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.

Mark


--
The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.

If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or

RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-06 Thread Sieghard Weitzel 
Hi Richard,



While I am obviously not Mark and I don't know what he is using, I would take a 
look at the Honeywell T9 and T10 and Ecobee is also Home Kit compatible and 
seems to be very highly ranked in many reviews. Both the Ecobee and T9 can be 
paired with remote sensors which you can put in other rooms.

Here is a good article which I found recently and which summarizes some of 
these choices and more; the Ecobee premium also has a built-in  microphone 
which allows you to use Siri and Alexa directly from the thermostat which I 
think might be quite nice. There is also one mentioned which is a connected 
smart thermostat, but it has a knob like an old radio dial which allows you to 
change the temperature on device..



Best HomeKit thermostats for the Home app in 2023 | 
iMore



-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com 
mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> On Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:17 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit



Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!



-Original Message-

From: viphone@googlegroups.com 
mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>> On Behalf Of M. 
Taylor

Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM

To: viphone@googlegroups.com

Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit



Hello Everyone,



During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.



I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.



Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.



However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big 
deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this capability, 
completely independent of a sighted person.



When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the A/C 
off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is already 
nice and cool.



Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am 
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level of 
accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.



Mark





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Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor.  Mark can be reached at:  
mk...@ucla.edu.  Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can 
reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com



The archives for this list can be searched at:

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RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-06 Thread M. Taylor 
Hello Richard,

Okay, I am posting the info to the model I purchased, below.  This model was 
suggested by V iPhone list member, James.  It was the best purchase I've made 
in years.

Mark

Original Post:
I’ve had a Sensi model st55 for 2 years now. Be sure you get this cheaper 
$80.00, model available from Amazon.  It has buttons that control selecting 
heat or air conditioning and changing the temperature and more.  It also works 
with Alexa and there is an app for I Phone and I think, Android.
Note, the more expensive model is flat screen only.  No buttons.  The buttons 
are important for a blind person to use the thermostat in case your internet 
goes down.

The $80.00, thermostat with buttons is model ST55.  Here is an Amazon link.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NB1OB0I/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8=16b53869f5473df1c2e96eaa091b5ae3_cr_id=1865675060401_rd_plhdr=t_rd_r=a4851b0d-8d87-4199-8c2b-32c4437daff2_rd_w=8kn92_rd_wg=ViTHK_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_bkgd

HTH,

James B

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:17 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big 
deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this capability, 
completely independent of a sighted person.

When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the A/C 
off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is already 
nice and cool.

Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am 
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level of 
accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.

Mark


--
The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.

If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you 
feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.

Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor.  Mark can be reached at:  
mk...@ucla.edu.  Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
caraqu...@caraquinn.com

The archives for this list can be searched at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/
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RE: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-06 Thread Richard 
Mark, what thermostat are you using? That  alone could cause me to purchase the 
home  kit. Thanks!

-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 9:07 AM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS and 
iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or 
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind 
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature set 
points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is not a big 
deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this capability, 
completely independent of a sighted person.

When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the A/C 
off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is already 
nice and cool.

Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am 
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level of 
accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.

Mark


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Re: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-05 Thread Grant Hardy 
Having an accessible, HomeKit thermostat is one of those things that once
you have it, it's impossible to ever go back. :)

I had my thermostat replaced with a smart one a few years ago, and it's
been wonderful. Ironically, the manufacturer's app isn't very accessible,
but I just use HomeKit which is 100% accessible. The ability to not have to
play the guessing game by pressing buttons/turning a dial when I can't see
the display, is truly wonderful.

While all assistants can trigger your smart home remotely, I love that
HomeKit has automatic triggers. I set everything, including the heat, to
turn off when I leave—or in the winter, just turn down significantly when I
leave. Then turn back up when I arrive. The ability to set it and forget it
is awesome.

Grant Hardy



On Fri, Aug 4, 2023 at 7:06 AM M. Taylor  wrote:

> Hello Everyone,
>
> During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my
> house.
>
> I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS
> and iPad OS.
>
> Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on
> or
> off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind
> person.
>
> However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature
> set points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is
> not a big deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this
> capability, completely independent of a sighted person.
>
> When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the
> A/C off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is
> already nice and cool.
>
> Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I
> am
> not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level
> of accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.
>
> Mark
>
>
> --
> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone
> list.
>
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or
> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the
> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>
> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor.  Mark can be reached at:
> mk...@ucla.edu.  Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at
> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
>
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/
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> .
>
-- 
Grant Hardy

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Re: I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-04 Thread Cris Ali 
I feel the same way. I changed my HVacs system few weeks ago. The new system 
came with ecobee3 lite thermostat. It is great to just order siri to set the 
temperature to my liking.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 4, 2023, at 10:06 AM, M. Taylor  wrote:
> 
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my
> house.
> 
> I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS
> and iPad OS.
> 
> Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or
> off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind
> person.
> 
> However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature
> set points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is
> not a big deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this
> capability, completely independent of a sighted person.
> 
> When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the
> A/C off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is
> already nice and cool.
> 
> Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am
> not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level
> of accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> -- 
> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.
> 
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> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
> 
> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor.  Mark can be reached at:  
> mk...@ucla.edu.  Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
> 
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> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/
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I Continue to Appreciate the Accessibility of Apple Home Kit

2023-08-04 Thread M. Taylor 
Hello Everyone,

During the winter, I had a Home Kit compatible thermostat installed in my
house.

I continue to truly appreciate the temperature control I now enjoy via iOS
and iPad OS.

Until I installed this thermostat, I either had to turn the A/C either on or
off.  The old legacy thermostats was simply not accessible to me as a blind
person.

However, I recently began having Siri keep the house between 2 temperature
set points such as 78 to 82 degrees. It is wonderful.  Now I know this is
not a big deal for sighted people but, until now, I have not enjoyed this
capability, completely independent of a sighted person.

When I am away from the house for any significant period of time, with the
A/C off, I tell Siri to turn the A/C on before I get home and the house is
already nice and cool.

Now I know this can be done with both Alexa and the Google assistant so I am
not promoting Siri over anything; I just continue to be amazed at the level
of accessibility that I never would have dreamed of 30 years ago.

Mark


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