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Blog Posts

Aqara Unveils Its Initial Matter-Compatible Camera and New Apple Home-Enabled Wired Doorbell in HomeKit Weekly Roundup

Aqara has recently broadened its range of smart home security products with the launch of two notable devices: the Camera Hub G350 and the Doorbell Camera G400. These introductions are especially significant as they strengthen the Apple Home ecosystem, offering users enhanced features at a reasonable price.

### Camera Hub G350

The Camera Hub G350 represents Aqara’s initial entry into Matter-certified cameras, building on their prior Apple HomeKit products. This gadget serves a dual role, acting as a high-definition camera as well as a Zigbee hub and Matter Controller. It features an advanced dual lens arrangement, which includes a 4K wide-angle camera paired with a 2.5K telephoto lens. Although Apple Home currently restricts video resolution to 1080p, the Camera Hub G350 showcases remarkable abilities, such as up to 9x hybrid zoom and a fluid pan-tilt mechanism that provides thorough 360-degree coverage. Its onboard AI is engineered to automatically follow individuals and pets, ensuring they stay within the camera’s view.

A notable attribute of the Camera Hub G350 is its physical lens cover, which automatically shields the camera when it is powered off, enhancing privacy. The device permits local microSD storage of up to 512 GB, along with options for NAS backup. Moreover, it is compatible with HomeKit Secure Video, although its performance will be assessed through additional testing.

### Doorbell Camera G400

The Doorbell Camera G400 is a wired doorbell option that offers 2K resolution and a 165-degree ultra-wide field of view, enabling users to clearly see visitors and packages. A key improvement is its capability for Power over Ethernet (PoE), delivering both power and a wired network connection. For those lacking an Ethernet setup, the device can connect using existing doorbell wiring and accommodates both 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6.

This doorbell camera is crafted for seamless integration with Apple Home and supports HomeKit Secure Video, as well as RTSP for streaming to a Network Video Recorder (NVR). It is also compatible with platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. Importantly, the local AI detection feature claims to recognize people and motion without needing an internet connection, which will be subject to further evaluation in practical usage.

### Conclusion

Aqara remains committed to prioritizing privacy and local control in its hardware offerings. The Camera Hub G350 and Doorbell Camera G400 are now available, and subsequent testing will shed light on their performance during everyday use. These devices signify a considerable advancement in bolstering smart home security while upholding affordability and ease of integration within the Apple Home ecosystem.

Mini Review of the ThinkNode M6: Outdoor Solar Power for Meshtastic

ThinkNode M6 Meshtastic Review

Elecrow has sent us a solar-powered ThinkNode M6 Meshtastic device for review. Last year, I reviewed the ThinkNode M1 and M2 Meshtastic nodes, and I was a bit disappointed by the point-to-point range in a suburban environment, where I got about 550 meters of range after switching to LONG SLOW mode. Nine months have passed since that review, and there still doesn’t seem to be any Meshtastic community in the second-largest city in Thailand, probably because typical Meshtastic terminals are more expensive than entry-level Android smartphones, have limited functionality, and the mobile app is still a mess despite a revamp. Nevertheless, when Elecrow asked me whether I wanted to test the “ThinkNode M6 outdoor solar power for Meshtastic”, I thought it might be fun. The main purpose of this mini review is to check the range I get using the M6 as a router between the M1 and M2 nodes. […]

The post Mini review of the ThinkNode M6 “outdoor solar power for Meshtastic” appeared first on CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

Spotify’s ‘Taste Profile’ Beta Enables Users to Personalize Music Exploration

Another beta is commencing for Premium subscribers, focusing on taste.

Spotify’s new beta updates spotlight Taste Profile, a feature that enables users to view how the platform interprets their musical preferences and allows them to manage it. Taste Profile will provide an overview of a user’s recent artists and genres, while offering a text box for users to indicate what they want more or less of. Recent enhancements for Spotify include offline lyrics and a Prompted Playlists beta for the United States and Canada.

Spotify’s method for assessing your musical tastes for recommendations is receiving an upgrade following a beta that is set to launch soon.

In a Newsroom announcement, Spotify revealed its plans to initiate a Taste Profile beta in a selected international market. Right from the start, Spotify states that Taste Profile will serve as the user’s direct gateway to understanding how the platform perceives their music listening preferences. It further explains, “Taste Profile is meant to capture new facets of your taste, like your ongoing interests and habits.” As part of its initiative to enhance personalization and “transparency,” Spotify mentions that users in this beta can adjust their Taste Profile.

A brief video demonstrated that, upon entering the Taste Profile beta, Premium testers in New Zealand will observe a complete breakdown. This breakdown will feature your “recent taste,” including artists you’ve favored and genres. Nevertheless, the key focus here is when you scroll down to locate the “Tell us more” box.

This text box allows the user to denote what they’d like to hear more of. If you’ve been really into metalcore, Sabrina Carpenter, or perhaps the K-Pop group, Itzy, you can inform your profile. Conversely, as Spotify mentions, you can also direct the platform on what to omit from your Taste Profile. If it has been delivering too much of a particular genre or artist simply because you listened to one or two tracks someone suggested, you can instruct it to remove those.

The announcement notes, “Your feedback influences what gets prioritized, what gets reduced, and what you encounter next on the Spotify homepage.” As noted earlier, this is a test for Premium users launching in New Zealand “over the coming weeks.”

Navigating the personalized path

In the spirit of personalization, Spotify initiated a beta at the start of the year named “Prompted Playlists.” This feature has now extended its beta to users in the United States and Canada, allowing Premium users to convey to Spotify’s systems the type of music they wish to hear. Prompted Playlists would take into account the user’s account history, moods, cultural influences, and more. After clicking “generate,” Spotify would assemble a playlist that (ideally) aligns with the description you’ve provided, alongside a text overview at the top of the list.

Spotify has recently introduced additional updates, such as one for “About this song,” which offers users background information about an artist’s creative inspiration. Early February brought offline lyrics to users and the official rollout of lyric “Previews” when viewing the Now Playing screen.

Android Central’s Perspective

Our musical preferences can spark intriguing conversations. I know individuals whose musical tastes contrast with mine, and I’ve explored their preferences along with my own. I frequently use Spotify, particularly while writing, and there are instances when a song seems like an outlier. This might be due to something I listened to briefly or perhaps a song from years back. However, from my understanding, this beta can assist us in fine-tuning our experience, ensuring we hear only what we desire. Considering it this way, I’m eager for its arrival in the States.