Get instant mobile alerts with a camera snapshot automation.

Learn how to capture a photo from your camera and push it directly to your phone. This setup uses a simple save path configuration to ensure you never miss a moment when your security system triggers. Perfect for home automation enthusiasts wanting better surveillance.

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This 30cm smart light packs 2400 lumens and full RGBIC control. See if it is the right upgrade for your smart home setup.

Pick one up here: https://geni.us/yktmgjP
FP300: https://geni.us/OkdqMb
Full review on my channel

If you are looking to add some atmosphere to your room, this 30cm smart LED bar offers adjustable colour temperatures from 2700K to 6500K. I have been testing the output and features to see how it handles daily use, including the music mode that reacts to your audio. It is built with 5VA flame-retardant material, making it a safe choice for mounting near your desk or entertainment area.

The light provides impressive brightness, reaching up to 2400 lumens, which is plenty for accent or task lighting. Whether you are using it for gaming or just need a reliable RGBIC lighting solution, this unit integrates well into a wider ecosystem. I break down the specs and performance to help you decide if it fits your current needs.

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The post New Video – Stop buying cheap ceiling lights! #smartlighting #tech #homehack appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Here’s what it’s like to live with, including the setup, the automations I run it with, and the couple of things worth knowing before you buy.

Govee LED Ceiling Light review: the quick verdict

• Price: around £40 to £45
• Best for: kitchens and other rooms that need a lot of light
• Works with: Matter (Apple Home, Home Assistant), Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings
• What I liked: very bright whites, quick to respond, solid reliability over a year
• What I didn’t: you have to set it up in the Govee app first, and the effects and music sync stay locked to that app

Design

The Govee LED Ceiling Light comes in a round version and a square version, and both cost around the same. Mine is the square one. It has softly rounded corners, a subtle LED ring around the edge and the main light panel in the middle.

It looks best against a white ceiling, where it blends in rather than standing out. Overall it’s a clean, modern looking light that doesn’t scream “smart home gadget”, which is exactly what I wanted in a kitchen.

Specs and features

For a light at this price, the spec sheet is better than you’d expect:

• Brightness: up to 2400 lumens, which is genuinely very bright
• White temperature: adjustable from a warm 2700K up to a cool 6500K
• Colour: RGBIC, so it can show more than one colour at a time
• Music mode: built in, for syncing the light to whatever you’re playing
• Safety: made from flame retardant materials
• Smart home support: Matter, plus Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, with Bluetooth used for the initial setup from your phone

You get pretty much everything you need in the box, including screws and wire connectors, so there’s no extra trip to the shops before fitting it.

Installation and setup

Wiring it up

First things first: if you don’t know what you’re doing with mains wiring, get a qualified electrician to fit it. It’s not worth the risk.

In my case it was an easy swap. The Govee LED Ceiling Light replaced another Apple Home compatible light I’d already installed, so it was just a case of moving the live and neutral across. That earlier light had itself replaced an old ceiling rose with several cables, including an earth, and I’d had an electrician tidy that up and add a junction box at the time. If your ceiling looks like that, an electrician is the way to go.

Pairing it in the Govee app

Even though it’s a Matter light, you’ll need to add it to the Govee app first. Open the app, tap the plus button and follow the instructions. Mine was found straight away and added in no time. You’ll give it a name and connect it to your Wi-Fi, and that’s the main setup done.

Adding it to Apple Home or Home Assistant with Matter

To get it into Apple Home, Home Assistant or another Matter platform, go into the light’s settings in the Govee app and find the Matter option. That gives you what you need to add it to the app of your choice.

While you’re in there, turn on power off memory. This makes the light go back to its last state after a power cut, rather than doing its own thing when the electricity comes back on.

Using the Govee LED Ceiling Light day to day

The Govee app

The Govee app is where you’ll find the most options. It’s where you can play with the lighting patterns and switch on music sync. They’re fun features, but I’ve always found that sort of thing a bit gimmicky on a ceiling light.

I’d also much rather control all my lights from one place, which is what Matter and Apple Home let me do. To be honest, I open the Govee app so rarely that I had to sign back in just to write this review.

Automating it with a presence sensor

Most of the time I don’t touch the light at all. I pair it with an Aqara FP300 Presence Sensor, which is battery powered and very responsive. The kitchen light comes on when I walk in and goes off when I leave.

Because it’s a presence sensor rather than a basic motion sensor, it knows I’m still there when I’m standing still chopping vegetables, so the light doesn’t switch off on me mid-prep. I’ve also set it up so the light only comes on when the room is dark enough to need it.

Thanks to Matter, I’ve run these automations first in Apple Home and later in Home Assistant, and both have been reliable and consistent.

Colours in Apple Home and Home Assistant

I don’t use the colours much in everyday life, but when I’ve played with them they’re bright and there’s a good range. The bit that matters more in a kitchen is the white light, and it’s very bright, which is exactly what you want in a room where you’re cooking and need to see properly.

Just bear in mind that the patterns, effects and music sync live in the Govee app. Apple Home and Home Assistant handle the everyday stuff, but if you want the fancier modes you’ll be going back to Govee’s app.

Reliability

Reliability is where cheap smart lights often fall down, so this was the part I cared about most. In all the time I’ve had it, the light has dropped offline once. Flicking the wall switch off and on again sorted it straight away. Apart from that one blip it has just worked, every day, which is all you can ask of a kitchen light.

Downsides

No product is perfect, and there are two things worth knowing about.

• You have to go through the Govee app first. You can’t add it straight into Apple Home or Home Assistant out of the box. This is common with Matter lights, and unless you want the patterns or music features you’ll rarely need the app again after setup.
• No LAN control. This isn’t one of the Govee products that supports LAN control, so you can’t trigger its effects through a local API. If you’re a Home Assistant user hoping to automate the fancy effects, that’s worth knowing.

Verdict: is the Govee LED Ceiling Light worth it?

For me, yes. The Govee LED Ceiling Light is bright, responsive and works well with Apple Home and Home Assistant through Matter. It’s also one of only a few smart ceiling lights I’ve found that’s listed as suitable for a kitchen, and at around £40 to £45 I think it’s good value.

The main question to ask yourself before buying is whether you want the light effects and music sync. If you do, you’ll be using the Govee app for those. If, like me, you mostly want a bright, dependable light that slots into your existing smart home, it’s an easy recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Govee LED Ceiling Light work with Apple Home?

Yes. It’s Matter compatible, so once you’ve set it up in the Govee app you can add it to Apple Home using the Matter option in the light’s settings.

Does the Govee LED Ceiling Light work with Home Assistant?

Yes, through Matter. I’ve run my presence sensor automations in Home Assistant and they’ve been reliable. It doesn’t support LAN control, though, so you can’t run its effects through a local API.

Do I need the Govee app?

You need it for the first setup and to get the Matter details. After that you only need it for the lighting patterns, music sync and settings like power off memory.

How bright is it?

It goes up to 2400 lumens, which is plenty for a kitchen. You can also adjust the white from warm 2700K to cool 6500K.

Can I fit it myself?

If you’re confident and competent with mains wiring, the fixings and connectors are in the box. If you’re not, or your ceiling has an old rose with several cables, get an electrician to do it.

The post Govee LED Ceiling Light Review: A Bright, Affordable Matter Light for Apple Home and Home Assistant appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Is the Govee smart light worth it? I review the 30cm square ceiling light, testing its Matter compatibility.

Purchase here: https://geni.us/yktmgjP
The FP300 Presence Sensor: https://geni.us/OkdqMb

This review covers the design and performance of the Govee smart light in a real-world kitchen setting. I look at how it integrates into your existing setup, specifically focusing on its ease of use for those who rely on Apple Home or Home Assistant for their automation routines.

I demonstrate the colour-changing capabilities of this smart ceiling light and evaluate how well it performs as an affordable lighting solution. I show you how this hardware functions within a modern smart home without the typical setup headaches.

Subscribe for weekly smart home tech breakdowns, and comment below if you want to see more lighting reviews.

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The post New Video – How I Automated My Kitchen With The Govee Square Light appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Master your Home Assistant automations with physical buttons. Learn how to configure single, double, and long press triggers today.

Many users want to bridge the gap between their physical switches and their smart home setup. This guide demonstrates how to map button presses to specific actions, using a bathroom light example to show the workflow in action.

Whether you are using Apple Home or a more advanced controller, configuring reliable button triggers is essential for a responsive environment. I walk through the setup process for each smart button press type, ensuring your hardware works exactly how you expect it to.

Subscribe for weekly smart home automation breakdowns, and comment below if you have any other devices you want me to test.

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The post New Video – One Button To Rule Your Entire Room #smarthome #tech #automation appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Automate your home security with Reolink and Home Assistant.

Learn the exact steps to connect your Reolink camera to Home Assistant and trigger custom automations based on motion detection. This tutorial simplifies the configuration process so you can start building smarter security rules today.

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The post New Video – One Camera, Infinite Automations #homeautomation #smarthome #reolink appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Get Home Assistant notifications with camera thumbnails delivered straight to your phone. Learn to configure alerts for motion.

Code you need: https://github.com/marktiddy/home-assistant-tutorials/blob/main/camera-thumbnail-notifications-in-home-assistant.md
ReoLink Camera: https://geni.us/eQ4upR

This tutorial explains how to set up camera notifications with thumbnails in Home Assistant. If you have a camera and a motion sensor integrated, you can create a custom automation that captures a snapshot whenever motion is detected. This guide covers the entire configuration process, including how to define specific triggers based on device state.

We will also look at setting conditions for your automation, specifically using a template condition to check the last triggered time. This ensures you do not get spammed with repeated alerts. By the end of this video, you will have a functional system that sends you a visual preview of camera events, making your home assistant notifications much more useful.

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The post New Video – Home Assistant Camera Notifications with Thumbnails on Apple? appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

The Aqara U600 smart lock has a convenient emergency key feature that allows you to access your home even if the battery is dead. This feature is especially useful if you forget to charge the lock or miss a notification when the battery is low. The emergency key can be used from the outside, providing a secure and easy way to regain access to your home. The Aqara U600 is also IP65 rated, making it perfect for outdoor use. In this video, I’ll be reviewing the Aqara U600 and its various features. Full video on my YouTube Channel @MarksTechVlogs

#aqara #smarthome #smartlock #homeautomation #tech #gadgets #review #tutorial #security #emergencykey #deadbatteries #ip65 #outdooruse #smartdevice #techreview #markstechvlogs #hometech #wifi #app #setup #unboxing #firstlook #techyoutube #smarthometech #homeautomation #technews

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I make small, focused iPhone apps, and I’ve spent the last few weeks updating them for the new hardware. Nine of them now support iPhone Duo. They all work the same way they always have: they’re quick, they don’t show ads, they don’t need an account, and your data stays on your phone.

Here’s what’s ready, grouped by what you’d actually use them for.

In the kitchen

The kitchen is where the bigger screen makes the most sense to me. Unfold the phone, prop it up on the worktop and you can actually read the numbers from a step away.

Recipe Scaler

Recipe Scaler resizes a recipe when you change the number of servings. Doubling a cake, halving a stew for two, or scaling cookies up to 48 for a bake sale all take a couple of taps.

• Scan recipes with the camera. Point it at a cookbook page, a printed recipe or a screenshot, and it reads the ingredients in for you to check.
• Sensible results. You get fractions you can measure, not “0.333 cups”. Small amounts stay precise and bigger ones round to clean numbers.
• Edit as you go. Add, change or remove ingredients, with volume, weight and count units.

Cook’s Converter

If you cook from American, British and European recipes, you’ll know the “how many grams is a cup of flour?” problem. Cook’s Converter answers it.

• Volume: teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, millilitres and litres
• Weight: grams, kilograms, ounces and pounds
• Temperature: Celsius, Fahrenheit and every Gas Mark from ¼ to 9
• Cups to grams for 50+ ingredients, based on each ingredient’s density, because a cup of sugar doesn’t weigh the same as a cup of flour

Tip for iPhone Duo: iOS 27 brings Split View to iPhone Duo, so you can open Recipe Scaler and Cook’s Converter side by side on the inner screen. Scale the recipe on one side and convert the awkward measurements on the other.

Air Fryer Timer

Air Fryer Timer turns oven instructions into air fryer settings. Type in the oven temperature (°C, °F or gas mark) and the cooking time, and it shows the adjusted temperature and time as you type.

It uses the usual rule of thumb: drop the temperature by 20°C (25°F) and cut the time by about 20%. Every air fryer is a bit different, so it also reminds you to check your food halfway through. You can save favourite recipes and open them with Siri Shortcuts.

At the gym

My Workout Plan

Most workout apps want a subscription and a profile before you’ve done a single rep. My Workout Plan doesn’t.

• Build your own plans with any exercises you like
• Set targets for sets, reps, weight or timed holds
• Log each set as you go, with a tick for every completed set and a progress bar for the session
• Look back at past workouts, which save automatically

There’s no account, no subscription and no cloud sync. Your training log lives on your phone.

On the road and travelling

Fuel Calculator

Fuel Calculator is built for UK drivers. It works out how much a journey will cost, how many litres you’ll use and your cost per mile.

• Imperial or metric: miles and MPG, or km and L/100km
• Journey log with mileage, fuel price, efficiency and notes
• CSV export through the share sheet, handy for mileage expense claims or your own spreadsheet
• Works offline, with UK default values so you’re not starting from scratch

Worldwide Tip Calculator

Tipping customs change a lot from one country to the next. Worldwide Tip Calculator gives you a suggested tip based on where you are, covering 25+ countries.

• Country presets with a short note on local tipping etiquette
• Split the bill between up to 20 people, with the tip and total shown per person
• Your own percentage if you’d rather set it yourself
• Local currency symbols shown automatically

For freelancers and small businesses

Simple Invoice Creator

Simple Invoice Creator is for anyone who needs to send a professional invoice without signing up to another monthly service.

• Quick invoices with automatic numbering and totals that update as you type
• Saved clients you can load in one tap
• 0% or 20% VAT with the tax broken down for you
• Print-ready PDFs with line items, tax, totals and payment terms
• Send it however you like: email, WhatsApp, Google Drive or any other app

It doesn’t need an account or an internet connection, and nothing gets uploaded anywhere. The bigger inner display on iPhone Duo is also a nicer place to check the line items before you hit send.

Just for fun

Paws and Leap

Paws and Leap is a tap-to-jump runner starring a black and white cat. The cat runs on its own, and you tap to jump over obstacles across 10 themed worlds, from a garden all the way to outer space. Each world gets faster and adds new obstacles.

There are 200 levels, and you earn up to three stars on each one depending on how many mistakes you make. The first world (20 levels) is free. A single one-off purchase unlocks the other nine. There are no ads and no subscriptions.

What Would You Rather

What Would You Rather has 1,000 “would you rather” questions, from silly to surprisingly deep. Shake the phone or tap the screen for a new one. It works offline, so it’s ideal for road trips, parties and family nights.

The app already uses a split-screen layout with one option on each half, so it suits a phone that unfolds into a bigger screen you can pass around the table.

Why these apps all work the same way

Every app on this list follows a few rules I care about:

• No ads. Nothing popping up while you’re mid-recipe or mid-workout.
• No accounts. You open the app and use it.
• Your data stays on your device. No tracking and no cloud sync you didn’t ask for.
• They do one job properly. Each app solves one problem and keeps out of your way.

Frequently asked questions

What is iPhone Duo?

iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone. It has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display. It was announced in September 2026 and went on sale on 23 October 2026, running iOS 27.

Which of these apps support iPhone Duo?

All nine apps in this post have been updated with iPhone Duo support: Recipe Scaler, Cook’s Converter, Air Fryer Timer, My Workout Plan, Fuel Calculator, Worldwide Tip Calculator, Simple Invoice Creator, Paws and Leap, and What Would You Rather.

Do I need an iPhone Duo to use them?

No. They all run on any iPhone with iOS 16.4 or later. Most of them also run on iPad, Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision Pro.

Do the apps have subscriptions?

No. None of them use subscriptions. Paws and Leap is free to start, with one optional purchase to unlock the rest of the game.

Do I need to create an account?

No. None of the apps ask you to sign up, and your data stays on your device.

Get them on the App Store

You can find all of my apps, including these iPhone Duo-ready ones, on my App Store developer page. If you’ve got an iPhone Duo and something doesn’t look quite right on either screen, let me know. I’m still tuning things for the new hardware and I’d love to hear how you’re using them.

The post 9 iPhone Duo Apps I’ve Updated for Apple’s First Foldable appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

If you need a reliable physical trigger, this Zigbee smart button offers a massive five-year battery life for your setup.

This compact device features a large, tactile button that makes controlling your scenes simple and responsive. Inside, it houses a high-capacity CR2477 battery, which is rated to last for up to 100,000 clicks or five years of regular use. It is a low-maintenance solution for anyone looking to add more control points to their home automation without constant battery swaps.

To get this working, you will need a compatible hub, such as a Sonoff USB receiver or an instance of Home Assistant to bridge the connection. Once paired, you can create physical triggers for your lighting or complex scenes across your smart home setup. It is a straightforward way to expand your control options beyond voice commands and touchscreens.

Subscribe for weekly smart home tech breakdowns, and comment below if you have any other sensors you want me to test next.

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The post New Video – The Smart Home Button You Didn’t Know You Needed 🤫 #gadgets #smarthome appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.