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Switching on HomeKit with iHome's Siri powered plug (pictures)

The iHome iSP5 SmartPlug can give Siri control over formerly dumb electronics.

Andrew Gebhart
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1 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

The iHome iSP5 SmartPlug connects to your home's Wi-Fi network, and its app gives you control over anything plugged into it. It also uses HomeKit to permit Siri voice control. Click through to find out how.

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2 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Plug any electronic device you'd like into the $39.99 iHome SmartPlug, and download the free iHome Control app for your iOS or Android device.

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3 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

I plugged a lamp into the iHome SmartPlug and could turn it on or off remotely.

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4 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

When the lamp was on, the H in the bottom left corner illuminated.

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5 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

The plug provides grounded power.

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6 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Conveniently, the plug only takes up one outlet.

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7 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

After you connect it to your Wi-Fi network, you'll see the LED in the upper right corner turn solid green.

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8 of 14 Screenshots by Andrew Gebhart/CNET

The setup process on iOS is simple.

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9 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

You'll need to put in the specific PIN for your device.

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10 of 14 Screenshots by Andrew Gebhart/CNET

Then you can control it via the app and set rules.

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11 of 14 Screenshots by Andrew Gebhart/CNET

Better yet, via HomeKit, you can control your device via Siri. Set "scenes" (collections of settings), and give your device a specific name. Siri will then respond to commands including the device name or the scene name.

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12 of 14 Screenshots by Andrew Gebhart/CNET

You'll organize your devices into "Homes." Apple's HomeKit software establishes these buckets so you can group devices from multiple companies. You can then share all the devices in your home with your family, even if your family uses Android phones.

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13 of 14 Screenshots by Andrew Gebhart/CNET

The iHome SmartPlug works with Android too, though the app is quite a bit simpler.

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14 of 14 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

With the $40 iHome iSP5 SmartPlug, you can use Siri to remotely control anything with a plug.

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