Logitech announced its Harmony API today, an open-software push designed to merge home entertainment and smart-home gadgets into a single controller. This actually sounds a lot like Neeo , a universal entertainment-and-smart-home remote that launched on Kickstarter yesterday and has already exceeded its initial $50,000 goal.
But where Neeo's third-party partnerships aren't exactly confirmed (for example, Neeo is part of the Nest Developer Program, but doesn't have official "Works with Nest" status), Logitech says it has locked down the likes of SmartThings , IFTTT, Ivee and UCIC (the folks behind the voice control Ubi , or "ubiquitous computer").
That means that Logitech's Harmony network of 270,000-plus entertainment and smart home products could be used in all sorts of new and innovative ways. UCIC, in particular, is already working on making voice control a possibility from the Harmony platform. Logitech also listed gesture and motion control as a potential addition to Harmony's existing functionality.
This way, Harmony's "one-touch" activities like "Watch a Movie" or "Listen to Music" could soon be controlled with a flail of the arm and multiple automations, like turning on your TV and lowering your lights could be activated with a single trigger word. Check out Harmony's website for more information, and stay tuned for updates on the newly-announced Harmony API.