Iris Users | Steve White | Activity

Steve White wrote a new post, SmartThings at Lowes! Is Lowe's Serious about Iris?

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 02:37:54 +0000

It has been nearly 18 months since we made the switch from Iris to SmartThings. With no regrets and a bright future ahead, we have never looked back. Things have changed over those 18 months, to be sure. […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Engadget picks SmartThings as the top Smart Hub

Sat, 22 Oct 2016 00:41:20 +0000

Engadget today published results of their research of the top 20 Smart Home systems and named SmartThings as it’s recommended pick. The news shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who uses Iris, but the r […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Goodbye, Iris! Part 2

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 16:34:45 +0000

In the first part of this series we chronicled the instability, the frustration, and inability to achieve any sort of stability with the second generation of Lowe’s Iris. Problems seemed to be everywhere. So […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Goodbye, Iris! Part 1

Fri, 20 May 2016 21:57:36 +0000

After growing increasingly frustrated with the evolution of Iris V2, the IrisUsers family has decided to part ways with Lowe’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love Iris, and so does the family, or at least we used to. V1 […]

Steve White wrote a new post, That's All Folks! Iris V1 Shutdown on June 30th.

Mon, 02 May 2016 20:35:41 +0000

If you haven’t already heard the news, Lowe’s today sent an e-mail to all users with an active Iris V1 hub. The news wasn’t good. The Iris V1 shutdown is scheduled to take place on June 30th. Like the Revolv […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Cellular Service Discontinued by Lowes

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 16:06:32 +0000

Cellular data service for Iris has been discontinued according to a recently e-mailed announcement from IrisByLowes. The notice warned that on June 30th all cellular backup service plans would be turned […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris System Monitor Updated

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 03:14:06 +0000

We have made the Iris System Monitor even better! The Iris Users Iris System Monitor (ISM) now checks for the latest platform versions and monitors even more Iris V2 services. Our Iris status tool is built up […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Save Instant Pack Film - You can help!

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 03:51:13 +0000

Long before there was Home Automation, before computers connected the world, and digital cameras lived in everyone’s pocket, there was the Polaroid Instant pack film camera, an innovation released to the world […]

Steve White commented on the post, Iris Outage - What you need to know!

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 23:05:42 +0000

I would go and check your settings to make sure the phone number assigned to your account was not lost. Even if it is there, I would enter it again and save it. Give that a try and let me know how you make out!

Steve White wrote a new post, Outage is Over - What you need to know!

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 22:35:07 +0000

For most, Tuesday’s Iris outage is over with some experiencing a few minor, lingering issues. IrisByLowes has released an impact statement with some very helpful troubleshooting information for anyone who is s […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris Outage - What you need to know!

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 22:31:35 +0000

If you are having a problem logging into your V2 Iris system you are not alone. We have been alerted by the Iris management team that there is in fact an outage that is currently affecting the system.

The […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris V2 Platform Update - 1.7 Coming Soon!

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 22:08:12 +0000

If you noticed a short outage today you are not alone, and with it comes good news! The folks at Lowes were busy pushing our a major platform in preparation of the release of version 1.7. The apps have not be […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Works with Iris: PeQ Water Sensor

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 02:19:12 +0000

We have a small bit of good news for users of Iris 2.0. It’s no secret that the original Iris had a quirk where some devices, despite having no official support, would pair with basic functionality. Some of […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris Support - January storm affecting call times

Sat, 23 Jan 2016 17:22:00 +0000

If you have been following the news today it is hard to miss the coverage about the East coast Blizzard. With several feet of snow hundreds stranded on roadways, coastal homes being flooded, it’s a mess out t […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris System Monitor Updated for V2

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 01:13:28 +0000

We have updated our Iris System Monitor to track the uptime of the new V2 platform. As with the legacy V1 monitors, out monitoring system will check and report the status of the V2 cloud servers every 5 minut […]

Steve White wrote a new post, New Iris Devices on Sale

Sun, 25 Oct 2015 15:07:35 +0000

If you are looking to stock up on the newly released sensors for Iris V2 now might be a great opportunity to do so.

V2 Iris Contact Sensor is on sale for $22.99 (was $24.99).
V2 Iris Keypad is on […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Second Generation Iris Videos Online

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 18:29:27 +0000

It looks like Lowe’s has added setup videos for all of the currently known second generation devices on their Iris by Lowe’s Youtube channel. At the time of this post, the videos currently available in […]

Steve White wrote a new post, New Iris Care Pendant Coming to Iris

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 23:24:48 +0000

A new Iris Care Pendant is coming! Just last week we dug through a pile of recently filed FCC documents revealing some insight into what lies ahead for Lowe’s Iris. What we did not report at the time wa […]

Steve White wrote a new post, New Iris Contact Sensor is Coming Soon

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 04:15:15 +0000

A new Iris Contact Sensor is coming! Last week we dug through a pile of recently filed FCC documents revealing some insight into what lies ahead for Lowe’s Iris. What we did not report at the time w […]

Steve White wrote a new post, First Look – New Iris Motion Sensor

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 03:50:39 +0000

During our ongoing search of recently filed FCC documents it was revealed that a new Iris Motion Sensor is in line to replace the current motion sensor.

This new motion sensor is advertised to be smaller t […]

Steve White wrote a new post, A First Look at the New Iris Hub!

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 03:55:46 +0000

At last, recently published FCC documents have revealed what the new Iris hub is going to look like. They even give some insight into some of the new technologies that are going to be in it. Our initial in […]

Steve White wrote a new post, New Iris Smart Button Uncovered!

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 03:52:44 +0000

A search of recently filed FCC documents has revealed that a new Iris Smart button is in line to replace the current Smart Button.

This new Smart Button appears to be smaller than the current device […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Coming Soon – New Iris Keyfob

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 15:57:11 +0000

A search of recently filed FCC documents has revealed that a new Iris Keyfob is in line to replace the current fob.

The new 4-button keyfob appears to be very small, 1.64″ wide x 2.12″ tall x 0.52″ thick […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Flooded out! Testing the Iris Water Leak Detector

Thu, 28 May 2015 03:25:21 +0000

A week before Memorial Day 2015 the seemingly unimaginable happened soon after moving in to our new house; a heavy rainstorm dropped several inches of rain in less than a half hour causing the city sewer system to […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Another Iris Outage? Perhaps not.

Wed, 20 May 2015 16:35:50 +0000

It appears that Iris may be down yet again. When logging into the Iris website I was greeted with a “Hub not found” error and all of my devices being offline. Our hub also shows an error indication again. This […]

Steve White commented on the post, Iris outage - is Iris down for you?

Wed, 20 May 2015 03:05:33 +0000

My thoughts exactly. This is the first significant outage of the Iris system in a very long time. Despite all of it’s current limitations, Lowe’s has done a great job of maintaining the availability of the Iris system.

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris outage - is Iris down for you?

Wed, 20 May 2015 00:52:35 +0000

Iris systems currently appear to be down. Our Iris system monitor is currently seeing fluctuations in availability on the main Iris website as well as the API server. Various members of the LivingWithIris forum […]

Steve White commented on the post, Verizon Cellular Modem Information & Instructions

Tue, 12 May 2015 04:57:09 +0000

That’s a great tip! Thank you for the suggestion!

Steve White wrote a new post, Hub Update 4.06r05 status; possible Alarm problem?

Tue, 12 May 2015 03:49:48 +0000

It’s been almost a week since the 4.06r05 hub update was released that brought support for some yet to be released devices along with the usual “performance enhancements and bug fixes”. Outside of the issues […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris hub not discontinued, no new hub in sight.

Sun, 19 Apr 2015 03:32:37 +0000

A few weeks ago Lowe’s was blowing out the old hubs for $5 with the rumored intent to clear out the old stock before the release of the new hub. Well, so much for that theory, the old hub has recently been […]

Steve White wrote a new post, New $49.99 Iris Hub at Lowes.com

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 03:20:39 +0000

It appears that the long wait for the new Iris hub might just be over; a new Iris hub has at last appeared at lowes.com. The listing on Lowe’s site is absent many details outside of what the hub does. The hub […]

Steve White commented on the post, Could AlertMe Omnia be coming to Lowe's Iris?

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 22:24:32 +0000

Very interesting. I don’t think it will impact the future of Iris but one never knows. One need look no further than Revolv to see what can happen when a smart home company is acquired.

Steve White wrote a new post, An early look at myLowes (Iris)

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:13:30 +0000

When you think of myLowes the first thing that comes to mind is that little key tag that cashiers ask to scan each time you make a purchase. However, at one point in time it was envisioned to be more than a […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris for iOS 1.9.30 Released

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:36:55 +0000

Lowe’s today released an update to the Iris iOS app which adds support for the new GE indoor modules and recently released lock scheduling feature. Aside from the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements, […]

Steve White wrote a new post, GE refreshes Z-Wave products with new dimmers, fan controls, more

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 20:48:09 +0000

Over the past few months GE has quietly made changes to nearly their entire lineup of Z-Wave control products by updating existing in-wall switches and dimmers, and by introducing ceiling fan controllers along […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Appliance Widget Uncovered

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 03:27:28 +0000

Every now and then we peel back the covers on the Lowe’s Iris ecosystem to see what hidden treasures hide within. While we often focus on on the mobile app, today we took a deep dive into the underlying code […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Could AlertMe Omnia be coming to Lowe's Iris?

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 02:25:00 +0000

Back in September of 2014, AlertMe.com Ltd., the company that created AlertMe Home, the underlying technology used by the Lowe’s Iris system released Omnia, it’s next generation of connected home automation […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris mobile app for iOS adds support for TouchID

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:44:48 +0000

[caption id="attachment_307" align="alignleft" width="150"] What’s New in 1.9.21[/caption]

Lowes today released an update for iOS users adding support for TouchID fingerprint authentication. Apple iPhone users with TouchID enabled iOS 8 devices can now take advantage of TouchID support within the Iris mobile app and eliminate the use of passwords. This is a major security and convenience win for Lowes.

[caption id="attachment_311" align="alignright" width="150"] Visit settings within the Iris app to enable TouchID support.[/caption]

Here’s how it works; after going into settings in the Iris app and enabling TouchID support you will be prompted to enter your current Iris PIN. After successfully entering your Iris PIN, TouchID support is ready to use. The next time the app is opened it can be unlocked using either a PIN or fingerprint.

Outside of TouchID support there appears to be no noticeable changes or new device support.

Please report any new features or changes by leaving a comment below.

Steve White wrote a new post, The Trouble with Toggles

Sun, 09 Nov 2014 20:32:37 +0000

The Holidays are almost upon us and for many like myself that means lots of lights and decorations. In our household, last year was the first Christmas with Iris and in retrospect the experience could be described as less of It’s a Wonderful Life and more like Home Alone. There were times I felt I was playing Macaulay Culkin’s role of Kevin McCallister because the crazy, yet creative schemes he used thorough the movies felt all too familiar. Our experience last year was fraught with frustration involving system outages, bad hub updates, cranky Radio Thermostats and Magic Rules possessing a dark magic more appropriate for a haunted house.

Movie references aside, there are simple enhancements that could transform the Iris Smart Home system into well, a Smart Home system. This post covers just one which we believe has the single biggest impact on the usability of the system; toggles. The concept of toggles is quite simple, take whatever on/off state a device is currently in and invert, or change it to the opposite. It’s a concept that works okay for single devices with limitations, but fails miserably when applied to device groups.

As an example, let’s take a look at a common scenario of using a Smart Button to control two light switches as you might for a driveway lamp post and entryway light. In this scenario you’re expecting company so you press the Smart Button expecting to turn on the lights to welcome your guests. If both switches are in the same state, in this case off, Iris will command them both to turn on lighting the way for your guests. This scenario fails when both of the devices are not in the same state (on or off) meaning a press of the Smart Button will frustratingly turn one on while the other turns off. This is because device groups in Iris are not stateful meaning Iris does not keep track of whether the group as a collective is actually on or off, instead toggling the individual devices based on their state. The situation rapidly devolves into chaos when magic rules are used to control individual devices within the group such as using a contact sensor on a door to turn on the entryway light.

Looking back to our own Nightmare Before Christmas where magic rules toggling a group of devices with a Smart Button would toggle the state of each device in a group as expected while one random device in the group would receive an toggle command. This bizarre behavior happened almost every time and would always guarantee that a member of the group would break ranks and return to its previous state. The lack of a stateful toggle could likely have prevented this behavior and saved a lot of grief last year.

So the question is, how can Lowe’s fix this? First, Iris doesn’t manage individual device states and it should, either through tracking or polling, the end result is the same. The best way to track device group states is to poll each device in a group and use the majority state (on or off) as the group state. To be truly smart, Iris must implement state detection into rules too. For example, the magic rule to control a device when a contact sensor is activated already has the option to turn on or off a device for a period of time. A simple checkbox for “Ignore rule if device is already on/off” would help and prevent devices turned on by one rule from being overridden by another.

To illustrate how this could be implemented, let’s look at a common rule that anyone using Iris has probably implemented at some point…

When a sensor is activated then control a device
When the is activated then set the to

The problem with Iris as it stands right now is that over the past year it has not become any smarter and that needs to change. Sure there are a few more device options now than last year at this time but even the rules for those devices are anemic at best. The lack of a mechanism for advanced users to extend the system, the inability to add complex or stacked rules, and most significantly, the closed ecosystem of Iris are going to be its downfall if things do not change. Lowe’s is not Apple, and the sooner they realize that, the sooner Iris will really take off and outshine its competitors.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Steve White wrote a new post, Is the Aeon Labs Z-Wave Smart Energy Meter coming to Iris?

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 05:01:11 +0000

Every now and then we take a look under the hood of Iris and see what little gems of information may be hiding underneath. A favorite spot to look for clues is the section where device icons can be found. We […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Update: Iris Hub Upgrade v4.02r05 Available

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 18:03:32 +0000

The Iris team has released an upgrade to the Smart Hub. This release upgrades the hub to v4.02r05 from v4.02r04. There are no official reports yet as to what fixes or improvements this release brings.

We have done some digging into the update and aside from the usual performance enhancements and bug fixes a new “Coming Soon” device is listed in the Add Devices screen. The AO Smith Water Heater module is now available to install as of this update,

[caption id="attachment_283" align="alignright" width="191"] AO Smith Water Heater Coming Soon[/caption]

however it’s unlikely you’ll get your hands on one anytime soon as they have not yet been released. Based on what we know, this module is a bridge between Iris and the Whirlpool EnergySmart line of hot water heaters that Lowes has been selling for years and the Iris ecosystem.

[caption id="attachment_286" align="alignleft" width="150"] AO Smith Water Heater Instructions[/caption]

If you spot any more changes in behavior, features, or functionality please report them to us.

We will continue to monitor for updates to the Iris website and mobile apps.

Steve White wrote a new post, New Iris Smart Meter Link - Already in the iOS App?

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 05:07:03 +0000

As reported by Livingwithiris, a new Iris Smart Meter Link USB dongle has silently appeared on the Lowes website under the Home Automation & Security products category. With little information on the Lowes […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Openness and the Real Iris API

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 04:15:24 +0000

When Iris first launched back in 2012, one of the initial statements from Lowes that it was their goal to open the platform for 3rd party developers. After 18 months, like some Iris accessories, it’s safe to […]

Steve White started the topic Iris System Monitor Updated! in the forum All Things Iris

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 18:39:31 +0000

The Iris System Monitor widget has been updated to include a hub software version check. This new feature represents the first real-world use our upcoming PHP API for Iris.

The monitor will check the Iris servers every hour for the release of new firmware. If an update becomes available, the System Monitor will automatically show an update is…[Read more]

Steve White replied to the topic Opinions Wanted! in the forum All Things Iris

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:47:37 +0000

Ray,

First, please allow me to welcome you to IrisUsers! I took your suggestion about adding a login button to the main menu. Thank you for the tip!

I completely agree with you in being able to cater those who want to just use their system and get the most out of their investment as well as to those who want to tinker and try to make Iris do…[Read more]

Steve White wrote a new post, Where is the Meter Reader, Tilt Sensor, & Others

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:16:40 +0000

As with many big purchases, I exercised due diligence in product research and window shopping before making the initial purchase. When I was evaluating Iris 4 1.2 months ago the single most significant […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Introducing the Iris System Monitor

Sat, 08 Feb 2014 18:41:37 +0000

There are few who would argue that December and the first half of January were not exactly the best months for the Iris system. A combination of hub updates and system outages closed out 2013 on a sour note […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Iris Front Line Support Tool Uncovered

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:05:23 +0000

While the latest hub firmware release turned out to be pretty much a dud with no important bug fixes or notable enhancements, I did manage to turn up something of interest while taking an in-depth dive into […]

Steve White wrote a new post, Update: Iris Hub Upgrade v3.06r83 Available

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:16:13 +0000

The Iris team has released an upgrade to the Smart Hub. This release upgrades the hub to v3.06r83 from v3.06r81. There are no official reports yet as to what fixes or improvements this release brings, but […]

Steve White changed their profile picture

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 03:28:57 +0000