Unexpected Automation: 5 Interesting IoT Products: internet of things, products,

Unexpected Automation: 5 Interesting IoT Products

Posted November 12, 2014

Remember when the internet was only confined to our computer screens? Back when you had to pay for AOL, and Google was still a word only mathematicians used? Times have changed and our phones, tablets, and computers aren’t the only things that are connected to the net anymore. Designers are breathing new life into everyday products by redesigning them to intelligently interact with their users and other devices around them. Here are some interesting and unexpected products the Internet of Things has given birth to.

4 Home Automation Ideas for Entertaining Guests This Thanksgiving: for fun, holiday, home theater, lighting, smart home, thanksgiving,

4 Home Automation Ideas for Entertaining Guests This Thanksgiving

Posted November 12, 2014

Thanksgiving has the potential to get pretty chaotic. With all the cooking that needs to be done (add to that guests arriving and football blaring on the TV), it can be pretty easy to lose a degree or two of thankfulness. Here are 4 great smart home ideas that will help you kick off the holiday season just right.

The Smart House of the Future [INFOGRAPHIC]: for fun, future, infographic, smart home, smart house,

The Smart House of the Future [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted November 5, 2014

We couldn’t help but wonder what people of today think the “house of the future” will look like—or what they want in their own futuristic smart home. So we took a survey and compiled some of our favorite responses...

Working with a Home Automation Integrator: control4 dealers, installation, lifestyle, smart home,

Working with a Home Automation Integrator

Posted October 29, 2014

A realtor wouldn’t dream of selling you a house without understanding your needs and wants (or “must-haves” as they’re known these days). The same goes for the professional who designs and installs automation systems. Here are 10 tips on how to effectively work with a home automation professional.

Finding the Troublemaker: customers, home automation, troubleshooting,

Finding the Troublemaker

Posted October 23, 2014

Your Control4 system was built from the ground up with a wall-to-wall, curb-to-hall, complex system in mind. Complexity is what Control4 is for—it manages the increasing number, variety, and communication “languages” of your home’s devices, helping all work as a single, integrated system. And every Control4 product has been designed for versatility, reliability, and durability...

The Benefits of Professional Installation: control4 dealers, home automation, home control, installation, smart home,

The Benefits of Professional Installation

Posted October 22, 2014

Home automation has been inching slowly into the mainstream, and with new do-it-yourself focused systems hitting the marketplace hard and heavy, consumers are faced with the decision on whether to tackle the setup of a home automation system themselves or to hire a home systems professional to do the job. There are many good reasons to pay for a professional, and the good news is that most manufacturers have implemented technology into their systems that can streamline the programming and installation process significantly. Here are five reasons that’ll make you think seriously about hiring a home systems professional.

Double Double “Tech” and Trouble: Top Halloween Apps: for fun, holiday, mobile tech,

Double Double “Tech” and Trouble: Top Halloween Apps

Posted October 17, 2014

Halloween is fast approaching and it is my favorite time of year! The spookiness of October always excites me. I can’t get enough witches, ghosts and zombies on TV so I decided to look and see what fun I could cook up on my phone. Here are some of the best (and free) apps I found...

Home Automation. It Ain't Just About Lamp Control.: security, smart lighting,

Home Automation. It Ain't Just About Lamp Control.

Posted October 16, 2014

I can remember the exact moment when I started in home automation. My wife and I were much younger and she had “inherited” a lamp timer; you know, one of those plug-in-the-wall, hog-the-whole-socket, ugly-as-sin, monstrous things you plug your lamp into so you can...

The Control4 Advantage: connected home, lifestyle, smart home,

The Control4 Advantage

Posted October 13, 2014

When designed and installed properly by a trained, knowledgeable home systems integrator, a home automation system is able to perform some amazing feats. This goes for systems offered by Control4, as well as many other home automation products on the market. Where the differences between systems often lie is in the engineering of their control platforms. For example...

Automation Tips for 3 Distinctive Home Theater Setups: audio/video, home theater, lighting, man cave,

Automation Tips for 3 Distinctive Home Theater Setups

Posted October 11, 2014

Home theater setups can be either mundane or extraordinary. If you’re striving to create memorable movie nights for years to come, then consider these 3 distinctive home theater setups. We’ve also included some automation tips for integrating your Control4 system, so you can really get the most out of your home theater/media room.

What Does a Day in the Life of Home Automation Look Like? [INFOGRAPHIC]: family, infographic, lifestyle, smart home,

What Does a Day in the Life of Home Automation Look Like? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted October 7, 2014

Because your family doesn't live their lives the same way as the people next door, your home shouldn't function the same way either. When you life the automated life, the things your home can do to make life more enjoyable and convenient for you and your family are virtually endless. Check out our infographic to see just a few of the many ways a smart home can function throughout the day, saving time and energy as well as giving you added peace of mind while you are away.

8 Must Haves For Any High End Home Theater: audio/video, entertainment, home theater, smart home,

8 Must Haves For Any High End Home Theater

Posted October 1, 2014

Maybe you’re looking to turn your neglected garage into the ultimate cinema experience. Or perhaps you want to enhance your family movie night with a few updates to your existing home theater. No matter your vision, here are 8 must haves for the perfect automated home theater.

Light, Elevated. [VIDEO]: home automation, keycaps, smart lighting,

Light, Elevated. [VIDEO]

Posted September 26, 2014

For most people it’s common to walk into a dark house after a long day at work, fumble with the keys, and attempt to turn on that darn light switch with arms full of groceries. Control4 makes this inconvenience a thing of the past for one Sarasota, Florida homeowner with automated lighting.

It's Always the Season for More Control: for fun, seasons, smart home,

It's Always the Season for More Control

Posted September 26, 2014

This week, the transition from Summer to Fall is officially upon us. The changing seasons can oftentimes also change daily routines and even the way you interact with your home. Perhaps the Spring is a time when you enjoy nightly visits to the hot tub. In the Summer you may aim to get out of the house extra early to take advantage of the great weather. Fall may be a time where you spend countless...

Honoring Our Award-Winning Dealers at CEDIA: awards, cedia 2014, control4 dealers,

Honoring Our Award-Winning Dealers at CEDIA

Posted September 24, 2014

Wednesday night, September 10th—prior to our big launch announcement—we had the pleasure of honoring some of our top dealers from North America and Latin America in an intimate reception held in their honor. We awarded dealers with various honors, such as Dealer of the Year, and our new Circle of Excellence award.

The Coolest Things I Saw at CEDIA: cedia 2014, home technology, home theater,

The Coolest Things I Saw at CEDIA

Posted September 19, 2014

Have you ever obsessed about that piece of tech that you just “need” to have, but you know that it’s not quite in the budget? Or that your wife (or significant other) would never approve the purchase? Well, welcome to my world. Even though I fascinate about a state-of-the-art home theater room in my basement, it’s just not quite in the cards...yet. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t window shop!

There's No Place Like Home, Smart Home.: home automation, home smart home, smart home,

There's No Place Like Home, Smart Home.

Posted September 16, 2014

In this issue of Home Smart Home, enjoy a peek into other people's lives from all over the globe. You'll read how home automation technology is making its way to a pocket (or two) of paradise to ensure island dwellers always stay stress-free. You may also learn a tip from an NFL’er on how to keep games front-and-center, even when you're off the field, and downstairs in the basement. And if you're impressed by such a man cave, just wait until you see the fan cave we captured and documented near Chicago!

Sony X and W Series TV Lineup Now Control4 “Automation-Ready”: audio/video, partners, sony,

Sony X and W Series TV Lineup Now Control4 “Automation-Ready”

Posted September 11, 2014

This week, Sony announced their entire 2014 lineup of X and W Series HD and Ultra HD (4K) TVs will ship with Control4 Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP) technology built-in. This integration means that Sony X and W Series TV’s will be automation-ready right out of the box. Sony has always been a leader in television innovation, and recently has been one of the manufacturers leading the charge in Ultra HD adoption. This addition of Control4 SDDP technology shows that Sony is continuing the trend of innovation with a focus on the smart and connected home.

The Control4 Experience: audio, cedia 2014, comfort, os 2.6, security,

The Control4 Experience

Posted September 10, 2014

Over the last several months, our development teams have been busy— working diligently to deliver stunning new capabilities and features, along with several elegant changes to our user interface, to enhance the Control4 experience for both our customers and Dealers. Tonight, we unveiled all that’s new to over 1000 Control4 Dealers at the CEDIA Expo...

Why Should I Add a Home Automation System to My Home?: anywhere access, comfort, convenience, safety, security, smart home,

Why Should I Add a Home Automation System to My Home?

Posted September 5, 2014

Think back. Can you remember what it was like to change the channels of your TV manually? When channel surfing and volume tweaking meant bouncing back and forth between couch and console? Although folks from the generation that remembers these antiquated modes of control may not have realized it then, this was highly inconvenient. Fast forward to the era of handheld remote, where we have all the necessary buttons for finding and enjoying a TV program right at our fingertips.

A Guide to Media Distribution: audio/video, media distribution, whole home audio,

A Guide to Media Distribution

Posted September 3, 2014

Control4 media distribution solutions make it easy for everyone in the family to enjoy their favorite music and video anywhere in the house, instantaneously...

Game-Changing Automation for a Former NFL Player: man cave, sports, sports bar,

Game-Changing Automation for a Former NFL Player

Posted September 1, 2014

This former NFL player has a home that anyone would envy—his 17,000 square foot pad is stacked from top to bottom with the latest and greatest in automated features. But the one area that creates the most buzz is his custom, state-of-the-art gymnasium. This court is beyond cool and is filled with multimedia...

Automation Hits the Road: for fun, motorhome automation, travel,

Automation Hits the Road

Posted August 30, 2014

As someone who grew up watching Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon battle on the racetrack every weekend, I always dreamed of buying a motorhome and traveling from state to state watching every NASCAR race throughout the season. When I saw what one race fan from Georgetown, Tennessee did to his 49-foot motor coach, I considered selling everything I own to join him.

Home Theater. Simplified.: home automation, home theater, lighting control,

Home Theater. Simplified.

Posted August 28, 2014

Many homeowners desire the simplification that home automation can bring to their lives but either worry about the potential cost associated with it or they simply just don’t know where to begin. A common starting point for home automation revolves around A/V entertainment...

Off the Wall: Automated Table Tennis: automated lift, for fun, sports, table tennis,

Off the Wall: Automated Table Tennis

Posted August 26, 2014

While I’ve seen my fair share of table tennis set-ups, I’ve never seen one quite like this one. Lightweight and collapsible, this ping-pong table lent itself well to being integrated into a larger home automation project. With the press of one simple button...