An Emphasis on ‘Trusted’: How network certification raises the bar for smart home services: andy bell, networking, pakedge, pcna, tech, trusted, uk,

An Emphasis on ‘Trusted’: How network certification raises the bar for smart home services

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Finding a dealer with skills you can trust is key to enjoying a superior smart home experience. Smart home or not, any homeowner who experiences an internet outage knows what an irritating inconvenience it can be to be abruptly jolted back into the dark ages. Just about all of our modern luxuries, and even our home security systems, are now dependent on connectivity. This means that the more technology your home has, the more important it is that your network performs at its peak. But not all networks are built the same, because not all technology integrators are the same.

Customizing the Smart Home: Putting the Power into the Homeowner's Hands

By Crystal Watts

In the past few years, we’ve seen a growing divide in the smart home market, centered around the fundamental differences between mass-market smart devices and professionally installed home automation systems. And as one-off smart devices grow smarter and more feature rich...

SMART PEOPLE PERSONALIZE THEIR SMART HOMES

By Crystal Watts

Homeowners everywhere are reaping the benefits of a professionally-installed smart home system coupled with the ability to do a lot of customization all on their own. Here are a few ways they are using When >> Then to personalize what happens at home.

Home Smart Home: Spring 2018 Issue Now Available (Free Download)

By Crystal Watts

One of my oldest and fondest memories as a child took place at the theater. From the moment I stepped up to the ticket box, the distinctive smell of buttery goodness wafting through the window would remind me that for the next few hours, I’d be transported into another world...

Three Must-Haves for an Ultimate Super Bowl Party

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Last year, Super Bowl L1 pulled in 111.9 million viewers. When the New England Patriots made their Super Bowl appearance in 2015, the record for the largest audience in TV history was set with 114.4 million viewers. Whether you're a life-long gridiron fan, you're just watching to see the latest Doritos commercial, or you’re in it to see Justin Timberlake's halftime performance, it's safe to say the odds are high that you'll be watching the big game on Sunday.

TOP SMART HOME TRENDS OF 2017 & “TECHSPECTATIONS” FOR 2018

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Like any technology, smart devices designed for use in the home exist in a constant state of evolution. New developments in electronics, circuitry, and software have enabled devices to become increasingly intelligent, fast, and affordable, and to perform tasks that were once unimaginable.

Remote Control World: 5 Must-Have Automated Home Accessories

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The home of the future has arrived, thanks in large part to state-of-the-art automation accessories. These “smart” devices can transform an ordinary house into one with improved energy efficiency, safety, and privacy (while making daily tasks a lot more convenient and fun). From controlling your home’s temperature, lighting, and security system, to making it all work together with just a simple voice command, here’s a look at five must-have smart home accessories.

Control4 Acquires Ihiji

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Today, I’m pleased to announce that we are taking another step in strengthening our networking portfolio with the acquisition of Ihiji, the award-winning provider of Invision and Service Manager. We’re also excited to add the talented team from Ihiji to the Control4 networking group—focused on combining our monitoring platforms into one and bring expanded monitoring and management capabilities to our combined dealers to better service their customers...

Home Maintenance Tips for Every Season

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You could “spring” into frenetic activity every March or April to maintain and improve your home’s safety and appearance. Or, if you prefer a less stressful approach, consider accomplishing a few routine tasks every month for added benefits. Use the checklist of home maintenance basics below to keep your house clean, safe, and secure, as well as save on monthly utility bills.

5 KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK A CONTRO4 DEALER BEFORE YOU INSTALL A SMART HOME SYSTEM

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It may have taken a while, but after researching your options from some of the world's leading smart home brands, you've finally decided that Control4 home automation system is the way to go. Now there's just one crucial question left to answer: Which Control4 dealer will you work with to supply, install, and ultimately maintain that system?

Talking Tech with Tamera: A Celebrity Supermom with a Secret Weapon

By Crystal Watts

When I first heard that I’d be sitting down for a chit-chat with the lovely and talented talk show host and former Sister Sister actress, Tamera Mowry-Housley, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. After all, I had been a huge fan of hers (and her twin sister, Tia) for many years in my adolescence. Fast-forward two decades later, and we’re sitting at her kitchen table, conversing like old friends...

Let's Get Wired!

By Crystal Watts

If you’re building a new home and your wish list includes overhead music throughout the house, distributed video in your favorite rooms, a robust networking platform to let you stream to your heart’s content, or you’re going full bore with a whole-home automation system—it’s absolutely critical that...

How Smart Home Automation Can Increase Your Home's Property Value

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From smart thermostats to automated lighting and everything in between, there's no question that innovative, Internet-enabled technology can make a home more fun, convenient and safe. What you may not know, however, is that it also represents a potentially valuable investment.

iOS 11 Updates Affecting Legacy MyHome App for Control4 Homes

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Today, Apple released the latest version of Apple® iOS for iPhone and iPad. With iOS 11, Apple is ending support for 32-bit iPhone and iPad apps. For homes running Control4 OS 2.5.3 and earlier, the legacy Control4 MyHome apps (with the grey app icon) will not be able to be installed on iPhones and iPads running iOS 11.

Home Smart Home: Fall Issue Now Available (Free Download)

By Crystal Watts

In developing this issue, I quickly realized how easy it is to get swept up by the beauty and brains of these amazing homes. The stunning architectures. Insanely, innovative designs. And the “cool” elements that bring them to life. But as I sat down to chat with some of the homeowners...

An Epic Launch at CEDIA 2017: See What's New!

By Crystal Watts

Every year during the CEDIA show, we launch a handful of new products and services to enthrall our dealers and customers. And this year we’re doing it like never before, announcing a slew of stuff that undoubtedly makes up our biggest launch to date. We’ve hand-picked a few of the most noteworthy to share with you here.

STEM EDUCATION LEARNS ABOUT HOME AUTOMATION

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Recently, our very own Salt Lake City-based Control4 Technical Trainer, Jake Erickson, had the opportunity to visit a local Elementary, Falcon Ridge, to teach kids in the STEM program about smart technology. He gave them a virtual “tour” of his own smart home from his phone, demonstrating how to remotely turn on/off televisions and lights, check in on cameras, and start the music throughout the house. He also talked about the addition of voice control and the many ways you can use verbal commands to interact with your house.

How Home Automation Can Help You Care for Loved Ones

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Advances in home automation products are making it easier to feel safer in our homes, automate routine tasks, and help us gain insight into our behavior. But these “smart” devices are more than fancy gadgets—for the elderly, they also offer the promise of freedom.

Five innovative ways to disguise your television

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We all love nice TVs. One thing you may not love, however, is having your television be the focal point of the room. Luckily, several companies have created options to conceal even massive TVs from view. Some of the innovative solutions for television concealment range from simple TV frames to TVs that double as mirrors or artwork. Here are five of the most innovative products on the market today.

7 HOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR SUMMER 2017

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Summer is almost here, and there’s no better time to upgrade your home. Evolving trends and improving technology mean there’s a lot you can do, but here are seven essential updates for your home this summer.

CHECKLIST: Some Helpful "To Do's" Before You Take Off

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Going on vacation is all about getting away from reality. When you’re sitting on the beach with your toes in the sand and a drink in your hand, you don’t want to spend a single moment wondering if you emptied the trash or left the lights on deter would-be burglars back home. As important as it is to be prepared with everything you need for your trip, it’s just as important to be certain things at home are taken care of at home while you’re away.

CONTROL4 NAMED LEADING HOME CONTROL BRAND FOR 3RD YEAR IN A ROW

By Crystal Watts

With responses polled from the largest domestic dealers of custom electronic systems, including audio, video, lighting, whole-home controls, security systems, motorized shades and other electronic devices across 55 categories, the annual CE Pro Top 100 Brand Analysis report has coined Control4 once again the brand leader in the Whole-House Automation category. And for the fifth consecutive year, Pakedge has been named the brand leader in the Home Networks category, which CE Pro notes is “arguably the most important category in home electronics these days”...

IF SOUND COULD BE “FELT”, THIS WOULD BE IT.

By Crystal Watts

I can’t coin myself an audiophile. While it’s true that I absolutely love music and will listen to anything from Dean Martin to Radiohead, deciphering between good and stellar audio quality isn’t quite my gig. Well, at least I didn’t think it was. This week...

Expert Interview Series: Brad Hintze of Control4 on Trends in Home Automation

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Our mission is to bring technology into the home that the whole family can love. Technology that makes life easier and more relaxing. It’s quite true that there is a lot of home technology available today. But the challenge has been making it easy for the whole family and something that fits naturally into home life. Control4 is focused on making your lighting smarter, entertainment easier and more engaging, and helping families feel safe and secure.

Offset Accent Pieces with Lighting Scenes—a Bright Idea for Home Decor

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There’s a lot more to lighting than your standard-issue overhead lights and lamps. When used thoughtfully, lighting can highlight artwork and sculptural pieces, direct attention to an accent wall or interesting feature in your home, or add drama to your landscaping and hallways. And now, with smart lighting, it’s easy to program multiple settings for a single room...

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