Beam me up, Scotty!:

Beam me up, Scotty!

Posted July 2, 2014

The only thing better than having a glass of wine after work is having a glass of wine from your own personal wine cellar collection. One Control4 owner took it a step further and combined his love of Star Trek with his love of wine in his personal wine cellar. This custom cellar is equipped with opaque walls that go from frosted to translucent with a touch of a button from a smart phone or iPad. The door opens and it’s like you’ve transported yourself onto the U.S.S. Enterprise complete with sound effects from the ship. The owner hopes to one day install a retina scanner at the entrance of the cellar to keep out the Klingons, of course.

The Home of His Dreams:

The Home of His Dreams

Posted June 30, 2014

When an electrical engineer envisions his “dream home” you can be certain that some pretty sweet technology will be high on the list of requirements. That was definitely the case for this Florida homeowner whose house is surrounded by water, infused with light and leverages Control4 to provide seamless, elegant control of virtually everything.

More Bits & Pieces: For Big Laughs & Little Did-You-Knows:

More Bits & Pieces: For Big Laughs & Little Did-You-Knows

Posted June 27, 2014

The application revolution has taken mobile technology by storm. Nowadays, there is even an app to help you avoid getting involved in accidential incest. Wait, there's an app for that? No really, for THAT?! Yep, you read it correctly. Just by touching your phone with another, this app will tell you if you are barking up the wrong tree, as in, your own family tree. Click on the image below for more snippets of technology-related random facts.

Wireless Sensors Offer Control Based on Motion, Light, even Humidity Levels:

Wireless Sensors Offer Control Based on Motion, Light, even Humidity Levels

Posted June 26, 2014

Forget to turn on the bathroom ventilation whenever you take a shower? If so, the Axxess Industries Wireless Motion Sensor with humidity control is a perfect addition to your Control4 home automation system. Recently HD Living reviewed the device and had great things to say about it. “The Wireless Motion Sensor is incredibly well made and attractive at that,” says Dennis Burger Editor in Chief of HD Living. He has currently set it up to turn on the bathroom vent fan whenever it senses humidity.

What Does a Smart Home Mean to Future Homeowners?:

What Does a Smart Home Mean to Future Homeowners?

Posted June 25, 2014

Recently, Control4 asked a few future homeowners their thoughts on home automation and what living in a smart home means. We received a lot of great ideas (and a very strong silent treatment) on what features the next generation are looking for in their smart home. Check it out!

Control4 Update on Nest Integration:

Control4 Update on Nest Integration

Posted June 23, 2014

Control4 announced our support of Nest’s Developer Program and API initiative at CEDIA Expo in September 2013 and we remain intent on releasing a driver to integrate the Nest Learning Thermostat with our home automation platform.

Control4 Named Top 100 MDU Provider:

Control4 Named Top 100 MDU Provider

Posted June 20, 2014

When I hear the term “Multi–Dwelling Units,” I think of the not-so-awesome apartment I shared with three of my closest friends in my early years of college. Well, times have changed. Unlike my shabby college apartment building, today’s MDUs are high-end, luxurious and high-tech. As a matter of fact, Forbes recently noted that “super towers” are “the next big thing in luxury housing.” As land becomes less available in many popular and densely populated cities, like New York and Miami, luxury residences are headed skyward. Many property owners, developers and builders are looking to create exclusive condominium and private residence developments that can house many owners with a smaller footprint. These aren’t just condos. In order to appeal to luxury-minded buyers, developers are appealing to potential residents with private elevators, the best furnishings, elite concierge services, stunning views, and technological amenities.

MainStreet America Showcases Control4:

MainStreet America Showcases Control4

Posted June 18, 2014

In the heart of Houston, Texas, there’s a parade of showcase homes where home aficionados can peruse the latest and greatest in home design, décor and technology. It’s called MainStreet America, a collection of 12 fully finished, decorated and designed homes that will never be lived in but serve solely to let people shop for the features and functionality they envision for their next home. As developer Mike Feigin states, “There is no place like this in the world.”

Control FORE!:

Control FORE!

Posted June 17, 2014

An Indoor Golf Center Scores with Automation

An Innovative Office for Innovative People:

An Innovative Office for Innovative People

Posted June 16, 2014

For high-tech entrepeneurs, having a high-tech space where they can share their passions, percolate their business ideas, and rub shoulders with potential investors who also happen to know a little something about starting a business is key to success. The Winklevoss twins (yes, those Winklevoss twins) recently founded a private investment firm to support budding start-ups and their 5,000-square-foot office in New York City features innovative technology designed to promote digital collaboration and high-speed innovation.

What Does a Dad Really Want On Father's Day? Extra Time in the Man Cave!:

What Does a Dad Really Want On Father's Day? Extra Time in the Man Cave!

Posted June 13, 2014

Father’s Day can be such a great day. It provides us with an excuse to spend some extra time with the family and celebrate all the wonderful fathers out there. But it also provides dads with an excuse to spend a little bit of extra time relaxing and hanging out in the man cave. Man cave is a phrase that is thrown around quite a bit to represent a space that a man (or men) can go to enjoy whatever activities they like to enjoy during their down time. This obviously means different things to different people. One father might be a sports nut while another father loves to play video games. This Father’s Day let’s celebrate the three most popular types of man caves.

5 Ways To Save—Automatically!:

5 Ways To Save—Automatically!

Posted June 10, 2014

It's getting warmer outside, which also means that people will begin cranking up those air conditioners. And if you are the accommodating type, house guests may start coming out of hibernation and heading to your place for their entertainment benefit, which can oftentimes be quite expensive. Heed these home control tips and you might notice a little less cash leaving the checking account every month.

5 Easy Ways to Save Energy:

5 Easy Ways to Save Energy

Posted June 5, 2014

Conserving energy at home shouldn’t require you to sacrifice comfort or make you feel deprived. Smart energy conservation shouldn’t require a change of routine or lifestyle or create a lot of extra work. With an automation system at the helm of your house, you don’t need to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced to conserve energy, as the system is able to operate the lights, thermostats, and other power-hungry devices with the utmost efficiency. The system empowers you to easily shave money off your monthly utility bill. Here are five ways an automation system can foster energy efficiency:

5 Need-To-Knows: Designing Your Smart Home:

5 Need-To-Knows: Designing Your Smart Home

Posted June 4, 2014

Imagine waking up in the morning, not to the glaring blare of an alarm clock, but to your favorite song streaming through speakers in the ceiling, as your blinds slowly open to reveal the morning sun. Touch one button by your bed and the lights in the hallway turn on so you can safely navigate to the kitchen where the TV is already tuned into your favorite morning news program. As you race out the door for work, smile as everything powers down—the lights, the TVs, the audio—even the thermostat dials back to a more energy-effi cient setting. The alarm arms, the garage door closes and every door in the house gets locked. Automatically.

It's an "Auto-Magic" Show:

It's an "Auto-Magic" Show

Posted June 3, 2014

Thanks to Control4 home automation, this "Little Houdini" is able to entertain with a little "automagic." With his special wand (and dad's helpful iPad), he can control the lights & blinds, and even attempts to turn his newfound powers on his sister!

What do today’s teens want? Smart homes.:

What do today’s teens want? Smart homes.

Posted May 29, 2014

When I was a 17-year-old I couldn’t tell you the difference between HTML and Java but Matthew Lieberman started honing his home automation tech skills at the tender age of 15. Electronic House recently documented how Matthew worked with a professional Control4 dealer, Home Technology Experts, Southampton, New York, to design his family’s smart home from the ground up. Now, this technically gifted youngster spends his free time automating his parent’s 4,000-square-foot Hamptons home. From creating voice greetings to integrating music into the system, Matthew has tweaked just about every part of his parent’s home automation system.

Do You Need a Connected Home?:

Do You Need a Connected Home?

Posted May 28, 2014

Control4 CEO Martin Plaehn answers this question and more on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop.” Martin provides insight into the reasons why customers need and want to be connected and why having a seamless, singular – and secure - solution to control things is becoming a critical issue for people. “All of our lives are connected today…why not make them work together rather than colliding with one another?” suggests Martin. "That’s what Control4 does. We bring them together so they behave as an orchestra, not separate instruments.” Martin also covers security questions and interoperability with Apple and Android devices, as well as the evolving smart lighting market.

Home Automation For All:

Home Automation For All

Posted May 27, 2014

For many years, the idea of home automation has been regarded as a playground for only the wealthiest, or a work of science fiction. The reality is that, up until recently, the cost of these systems did indeed make them unattainable to most. Enter Control4, automation for the rest of us!

Outdoor Entertaining: Our Top 5 List:

Outdoor Entertaining: Our Top 5 List

Posted May 23, 2014

Memorial Day weekend here in the US is pretty much the official start of summer for most of us. We take this three-day weekend to start a sun-filled summer of picnics, golf, camping, fishing, beach visits, outdoor barbecues and, if you’re lucky, a lot of lounging by the pool. We thought we’d kick off the summer season by highlighting a few of our favorite automated outdoor spaces.

2020 Alton Road: The Greenest Home in South Florida:

2020 Alton Road: The Greenest Home in South Florida

Posted May 21, 2014

This award-winning home in Miami, Florida earned the highest-scoring LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) rating in the nation. A Net-Zero home that uses materials and technology, including a Control4 home automation system to manage all of the home’s energy-saving systems, the Alton 2020 residence actually generates enough energy to support the needs of the entire 3,200-square-foot-home – and gives some back to the grid. Even better, the homeowners can relax in the lap of luxury, enjoying all the benefits of a fully-automated smart home, which also happens to be one of the greenest homes in the world.

Top 5 Ways to Pamper Your Pets With Home Automation:

Top 5 Ways to Pamper Your Pets With Home Automation

Posted May 20, 2014

In honor of National Pet Month, we thought we would share some of our favorite stories about how pet lovers use home automation to protect, entertain, soothe and care for their favorite furry, feathered and scaly friends.

Home Automation Troubleshooting for Dummies:

Home Automation Troubleshooting for Dummies

Posted May 15, 2014

I am not a technical person. Nor is my hubby. I’m lucky that my sister used to be an “IT guy” in a previous life and is able to help me set up everything from my PS4 to my wireless network. Every so often, though, I have to troubleshoot electronics on my own, and that includes my home automation system. I’m starting to figure out a few of the basics for troubleshooting by talking not only to my sister but also to others who have Control4 home automation. It turns out that we sometimes blame Control4 products for some mysterious issue when, in fact, it was something else that deserved the blame—the wireless network, a defective TV, satellite service issues, etc. Sometimes it was even operator error (yep, that means me!). Here are a few real-life experiences that might help you get your system back on track.

Smart Homes with Bob Guiney:

Smart Homes with Bob Guiney

Posted May 14, 2014

Bob Guiney, former HGTV host and popular Bachelor from the reality TV series (who happens to be one of my personal favorites), recently discussed the evolution of the smart home on a number of local news stations nationwide. In case you missed the conversation on your local news, here’s a video where Bob discusses networking gear that keeps you up and running even when storms or emergencies cut power – and your internet connection, smart tint on windows that offers privacy and functionality, and, of course, Control4 home automation solutions.

Old Meets New: How an Old Lighting Control System Evolved to a Complete Control4 Automation System:

Old Meets New: How an Old Lighting Control System Evolved to a Complete Control4 Automation System

Posted May 13, 2014

In my last article, "Smart Moms Need Smart Homes," I wrote about moms and their vital importance in helping to embrace and define technology in the home to make things easier for the family. As a mom myself, and someone who does this for my own home, I can tell you how empowering it is to have more control in the home. Power I do not need to exert...I simply push a button!

Smart Moms Need Smart Homes:

Smart Moms Need Smart Homes

Posted May 9, 2014

Perhaps you've seen the latest "gotcha video", created for American Greetings, that has gone viral around the Internet. It's about a company called Rehtom Inc. that is looking for a job candidate to fill their position, Director of Operations. Here are the main responsibilities listed on the job description…