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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!
By Shanan Carney
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!
By Tyler Reed
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.
By Susan Cashen
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...
By Guest
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.
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Control4 media distribution solutions make it easy for everyone in the family to enjoy their favorite music and video anywhere in the house, instantaneously...
By Crystal Watts
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...
By Amber Mansfield
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.
By Tyler Reed
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...
By Crystal Watts
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...
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Investing in the latest hardware without the lastest software is a lot like like buying a Ferrari without an engine, sure it looks nice but you're going to have some problems down the road (pun intended). The opposite is also true, and anyone who’s running Windows 8 on that 5-year-old Dell Inspiron intimately understands the struggle. Upgrading your technology...
By Guest
Since we live in a technologically-saturated environment, I’m now able to watch the Frozen movie and listen to the soundtrack at home, on the deck, in the backyard, in the car on the way to work, at the office, and in my head while I’m trying to fall asleep. At least one benefit of this same technology is that I can finally control my thermostat with those same devices. Now when the princess freezes the town, my Honeywell Smart Wi-Fi thermostat can chill the room to help my girls get the full effect.
By Tyler Reed
The garage door isn’t often thought of as the centerpiece of a home, but it can really make a house shine. Here are 10 of the best options for high end garage doors, each with customizable options to really make your garage door the perfect complement to your home’s design.
By Crystal Watts
Lighting is one of the biggest opportunities for homeowners to subtly but effectively influence the ambiance of your home, whether for your own comfort and convenience or to set the mood for your guests. When skillfully applied, lighting can elicit a wide range of emotional responses, helping to make a party more cheerful or a romantic dinner more intimate.
By Guest
Just like a new coat of paint or updated countertops, electronic systems should be part of a remodeling plan. Back in the early days of home automation, most systems were designed to be installed while a home was under construction. It was a wise strategy. The new housing market at that time was strong and healthy, so there were plenty of new homes to wire up for automation, security, lighting and whole-house A/V systems...
By Guest
It’s great to get out of the house to shoot a round, but you really can’t beat having a virtual course in your own home, accessible at any moment you choose.
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It’s that time of year. Shopping for new clothes, buying new backpacks and school supplies, registering for classes, getting the first-day jitters. And for a lot of parents (like me), it’s time to figure out how to manage kids before and after school. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use my Control4 home automation system to “school” my family.
By Guest
Being able to press one button to control multiple devices is one of the most appealing features of home automation. Creating these one-button “scenes” requires programming of the keypad’s companion home automation system, which is a fairly simple task for a trained custom electronics (CE) professional. Surprisingly, what’s often the most challenging part of a keypad design is deciding what to name each button.
By Lisa Harmer
Amazon Fire, that is. Today, Amazon started shipping their new Fire smartphone and the Control4 app will be one of the first apps available for customers. The Amazon Fire phone comes with a year membership of free Amazon Prime shipping, along with an entirely new sensor system called Dynamic Perspective which responds to the way you hold, view and move the phone, 3D and face-recognition technology (the screen actually moves with your eyes!) and Firefly, which lets you point the phone at items and click to identify them.
By Shanan Carney
So what is home automation, anyway? And how might one explain Control4’s approach to the concept of “whole home control” in two minutes—or even less. With the possibilities as endless as the sea, we thought we'd tackle the complexities of what “one remote” (or smartphone, tablet, etc.) can do with the most basic animation of all…
By Guest
In a previous article, I wrote about a number of ways to use technology to make things easier on moms. I’m now excited to share with you the nuts & bolts of how I use lighting in our smart home to make my job easier as a mom. Now don't worry, I'm not going to get technical, but rather will give you an overview with real life scenarios that show you just how easy, convenient and practical lighting automation can be. Since I can't give you a personal tour of my house, I will show you how I control the house...while I'm home and away!
By Guest
You’ve hit the road with the family for the annual summer vacation. You can’t help but feel apprehensive about the well-being of your house and property while you’re away. Thanks to innovative home technology, your worries can be over.
By Guest
There’s no doubt that the iPad is a great device from which to manage a home, but for many families, using a combination of different types of controllers is often a better solution than sticking strictly with a mobile device. Be sure to also consider integrating wall-mounted keypads, portable touchpanels and handheld remotes. Here’s why:
By Crystal Watts
In the world of Control4 and home automation, some terms may not be entirely clear to those who are just being introduced to the smart life. For example, we talk a lot about creating “scenes” to fit your lifestyle and “zones” in which you can listen to music. But what do those words actually mean?
By Guest
One of the biggest mistakes we as tech consumers make is trying to force ourselves to adapt to the electronic systems in our homes. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t technology adapt to the way we live? Yes and yes.
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