Lighting the Way:

Lighting the Way

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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!

Remote Monitoring: Peace of Mind on Your Next Vacation

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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.

A Winning Combination

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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:

Home Automation Terms Defined

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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?

Getting Your Control4 System to Adapt to You

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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.

Home Theater: A Great Place to Start Automating

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The thought of placing your entire house under the command of a single home automation system can seem like a daunting task. And in some cases, it can be. Whether your home is in the process of being built or is already completely finished, its layout and your budget can all influence the difficulty of the design and installation of the processors, wiring and other components that make up a control system. Fortunately, manufacturers like Control4 offer solutions that allow you to add home automation gradually, one component at a time, as you deem necessary and financially wise.

Controller–in–Chief

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Control4 system has a monumental effect on home’s White House inspired design.

Beam me up, Scotty!

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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An Indoor Golf Center Scores with Automation

An Innovative Office for Innovative People

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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!

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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?

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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

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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!

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