Living The Dream With Home Automation
– Guest post by Harry Carr Ever since I first saw it I’ve always dreamed of being in command of a fully automated home, From lighting controls to sprinklers at your fingertips, home automation is a dream of luxury. I can’t exactly remember when an automated home first caught my eye, but when it did I knew one thing, I wanted one. I’ve been eye-ing up components for years waiting for prices to drop to a level where I think its worthwhile investing in, and I think now is around that time. I’ve seen a fair few “starter kits” at lowish prices these days but its a...
read moreGive your home a brain
Fear not, this post has nothing to do with the zombie apocalypse (although an automated security system would be quite useful in that scenario), but it has everything to do with the benefits of home automation. Things are better when they’re smart, and homes are no exception. Giving your home a brain helps to give you piece of mind and afford you new conveniences most people don’t know are possible. Arming your security system from your phone, getting energy usage alerts, and keeping an eye on your property 24/7 from anywhere in the world are all possible with home...
read moreHomebuyers Want Home Theaters
Home theaters (or at least enough space to add a multi-media room) are becoming one of the most in-demand features that homebuyers look for when browsing the market. Once thought of as a luxury, lower prices and evolving technologies have made the home cinema more of a necessity for many households. Flat screen TV, 3D projectors, and surround sound systems are also becoming more and more commonplace and no room shows off these components better than a dedicated home theater. Real estate experts also add that home theatres add value to a home and can make a house stand out to potential...
read moreAging in Place
A recent article in the LA Times discusses the new initiative of helping elderly Americans stay in their homes as long as possible. The concept, called aging in place, reportedly increases the standard of living for seniors and is cheaper for society than nursing homes. Of course, the main goal is the former—improving the quality of life for the elderly—and much care is given to ensure that aging in place can happen without added risks to health and safety. Advancements in technology and home automation go a long way in reducing these risks while offering a convenient way for older...
read moreMulti-Room Audio
Nuvo’s Grand Concerto multi-room audio system will allow you to have up to 16 zones of audio that are fully controllable. The sleek audio keypads allow you to search through your audio sources and set the volume in every zone. The kids can listen to their iPod through the Nuvo Wired iPod Dock in the rec room while you listen to Sirius radio through your Dual AM/FM Sirius Ready Tuner in the kitchen. If you’re throwing a party, simply set your multi-room audio system to “Party Mode” and enjoy music throughout the entire house. Even outside, the SpeakerCraft OE5 One speakers are weather...
read moreRemote Access
Remote Access Home automation is all about convenience, but what good is all this home control if you’re away from your home? Remote access is an important feature to any home automation system. HAI’s Snap-Link is software that allows you to control your home from anywhere in the world. It’s easy to set up because it is self-contained on a USB drive or on your iPhone or Android powered phone. Ease is key; what good is remote access or any of the home automation luxuries when they are too complicated to understand? HAI’s Snap-Link software communicates with your home control system...
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