When is a home security system not a home security system? When it’s a home automation system. The addition of home automation functionality to core home security systems is a serious trend that provides a number of discernible benefits to homeowners, security systems manufacturers, and the dealer channel. According to Jeff Lyman, chief marketing officer […]
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6 Ways to Maximize Your Home’s Lights
Table lamps, wall sconces, and recessed ceiling fixtures—they all do one thing really well: illuminate your home so you can see what you’re doing. By tying these lights to a control system (see below), operating them becomes more convenient, efficient, and useful—not to mention increasingly multi-faceted. In addition to simply brightening the dark spaces of […]
Get the GuideHome Automation Roundup
Your smart home starts with a good list of home automation options
One of the biggest challenges of adding technology to a home is finding and comparing the many options available. You can scour the Internet for hours and still leave scratching your head. While the selection of home automation systems may not be as immense as stereo speakers or smart TVs, it’s still impressive … and […]
Get the Guide7 “Sensible” Ways to Save Energy
It’s the best of times for saving energy in your home. There are about a gazillion little Internet of Things (IoT) devices that promise to save you energy and connect to your home systems, your smartphones, and more. Sensors seem to be everywhere today, but few people actually use them in their homes for the […]
Get the GuideHome Lighting 101: How to Add Lighting Control to Your Home
Want to freshen up the appearance of your house, enjoy greater convenience and save some energy to boot? Then you should look into a lighting control system. A lighting control system can automatically dim your lights, enact preset “scenes” so only the fixtures you need come on, automatically turn on and off lights so you […]
Get the GuideSmart Outdoor Lighting
If you’re like many homeowners, you’re thinking about taking to the great outdoors—without even leaving your property. Outdoor kitchens, music systems, and fire pits are hot trends in backyard living, but another element to outdoor life that you can enjoy all year round is lighting. While landscape lighting has been around for years, the same […]
Get the GuideWhat's the Difference between Z-Wave and ZigBee, and Should You Care?
Two wireless protocols fight for mindshare in the home control space, but how much should they matter to consumers?
Two wireless protocols fight for mindshare in the home control space, but how much should they matter to consumers?
Get the GuideWhere and Why to Use a Lighting Control System
With home control systems and preprogrammed scenes, you can match your lighting to your mood.
With home control systems and preprogrammed scenes, you can match your lighting to your mood.
Get the GuideSmart Home Trends: Home Automation Systems Go Mainstream
What was once an amenity that people with big pocketbooks could afford is now within the financial realm of most households. What used to be an home improvement that required endless visits from a professional installer can now be up and running in a couple of days. What used to involve reading a manual to operate is now so intuitive that even tech newbies can use it with ease. These are just a few of the positive changes happening in the smart home systems marketplace. Across the board, manufacturers have broadened the appeal of their systems by lowering prices, implementing new technology, and offering increasingly attractive packages. Here is a closer look at some of the industry trends that are helping turn smart home systems from a small niche luxury into a mass market amenity.
Get the GuideDimmer Switches Get Smart: The 10 Best Lighting Control Dimmers
The 10 best lighting control dimmers for a smart, automated home.
One of the core features of any residential lighting control system is its ability to dim the intensity of your home’s lights. Doing so saves electricity, improves your home’s aesthetic qualities, and enhances the overall functionality of the lights. Ordinary dimmer switches are able to accomplish these tasks, but why not invest in a switch with the additional smarts to adjust the brightness of the lights automatically and offer other innovative features? The following 10 dimmers switches (in no particular order of importance) are some of the brightest stars in the home lighting market. Be sure to check them out when you’re ready to swap your home’s old light switches for something smarter.
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