Got a bath renovation on your mind? Believe it or not, you can make your bathroom green—or at least greener than it’s been. Start with the easy stuff like energy conservation. Lighting control systems and occupancy sensors can help you save on electricity. Even installing an inexpensive dimmer switch can allow you to keep a very dim light on at night, and this uses far less electricity. Occupancy sensors like… View this story
Climate Control • Home Control • Lighting Control • Bathroom • Green Technology • Home Control • Info and Answers

When it comes to computer-based control, Mac users are a tad limited. Now Perceptive Automation wants to add options for Mac fans, with its latest software. Just announced, Indigo 3.0 is a major update, allowing Mac users to remotely access almost any aspect of their home control. That means you can turn lights on and off while you’re on vacation, water the lawn on a hot day, or crank up… View this story
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In a previous blog entry, Saving Energy with Wire Mesh Networks, we mentioned the need for systems that can monitor your energy use—and savings if you’re using a photovoltaic solar system, for example. Some expensive systems are out there, but do you need to spend five figures just to be able to better monitor your electricity consumption? Tom Pirelli and Ron Mocogni of Solaris Home Systems don’t think so. I… View this story
Climate Control • Green Technology • Home Control • Info and Answers

A green home? For Electronic House’s Home of the Year? Yes and you bet. For the first time, our grand-prize winner is an energy-efficient, sustainable home that’s made largely from environmentally friendly materials. And yes, it has plenty of electronics. In fact, the home’s control system, lighting and shading systems help to save energy. Energy efficiency and sustainability are important to many of us today, and this home proves that… View this story
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The equipment rack holds not one media server but two. At the front door there’s a fingerprint scanner, a surveillance camera and an intercom nestled within a sleek, modern pedestal. Outside, a weather station instructs the draperies and thermostats to adjust. And those are just a few of the innovative high-tech features in Wolfgang and Cornelia Haerle’s 5,000-square-foot automated home. “We considered every possibility before we started building,” says Wolfgang.… View this story
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There are solar panels on the roof. There are monitors in the house that display energy savings. And there are efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) throughout. All very green—and very automated. We should say very, very automated. Lights come on and turn off automatically. Blinds shut when it’s time to cool the home. Beyond the energy-saving green functions of this abode, a sophisticated home control system provides security alerts in… View this story
Home Security Systems • Surveillance • Climate Control Systems • Thermostats and Sensors • Home Control Systems • Voice Recognition • Lighting Control Systems • Shades and Blinds • Green Technology • Home of the Year Awards 2008 • Home Control • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Managing four kids in a normal-size home can be hard enough. Keeping track of them in a house that measures 20,000 square feet could have been nearly impossible for the owners of this sprawling estate, had it not been for the home management system that was installed into the residence by Electronics Design Group (EDG) of Piscataway, NJ. A team of home systems designers divided the residence into several zones,… View this story
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So you want home control but shudder at the thought of the thousands of dollars it will cost you. Fear not, says Homemanageables, which has introduced its Starter Kit control solution for the budget-minded homeowner. The kit allows homeowners to control lights, appliances, thermostats, doors and windows via the Internet, cell phone or Homemanageables’ toll-free voice command system, the company says. And it’s all for $199, plus a $9.95 monthly… View this story
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Q. I had $27,000 worth of home automation from Control4 installed during the pre-construction phase of my dream home in late 2005. The dealer was a “gold” dealer recommended by Control4, but my system has never worked as promised. I’ve had power surges, data loss, and constant crashes with the DVD and CD controllers. My dealer is gone and no other dealer wants to put the time into trouble shooting… View this story
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It could soon be lights out for most incandescent reflector lamps. Those cone-shaped bulbs that look so pretty in your TV or dining rooms could soon be eliminated, according to a new release from the Home Lighting Control Alliance (HLCA). The bulbs are typically used in ceiling-recessed “cans” or track lighting, and their reflective coating typically displays off a nice “spotlight” effect. With these bulbs gone, the hope is that… View this story
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