We’ve written extensively on the benefits of home automation for energy management, particularly on how smart thermostats, such as those offered by Nest, Honeywell, Carrier and others allow you to easily adjust your home’s temperature, even while you’re away, to save money and make your house more comfortable. However, there’s one important part that we […]
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So you went out a bought a Nest smart thermostat. You open the app a couple of times each day to turn the temperature up or down, and feel good about the money and energy you think you’re saving (this article states that for most users, a Nest will pay for itself in two years, […]
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Today’s DIY smart home systems, from companies like SmartThings, Wink, Lowe’s Iris, iRule, Universal Devices, Vera, Insteon and others are fairly easy to install, setup and use. They’re also getting more affordable, so no longer are home automation systems only for the wealthy. Of course, there’s a difference between what a DIY smart home system […]
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Motorized shades and blinds can be part of a complete custom home automation system, or they can be added one room at a time, as your budget or needs require.
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The humble garage door has been the smartest device on the block for decades. Why? Garage-door openers of course. Yes, the boring old motorized garage door is probably the first smart home gadget you ever owned. Ok, well, it’s not all that smart. All it does is open and close a door, but it’s pretty […]
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The latest version of the Lowe’s Iris solution uses Microsoft Azure’s cloud technology.
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In 2014 Apple announced that Homekit was coming to iOS, and predicted that it would enable broader adoption and easier implementation of the Internet of Things in the home—the smart home. Now Google, which already had its hands in the home automation cookie jar (Google owns Nest Labs and Dropcam, and Nest is one of […]
Get the GuideNeighbor envy apparently is a potent driver for custom audio/video systems. That’s a good thing. This project in Hoboken NJ got started when the owner saw the Serious Audio Video truck parked outside as technicians were busy installing a system down the street. A conversation started, one thing led to another, and pretty soon the […]
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Smart home systems, or home automation systems, once were expensive luxuries (and professionally installed and custom programed systems still can be), but today many DIY home automation products are actually very practical and reasonably affordable. If you hadn’t thought much about adding smart home devices to your home, here are seven home automation ideas for […]
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Home monitoring systems aren’t just for people who own large homes. A home is anywhere you lay your head down and toss your car keys at the end of the day. Even apartment dwellers want to keep an eye on their valuables when they’re away and want the sense of safety a security system can […]
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