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Tuesday, October 31, 2017
KEF Teams Up With World-Renowned Design Studio, Marcel Wanders
By Kevin Gallucci
The LS50 Wireless speaker system from KEF has been well received by the audio community, collecting high praise for its sonic excellence and innovative technology. Looks are not an issue for these speakers. In their original format, they have a clean modern look, but the product designers at Marcel Wanders took these speakers to the next level, working with KEF to create a truly unique version. Marcel Wanders is a design studio based in Amsterdam, and its designers have been linked to more than 1,900 iconic projects. They work with premium brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Puma, KLM, Swarovski, and many others.
KEF explains the design and its partnership with Marcel Wanders, “Admired globally for its bold, innovative and holistic design, Marcel Wanders has created ‘Nocturne’, a stunning special edition of the LS50 Wireless. The inherently circular nature of KEF’s Uni-Q driver and musical notation symbols subtly blend with unique architectural and rhythmic elements to create a sophisticated design. Selected elements of the design can be discovered to glow in the dark. The LS50 Wireless ‘Nocturne’ by Marcel Wanders lends a vibrant luminous visual quality and magical atmosphere to its surroundings. This sensuous aesthetic quality sets it apart from any other music system; making a lasting and memorable experience.”
You see what you want in a product, and this design speaks to a movie icon of my childhood. Maybe to you, it looks like high-tech binoculars, or maybe it looks like an astronomy project. Whatever you see when looking at this product, the glow in the dark cues on the front of the speaker will surely add a stunning visual element in the dark. You might just be inspired to listen to your music in the dark, allowing the cool glow of the LS50 speakers and the high-performance sound carry you away into the music – transporting you, perhaps, to a galaxy far, far away.
The Nocturne retails for about $3,000
Kevin Emden Gallucci is a freelance A/V writer and self-admitting electronics junkie. He has written for various publications such as Electronic House, Hi-Fi Choice, ToneAudio, SoundStage, HiFi News, and Home Cinema Choice. Kevin’s goal is to make hi-fi/home cinema interesting for all ages and debunk the myth that you need to spend a fortune to get a great sounding system.
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New $199 TiVo BOLT VOX Offers Voice-Control Search
TiVo Corporation is jumping into the voice control camp with its new $199.99 TiVo BOLT VOX and $179.99 TiVo Mini VOX. The latest device lineup includes TiVo’s first voice control remote – the $39.99 TiVo VOX Remote, with which viewers can use their voice to search for programs across live TV, DVR, video-on-demand and online streaming services. The new TiVo products also include access to the on-screen TiVo user experience with built-in personalized recommendations and intelligent predictions.
The TiVo BOLT VOX provides a personalized and unified entertainment experience, combining the features of TiVo’s DVR with online streaming services controlled by a single voice-powered remote control. The new TiVo Mini VOX allows viewers to expand the experience to other rooms in the house with up to 4K Ultra HD picture quality and no additional service fees.
“Consumers today have access to more TV content than ever before, but finding it requires multiple devices, remotes and confusing user experiences,” says Ted Malone, vice president of Consumer Products and Services, TiVo. “The new TiVo BOLT VOX lets consumers easily find the shows they want to watch without having to know whether the program is on live TV, DVR, video-on-demand or streaming from an online service – all by simply speaking into their remote.”
Refined Voice Queries
With the included TiVo VOX Remote, TiVo BOLT VOX viewers can use their voice to search across live TV, DVR recordings, video-on-demand and various online streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, VUDU, Amazon Prime Video and more.
Searches also deliver personalized entertainment recommendations based on viewing habits. TiVo lets users refine their voice searches in a natural way. For example, users can say, “Show me movies with Tom Cruise,” then refine the query by saying, “Only the comedies” or “The one where he says, ‘Show me the money.’”
Users can simply say, ‘Show me movies with Tom Cruise,’ then refine the query by saying, ‘Only the comedies.’
TiVo features like SkipMode and OnePass have also been enhanced to work with voice control. When watching recorded programs from popular broadcast and cable networks, the user can just say “skip it” to jump over entire commercial breaks. Or, say “Create a OnePass for Modern Family” and TiVo’s universal search feature will assemble episodes of “Modern Family” from multiple online sources and upcoming live broadcasts into one view.
In addition to voice, the TiVo BOLT VOX and TiVo Mini VOX feature the latest TiVo on-screen user experience that can deliver personalized program predictions influenced by actual viewing habits. Poster art, actor and director biographies, sports team logos and more help viewers quickly find the shows they want and skip the ones they don’t.
TiVo’s new QuickView feature allows viewers to see shows playing on different built-in tuners, favorite channels, a one-line channel guide, and TiVo’s new SmartBar, a personalized prediction of shows to watch at that time influenced by prior viewing behavior – without leaving the TV viewing experience.
“With our new on-screen experience and VOX Remote, scrolling through endless TV guides and painstakingly entering search terms is finally a thing of the past,” says Malone. “BOLT VOX is the only platform that combines the complete pay TV experience with major OTT services into a single user experience, on one input, controlled by one remote, with unified voice search across multiple sources.”
$199 for 500GB Model
The TiVo BOLT VOX includes four integrated tuners, allowing viewers to watch or record up to 75 HD hours (500GB model), or 150 HD hours (1TB model) of digital cable or over-the-air (antenna) programming. A 450-hour (3TB) version of the TiVo BOLT VOX includes six integrated tuners and is for use only with digital cable systems.
The TiVo Mini VOX enables BOLT owners to expand their voice-powered 4K Ultra HD experience to additional rooms without needing to pay additional fees. The TiVo BOLT VOX is priced starting at $199.99 for the 500GB model and the TiVo Mini VOX is available for $179.99.
Existing TiVo BOLT, TiVo Roamio and first-generation TiVo Mini customers can upgrade to voice control by purchasing a separate TiVo VOX Remote. The VOX Remote for BOLT is available in either black or white and is priced at $39.99. The VOX Remote for Roamio products (OTA, Pro and Plus) and first-generation TiVo Mini is available in black, includes a separate Bluetooth adapter, and is priced at $44.99.
The VOX suite of products will be available on October 29, 2017 online at www.tivo.com and Amazon.com, as well as Best Buy retail stores nationwide.
The post New $199 TiVo BOLT VOX Offers Voice-Control Search appeared first on Electronic House.
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Monday, October 30, 2017
5 Types of Families Perfect for Voice Control in the Home
Voice-activated wireless speakers have taken the home control marketplace by storm. Fourth quarter sales of smart speakers could reach nearly 12 million units worldwide, says a report by Strategy Analytics. This brings the full-year sales total to 24 million units. Obviously, the ability to use a smart speaker to play songs, report the weather forecast, and operate lights, thermostats and other gear has struck a chord with many families. But is voice simply a novelty? Will its shiny appeal dull after a few months? After the neighbor ohhs and ahhs over how cool it is to queue a curated playlist will you still talk to your digital assistant?
Related: Sonos joins the smart speaker race
Possibly. Or maybe you’ll dig up that remote and let your fingers do the work. Just like every item you buy for your home, there are those that make a big difference in your life and there are those that you wish you would have never brought home. It’s difficult to say what will resonate with your family and what wont until you live with the technology for a while, but based on what we’ve learned about voice control over the past few months, we can point to a few domestic scenarios and lifestyles that could clearly benefit from being able to gather information and command systems in the home via voice.
- Families with Small Children. Kids may be a lot more tech savvy than we ever were at their age, but sticky fingers have persisted through multiple generations. If you cringe every time your kid picks up the remote or touches a door handle, voice control could eradicate the goop that gets into the cracks of a keypad. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the kids mindlessly pecking away at buttons as many do when they’re bored. The wear and tear could send you home systems into a tailspin, but with voice, there’s no way to physically break a piece of smart home hardware.
- Families with Mobility Issues. Maybe you have an elderly parent who lives with you. Maybe you sprained your ankle and are on crutches. Whatever might be keeping you from moving freely around your home, voice control can make up for. You can tell Alexa, Google, or Siri to unlock the door for a guest, turn on the hallway lights, and shut the garage door without ever getting up from the couch,
- Families that are On the Go. This probably applies to many families … strapped with a countless obligations, it’s easy to forget to turn things off and lock things up as you race out the door for your next practice, meeting, whatever. With a voice-enabled smart speakers and connected devices, you can prep the house for your departure in seconds—completely hands-free.
- Families that Entertain. Hosting parties has never been easier and more fun when you can control the home environment right there in the middle of the action by just barking out a command or two. Music? Bam. Dim the lights? You got it. Too warm? Tell the thermostat to set back and keep on dancing.
- Families Craving More Organization. Tomorrow’s weather forecast, the best deals on pizza, what’s playing at the theater, how many more days until Christmas? A digital assistant can keep you in the know and on track.
The post 5 Types of Families Perfect for Voice Control in the Home appeared first on Electronic House.
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LG OLED TVs Are First with Dolby TrueHD Lossless Audio
If you have an OLED TV from LG, you’ll wake up soon with Dolby TrueHD uncompressed audio, thanks to an over-the-air firmware upgrade.
LG’s 2017 OLEDs are already among the best TVs money can buy, although a firmware upgrade is set to make them even better. That’s thanks to added support for Dolby TrueHD lossless audio, a format that will further enhance the existing Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound supported by the sets.
Dolby has had a close relationship with LG over the past few years, with the company’s OLED TVs being some of the first to support the Dolby Vision HDR format. The TVs were also the first to get both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, so it’s not all that surprising that they’re the first to receive TrueHD support.
Check out this award winning home with Dolby Atmos
The lossless, uncompressed, technology will be delivered to 2017 LG OLED TV owners this month via an over-the-air firmware upgrade, giving owners Dolby TrueHD sound that has already been adopted by 4K UHD Blu-ray content providers in the latest movie titles. All LG’s 2017 OLED TVs come with Dolby AC-4 decoding, which means that compatible LG TVs will be able to handle object-based next generation audio for immersive three-dimensional audio.
The latest update also includes Codec MAT (Metadata-enhanced Audio Transmission) support to enable Dolby TrueHD audio bit streaming on compatible 2017 LG OLED TVs when playing console games. And for customers who desire the ultimate experience, the maximum benefits of Dolby TrueHD can be enjoyed by streaming the content through a compatible sound bar to the TV.
“LG’s OLED TVs have become the de facto leader in the premium TV market and is the optimal platform for those seeking to experience content the way its original creators envisioned,” says Brian Kwon, president of the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “With Dolby’s audio and visual technologies, LG continues to deliver an enhanced experience that pushes the boundaries of home TV viewing.”
LG 2017 OLED TV owners can also enjoy the combined Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos experience via the dedicated built-in Dolby Access App available in key markets, with ten more countries to be added every month. The app features various content for the entire family, such as travel, sports and the arts.
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Sunday, October 29, 2017
Google's Home Max Speaker: Impressive Sound, Strong Features, High Price
Home Max expands on Google's 2016 release of Google Home, a smaller and more affordable speaker designed to compete with Amazon's Echo, which uses that company's Alexa personal assistant technology. Launching in December, Home Max will be bigger, heavier version of Home and Google promises it will sound much better too.
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Friday, October 27, 2017
Newest Integrated Amplifier from McIntosh Proves Size Doesn’t Always Matter
Normally, when you think of McIntosh audio, there are two things that usually come to mind – pure sound and reliability. These two traits have helped foster the legendary status this storied brand has developed over the past 68 years, but this audio nirvana comes with one caveat – size.
Anyone who has seen McIntosh products can attest that their integrated amplifiers wouldn’t be considered small by any means. In fact, most of them are over 75 pounds! This is where the MA5300 breaks from the norm. It packs McIntosh’s signature sound into a manageable size. At just 38 pounds, you can now put this McIntosh integrated amplifier in places you never could before.
See a McIntosh-powered home theater
The one limitation to an amplifier this size is that the MA5300 is only rated to delivery 100 Watts per channel into 8 Ohm speakers, and 160 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm speakers. While this isn’t a huge amount of power, a 100 Watts per channel is probably plenty of power for most users, unless you’re looking to power large speakers or trying to fill a very large room with sound.
One of the most recognizable features of any McIntosh amplifier are the blue watt meters. McIntosh has now introduced new dual scale blue watt meters, so users can see how much power is being produced at 8 and 4 Ohm. The power meters are a handy feature that help you make sure you’re not pushing your speakers or amplifier too hard, which could cause premature failure of your two most vital stereo components.
The MA5300 has you covered on the connectivity front. There are 6 analog and 6 digital inputs on this integrated amplifier, which will ensure that you can hook up all of your existing and/or future audio products.
McIntosh has incorporated a high performance 8-channel, 32-bit/192kHz DAC into this unit. It is running in Quad Balanced Mode, and supports high resolution digital audio signals up to DSD256 and DXD 384kHz. McIntosh calls this DAC the “DA1 Digital Audio Module” because it can be upgraded in the future. This flexibility is huge, because the biggest issue with buying any electronic product is the fact that it tends to be obsolete from the point of purchase on. McIntosh created this ingenious module that can be removed and updated as digital audio changes over time. Integrated amplifiers tend to evolve and change at a much slower pace than digital audio sources, so this feature will ensure an owner will be able to enjoy this McIntosh product for many years to come.
The MA5300 includes most of McIntosh’s signature features such as Power Guard, Sentry Monitor, Home Theater PassThru, bass and treble tone controls, Power Control, and their HXD headphone amplifier. In addition, this integrated amplifier incorporates a new control microprocessors and updated audio-grade circuit components to ensure you get the purest sound possible.
If you are short on space but don’t want to sacrifice sound quality, the MA5300 is definitely worth an audition. It sells for $5,000.
The post Newest Integrated Amplifier from McIntosh Proves Size Doesn’t Always Matter appeared first on Electronic House.
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How to Find a Pro to Install Your Home Security System
Do-it-yourself home security systems are gaining in popularity, but make no mistake–there are still plenty of homeowners who prefer to leave the installation of their home security system to a professional.
Whether it’s because they don’t want to have to become a tech savvy do-it-themself-er, or because they do want an extensive, integrated home security system that’s beyond their level of expertise to install, many homeowners are still turning to the skills and experience that a professional security dealer or integrator can provide.
As is true with any trusted partner, it’s important to know who you are trusting. Simply letting your fingers do the walking in the Yellow Pages isn’t enough to guarantee you’ll find everything you’re looking for in an installing dealer. Be a smart shopper and dig a little deeper.
A trusted place to start your search for a reputable and qualified installing security dealer is on the Electronic Security Association (ESA) website – www.esa-web.org. ESA was established in 1948 and ranks as the largest trade association in the U.S. representing the electronic security and life safety industry. Its members and member companies install, integrate and monitor intrusion and fire detection, video surveillance and electronic access control systems for commercial, residential, industrial and governmental clients. In conjunction with its state and local chapters, ESA provides its installing dealers with technical and management training. To maintain their certifications and keep them current, members must complete 24 continuing education units/hours (CEUs) – the equivalent of 24 classroom hours – every two years.
To find a security professional in your area, you can go to the Chapters section of the ESA website, and click on your state. From there, you’ll see the option to find a dealer.
You can narrow down your search from there (names, company names and business phone numbers are listed), and also see if any of the member companies listed have a website you can refer to for more information.
It’s always advisable to interview a few potential partners, and some questions to ask a potential dealer could include:
- How long have they been in business?
- What scope of services do they provide (burg/fire/video surveillance/ access control)?
- Can they provide an estimate of what they’d charge to install a home security system, detailing what’s included, additional options, and associated equipment/labor costs?
- Do they offer a service contract or provide troubleshooting services post-installation and what are the costs associated?
- Which monitoring station(s) do they partner with, and what are their monthly monitoring fees?
Finding the right security professional to install and service your home security system is an important consideration in how happy you’ll be with its overall performance. Do your homework first, for a better experience later.
The post How to Find a Pro to Install Your Home Security System appeared first on Electronic House.
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Artificial Intelligence: Will It Replace Professional Security Monitoring Services?
Home security systems have traditionally been monitored by outside, professional alarm monitoring companies. Real live people are at the ready to answer the call when an alarm is triggered in your home. Monthly monitoring fees have always simply been a fact of life for home security system owners.
Related: How to Beef Up Your Security System
Now that we’re in the midst of an Internet of Things revolution, other options are presenting. Amazon is just one of several major companies that foresee digital assistants taking over the task of alarm monitoring for homeowners now and into the future.
A digital assistant is, by definition, an application program that can understand natural language and perform electronic tasks for the end user. Among the most popular are Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google’s Assistant.
Digital assistants are programmed with artificial intelligence,(AI) machine learning and voice recognition technology. As the end user interacts with his digital assistant, the AI programming uses sophisticated algorithms to learn from the data inputted and becomes more proficient better at predicting the end user’s needs.
But is trusting your digital assistant to monitor your home security system a safe decision? With an outside monitoring service, staffed by human beings, you have the peace of mind that someone is actually there looking out for you and can dispatch a police response, if needed, to assist. Has technology come far enough that self-monitoring is good enough for most homeowners?
The fact is technology has now paved the way for homeowners on a budget to self-monitor their security systems if they choose to. The latest systems on the market combine artificial intelligence with motion detectors, sensors, and security cameras to instantly determine if a break-in or other emergency situation is occurring. Thanks to AI algorithms like voice and facial recognition, some systems, such as the Flare from BuddyGuard can actually call for emergency response by itself.
The choice to retain an outside monitoring company vs. self-monitoring is up to you. It’s wise to weigh the capabilities and benefits of both specific to your own requirements before making a decision.
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Solar Technology: 3 Game-Changing Solar Inventions
After what looked to be a down year for solar panels and solar energy in general, has proven to be quite the opposite. Three new amazing solar technology advancements are making believers out of doubters.
- Roll-up Solar Panels — As you can imagine, roll-up solar panels could change the way we use solar panels completely. Developed by Revenogen in the United Kingdom, the technology has been tested on the remote island of Flat Holm where the panels provide the energy for the four scientists who live on the island. Although this is not quite ready for mainstream home use, homeowners can someday imagine being able to roll out panels on a sunny afternoon into the backyard to save money on their power bills.
- Concrete Solar Roof — This recently developed product out of the Swiss Federal institute of Technology of Zurich is a curved concrete roof that also acts as a solar panel. The lattice work is about 7.5 meters tall and uses
concrete to help insulate a group of heating and cooling coils. The system is combined with photovoltaic cells to create a carbon neutral environment. Although it’s not financially viable for homes at the moment, cheaper production materials could make it less expensive.
- Solar Paint — Most of us have heard about rooftop solar panels and roof shingles made of solar panels, but the future may be solar power integrated into the exterior wall surfaces of a home. Solar paints have been in development for a while and have made huge advancements in recent months. Developed at the Royal Institute of Technology of Melbourne, the paint uses water in the air to turn the paint on your walls into a clean energy power plant. Though they don’t expect the product to be commercially viable for the next five years, its low cost of production could offer a cheap way in the future to make any house green.
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Just in Time for Halloween: How to Vanquish Vampire Power That Leaks Electricity
Are your nights filled with dread because of the steady bump in the night of your electric bill? If you’re looking to get a more peaceful night’s sleep by saving some money on your electricity bill here are a few ways to stop common electronic ghouls from bumping up your energy bill this month.
- Get Rid of ‘Vampires’ — If you are looking to stop your bills from creeping up this month, it’s time to extinguish the little green lights that linger from the transformers plugged into your power strips and outlets. Even though they might be hooked up to devices that are off, they still suck the life from your power outlet. An easy way to manage this is to either unplug them or to put them on a power strip and switch the strip off at night.
- Computer Standby Power Will ‘Rise Again’ — You may not know it, but when you shut down your computer it may not be all the way off. Computers of all types often put themselves on standby when you shut them down, often to run updates or other tasks. An easy way to stop these zombie power drainers is to hook up your personal computer and its accessories, like printers, scanners and monitors, to a power strip. Then set the updates and scans to a more reasonable time. This allows you — with a single flick of switch or press of a button — to stop the power at the source, saving you money while you sleep.
- Beware of Energy ‘Goblins’ — As the holiday season nears, many of us are out shopping for new electronics and appliances. It’s important to be on the lookout for energy gobbling trolls! Look for the Energy Star label and examine the energy efficiency stats on a device. Maybe your “gift” for the holidays is the gift of energy savings.
The post Just in Time for Halloween: How to Vanquish Vampire Power That Leaks Electricity appeared first on Electronic House.
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How to Save Electricity at Home Through Time-of-Day Pricing
As many of us have noticed, utility companies are replacing flat-rate power pricing with time-of-day-based pricing models. For consumers, this new “time-variant pricing (TVP)” structure can be a good thing, especially when technology can help you save money. Smart home automation systems can control when your dishwasher and clothes washer starts, for example, or can monitor the temperature inside your freezer or refrigerator and cycle those appliances less frequently.
But before you can save via TVP, you must understand it first. TVP pricing comes in many different forms, but the basic Idea is that pricing is cheaper during nonpeak hours. This is when your utility offers incentives to use power during non-peak hours.
At first glance, it may sound bad that prices are rising, but it can be a great benefit to those who use the system to their advantage. Smart devices like a smart thermostat can help you avoid using big energy during peak hours, making sure you are only paying for energy at the cheapest time of the day. In addition, green energy sources like solar and battery back-up systems can sometimes earn homeowners rebates for helping the utility lower the pressure on their grid. In some cases, reduced stress on the energy infrastructure can result in lower costs for the utility company, which could pass those savings on to you. A recent study by an Oklahoma power company found that if 20 percent of its users switched to time-variant pricing, it wouldn’t need to build a power relay station to keep up with demand. Moreover, that same utility found that clients who switched to TVP saved $200 per year in energy costs.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, here are the 5 most common types of TVP:
Real-time pricing (RTP): Prices vary frequently over the course of the day to reflect fluctuating electricity costs.
Time-of-use pricing (TOU): The day is broken into two or three periods of time (e.g., peak period, off-peak period, interim period); prices vary by period, but remain consistent from day to day.
Variable peak pricing (VPP): Similar to TOU pricing, except that peak period prices change daily to reflect system conditions and costs.
Critical peak pricing (CPP): A critical event is identified when the price may increase dramatically to reflect system conditions.
Critical peak rebate (CPR): Similar to CPP, except that customers are paid for cutting back on electricity during critical events relative to the amount they normally use.
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4 Ways to Harvest Solar Energy for Your Home
The average homeowner is likely to feel overwhelmed by all the different options and types of solar panels available on the market today. So let’s look at the different types of solar cells, focusing on photovoltaic solar cells, and their benefits and disadvantages.
Crystalline Silicon — Crystalline silicon is the most commonly distributed form of solar panel, making up as much as 95 percent of all shipments in the United States as recently as 2011. The focus for a consumer should be on the purity of the silicone, which increases the efficiency of the solar panels.
Mono-Crystalline — Mono-crystalline stands for the singular crystalline structure. This type of solar panel is characterized by its uniform color and the cylindrical shape of the cells. The advantage of mono-crystalline cells is they are highly efficient. In addition, it is highly space efficient and enjoys a longer lifetime than the average solar panel. As you can imagine the disadvantage is cost: process of manufacturing the refined silicone creates a lot of waste and thus drives up cost.
Poly-Crystalline — A multi-crystalline structure means the silicone is less refined, which means the individual cells are less efficient. But, the solar panels cost considerably less, due to lest waste during production. The main drawback is they have mediocre performance compared to the mono-crystalline units.
Thin-Film Cells — Thin-film photovoltaic cells are the new up-and-comer, showing a 60 percent growth every year from 2002 to 2007, and carving out about 5 percent of the market. They currently average less efficiency but recent advancements expect to increase the efficiency rating considerably. They are cheaper to produce because they are easily mass produced and show greater resistance to losses in efficiency from things like heat and shading. The disadvantage of thin-film cells is in the amount of space needed to make them viable.
Finding the right type of solar panel really boils down to the amount of space available to install them. If you only have a small amount of space, mono-crystalline might be the way to go if you can overcome the cost. If you’re looking for a cheaper option and space isn’t as much an issue, poly-crystalline may be your best option. And if you not in the market right now, keep an eye on thin-film cells for the future.
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Thursday, October 26, 2017
Home of the Week: The Ultimate Automated Halloween Decorations: See How A DIYer Put It All Together
It’s Halloween night and the trick-or-treaters are out in full force. How do you entice candy seekers to visit your house? Or maybe you turn off all the lights to keep them away. Ashu Gholkar of Moorpark, Calif., created a fantastic automated Halloween display that appeals to everyone—it’s both gentle and welcoming for young kids who spook easily and off the rails scary for older kids who want nothing more than a good fright.
“I love Halloween,” Ashu says. “I have always decorated for it, but decided last year to make it more interactive. I really wanted to build a haunted house, but was concerned about liability.
The alternative was to turn his own home into a quasi-haunted house—accomplished by the integration of several pieces of smart home technology.
Get more smart Halloween decorating ideas here
- Ashu built a stand for the tablet that locks into place to make it difficult to steal. The stand is mounted to the edge of the property next to the sidewalk and has built-in power and speakers.
- A video projector simulates fire and projects Halloween figures on the wall of the porch.
- Another video projector located in an upstairs bedroom is connected to an old Google Nexus Player running Kodi to display a few videos from Youtube and AtmosFX on a loop onto a screen hung against a window.
- Two hanging decorations by the porch are designed to shake when they hear sound. These battery-driven items were converted to line power and plugged into Belkin Wemo outlets so they could be turned on or off from the tablet.
- Three main modes were programmed into the tablet by using Home Assistant software running on a Raspberry Pi microcomputer. These were choreographed into scenes using the Android Tasker app. All of the commands are sent directly from the app to a SmartThings home control that transfers the commands to the appropriate smart devices.
Here are the 3 different Halloween scenes – starting with the spookiest
- Normal Mode
- Video projector displays a loop of spooky videos without sound
- All the lights illuminate, include the eyes of ghost and ghoul decorations
- Fog machine and strobe lights activate
- Philips Hue bulbs and strip lights rotate between the colors of blue, purple and red
- Show Mode
- Philips Hue lights turn on in a red color—all other lights stay off
- Fog machine and strobe lights stay off
- Projector plays a spooky video
- The Halloween scene returns to normal mode after the video plays
- Less Scary Mode
- Philips Hue bulbs and strip turn on in a white color—all other lights stay off
- Fog machine and strobe lights stay off
- Projector displays a static image of a pumpkin
- The Halloween scene return to normal mode with the option to add 10 seconds
Other tablet options allow visitors to customize the display even more—and issue a gentle warning to users to leave the tablet where it is.
- Scare someone: The tablet sends a command to the Wemo switches to turn on the dancing decorations for 5 seconds. If you press the command again, it plays a scary video on the screen of the tablet. The idea is that someone can try to scare another person as they walk to the door, but if they try it again, they scare themselves.
- Thinking about stealing me: This displays a screen stating how “crappy” the tablet is and that it’s NOT an iPad. It also serves as a plea to not ruin Halloween for others.
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Noon Home: Lighting Design Without a Lighting Designer
If there’s one thing that can make your home look instantly more elegant, it’s a smart lighting system. Noon Home offers a solution that make your home lighting look as if it was designed by a professional, but you install it and configure it yourself. It is the first product to be launched by the company.
“We chose lighting because it has such a big impact on our day-to-day lives. Light can significantly change the way our homes look and how we feel,” says Erik Charlton, CEO of Noon Home, Inc. “Even basic lighting has been too confusing for too long. Think about standing in that lighting aisle full of light bulbs and dimmers. It is overwhelming to figure out what is the right product. To make matters worse, professional, layered light is even more confusing, unnecessarily expensive and only available from certified professionals. At Noon, we’re going to change that.”
Noon brings homeowners the ability to change the way a room looks and create a specific mood with a single touch. Noon intelligently blends ambient, task and accent lights to layer light in an eye pleasing way by using your home’s existing bulbs and fixtures.
The Noon Smart Lighting System is powered by its Room Director switch and companion Extension Switches, which communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy technology. Once installed, all of a room’s lights can be adjusted with one-touch, from the Room Director’s glass touchscreen OLED display.
Built-In Lighting Designer
Noon automatically creates three unique scenes – Relax, Everyday and Bright by analyzing information about each bulb, fixture and room type. You can also create custom scenes to fit how you use rooms, such as Cooking, Entertaining and Movie Time. These scenes can then be selected right at the switch or controlled via the Noon app from anywhere.
Smart Features
Noon’s smart features include Night Light, which turns on ultra-low light when you walk by the Room Director. Vacation Mode “plays back” a learned pattern to mimic the homeowners actual behaviors. Noon also supports voice activation with Amazon Alexa (coming soon).
Exclusive Bulb Detection Technology
Noon’s patented bulb discovery technology reads electrical currents and uses advanced algorithms to identify the bulb type. The Noon bulb identification feature means that the system is compatible with virtually any residential bulbs: dimmable and non-dimmable bulbs, incandescent, LED, CFL and fluorescent, as well as ELV (electronic low voltage) and MLV (magnetic low voltage) fixtures. Noon also combines bulb type with the fixture and room type to automatically create customized layered light scenes and minimizes low-level popping, flickering and buzzing.
Availability & Pricing
Noon Home products are now available at select Best Buy stores, B8TA and at NoonHome.com and at select Home Depot locations starting November 15. The Noon Smart Lighting Starter Kit, which includes one Room Director switch, two Extension Switches and three Noon designed Wall Plates, retails for $399.99. The Noon Room Director switch and Extension Switch are also sold separately for $199.99 and $99.99, respectively.
Professional Installation Option
Noon was designed for a great DIY experience, but if you are uncomfortable with high-voltage wiring, Noon-trained pros are available nationwide. Noon has partnered with InstallerNet to provide professional installation and can be scheduled at NoonHome.com. Professional install starts at $149 for up to three switches and $20 for each additional switch. For a limited time, Noon is offering $100 off professional installations.
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How to Turn a NVIDIA Shield TV into a Smart Home Hub
You love being able to stream your favorite TV programs to your display whenever the urge hits. Binge watching has become your favorite past time. You also like the idea of being able to automate certain devices in your home. Maybe even being able to control them by barking out a few voice commands.
Thanks to some serious handshaking between the NVIDIA Shield TV media streamer and Samsung SmartThings, you can do both—and fairly affordably. The two companies recently came together to create a solution that combines the best of media streaming with home control—and with Google Assistant voice control thrown in for good measure.
You can set up routines that trigger actions based on the time of day, whether you’re home or not, or via voice command, courtesy of Google Assistant integration that’s built into the SmartThings Link.
The addition of home control features doesn’t affect the SHIELD’s core functionality as a media streamer of 4K content. You can enjoy all the shows and games you love with the added benefit of being able to easily monitor, manage and control a wide range of devices in your home.
The SmartThings Link is available for $39.99. SHIELD Rewards members will receive two email offers: SmartThings Link for $14.99 shipped or a SmartThings Link with a SmartThings Motion Sensor and two dimmable Sengled Element Classic LED Bulbs for $49.99 shipped.
The SmartThings Link will be available on BestBuy.com and other retail websites starting October 29. It will also be a part of a bundle with SHIELD TV for $214.98
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False Alarm Prevention from a Super-Smart Surveillance Camera
When it comes to securing your home and protecting your loved ones, Big Brother actually often is a welcome addition to the family. The Lighthouse AI-enhanced interactive assistant uses 3D sensors and machine learning to discern who or what exactly comes across its view. It has night vision, a speaker and a two-way microphone. By just telling Lighthouse the matters you care about, it will keep you apprised when those things happen. It also provides a daily recap that condenses the day into the actual “action.”
Its 3D time-of-flight sensor, computer vision and machine learning technology enables the Lighthouse to keep you in the know on what’s happening at home. Here’s what the Lighthouse Intelligence Service will give you:
- Ask Lighthouse: Know what happened at home just by asking.
- Real-Life Pings: Receive customized updates about activities you care about.
- Security Alerts with Emergency Activation: Get security alerts based on 3D movement and unknown person detection. Sound a siren or call the police from the app.
- HaloVision: Color halos help you review video clips by people and pets.
- Wave Hello: Your family can say hello while you’re away, just by waving to Lighthouse.
- 30-day Cloud Storage: Access the last 30 days of recorded video.
False alerts are often common with home security cameras because their sensors can get tricked by pet motion, headlights, and even shadows. Lighthouse camera’s AI monitoring eliminates the headache of false alerts as it only notifies you when it detects actual movement triggered by a person it doesn’t recognize. If you are notified, you can simply hit the siren or call the police, right from the alert.
Operating System requirements are iOS 10 or later, Android 4.4 or later, and connectivity requirements are high-speed Wi-Fi. It sells for $299, plus $100 for one year of Lighthouse Intelligence Service. $10/month thereafter, which can be cancelled anytime.
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Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Amazon Launches New Interactive Home Delivery Service
With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, Amazon leverages its speedy at home delivery service by offering Prime members the chance to view their packages being left on the doorstop live and unlock the door for delivery people—remotely from a smartphone app. The innovative service, called Amazon Key, comes with all the equipment you need to prepare your home, and access to one-click in-home delivery—at no extra charge.
Prime members can pre-order the Amazon Key In-Home Kit (starts at $249.99), which includes an Amazon Cloud Cam and one of several compatible smart locks from Yale and Kwikset. Customers can install the kit themselves or call on one of Amazon’s technicians for free professional installation.
Once the kit is installed, customers order much like they always have with the addition of selecting “in home” delivery before placing their orders. Each time a delivery driver requests access to a customer’s home, Amazon verifies that the correct driver is at the correct address, at the intended time, through an encrypted authentication process. Once the process is complete, the Cloud Cam starts recording and the smart lock is unlocked. Customers receive a notification on their smartphones when the delivery driver arrives and leaves.
The service also offers keyless access for family and friends. Customers can set up the frequency and length of time a person is granted access, and ad or remote contacts as they see fit.
The service rolls out on November 8 in 37 cities, with additional cities to be added. Amazon Key applies to Same-Day, One-Day, Two-Day, and Standard Shipping.
In the coming months, Amazon Key will provide Prime customers with interactive, remote service scheduling of other providers, including Merry Maids, and pet sitters and dog walkers on Rover.com.
“Amazon Key will make it even easier to cross a major chore off your to-do list by letting the professionals at Merry Maids take care of the house cleaning while you’re not at home,” says Nik Varty CEO of ServiceMaster, the parent company of Merry Maids.
Go to www.amazon.com/key to check eligibility, preorder the Amazon Key In-Home Kit, and schedule free installation.
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Guardzilla Announces 360 Degree Camera for Advanced Home Security
Security systems do a great job of protecting your home and family, but for extra peace of mind it helps to be able to actually see what’s happening at home. Guardzilla has combined security and video monitoring in one system.
The new Guardzilla 360 is being touted as an industry-first, an all-in-one security and monitoring camera that delivers full 360-degree live HD viewing and motion detection capabilities, along with night vision, a full security suite and audio communication, right on your smartphone.
According to the press release issued by Guardzilla, its 360, unlike typical Wi-Fi video security cameras that offer a limited 130-150 degrees of view and protection, provides a live 360-degree field of view, 360-degree night vision, and 360-degree motion detection with instant phone alerts.
The company’s new camera also features an advanced speaker and microphone system that enables two-way conversations between people at home and your smartphone. On the unit are three programmable call buttons for one-touch push notifications to your smartphone. The Guardzilla 360 also includes a full security suite, including a 100dB siren, PIR motion sensors and geo-fencing, which automatically arms or disarms the system when a user’s smartphone is detected exiting or entering the GPS-driven perimeter.
Guardzilla 360 Features:
- Live 360-degree HD video monitoring: Offers full panoramic view of the entire home
- 360-degree night vision: Delivers the full security and viewing power of the Guardzilla 360 – even at night
- 360-degree motion detection: Provides protection and instant phone alerts for your entire environment, not just one-third of it, along with optional 100dB siren alerts
- Hub-less design: For easy installation
- Instant notifications: Configurable options for email and push alerts of events
- Programmable call buttons: Includes three configurable call buttons for simple one-touch push notifications to family, friends and emergency contacts
- Audio echo cancellation: Full 2-way audio capability integrates echo cancellation and noise reduction hardware and software
- Geo-fencing: Leverages smartphone GPS technology to automatically arm or disarm the system when the user’s smartphone exits or enters the geo-fence perimeter.
- UI de-warping: Proprietary algorithm enables re-rendering of raw video content via 3D mapping into panoramic viewable video
- UI gravity effect: Custom code creates downward drift gravity to reset previous 360-degree searches to the level, panoramic mode most users desire
- Video compression: Video compression technologies enable delivery of live, HD streaming 360-degree video via typical IP broadband bandwidth
- Motion event video capture and storage: Captures and stores high-resolution videos of detected events on a user’s smartphone
With a retail price of $229.99, Guardzilla 360 is available online and in-store from leading retailers across the country including Walmart, Target, Office Max, Staples, Best Buy, and Home Shopping Network.
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Vivint Home Security Ranks Highest on J.D. Power Study
With so many home security systems on the market, it can be difficult to choose which one to have installed in your home. Most systems provide ample protection and are easy to use. Couple this with the installation know-how of a highly skilled professional security integrator, and you really can’t go wrong. Still, it never hurts to dig deeper.
J.D. Power, a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics, has released the results of its 2017 Home Security Satisfaction Study. It reports that in the growing professionally installed and monitored home/residential security market, overall customer satisfaction with home security brands is high relative to other at-home studies on such things as windows and patio doors; home improvement retailers; clothes washers and dryers; and dishwashers. The 2017 Home Security Satisfaction Study revealed that, on a 1,000-point scale, overall customer satisfaction for home security is 831, compared with all other at-home studies at 825.
In the J.D. press announcement, Greg Truex, senior director of the At-Home Practice at J.D. Power, states that “There’s a clear connection between a customer’s level of product knowledge and level of satisfaction. Satisfaction is crucial because it leads to more recommendations and increased brand loyalty, which are important in such a big industry.”
Vivint Smart Home (851) ranked highest in customer satisfaction among home security brands. The 2017 Home Security Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction with professionally installed and monitored home/residential security brands by examining four factors (in alphabetical order): billing and payment; customer service; enrollment; and usage.
Vivint Smart Home performed well in J.D. Power’s high importance attributes, which are: effectiveness of securing my home; ease of using the system; timeliness of resolving problem, question or request; and clarity of information provided for customer service. Guardian Protection Services (841) ranked second and AT&T (Digital Life) and MONI (839) ranked third in a tie.
The study is based on responses from 3,134 customers who own a professionally installed and monitored home/residential security system and was fielded in August-September 2017.
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Buying Used Audio Speakers Online: Is it a Good Idea?
Speakers tend to be one of the most researched products when putting together a stereo or home cinema sound system. There is good reason for this – they produce the audio signals that you actually hear, so you want to make sure you buy the best speakers possible for your application. They’re the backbone of your home entertainment system, and when taken care of, they can last for decades. Everyone wants the best, but sometimes budget constraints make it more difficult.
We all want a Lamborghini, but realistically might only have the budget for a Mustang. That’s ok, because the used audio market is very good, and opposed to buying a used Lamborghini which may cost $10,000 in maintenance per year, the used Lamborghini of the speaker world is likely to need little to no maintenance – if you choose wisely from the start. You can find a ton of great deals on used audio sites if you do your research and ask the right questions. Buying used allows you to purchase very expensive speakers at a down to earth price.
Buying Tip – When a manufacturer launches an updated model, you will see a lot of people selling the outgoing model, because they want to purchase the newest model. This can be the best time to find a good deal on a relatively new speaker design.
There are quite a few used audio sites, but the most recognizable are Audiogon (www.audiogon.com) and Ebay (www.ebay.com). Both of these sites have a wide selection of speakers, and you can often find a good deal on both old and newer-style speakers. Before you lay down your hard earned money, however, there are a few questions to ask the seller before buying used speakers.
- What type of amplification equipment was used to power the speakers?
You want to ensure that the speakers were being powered by quality amplification. If an under-powered amplifier was used there is a chance the amplifier was pushed beyond its power capabilities. This could mean that the amplifier was pushed to clipping, and clipping signals can damage a speaker’s drivers, and vice versa, an amplifier that’s too powerful in certain cases can be harmful to a speaker’s drivers as well.
- How often were the speakers used?
Speakers that were constantly being used might have drivers that will wear out from too much use.
- Can you provide a dealer receipt or at least a dealer reference to prove the speakers are authentic?
Luxury items are often counterfeited, so it’s worth making sure the speakers are real.
- Were they exposed to sunlight?
If speakers are placed near windows they often become faded on the exterior. In addition, if the drivers were exposed to sunlight, they might show signs of cracking on the rubber surrounding the drivers.
When buying speakers online you need to do your homework. Also, be sure to check out the reviews on the seller to ensure that you aren’t getting scammed.
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McIntosh MHA50 Portable Decoding Amplifier Preview
Introducing the new MHA50 Portable Decoding Amplifier from McIntosh. One of the most coveted names in home audio is doubling down on the headphone market, not long after launching its MHP1000 headphones, McIntosh is supporting its new cans with a high-end portable headphone amplifier and DAC. McIntosh says the MHA50 is designed to help you get the best possible sound out of your headphones. Is it worth a whopping $700? Only a true McIntosh fan may be able to answer that question.
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Tuesday, October 24, 2017
KEF and Spotify Connect: A Match Made in Heaven
When KEF launched the LS50 wireless speakers, it helped move traditional speaker design to a new level. It broke away from the traditional stereo setup by incorporating all the necessary stereo equipment (Digital-to-Analog converter, wireless streamer, preamp, and amplifier) into the speakers. It was clever integration of all the essential parts. No longer did you need a large stereo rack to hold multiple stereo components. All you needed was your phone, tablet, or computer to send audio to the LS50 speakers.
It also saved space and simplified a home audio setup. There was just one thing missing: Spotify.
Now KEF has gone one step further and added Spotify Connect to these speakers. The ability to link these speakers to Spotify’s music service literally opens up a world of music. Currently there are over 30 million songs available on Spotify. No matter what your music preference, there is music you can enjoy through the cloud.
It used to be that the one caveat of streaming music via your phone, tablet, or PC was that when any alerts or calls came in to your device, your music was interrupted. Spotify Connect has solved this issue. The speakers themselves now become the streamer when they are synced with your phone, tablet, or laptop computer.
This takes the demand off of your devices and gives you the freedom to use them for other tasks without interrupting the music. In addition, this also helps reduce the power demand on your device since the task of streaming is taking over by the LS50 speakers. This feature is available immediately. All you need to do is update the speaker’s firmware and the KEF LS50 Wireless App. To update the speakers firmware visit http://ift.tt/2z4N6L3 If you want to learn more about Spotify Connect visit their website http://ift.tt/2iwXnsg
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Optoma UHZ65 Home Theater Laser Projector: Affordable and Cutting Edge
In the commercial market, the use of laser-based projectors has risen exponentially thanks to its low-maintenance requirements, color fidelity and brightness levels. Optoma is bringing laser technologies to a new price point in the residential home theater market with its new UHZ65 laser 4K projector.
“The Optoma UHZ65 is the culmination of years of design iterations, engineering and testing to bring the highest quality home cinema projector to market for a price that consumers can afford,” says Brian Soto, head of product management, Optoma Technology. “With 4K content now readily available, and entertainment options always expanding, we are delivering on our goal to provide an entertainment experience that can truly envelop a room and an audience at home.”
The company says its latest UltraHD projector is able to produce 4K images as large as 140 inches from as far as 11 feet away.
Utilizing a laser-phosphor light engine, along with Texas Instruments’ (TI) 4K DLP UHD chipset that includes XPR video processing to display 8.3 million pixels, the projector offers PureEngine’s PureMotion imaging processing technology that is said to eliminate noise, motion blur and judder in fast-motion video to enable clear images.
Through the UHZ65’s laser-light engine, the projector produces up to 3,000 lumens of brightness and contrast levels as high as 2,000,000:1 with Dynamic Black enabled.
Optoma states the UHZ65 is compatible with the HDR10 high dynamic range (HDR) format, as well as the Rec. 709, DCI-P3 and REC.2020 color gamuts, and because it employs a laser-phosphor light engine it provides integrators a low-maintenance projection solution that eliminates the need to change bulbs, while providing up to 20,000 of operational life.
In addition, the UHZ65 laser 4K projector offers a choice of HDMI 2.0 (with HDCP 2.2, MHL 2.1 and full 18Gbps compatibility), HDMI 1.4, VGA, audio in (3.5mm), audio out SPDIF Out (optical/2 channel only), USB for service, USB-A Power, and RJ45 inputs.
The Optoma UHZ65 4K laser projector carries a suggested retail price of $4,500.
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8 Life-Changing Ways the Internet is Impacting Your Home
We all know what the Internet is. But there’s a relatively new term that you should know about: Internet of Things. Exactly what is the Internet of Things, or IoT? Basically, it’s anything (everyday gadgets and objects) that connects to the Internet. This could be your smart TV that pulls content from the Internet, a water sensor that uses the Internet to notify you via smartphone that there’s a leak in the basement, a surveillance camera that lets you peek in on happenings around the house while you’re miles away, and a host of other connected devices.
Research firm Gartner forecasts that 8.4 million connected things (Internet of Things; IoT) will be in use worldwide in 2017, up 31 percent from 2016, and will reach 20.4 billion by 2020. That’s a lot of smart devices communicating over the Internet … and it’s impact on our homes, our lives and our world will be huge.
Perfect IoT Conditions
There are a lot of factors making IoT as commonplace as facial tissues. First, broadband in the home is nearly ubiquitous. It gives your home and the devices inside it a connection to the outside world.
Second, there’s Wi-Fi which provides a connection that’s wireless and a complement to broadband. Take a stroll down the aisles at your local home improvement store and you’ll likely see dozens of Wi-Fi-enabled products that can be accessed, monitored and controlled from mobile devices like your smartphone.
Third, these Internet-connected devices are becoming increasingly smart, embedded with sensors and other technology that enables them to gather, analyze and disseminate data. And last, there’s the smartphone. Who doesn’t own one of these—the integral piece of the IoT chain that lets you send and receive information to and from your home’s IoT devices.
How Does IoT Impact You?
Information is power, and the more information you are able to gather from your home the more efficiently you’ll be able to live in it. You’ll be able to gauge the entire of environment of your home and make educated decisions about how to respond and do so in a timely manner regardless of whether you’re sitting on the family room couch or lounging by a pool 800 miles away. Here are a few examples, along with benefits to your life:
1 Peace of Mind: Did you lock the door, did you turn off the iron, is the garage door still open? All of these questions deal directly with the safety and security of your home. When door locks, garage door openers, and outlets are connected to the Internet, you can monitor the status of these devices from your smartphone; you can lock, close and turn off them remotely to ensure that your home is protected.
2 An Eye in the Sky: Seeing is believing, so when products like a surveillance camera are IoT-enabled, you can get a visual of the happenings at home. Some cameras have sensors built it that will push a notification to you whenever they sense motion, for example.
3 A Heads-Up: Are you out of trash bags? Low on laundry detergent? Does your home’s air filter need to be changed? IoT devices like trash cans (yes, these exist), washing machines, and indoor air quality monitors can keep track of things and notify you when you need to take action.
4 More Modes of Home Management: Back before so many things were connected to the Internet, the only way to monitor and manage them were through keypads, touchpanels, and remote controls. IoT extends your control options to include smartphones, tablets, and your voice (whether you’re at home or away).
5 24/7 Help from Tech Experts: Prior to IoT, homeowners experiencing problems with their smart devices called a home tech expert for help. This often required the pro to make a house visit—potentially pricey and annoying. IoT devices, however, gives these tech easy access to your smart devices and systems. They can be informed of problems and remedy them without ever coming to your house.
6 Connections to the Outside World: IoT devices are everywhere … not just in your home. This means that you house can exchange information with businesses, industries, and public places. For example, a connected toothbrush could communicate data to your dentist, possibly saving you a visit; a connected refrigerator could zip an email to your local grocery store when you’re running low on milk adding the item to a list of items to be delivered later that week.
7 Autonomous Operation: As sensors, microprocessors, and other technology get smaller and more affordable, they become easier to integrate into IoT devices. When this happens, IoT devices literally have a mind of their own. We are already seeing this in products like Nest thermostats, which over time learn your habits to adjust their settings accordingly. Other IoT devices are bound to get smarter, allowing certain facets of your house to operate autonomously.
8 Voice Control: Smart speakers with integrated voice assistant technology—like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant—are IoT devices. Today the can deliver information (music, weather reports, restaurant reservations) to your home from the Internet and serve as a control interface to other IoT devices. As they too become smarter, they can even serve as an automation hub for your home.
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