Home Automation News
How to Install a Wallplate 20% Faster
These innovative wallplates easily mount into the wall with a simple, one-step process that’s up to 20% faster than traditional wallplates....
Speed Kills: More, Better Content Drives Demand for Better, Faster Service
Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet, and his cohorts probably never envisioned a time when sending a message or picture across the country or around the globe would be faster than dialing a phone. Or that people would have a panic attack when they didn’t have Internet access....
Amazon rolls out smart-home 'routines' for Alexa
Peter Newman for Business Insider: Amazon added a new feature to its Alexa voice assistant that will let consumers use Echo smart speakers or other Alexa devices to control multiple smart home devices at once in what it calls “routines.”...
LG IoT security bug highlights risks of home automation
Tech Central: LG’s SmartThinQ is a framework for communication between devices that enables them to, among other things, be controlled by smartphone apps or by voice through integration with emerging smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home....
Choosing Your Surround Speakers
Positioning the surround speakers is crucial in order to enjoy the immersive sound that home theater is known for. But, deciding which configuration and what type of speaker to use can be daunting....
Case Study: Niles and Sunfire Bring Sophisticated Sound to Mexico City Entertainment Room
The goal was to build an immersive sound system in the entertainment room and throughout the home without hindering the look of the house, which was gut-renovated and professionally designed three years prior....
Wi-Fi .11AX – What’s It All About?
For now, the conclusion seems clear – IEEE 802.11ax is not the end of Wi-Fi. It is the start of building even higher performance systems!...
Have a High-Tech Halloween with your own Haunted Smart Home
Jordan McMahon for Wired: We’re living in the future, and all you need is a smart speaker like Google Home or Amazon Echo and a few connected devices to transform any pad into a creepy crypt fit for the damned....
Playing to Win: New M&E Industry Advances Put Viewer in Charge
Since no one is yet certain which business model will be most popular with viewers, the streamers offer their content in a range of flavors – free (ad supported), SVOD (subscription), TVOD (event transaction)....
Quadriplegic Gains Control of Apartment Through Customized ELAN System
Automation technology gives the resident remote control of his apartment’s lights, TVs, phone, motorized bed and motorized door for the first time in years....
ASSA ABLOY Acquires August Home in the US
"August Home strengthens our residential smart door strategy with complementary smart locks, expansion into video doorbells and comprehensive solutions for home delivery,"...
More Power to Zigbee® 3.0: The Power of Green Power
Complex, More Complex, Most Complex...
RTI Delivers Effortless Control for Elaborate Movie Theater
The Envision Cinemas Bar & Grille is more than just a movie destination, it’s an AV experience. With more than 47 displays, a pumping audio system, and an abundance of content sources, customers can eat, drink, and be entertained. Using RTI’s powerful XP-8s control processor and customized RTiPanel app, M. Alan Associates delivered on the owner’s vision for complex, high-end technology backed by...
Wi-Fi Devices Vulnerable to KRACK Attacks: Your 10-Point Cheatsheet
Gadgets 360: Vulnerabilities in WPA2, a protocol used by nearly all modern Wi-Fi devices, leaves all Wi-Fi devices at risk of being snooped upon, a security researcher revealed on Monday....
Drones, Phones, And Automation: The Future Of Home Security
Simon Davies for Tech.Co: This indoor drone is just one of the latest developments in the smart home security world, which is increasingly blurring the lines between the real world and Hollywood Sci-Fi....
Brilliant Raises $21 Million Series A To Bring Smart Home Automation To Everyone
August Capital leads round, with Miramar Ventures, The Box Group, and others participating; former Sonos sales executive Kostas Reissis appointed as Vice President of Sales...
Beyond 4K – Part 3: Innovation & Education
For nearly two decades PureLink has been leading the way as an innovator and educator in the professional audio/video industry....
Beyond 4K – Part 2: Not all 4K is the same!
Ultra High Definition, or 4K, is most commonly associated with resolution, but it is more complex than that....
Technology Isolation: Technology that Brings Us Together Also Drives Us Apart
According to a recent Monitoring the Future report, kids actually spend more time at home under the same roof with their parents. But they really aren’t any closer to them, they’re just … there....
Report Measures Home Automation Adoption at 15% of U.S. Internet Households
Carl Weinschenk for Telecompetitor: Researchers measured home automation adoption at 15% of U.S. internet households as of April 2017 — up from 10% a year earlier....
Best Buy Bets on Adults Remotely Monitoring Their Aging Parents
Matthew Boyle for Bloomberg: By 2020, 45 million Americans will be caring for 117 million seniors. The retailer offers a $29 monthly monitoring service using internet-connected gear....
PureLink: “Beyond 4K”
Part 1: What does it mean to go “Beyond 4K”?...
How Amazon Plans to Clobber Google Home and Apple HomePod With Its New and Cheaper Echo Lineup
Aaron Pressman for Fortune: Amazon rolled a bevy of new and updated products last week, including an improved version of its Echo speaker and Fire TV set-top box....
THE 2017 CEDIA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Hosted at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, 430 industry professionals were part of the magic, enjoying an evening of networking, fine dining, and toasting their goblets to the award winners....
SMART HOMES GET SMARTER, TECH COMPANIES MORE COMPETITIVE
Builder Online: Some tech companies, such as Apple and Amazon, have partnered with home builders to bring smart-home technology to entire developments. Others are developing new virtual assistants as an alternative to Alexa and Siri....
How to Watch Netfix in Surround Sound
I know that Neural is a bit of an oddball format that many receivers don’t feature, but should you happen to have it, I can highly recommend that you use it for the most immersive surround experience when you are converting a stereo source to surround....
Nest’s home security system costs $499 and comes with magnetic door sensors
Nick Statt for The Verge: Nest is getting serious about home security with an entirely new product family it’s calling Nest Secure. Announced at a hardware event in San Francisco, Nest detailed a new modular system that is designed to make home security more modern and simple....
Life of Luxury or Potential Security Hack?: The Truth About Voice-Recognition Software in Your Home
You may not prevent every kind of threat, but even these cursory safeguards will do a lot to keep your data—and your private life—for intended audiences only....
Amazon has 76% smart home speaker U.S. market share as Echo unit sales reach 15M, new study finds
Taylor Sopper for GeekWire: Amazon first entered the smart home speaker scene two years ago with its original Echo device; it now also sells different models like the $49.99 Echo Dot, which accounts for more than 50 percent of Echo products in the wild, CIRP noted....
Road Show: Small Screen Viewing is Becoming a Very, Very Big Deal
The first thing you discover at IBC is that TV isn’t dead. It has just morphed into a dizzying array of ultra-confusing solutions … that’s right, everyone has the answer....
CEDIA 2017 Recap and Plans for CEDIA 2018
CEDIA 2017 saw a significant increase in attendance, and Emerald Expositions is excited to work in tandem with the CEDIA association and a select group of industry experts to develop plans for [exciting]new initiatives to benefit both the exhibitors and attendees for CEDIA 2018....
Global $100+ Bn Home Automation System Market Analysis & Trends
Global Home Automation Market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.4% reaching $72.78 billion by 2022 from the market value of $36.09 billion in 2016....
Bi-amp Benefits and Configurations
The bottom line is if you have the two extra channels available in your receiver or amp and you have speakers that support bi-amping, then I would recommend hooking them up in this configuration. It certainly won’t hurt anything and I think you will hear at the very least a modest improvement in your speakers’ sound....
NASCAR Driver Denny Hamlin Turns to ELAN for Speedy and Smooth Control of His New 30,000-Square Foot Home
During the home’s building process in late 2016, Hamlin wanted to incorporate one central interface to control all his home’s sub-systems and sophisticated entertainment technology....
CEDIA 2017: Alexa, Google Assistant & Other Voice UIs Come Into Their Own
Joseph Palenchar for Twice: This week’s CEDIA 2017 is giving A/V products and custom-installed integrated systems more of a voice in the way they’re controlled....
Improving UX With The Concept Of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
An AI-managed future development landscape can be extremely useful for brands, as it can create an ecosystem in which an AI system recognizes and supports the other, paving the way for unprecedented integration....
Home Professionals Gear Up for Smart Tech Surge
HomeAdvisor-CEDIA survey of home service pros reveals broadening opportunities for pros in the smart home field...
CEDIA Announces Best New Product Winners & Product Hall of Fame Inductees
CEDIA congratulates the 2017 Best New Product Award winners and the 2017 Product Hall of Fame inductees....
CEDIA Announces 2017 Americas Home Technology Professional Award Winners
CEDIA is pleased to announce the 2017 Americas winners for the Home Technology Professional Awards competition. Fifteen projects were honored at the CEDIA Celebration as the best work completed by home technology professionals this year....
CEDIA 2017 - HomeToys Special News Report
News and Product Announcements from CEDIA 2017. Post your company news releases here....
VR Film Work: The Refreshing View of Immersive Content
VR is more than just a line-of-sight experience. It’s unique and very satisfying when it’s created properly. People can experience new environments and breathtaking activities as well as interesting and entertaining events/shows....
CEDIA now underway in San Diego!
CEDIA 2017 is in full swing in sunny San Diego. HomeToys.com continues to be a top resource for news and articles related to the event. Here are some useful links....
Thought You Needed a Mansion to Own a Home Cinema? Not With these Modern Audio Visual Systems You Don't
Using products such as in-wall speakers, roll-away screens and discretely hidden Av systems enables you to take the increasingly-popular route of integrating cutting edge home cinema into an existing living or entertainment space such as a lounge or games room....
Panasonic rolls out cool smart home concept
Paul Ridden for New Atlas: The Movable Fridge will come when called, and return to its cubby hole in the kitchen when no longer needed....
Nest Launches A Cheaper Thermostat To Bring The Smart Home To The Masses
Aaron Tilley for Forbes: Called the Nest Thermostat E (E for everyone!), the new wall gadget will have nearly all the same internal hardware and software as its $250 counterpart, but will be $80 less for a total of $170....
Talking CEDIA with LUXUL
Luxul will be introducing our new Volt line of intelligent power distribution units (PDU’s), that allow dealers to remotely power cycle and monitor connected devices. We are also introducing the new XAP-810 indoor AC1200 access point, along with the XAP-1440 outdoor AC1200 access point....
CEDIA Q&A with Control4
We’ve got some great new products coming out from our Triad audio line and arguably, the most innovative new feature in the smart home industry making its debut....
CEDIA Q&A with Clark Roundy, CEO of Domotz
Those experiencing Domotz for the first time will see a very powerful, yet simple to use tool that will improve their installation productivity as well as help them more cost-effectively deliver a great customer experience. Domotz is all about helping pro-installers work more efficiently, reduce time wasted in resolving problems and improve profitability....
Home Technology Association Launches HTA Certification at CEDIA 2017
Created to empower and educate homeowners while recognizing and supporting exceptional integrators, HTA Certification is now open to custom installation firms nationwide...
PureLink Case Study: Corporate Digital Signage
Before Syncomation took on this project, there was an existing digital signage solution in place that was cloud-based, and the monthly fees required to access the service were beginning to balloon out of control....
Specially Adapted ELAN Smart Home
New residence makes home control seamless for one Virginia-based wounded warrior....
NuBryte Smart Switch Hits the Market: Motion-based Lighting, Security, Climate and More, All in the Light Switch.
Automate an entire home in less than 10 minutes per switch with the NuBryte home control system....
Most Impressive Ways Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionising Mobility
Developers now need to be more equipped with the latest knowledge and skill set to utilise AI more contextually for making the user experience better....
New era for Samsung: Smart home technology & Galaxy Note 8
April Slattery for CBR Online: More smart features will be introduced to the Samsung smart home system as well as the new release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8....
How Can Lighting Manufacturers Grow their Business and Expand their Profits
This article will focus on the IoT-enabled Smart Lighting Control opportunity, which our research shows is one of largest opportunities in the rapidly growing commercial-grade IoT control space....
Content Delivery: More, Better Content; More Screens… Now Comes Delivery
Today, more and more people carry a TV set in their backpack (computer/tablet), in their pocket (smartphone). That's why there’s only one TV set in our house. And it isn't even simply a TV set … it’s the home hub that serves up M&E content and more....
AT&T considers sale of home security business: sources
Liana B. Baker for Reuters: The divestiture would mark a reversal for AT&T, which entered the U.S. home security market with the introduction of Digital Life in 2013. The service offers customers sensors and cameras so they can monitor their homes and pets on their phones....
Foxconn, Keyssa®, and Samsung Introduce Disruptive “Connected World” Smartphone Ecosystem
Connected World Will Define How Next-Gen Mobile Devices Share Gigabits of Data, Without Wi-Fi or Wires...
How Architectural Speakers Can Improve Your Home Theater
Placement of an architectural speaker is critical for optimal stereo imaging. Given that they will be installed, if any changes need to be made you’ll need to bust into your walls, and that’s no fun....
IKEA'S SMART HOME DARES TO MAKE SENSE
Brian Barrett for Wired: But the way Ikea has so far approached its Trådfri LEDs illustrates exactly how the furniture behemoth can light a path toward a generation of products that finally fulfill the smart home's potential. They're cheap. They're easy. And most importantly, they'll soon speak HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant with equal fluency....
CEDIA 2017 will be in San Diego
CEDIA is dedicated to residential technology with more than 500 exhibitors, giving you focused access to new products, breakthrough innovations and targeted training....
Amazon Echo multiroom audio not far off, report says
Megan Wollerton for CNet: Amazon is ready to launch whole-home audio for its Alexa speakers, one report claims....
ELAN-Controlled Home Theater Lets the Stars Shine Bright
This fully automated 10-seat theater with starlit ceiling provides the ultimate home cinema experience, with simple control of every component through the ELAN system....
HOME AUTOMATION: EVOLUTION OF A TERM
John Baichtal for Hackaday: This Moonraker-esque notion of home automation turned out to be something of a red herring, because home automation stopped being pretty forever ago; eventually it became available to everyone with a WiFi router in the form of Amazon Echo and Google Nest....
Case Study: Chesapeake Systems Service Opens ELAN-Controlled Experience Center for Builders, Architects & Designers
All integrated tech was designed to be “invisible,” with a television tucked behind motorized wall art, and blended in-ceiling speakers....
Pebble and Essential designer Liron Damir joins Google to work on Home products
Chaim Gartenberg for The Verge: Between his previous experience developing webOS for TVs, his time at Pebble, and his work at Essential, Damir’s hire makes sense for Google, especially as the company begins to build out more visual user experience interactions with Home....
Home Automation and Home Security Trends in 2017
Integrating the home security system with the existing home automation, and with cloud technology, vastly changes what can be done with security. The cloud can store and send video and pictures to various locations, and therefore allow more people see what is going on....
VR in the Classroom
The interactive experiences are exciting, immersive and instructional. Students get to drive a race car, tagging correct answers as they go. They also are in the center of a cylindrical word search that is answered using their eyes as they drag the cursor across the correctly found words....
Parks Associates: Annual Unit Sales of Smart Door Locks to Reach 1.68 Million by 2021
Research firm's Smart Home Tracker reveals annual sales revenue for smart door locks will exceed $357 million in 2021...
Trends In Home Automation
One of the biggest challenges for home automation is cutting through the noise of “smart devices” and IoT to find the products that deliver the performance and durability a true smart home requires. Not every device available on the market is made to meet the demand of day-in and day-out use....
Case Study: ELAN Redefines Customer Experience at Nashville’s Historic 120-Year Old 'Famous Saloon'
With support from Gefen and Furman solutions, an ELAN system helps to create cohesion throughout the four-floor, 23,000-square foot venue....
Smart home platform Wink has been acquired by will.i.am
Thuy Ong for The Verge: Struggling smart home platform Wink has been acquired by lifestyle and technology company, i.am+, the company owned by musician and hit and miss (but mostly miss) tech entrepreneur will.i.am....
Google adds more partners to growing smart home ecosystem
Peter Newman for Business Insider: Over 70 companies in smart home automation have made their devices compatible with Google’s smart home assistant....
Case Study: Peerless-AV Creates Wayfinding Solutions for D.C.-based Government Facility
This custom interactive wayfinding solution is ideal for the government agency building’s guests and employees as it allows the agency to make directional changes and updates at any time, with no additional cost....
Swidget turns any home into a "smart home" using existing wiring
Mike Hanlon for New Atlas: Swidget is a modular electrical outlet designed to turn any home into a smarthome using existing wiring, replacing a traditional electricity outlet with an outlet capable of using "snap in" inserts....
Smart Home Security: Which Devices are Worth the Cost?
To help ease some of the stress of picking out the right smart security device, here's some of the more common ones and some advantages and disadvantages to help buyers decide if they're worth the price on the tag....
Roomba vacuum maker iRobot betting big on the 'smart' home
Jan Wolfe for Reuters: "There's an entire ecosystem of things and services that the smart home can deliver once you have a rich map of the home that the user has allowed to be shared," said Angle....
Microsoft & Johnson Controls reinvents the thermostat
Utilizing Windows 10 IoT Core, Cortana voice services, and Azure Cloud, GLAS is a simple to use, elegant thermostat that brings leading energy savings and air quality monitoring to everyday spaces. Johnson Controls is reinventing the thermostat and our lives....
IoT Devices For Home Security
So, how can you use IoS and IFTTT to improve your home security. Here are a few things you can do to maximise your security efforts....
Family Starts with Small Time Automation, Then Goes Big With ELAN!
The centerpiece of the home’s customization is the rooftop deck. Here the family can enjoy a 65” Seura outdoor TV with a multi-room audio system, a fire pit, and a full outdoor kitchen and dining set. The system’s speakers are completely hidden in a small gap between the deck and the actual roof, creating a seamless audiovisual experience in a truly unique location....
2017 Tech Growth Exceeds Expectations: Industry Revenue to Reach Record Levels as Emerging Categories Soar, Says CTA
Industry to surpass $300 billion in revenues; drones, VR, OLED TV categories to cross $1 billion threshold...
How to Prepare Wi-Fi Networks for Smart Devices
Before you plug in and fire up those smart light bulbs, appliances or television you need to prepare your Wi-Fi network to ensure your speeds and security are not affected by the presence of this new equipment....
Rock Your Home Theater With Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is an “object oriented” technology that requires additional ceiling mounted speakers to act as height channels. For example, a 5.1.4 Atmos system has 5 multichannel speakers around a room, one subwoofer, and four height channels....
Parks Associates: Offering $100 Rebate More Than Doubles Purchase Intentions For Smart Thermostats
New report shows only 30% of consumers believe that smart thermostats are affordable...
Home Prime: How Alexa Catapults Amazon Into The Pinnacle Of The Smart Home Market
Shanthi Rexaline , Benzinga: Amazon has begun assembling a team comprising in-house gadget experts, its own version of Best Buy's Geek Squad....
7 Home Improvements for Summer 2017
There’s no better time to make your home even more comfortable and personalized. Best of all, these thoughtful updates will not only make this summer more enjoyable, but they’ll last far beyond this season....
The Hidden Benefits of Installing Smart Home Automation
By only using lights, AV equipment, and other technology when needed, such systems conserve energy, which of course, reveals another hidden benefit....
Custom-Built ‘Drive-In’ Movie Theater Takes Entertainment to the Next Level
Pennsylvania-based event space features seven vintage cars and a sophisticated projection-based theater....
Apple Stores featuring Apple Home app and new interactive HomeKit demos
Benjamin Mayo for 9to5Mac: Apple has rolled out new in-store displays to select Apple Stores, demoing how users can take advantage of the Home app and HomeKit accessories to create smart home experiences....
Wireless Charging for Electronics
Wireless charging for electronics delivers a number of benefits over traditional cable connectors—some of which aren’t immediately obvious but will become so in the near future....
Amazon Is Testing a Geek Squad-Like Service for Smart Home Tech
Phil Wahba for Fortune: The online store has been assembling an army of experts to offer free consultations for its Alexa products....
Parks Associates: Only 10% of Users Use Their Personal Assistant Device or App to Control Smart Home Devices
New research examines challenges and strategies for smart home products and services...
The Smart Home Can Grow By Stealth, Says Futuresource
TWICE: Smart lighting & thermostats were common first steps into the smart home...
Best Buy introducing Amazon Alexa and Google Home experiences to 700 U.S. stores
Kurt Schlosser for GeekWire: Best Buy announced Wednesday that the experiences showcasing what is possible with voice technology and smart homes are unique to its stores and about 700 locations across the U.S. will feature the spaces starting next month....
Is Sonos Still The King Of Wireless Home Audio?
Simon Cohen for The Digital Circuit: Here then, is a look at the top choices for whole-home wireless audio…...
Does ‘Smart Home’ Make Best Buy a Smart Pick?
Ben Levisohn for Barron's: One analyst bets Best Buy will be a big winner of out connected universe....
Amazon is trying to strengthen its position against competing smart home products
Nicholas Shields for Business Insider: Developers for connected camera companies can now build skills to link their devices to the forthcoming Echo Show....
A new wave of gadgets is setting out to secure your smart home
Rob Verger for Popular Science: Paul Lipman, the CEO of a British cybersecurity company Bullguard, points at those devices in our home, like smart locks or internet-connected televisions, as vulnerabilities because they can lack security features....
Vivint Smart Home Introduces Vivint Smart Properties for Property Developers and Managers
New program brings smart home technology to apartment households...
Samsung and LG products may soon be able to communicate with one another
Brian Reigh for Android Authority: Imagine being able to see the inside of your LG fridge on your Samsung TV. That might become a reality as early as this year according to sources....