Control Your Home from Your iPad 07/23/2010
Not surprisingly, the iPad has taken the world by storm. Apple just announced that they have sold two million iPads in two months. And, home automation companies have quickly jumped on the “i” bandwagon. A recent article in Residential Systems discusses how the iPad has quickly become a favorite of home automation systems companies. According to the article, “Crestron, AMX, Control4, and Savant Systems (whose products were established on Apple’s operating system from the very beginning) have all created applications (apps) specifically geared for integration with the iPad.”
Home automation professionals are now able to easily integrate multiple home automation systems with the iPad. “’Benefits are that the iPad is a multi-purpose device that can also be used to control your house,’ said Dick Rozic, president of Aveon Inc., an integration company in Houston, Texas. ‘Just like the Control4 remote can get rid of lots of traditional remote controls, the iPad can morph and fulfill many different functions in one convenient device.’”
Some of the main reasons that industry experts believe the iPad is a perfect match with home automation technologies are:
- Its very user-friendly interface is less intimidating than many remotes
- It has a larger screen, which is helpful for older users and makes it easier to monitor cameras
- It’s lightweight at around 1.5 pounds
- It’s relatively inexpensive, starting at around $499, which is less expensive than many touch screen remotes
- It’s capable of performing many different functions, tying together large numbers of systems
- It’s really cool
Now if only we could control our children via the iPad. It could happen. At the very least we can keep tabs on them with security cameras and iPad home automation integration.
One Response
kelly
And here s another system that does the same type of thing centered around an iPad providing an in-wall port where the iPad can both charge and work as a multi-use touchscreen control. But I give the iPort folks a call and they told me that while each dealer has their own setup and pricing the recommended price is around 500.
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