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A few months ago in our post, “Afraid of Vampires? You Should Be. Energy Draining Appliances Could be Costing You a Fortune,” we talked about how your cable or satellite DVR set-top boxes are the most energy consuming appliance in your home. Cable boxes are basically running at full power all the time, even when switched off. Well, according to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), this could soon change!
The NCTA and CableLabs are forming an Energy Lab facility, which will concentrate on improving energy efficiency and promote the development, testing, and deployment of technologies that will enable users to reduce and manage energy consumption in the home. They will work on manufacturing set-top devices that have sleep capabilities that will reduce power consumption when subscribers are not watching television.
And according to the NCTA, 90% of all new set-top boxes purchased and deployed by top cable operators will meet Energy Star 3.0 energy efficiency standards for set-top boxes.
A recent article in Electronic House explains more of the details of the plans for the Energy Lab.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control, home automation systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
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Afraid of Vampires? You Should Be. Energy Draining Appliances Could be Costing You a Fortune
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Just when you thought the iPad could do no more, think again. There are apps for pretty much anything you can conceive of at this point, but what about an app that specifically makes you cool? Read on.
There’s now an app that connects your home’s electric grid to a smart phone or iPad and allows you to control your energy use. You can turn off lights, air conditioning, or appliances when they’re not being used, and even program them to turn off and on at specific times. It’s home automation 2.0.
No longer do you have to leave the air conditioning on all day just so your house is cool when you walk through the door. You can simply turn it on, or program it to turn on, 10 minutes before you’re due to arrive home.
Jim Gist, a vice president at Control4, says that you can even use the app to see what changes other family members make. “If your teenage kids are home alone and they turn down the air to 62 degrees, your iPad or iPhone will alert you and you can change it,” he said.
If you already have the home control module and an iPad, you can download the app from iTunes for free, though you’ll need to pay a one-time licensing fee of $99. But you should be able to recoup that cost in energy savings. Word is that the app can cut lighting use 10% to 30% and air conditioning costs 20% to 40%.
Got an iPad or control module but not sure how to plug it into the grid? Contact the professionals at Certified Connection today and let them hook you up!
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers.
Music has tremendous power, probably more than we even realize. Music has the ability to move us and capture our emotions. As we all know: “Sad songs say so much.” Certain types of music have been shown to help students retain more information when they are studying. All of which makes whole home audio systems so attractive. A recent story in Electronic House highlights how a multi-room audio system actually helps Alzheimer’s patients live more comfortably at an Alzheimer’s care facility in Oklahoma.
The director of the facility explains that planners insisted that the system be included in the facility because for many of the residents, music was a large part of their lives and it can be used to help stimulate pleasant memories of the past. The music comes from Internet radio and a special satellite channel created for the facility. And because the caregivers know their patients so well, they are able to customize the musical experience for each resident based on their likes and dislikes. The system provides music throughout the facility, including the 66 residents’ bedrooms.
According to the article, “Research shows that recalling sounds evokes memories of youth, increases self esteem, and puts dementia patients in a better mood.” It just plain makes them happier.
For all the talk about how home automation technologies can make our lives simpler, more efficient, safer, and of course more fun, here is just one example of how these technologies can help people.
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.
Wall-mounted or desktop touch screens are a popular way to control home automation technologies. Imagine on the wall of your home theater a touch screen that would allow you to close the drapes, dim the lights, start your favorite movie, and set an appropriate volume, all from one central location. Touch screens can control lighting, temperature, music volume and selection, home security features, and more.
When the iPhone was introduced, people noticed its similarities to a home automation touch screen and began developing software that would allow users to control their home automation features from their iPhones. The portability factor of the iPhone makes home control from a phone so much simpler than from a wall-mounted touch screen. To make changes to your environment, no longer will you have to seek out a wall-mounted screen or lug your desktop screen around. The remote control to your entire home will sit safely in your pocket, limited only by the range of your home’s WiFi network, which the iPhone uses to communicate with your home automation system.
Learn More Information RequestIT Services: Better Performance and Increased Reliability
- We are there when you need it.
We can dramatically improve your computer’s performance, make them faster, with more storage for data storage. - PC OR MAC
Whether your computer needs hardware, software, or memory installed, we can take care of it for you.
Certified Connection can act as your IT department – at home and in the office.
Information RequestNetworking: Connecting Your Personal Life and Business Life
- Share a high-speed Internet connection
All of your computers and mobile devices can access the Internet simultaneously through a single Internet connection. The entire family can use a single line to access the web at record speeds! - Share printers, files, and more
Everyone on the network can use the same printer, scanner, external drives, etc. You can move files on your network from one computer to another. - Play multi-player games
Go head-to-head with another family member and play any multi-player game on your PC or game system.
Certified Connection can wire, install, and set up a complete, easy-to-use computer network for your home. We can even design part of the system to be wireless so you can take your laptop anywhere on your property. We’ll also provide training and support whenever you need it.
Information RequestSmart Wiring: Integrating Your Technology
- Experienced professionals
Certified Connection’s staff of technical professionals will design and install a smart home wiring system to meet your needs for integrated systems. - Smart integration
We can wire your home to allow seamless integration of audio, video, voice, and data networking throughout your home. - Watch or listen to anything, anywhere
Enjoy music in every room of the home – or even in the yard. See who is at the front door from any TV! These are just some of the options that we offer for smart home living.
Certified Connection can bring you into the 21st century! Smart home or structured wiring is specifically designed to integrate home networking, telecommunications, audio/video, and home automation into a complete home system solution. We can anticipate the installation of future technologically advanced components.
Information RequestHome Automation: Simplifying Your Life
- Whole house audio and video
Select from a variety of music sources (such as CDs, radio, satellite music, etc.) and adjust the volume, switch channels, or change discs from any room. - Home theater
Create the full cinema experience with a single touch of a button, automating audio, video, projector, screen, lighting, and drapes. - Home environment
Monitor surveillance cameras and motion detectors, check for open windows or ajar doors, and arm or disarm your security system zone by zone.
Your home technology should be easy and simple to use. But how do you tie together the dozens of components and systems scattered throughout your house to make them work the way you want? Automation systems from Certified Connection can do all of this and more.
Information RequestHome Theaters: Maximizing Your Experience
- Movies can take you away!
Now you can enjoy a true theater experience from the comfort and convenience of your own home. - Customize your home theater
Certified Connection works with the needs and budgets of each client to deliver a customized experience – from dedicated theaters to simple but effective home entertainment systems. - Maximize your experience
Home theater can mean many things to different people. From a dedicated room with a 10-foot screen, projection system, and theater seating to a family room with a wide-screen TV and surround sound system, Certified Connection will maximize your theater experience.
Certified Connection will carefully hand-select and install all of the components for your home theater. A well-designed home cinema will rival or even beat the local movie theater experience, with outstanding picture and high-quality video and surround sound.
Information RequestAudio/Video Distribution: Music and Movies Anywhere
- Music anywhere – from a single source
Walk into a room, touch a button on a wall-mounted keypad or touch screen, and select your music from a variety of sources. - Simple and convenient control from any room
It’s as easy as turning on a light switch. You can hear what you want without bothering anyone else. - Simple and elegant solutions Installing speakers throughout your home and yard allows you to maximize your listening enjoyment wherever you happen to be.
Music sets the mood no matter where you’re working or playing – whether you’re entertaining in the evening or just relaxing by yourself on a Sunday morning. Let Certified Connection bring multi-room music into your home.
Information RequestLighting Systems: Making Life Brighter and Greener
- Vacation mode
When vacation mode is activated, the system plays back the actual activities of the family, providing a realistic appearance of activity when no one is home. - Telephone interface
An optional telephone interface allows the homeowner to access and control numerous functions or events from any touch-tone phone. - Astronomic time clock
The lighting control system contains an astronomic time clock that tracks the seasons for your home’s longitude and latitude. Program the lights to automatically come on 30 minutes after sundown and/or lower your shades at noon.
A whole home lighting control system eliminates the need to go from room to room to light your home – allowing complete control of your lighting and entertainment from a simple, easy-to-use keypad located anywhere you select.
Information RequestPhone Systems: Doing More with Your Phone
- Complete home intercom system
Imagine being able to tell your kids in the playroom upstairs that dinner is ready – from your phone in the kitchen downstairs! - Check on the baby
Your phone system can be configured to function as a baby monitor, allowing you to monitor your child’s room while you are otherwise occupied. - Answer the door from any phone
When a visitor presses the doorbell at the front door, the phone rings in your home with a distinctive ring. Pick up the phone anywhere in the house to talk with the person at the door.
Certified Connection can wire and install an advanced phone system for your home. The system’s capabilities will add convenience and a wide range of functions that you may never have thought possible.
Information RequestFive Great Posts on Energy Efficient Home Technologies
03/06/2012 | Leave a Comment
Lower Energy Costs and Increase the Value of Your Home by Making it More Energy Efficient A recent article on ECNmag.com, “Building Value with Energy-Saving Upgrades in Homes and Businesses,” discusses how “improving the energy performance of your home can make it more comfortable and attractive, increase its value, and help you save money on [...]
UltraViolet: The Next Step in Expanded Home Entertainment
02/16/2012 | Leave a Comment
If you thought Blu-Ray was the last color you’d be hearing about with regard to your home entertainment, think again. The newest and most exciting color stands ready to change everything: Sony’s UltraViolet. UltraViolet arrived on the market recently without a whole lot of fanfare. For some time, announcements of new Sony Pictures movies or [...]
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