Certified Connection

Give us a call. 617-320-6930

• About
• Services
• Portfolio
• Testimonials
• Blog
• Contact

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.

By: Certified Connection

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.

By: Certified Connection

It seems like everywhere you turn, there is talk about living more efficiently with less waste. However, it is hard to know how to really maintain a green lifestyle and decrease your carbon footprint besides separating your recyclables and bringing your own bags to the grocery store. And now, coupled with the economy, everyone is seeking ways to save money. As we discussed in our previous blog post, “Home Automation: Cool and Cost Effective,” new home automation technologies are helping consumers to both save money and green their homes.

Monitoring electricity consumption has been proven as one of the best ways to save money on utility bills, which consequently decreases individual energy usage. One of the coolest new products on the market that can help consumers do this is The Energy Detective (TED), a real-time energy monitor designed by Peak Software. Although there are other products out there that can tell you how much electricity an appliance is using, with TED you can monitor all of the energy usage of all your appliances at the same time.

TED can provide daily, weekly, and monthly usage reports in addition to making recommendations on ways to decrease your energy usage. It can even tell you what your electric bill will be before you get it.

TED is designed to work with Control4 home automation systems. Used in conjunction with Control4 systems, you can program your appliances and climate control systems to operate during non-peak (when electricity costs are lower) times of the day. You can also monitor electricity usage from a mobile device like an iPhone.

It is estimated that the average consumer could save between $400 and $500 per year, and move you one step forward in minimizing your carbon footprint.

• IT Services
• Networking
• Smart Home Wiring
• Home Automation
• Home Theaters
• Audio/Video Distribution
• Lighting Systems
• Phone Systems

Copyright 2012. Certified Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Designed by Jackrabbit Design