Here’s the right way to set up your smart home

The first step in making your home smart requires automation. Put simply, it is a set of rules adhered to by your smart home devices. (Here’s a list of some of the best smart home devices out there.) Automated curtains that come up in the morning, lights that turn on when you enter a room, or a pet feeder that dispenses treats when the bowl is empty are all examples of home automation systems at work. If done right, they can make life easier and more convenient. If they don’t, you’d be better off flipping the switches yourself.

When people try to build a home automation system, this is usually the first mistake they make. They start buying their home devices one by one — smart light bulbs, digital door locks, open door sensors and everything else they think would be cool or useful. The problem is that this upgrade usually happens over the course of several months or even years, meaning that devices are bought separately. More often than not, they’re made by different manufacturers and communicate using different protocols. (Here’s a good guide to home automation protocols.) And that means there is a different control scheme for every device as well as multiple control apps, resulting in the inability for the devices to interact with one another. You end up with a home that’s neither smart nor connected.

Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-the-right-way-to-set-up-your-smart-home-2015-09-15

Popular posts from this blog

Commercial Automation Leader SOMFY Joins ZigBee

The ZigBee Alliance, a non-profit maintaining and delivering open, global standards for the low-power wireless Internet of Things (IoT), announced that SOMFY has joined the ZigBee Alliance. A world leader in the home and commercial automation market, SOMFY develops, manufactures and distributes products in 58 countries across five continents. From motorized window treatments for residential and commercial buildings to automated outdoor extensions, gates and garage doors, SOMFY provides a complete range of the latest motorized solutions, automatic systems and alarms designed to make daily life easier, safer and more pleasant. Read more: http://virtual-strategy.com/2016/08/09/european-home-and-commercial-automation-leader-somfy-joins-zigbee-alliance-board-of-directors/
Read more

Home automation gets cheaper, smarter, easier

The promise of widely available home automation has been around since "The Jetsons" aired 50 years ago. But until recently, smart- home systems have been pricey and complex, typically requiring professional installation. And few consumers have been aware of the availability of such services or haven't been convinced that they needed them. But in recent years, major consumer service providers — including ADT, Comcast and Vivint — have entered the market, helping promote the concept of home automation and make it more accessible to average consumers. Companies such as Comcast and Vivint now offer basic home-automation systems for less than $500 installed. And Lowe's Iris, which is available for about $300 for a full system, is designed for self-installation. "We definitely see that (home automation) is moving increasingly into the mainstream," said Jonathan Collins, an analyst with ABI Research. Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22649153/is-smart...
Read more

New home construction down last month

Construction of new homes nudged down slightly in May, with builders pulling back in the Northeast and Midwest. Housing starts ticked down 0.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.16 million units, the Commerce Department said Friday. The government's residential construction report can be volatile on a monthly basis, which might explain the slight decrease. Home construction has improved much of this year, with single-family houses accounting for much of the gains unlike recent years when developers focused more on apartments. Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_30027562/u-s-home-construction-down-slightly-may
Read more