THE NETWORK ECOSPHERE | MITIGATING CYBER THREATS IN THE HOME
OMAR BENSON MILLER A SMART HOME FIT FOR A BALLER
PLUS: Streamlining the Smart Home The Future of Wireless Charging The Healthy Home Evolution What Are Self-Healing Networks? Jan/Feb 2019
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From the Editor Predictions can be pretty unreliable, but that didn’t stop us from asking a collection of notable home technology professionals what product or tech trends they think will drive residential installations in 2019. There wasn’t room to include all of the responses on page 12, so I’ll mention some of them here. First, it’s hard to disagree with my good friend John Sciacca, a home tech pro out of Myrtle Beach, SC, who had a more cynical outlook, saying that he thinks the market is “pretty evolved at this point,” and that he can’t see any new product having a massive impact next year. With that, he still felt that voice control will continue to develop and improve, and drive interest from consumers.
Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki
“ I think that the appeal of voicecontrolled technologies stretches across all generations and will continue to influence the connected home market in 2019.”
Mark Cichowski, CEO and founder of the Clarity AV International rep firm and the Technology & Business Summit, similarly said that he does not believe that it will be any one product or technology that will have an impact on the channel this year. Rather, it will be about “integrators embracing the convergence of more technologies such as lighting (control and fixtures) and security and building on DIY products that consumers think are doing the job for them, until they see a better mousetrap. It is the job of integrators to show them that value.” Acknowledging the advancements already made by voice control in 2018 and the excitement about AI (artificial/augmented intelligence), Z-Wave Alliance Executive Director Mitchell Klein sees these technologies converging in 2019. “This will enable natural language voice commands, where users won’t have to recall the exact phrase to enable a command; and along with that we’ll see contextual awareness tie everything together,” he said. “Thus, a general command such as ‘lights on’ will deliver a result based on your room location, time of day and season, and other variables related to that command at that time and place.” Many others in our survey pointed to advancements in voice control continuing in 2019, and I agree that there seems to be a growing comfort with that technology in our society. For instance, this past Christmas, both of my daughters (ages 10 and 12) wanted some way to play and control music in their bedrooms. My wife and I don’t allow mobile phones or tablets upstairs, so we were a little stuck. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of opening my kids’ rooms to the outside world, but decided that it was time to stop being paranoid and add an Alexa device to each bedroom (we already had an Echo in our kitchen). So far, it’s been a great fit. I think that the appeal of voice-controlled technologies stretches across all generations and will continue to influence the connected home market in 2019. It appears to be getting more intertwined into our lives, rather than fading away like some sort of momentary fad. Happy New Year and best wishes for a prosperous 2019, no matter what new tech comes our way.
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
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JAN/FEB 2019
contents 52 Omar Benson Miller: To the O-Zone, and Beyond Cover Photo Courtesy of HBO
Departments 10 By the Numbers 12 Quick Bits 14 Smart Devices 16 Inside Installation 18 CEDIA Says 20 Video 70 Product Revolution 76 Art & Tech 78 Events 79 Coming Up 80 The Lighter Side
22 Design Side Kitchen, Bath, and AV
26 Innovator Profile
Richard Millson: Real-World Experience
28 Green Tech
The Wireless World Of Metamaterials
32 Health
Healthy Home Evolution
38 Issue Focus: The Network Ecosphere Rewiring Custom Integration
46 What Are Self-Healing Networks?
60 Industry Relations Female Forward
66 Networked Home Building A Cybersecurity Fence
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
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Contributors Jamie Briesemeister owns a custom integration firm in St. Louis, MO, providing design-minded home and business owners technology solutions that simplify life. At Integration Controls, she leads sales and marketing and is actively involved in business development, including industry outreach and education. In addition to local, community-focused CEU sessions and seminars, Jamie also speaks nationally about the smart, connected home at events such as The Remodeling Show/Deck Expo, IBS/KBIS for Design & Construction week, The Remodeling Leadership Conference, and at CEDIA Talks and Expo panels. She is a passionate volunteer for CEDIA and advocate for technology collaboration within the design/build community.
Dennis Burger is a native Alabamian whose passion for AV and home automation technology is matched only by his fascination with the weather and his love of Star Wars. His credits include writing for and/or editing publications ranging from Robb Report Home Entertainment and Digital TV & Sound to Wirecutter and currently Home Theater Review.
Andrea Reiner, CFO and co-founder of InnerSpace Electronics Inc., has managed the financial, marketing, and administration departments of her company for the last 30 years, since she and her husband Barry founded the firm in 1988. Her formidable sales and marketing background, from a tenure at IBM, have shaped and grown InnerSpace Electronics into a leading home technology professional design firm. Most recently, she was appointed the first female board member for Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA).
Jennifer LaBollita is an ambitious and passionate team leader who has been a part of the consumer electronics industry since 2012. With a core background in sales and marketing, she was a key player in the growth and development of Autonomic Controls Inc., bringing a unique skillset across all facets of the organization that contributed to its acquisition in 2016. She recently transitioned into the role of director of sales and marketing at InnerSpace Electronics Inc.
Henry Clifford founded Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. Through hard work, honesty, and quality craftsmanship, Livewire has become the premiere technology integrator in Central Virginia. Livewire’s installation and service techs have years of experience and a wide range of technological, construction, and electronic certifications. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company.
Ed Wenck is the content marketing manager for CEDIA. He’s a broadcaster and journalist who has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, and the Indiana Broadcasters Association.
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
e NUMB RS
by the
A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives
In the smart speaker market, Amazon got a running start, with Google taking on the role of fast follower. And, while Apple has been unable to gain much traction, it is a category with more potential to disrupt the connected home, as the technology continues to evolve. What happens next for smart speakers depends on the further evolution of voice recognition science and new developments in artificial intelligence. Here’s a look at smart speaker market share and revenue statistics, as well as notes about what content is being played on these devices.
Smart speaker market revenue worldwide in billions
50%
$17.43
0
*Projected / Source Statista
10
5
19
in 2019
15
$4.4 2017
million households use smart speakers
32%
Streaming Is The Way
75%
of consumers in U.S. own a smart speaker
of People Listen to Music, Up from 2016 (50%)
2022
*
US Smart Speaker Users, 2017-2020 in millions
U.S. Smart Speaker Market Share
64.6%
80
76.5 70
19.6%
69.7
Other
61.1
60
11.3%
4.5%
50
43.9 40
Sources techcrunch.com/Socialmediaweek.org/Business Insider
20
Smart speaker sales going to increase by up to
2017
2018
2019
2020*
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Source Voicebot AI
*Projected / Source eMarketer
Music Streaming Services by # of Users Worldwide PODCAST STATS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
10
YouTube – 1.5 billion* NetEase (China) – 400 million SoundCloud – 175 million Spotify – 170 million iHeartRadio – 100 million
6. Pandora – 74 million 7. Gaana (India) – 50 million 8. Apple Music – 50 million 9. Anghami (Northern Africa/Middle East) – 33 million 10. Deezer (French-based) – 14 million
Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
*Includes video streaming / Source Forbes
• Over 525,000 active shows • More than 18.5 million episodes • 49% of listening happens in the home • Listeners average 6 show subscriptions • 44% of U.S. population enjoyed a podcast Source podcastinsights.com
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QUICK BITS
WE ASK INDUSTRY INSIDERS ONE QUESTION
What product or technology do you expect to have the most influence on the connected home in 2019? This year we will see even more work toward conversational speech recognition by our devices. If we don’t get past the canned way that we have been communicating with our devices and allow it to become more conversational, I believe consumers will lose interest. – Bill Skaer, President, Bill Skaer Home Theater & Technology
Cord cutting has accelerated over the last few years, but the promise of Ultra HD/4K (even 8K), wide color gamut, and object-based audio from ATSC 3.0, free of charge, makes antenna installations compelling. Beyond ATSC 3.0, antennas have the unique ability to eliminate the threat of carriage agreement disputes between broadcasters and MVPDs (aka satellite and cable). – Dave Pedigo, A/VEC
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
Voice control will continue to grow in the home in 2019. I’m often reminded of how many consumers don’t know they can turn on their music by asking or they can change lighting scenes or adjust the temperature of their home. As the consumer continues to understand what is available and the simplicity of it, we will continue to see this technology influence the market. – Heather Sidorowicz, President/Owner, Southtown Audio Video
Lighting fixtures are the biggest focus for Cloud9 Smart in 2019. With highvoltage fixtures from Ketra, Lutron, and USAI, as well as low-voltage fixtures from LumaStream and Coastal Source, we are able to cover solutions for indoors and outdoors, from basic, warm dim, tunable white, circadian, and RGB. – Chris Smith, COO, Cloud9 Smart
This year, homeowners are going to be looking for two upgrades: networking and 4K. As the connected home continues to increase and options expand, consumers will need to upgrade their home Wi-Fi capabilities to increase the speed of incoming and outgoing information with new higher capability routers, more access points, and other devices. – Dennis Holzer, Executive Director, PowerHouse Alliance
As homeowners take on more technology, remote monitoring and analytics and both a strong networking and power foundation are necessary to support their systems and help dealers with management and troubleshooting. – Lauren Simmen Christina, Director, Marketing at AMETEK Powervar; AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection
Streaming services and the popularity of voice control are connected home categories where we are seeing continuous growth. As an AV manufacturer, it is essential to offer high-quality wireless speakers and electronics that are easy to setup and control from the palm of your hand or with a simple voice command. – Mark Corbin, President, Vanco International I expect human-centric or “tunable” lighting is going to be a big product category for the design-minded integrator. The aesthetic and “wellness” benefits of this are already on the minds of architects and interior designers, and the concept is easy to grasp for consumers, too. I think integrators will find themselves not only invited to the project earlier, but they will see a nice uptake in project size, too. – Josh Christian, Director of Certification, Home Technology Association I think voice recognition is going to have a breakout year. It’s been on the cusp for the past few, but it looks like the technology has finally matured enough to where it’s going to start making an impact. – Greg Margolis, President, HomeTronics
DEPARTMENTS
Smart Devices
Streamlining the Smart Home
How One Company is Simplifying the Complex World of Connected Home Controls By Anthony Elio
“ Removing complexity is always key to what we are doing.” This quote from NEEO Co-Founder and CEO Raphael Oberholzer perfectly exemplifies the mission of his company. While the devices that make up the modern smart home have undoubtedly improved over the years, housing the sheer number of different pieces of technology can result in a jumbled mess for any tech-savvy homeowner. Game consoles, smart speakers, smartphones, tablets, and smart appliances make up just some of the devices of the connected home, with each potentially having their own method of control through specialized applications and remotes. After 15 years of creating smart home experiences for a litany of customers, Oberholzer wanted to expand to a wider group of users in 2014. He did this by assembling a team of talented engineers that had worked with such innovative companies as Ring, Intel, and Apple. With the mission to make smart home control less complicated, as well as create a more affordable smart home solution, NEEO was born.
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
With offices in Cupertino, CA, as well as Switzerland, NEEO is rethinking how the smart home is controlled through their sleekly designed, innovative devices – the NEEO Remote and NEEO Brain. These releases from the company work together to put full control of the smart home, from the kitchen and bedroom to the entertainment center, in the palm of your hand. The Remote, which showcases a straightforward design with minimal buttons and a display screen, can easily play your media, adjust your lighting, and set your room’s temperature without the need to fill your smartphone with apps or search through a mountain of controllers. The Brain, meanwhile, can connect to the Remote and create different smart home “recipes,” scheduling your devices to interact at various times of the day. This can be used for a number of different situations, such as playing music, warming the room, and brightening lights to jumpstart your morning routine. These two devices, which are commonly packaged together as the NEEO Combo, are compatible with more than 60,000 smart and AV devices from a growing number of companies.
The idea to make NEEO devices compatible with as many pieces of tech as possible was in the company’s DNA from the start. According to Oberholzer, “Thanks to a very broad interconnectivity, users have the freedom of choice. The goal was to create a solution that works with new smart home gadgets but also with all the tech users already own … People should not have to struggle with 15 different apps and five different remotes. It should all be one experience.” Thanks to this mission, NEEO tech is compatible with thousands of devices: Vizio, Sony, Samsung, Xbox, and many more, with the list continuing to grow. Looking ahead, Oberholzer plans to stay focused on his company’s core product. “We do not intend to build light bulbs, speakers, or anything similar,” he noted. “There are great partners of ours in the market who focus on those categories. I see NEEO continuing to innovate in human interfaces, with new thoughtful products and the evolution of our current offerings.” With this focused approach and advanced smart home tech already on the market, the future for this innovative company will be one to keep an eye on. x
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DEPARTMENTS
Inside Installation
A Logical Extension Five Things We’ve Learned Since Becoming Certified Lighting Specialists
By Andrea Reiner
For more than 30 years, homeowners, architects, and building professionals have turned to our New York-based home technology integration company, InnerSpace Electronics Inc., to simplify the complex technology in their homes and businesses. Over the years, the company that I co-founded with my husband Barry has installed lighting control systems as part of our overall mix of offerings. It was only recently, however, that we began to add lighting design services, after our buying group, HTSA, established an exclusive training and certification program with the American Lighting Association (ALA). We’ve even hired a marketing director, Jennifer LaBollita, to lead our lighting design promotion, putting together presentations, leveraging available continuing education unit (CEU) courses, and partnering with various lighting vendors. Here are five things that we have observed so far about our experience in this field: 1. Lighting Design is a Logical Extension of Lighting Control Lighting design is a perfect extension of lighting control because we already had to understand all of the terminology related to lighting fixtures – lumens, color temperature, watts, drivers – in an attempt to make sure that all of the incandescent, halogen, or LED fixtures specified by designers or architects are going to work properly with the lighting control systems that we install. 2. There Still Needs to Be a Lot More Education Within the Design Community This is our opportunity to become the leaders in educating professional designers and
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architects about lighting fixtures and how LED fixtures can fit within a thoughtfully designed lighting plan. The more knowledgeable we stay in this space, the easier it will be to share and properly educate on the improvements with lighting technologies. Many professional designers are hesitant to venture out of their comfort zone of incandescent and halogen fixtures due to misconceptions about the technology. This is where we come in to help them understand and, in the end, provide the best solution for the client. 3. Our Industry Has to Be Incredibly Diplomatic in This Business Offering our lighting design services on a project that may already have a lighting designer or lighting plan still affords us an opportunity to
work with these professionals and leverage our design services, without crossing unspoken boundaries and harming our relationships. We can offer our design services as a collaboration, by suggesting alternative technologies or fixtures that might enhance the design. We may not get hired for our lighting services in this scenario, but we are able to develop our partnerships by educating on the services we offer and showcasing our expertise. 4. Lighting Design Gives Us the Opportunity to Own the Whole Experience The client is often considering the lighting before they’re looking at most of the other technology items that we install. By getting us into the job earlier and having full accountability as far as coming in and owning the fixtures and designing the control system, we know that it will all work seamlessly together. Taking ownership of the entire lighting portion of the job tends to alleviate the pointing of fingers from the various trades about who is responsible for what.
InnerSpace's lighting design for this home included focused accent lighting that blended seamlessly with decorative fixtures.
Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
5. Product Knowledge is Essential You have to consider the future of LED lighting and what you are capable of doing with the RGBW, tunable white, color spectrum. This knowledge adds more flare to what you’re able to do with a really artistic lighting design plan. You have to educate yourself on what those new technologies are and how to apply them to the space. Once you know what’s available, the design process itself tends to be very scientific and mathematical. It’s all about geometry. x
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DEPARTMENTS
CEDIA Says
A Lifestyle-Enhancing Renovation
Intuitive Homes and Ultamation Collaborate on Winning Home Installation By Ed Wenck
This impressive project, a joint partnership between Intuitive Homes and Ultamation, won CEDIA’s Best Integrated Home, Level II: £120,000 - £230,000 (EMEA) category along with the ultimate accolade of Best Integrated Home Global Award, beating all entries from EMEA, U.S., and Asia Pacific.
owner’s music collection along with online streaming services and radio via TuneIn. The device also acts as an Apple Airplay receiver so that guests can connect their iPhone to play their own music. The house also contains three Sky Q boxes, an Apple TV, and an Amazon Fire; offering a good range of viewing choices.
The client was renovating and expanding their family residence and wanted a complete building automation system, incorporating all AV, lighting, curtains/blinds, security, access, and climate function to maximize their enjoyment of the home.
A combination of Bowers & Wilkins and Triad speakers produce high-quality sound in all the living areas, and Sony Active soundbars provide greater audio definition and atmosphere wherever there is a TV. In the formal lounge area, a 55-inch 4K Sony TV has been discreetly fitted to a lift and swivel Future Automation wall mount which, at the touch of a button, raises it from a built-in bookcase and rotates it to a predefined angle.
A Crestron CP3 processor provides the backbone to the home system, integrating all the different components while offering enough programming versatility to enable the system to be tailored to the client’s individual requirements. All the elements of the home are accessed through on-wall Crestron touch panels or through an iPhone or iPad app. For convenience, all have the same user interface. There are also Crestron handheld controllers in the rooms containing TVs and Lutron keypads across the residence for the lights and window treatments. High on the agenda was a comprehensive AV system to fulfill the needs of the family and their guests (they entertain friends regularly). A multiroom AV system has been created using a Crestron DigitalMedia system for 4K video distribution and a 14-zone Crestron Sonnex system for sound. The family’s media sources can be enjoyed throughout the property, both inside and out. For music, the integrators chose an Autonomic Mirage Media Server, which stores and plays the
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Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
Intuitive Homes and Ultamation have implemented a custom “room linking” feature so that when the owner is entertaining, he has the ability to group specific areas into one single zone, while simultaneously being able to control volume and equalization in individual zones. This means, for example, that if the guests move rooms or choose to go outside, he can add or drop areas. Another inventive aspect of the system is a “follow me” button, which enables music or video to seamlessly move between zones. The lighting scheme, which comprises 96 circuits, along with the curtains and blinds, is integrated through a Lutron HomeWorks QS System. Selected rooms have been set up with a “morning” scene whereby the blinds are raised twenty minutes before the alarm goes off and the lights gradually fade up to coincide with the alarm sounding. Conversely, a sleep timer can be
initiated, which gradually fades down the lights and TV or music volume over the final 10 minutes before the specified time. All the bedrooms have a “bedtime” button which will turn everything off except for other bedrooms and their en-suites. This function is also activated by part of the integrated Texecom alarm system. Likewise, when the last person in the house leaves, they can turn everything off using a “house off” button by the two main exits, or by setting the alarm. On arrival to an empty house, a “home” button or an alarm unset command triggers a lighting pathway to the kitchen area. At sunset, the system automatically checks the lighting status in each room and, if the lights are on, triggers an “evening” scene for that area. For energy efficiency, all the equipment and lighting in a room can be turned off if it is unoccupied for a specified period of time. Entry and security have also been improved with the introduction of home integration. A BPT access system has been fitted at the main gate which rings the Crestron panels to alert the occupants that there is a visitor. At this point, if audio is in use, the volume will be temporarily lowered and the video distribution system will pause and switch briefly to CCTV. The panels allow two-way communication and can be used to open or close the gate. If the panels are unanswered, the iOS devices will ring so that the family know they have a caller, even when they are not at home. For peace of mind, the 16 CCTV streams can be viewed individually through the touch panels and Apple devices. x
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DEPARTMENTS
Video
With Sony’s Picture Processor X1 Ultimate, both Master Series OLED and LED benefit from the improved object-based HDR remastering and new object-based Super Resolution.
Bringing Home a Master Sony’s Premium TV Models Evoke the Company’s “Lens to Living Room” Message By Walter Joseph
Sony Electronics promotes its Bravia Master Series of premium televisions as bringing home “the experience of watching a professional-grade studio monitor.” The branding is an extension of the manufacturer’s “lens to living room” message, explained Sony Training Manager Robert Brennan. Brennan points out that Sony professional cameras are used for TV and movie production and that the company also owns the studios to produce and acquire the content. Additionally, the industry uses Sony reference monitors (like the BVM-X300) for professional postproduction color grading, and Sony participates in the distribution of that final content to the customer’s home. “This experience,” Brennan said, makes Sony “uniquely positioned to understand both the creator’s intent (what the content is intended to look like) and the optimal customer experience on their home TV.” The term “reference,” of course, refers to the content creator’s intent about how the picture is meant to be seen. Because Sony’s BVM-X300 is used by professionals to color grade and produce the final product in the industry, Sony uses this as its own reference point when manufacturing TVs. The objective is producing
20
Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
TVs to replicate this reference-quality picture as close as possible in the consumer’s home. A year following their introduction at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sony’s Master Series line features the Picture Processor X1 Ultimate, which the company markets as its most powerful processor to date. “This X1 Ultimate is two times as powerful as the previous Picture Processor X1 Extreme and equips us with better processing than ever before, better pixel control for OLED, and better full-array backlight control for LED,” Brennan said. With the new Picture Processor X1 Ultimate, both Master Series OLED and LED will benefit from the improved object-based HDR remastering and new object-based Super Resolution, according to the company. With object-based HDR remastering, Sony improves both color and contrast for all content to provide what it says is a more dynamic and lifelike picture. With object-based super resolution, the X1 Ultimate processor analyzes objects independently and applies fine-tuned picture adjustments that reproduce more life-like detail and clarity.
In addition to the processing improvements by the X1 Ultimate, one of the most notable features of the Master Series Z9F LED is its new wider viewing angle, solving a traditional pain point for LEDs in the past. When viewing the Z9 from almost any angle, X-Wide Angle technology is designed to enable this wider viewing angle, without losing color or contrast in the process. The Master Series A9F boasts the new and improved Acoustic Surface Audio+, which enables the TV’s audio to radiate from the video glass surface. This technology improves on the previous version by nearly doubling the power and upgrading from 2.1 channels to 3.2 channels to provide a more immersive, multidimensional audio experience. A new application of Acoustic Surface Audio+ is what Sony calls Center Speaker mode. The TV can now be used as a center channel in home theater to accentuate dialogue and vocal detail directly from the screen. Finally, the Bravia Master Series also includes Netflix Calibrated Mode, which was created to faithfully preserve the creators’ intent in reference monitors to the consumer’s home experience, Brennan said. x
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DESIGN SIDE
Kitchen, Bath, and AV
DC-Area Technology Firm Expands Reach Beyond the Traditional Audio and Video Channel By Jeremy Glowacki When the D.C./Baltimore-area audiovideo specialists at Gramophone acquired a kitchen and bath design center last year, the company was already well on its way to offering more complete design-build services to complement its three other brick-and-mortar AV showrooms. Led by Brian Hudkins, who founded the company over 40 years ago, and CEO Andrew Davis, the company had hired a 30-year veteran of the custom-building trade to design finished basements and dedicated home theaters in a turn-key fashion. That led to sales relationships with high-end appliance brands like Wolf, Viking, Jenn Air, and Subzero. Acquiring a kitchen and bath showroom seemed like a natural next step. “It’s a ‘vehicle’ that we are using to get in front of architects and designers and homebuilders to talk about lighting and automation,” Davis explained. “Typically, when customers come to our AV showrooms, the biggest challenge is… the paint’s drying on the wall and they end up with wireless products that are really not what their core vision was or what they wanted. So I saw this as an opportunity to be part of the design earlier in the process so we can educate.” As Davis described it, rather than a typical AV showroom featuring a “wall of TVs” or AV-centric vignettes, the new Kitchen Design Center of Maryland (KDC), located in the Baltimore suburbs of Hunt Valley/Cockeysville, features a full assortment of contemporary cabinets, countertops, furniture, bathroom fixtures, and flooring, as well as voice control technology, invisible speakers, hidden televisions on lifts, and Séura TVs in backsplashes or in the bathroom.
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DESIGN SIDE
“It’s a way to disguise the AV but keep it at an important point of discussion throughout the process,” Davis added. “And all of a sudden, the barriers come down. Then, the person in the family with the design flare says, ‘OK, we can have this, because it doesn’t take over the space.’” Gramophone also opened the area’s first lighting laboratory in the space, featuring technology from Lutron, Ketra, DMF, and others. “Someone can come into our showroom and in 10 minutes get a whole education and understanding of lighting that they’re too embarrassed to say they really don’t understand,” Davis added. “What does Kelvin mean? What is color temperature and beam spread? They’re all really important things, but we find that most of our clients just nod their head and act like they get it. This is a way of truly seeing it and understanding it.” The goal is still to direct clients toward more technology purchases through the Trojan horse of kitchen and bath. “People start there, and then if they want to get into a custom theater or basement, they can go down the road to one of our other stores and see more offerings. It’s a major growth strategy for us.” Gramophone hopes to use the momentum generated by its kitchen and bath showroom to open two more AV locations within the next two years. But for now, Davis says, the company can’t hire enough designers and team members fast enough at its kitchen and bath design center. “We do all the work internally, subcontracting little to nothing. We have electricians on staff, carpenters, tile people… everything. It’s pretty neat.” x
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Led by CEO Andrew Davis (Top), Gramophone’s Kitchen Design Center of Maryland features a full assortment of contemporary cabinets, countertops, furniture, bathroom fixtures, and flooring, as well as voice control technology, invisible speakers, hidden televisions on lifts, and Séura TVs in backsplashes or in the bathroom.
innovator profile
Real-World Experience Richard Millson Masters the Vancouver MDU Market After Years of On-the-Job Education By Jeremy Glowacki Richard Millson often seems like the smartest guy in the room. There’s a confidence, bordering on arrogance, sure, but he’s not one of those people who thinks he has all of the answers but turns out to be all bluster. Millson actually seems to know all of the answers, at least when it comes to running a custom integration company. The CEO of Millson Technologies Inc. in Vancouver, BC, began working in the technology business while he was still in high school. In fact, he was so successful that he never graduated, and saw no need to attend college either. The remainder of his education was through the school of hard knocks… with a lot of CEDIA courses and manufacturer-led trainings as well. These days, Millson is known for his mastery of the multi-dwelling unit (MDU) market, often being asked to speak with buying groups and other industry events on his systemized way of getting in and out of jobs, profitably. We chatted with Millson to learn more about his background and to gain a little more insight into what has made him successful in such a specialized market. Residential Tech Today: Tell us a little bit about how you got into this business and what sort of technical and/or business training has been critical for you as you’ve built your company over the years? Richard Millson: Well, I actually started right out of high school. I was off for the summer, and it was 1978, so disco and dance clubs were all the rage. I ended up getting a job DJ’ing in a club and actually never went back to school.
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I met other DJs and club owners and learned all about designing, installing, and servicing large commercial sound and lighting systems basically on the job. I met some folks who had moved to Vancouver, and they had worked in New York and other large cities building some of the largest night club sound and lighting systems in the world at that time. So, one of those folks and I formed our first AV company, again concentrating on commercial installations. We did restaurants, clubs, clothing store chains, conference centers, hotels, etc. It was a great way to prepare for the work I would eventually take on in the large residential systems we do today. In terms of training, I cannot even count the number of industry and manufacturer trainings I have been through, as well as taking dozens of CEDIA courses. But, starting as we did in the commercial space really taught me the importance of process, documentation, standards, and so on, and we have worked very hard over the years to implement all of those in our residential business. RT Today: How do you think the technology integration business in Vancouver, where you’re based, is different from and similar to major cities in the U.S.? RM: The first thing that comes to mind is the number of MDU towers on our skyline. The world first took notice of Vancouver in 1986 when we hosted the World Expo. That really put us on the “map,” in terms of being recognized as a desirable and world-class city to live in. Following that, there was a massive expansion of MDU development on the lands that were used for the Expo. The same thing happened again when Vancouver hosted the Olympic Games in 2010.
Millson Technologies Inc. CEO Richard Millson
Basically, Vancouver has become a highly desirable destination for the world’s wealthy, and the building of luxury real estate projects has reflected that, not just in MDU projects but in the large number of very expensive private homes and estates that continue to be built. It is not unusual for a large single-family home project to have a build budget of $20M or higher, not including the land, which could easily add an additional $5 to $10M. That said, what makes Vancouver unique compared to other cities is just the sheer volume of MDU tower projects that have been and continue to be built, both in the downtown core as well as many of the suburbs, now. That is why we have concentrated on developing systems and methodologies designed to work in these kinds of fast paced and highly complex projects. These projects are very fast paced, so I recognized early on that if we wanted to participate, we would not be able to apply the same kind of approach you might use for a single-family-home project, even a very large one. RT Today: You’re highly respected in the industry for your systemized design and
Examples of Millson’s AV integration in Vancouver and the Millson team at work
installation process. Why was that approach so essential on MDUs? RM: The trades in Vancouver have been building towers for over 30 years, so they are fast. They pour a concrete floor in one of these projects every four to six days, and they will not wait for anyone, including us. Fortunately, we’ve been doing tower projects for almost as long as they have, so we know how to keep up with the pace of construction, and we haven’t missed a deadline yet, after almost 25 consecutive tower projects. In the time it takes to finish a large, luxury single-family project, these projects will build and finish 300 homes or more. It’s just that they all happen to be stacked on top of each other. So, I knew we had to be many times more efficient in order to keep up with the increased pace. I understood from our commercial experience that the only way that was going to be possible was to create and adhere to a very standardized way of designing, documenting, prewiring, and commissioning our work, so that’s what we did. It has taken years to create, try, adjust, and retry all of the standards, best practices, methodologies that we have, but I cannot imagine trying to do what we do any other way. RT Today: What advice do you give other integrators who would like to attempt what you’re doing from a systems-design and project management perspective? RM: I’ve had this discussion with many integrators over the years, and I’ve even taught several courses to explain not just what we do, but also the many significant benefits of our process. Many of them appear to understand and are even excited to try to implement what we have. But, the mistake I often see is that, in their excitement, they jump in the deep end and try to change
everything within their organization all at once. Human nature being what it is, people don’t often react well to large amounts of change all at once, so my recommendation would be to start small and work with the key folks in the organization to create and implement standardization in one small part of the business first. Once that is running smoothly and folks see the benefits, they will be much more open to attacking other parts of the business, as well.
I just think there should be a greater effort to create good dialogue and an opportunity for direct, honest feedback. It’s up to integrators to communicate clearly what they need, and it’s up to manufacturers to listen with an open mind with the goal of making their products better.
RT Today: What do you like most about being in this industry and what do you find most frustrating?
RM: This is really important. We learned a long time ago that it’s a serious mistake to use a new product, any new product, in a client’s home without doing significant testing ahead of time.
RM: Well, I think at my core I am a designer, because I really love solving problems with good, hopefully even elegant, design. So, over the years I have had a lot of opportunity to use design as a tool to solve the many challenges that arise in these types of projects. I would say that is one aspect I really enjoy. In terms of what is most frustrating, it is the gap in understanding, or awareness even, between the products that manufacturers create and what we, as integrators, actually need to properly and effectively execute the projects we do. I’m not suggesting any malice on the part of the manufacturers, just that they seem to lack any deep understanding of how the products they are making will be used. You can see this lack of awareness demonstrated by the features and functionality they choose to include or omit. Again, it’s not that they don’t care; they just don’t have the knowledge, and that is probably because they don’t actually sell and install things. Their customer is the integrator, not the end user. But, we as integrators are on the front line dealing with the clients, so when something does not work as advertised, we are the ones who end up having to pacify the end customer.
RT Today: When you’re deciding whether to start offering a new product or technology in your projects, what are some of the most important criteria you consider?
We have a full testing environment in our shop that lets us create essentially any scenario that you might find on a real job site. We always bring in any new product we are considering and test it thoroughly in as many use cases as we can. If it meets all of our required criteria, only then will we consider using it in a real project. This is really important because a large part of our success is based on the fact that we standardize virtually everything we do, and that includes the products we use. The last thing anyone wants is a large number of projects all using slightly different gear because the sales person or tech decided it would be “cool” to try out some new product. Over time, all that leads to is an install base that becomes a service nightmare. We look for basic things like build quality and features, but also things like how easy it is to integrate the product with our control systems, good quality documentation, how accessible engineering support is if we need it, and, of course, we need to ensure there is enough profit in the product line to make it worthwhile for us to add it in the first place. x
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GREEN TECH
The Wireless World of Metamaterials
With the Creation of ‘Metamaterials,’ Metaboards Aims to Change the Way People Power Their Devices
Photo Courtesy of Metaboards
By Patricia Miller
Metaboards is creating accessible, intuitive charging surfaces that may one day replace the need for outlets and plugs.
Imagine tossing your briefcase onto the kitchen table and in an instant every device inside begins to charge. Your laptop, smartphone, and tablet are seamlessly connected to power, just as your smartphone seamlessly connected to Wi-Fi when you walked in the door. This is the vision of Metaboards, an innovative tech startup from Oxford focused on cutting consumer dependence on wires. With the creation of “metamaterials,” Metaboards aims to change the way people power their devices. The company is creating accessible, intuitive charging surfaces that may one day replace the need for outlets and plugs. CEO Nedko Ivanov
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envisions a future in which walls, floors, and workstations provide wireless power for any device, eliminating the need for messy wires and practically erasing the notion of a dead battery. If wireless charging and power are the wave of the future, why haven’t consumers been more responsive to adopting the technology?
Why Aren’t More People Wirelessly Charging Their Devices? Wireless charging has been, up to this point, a one-way street. A wireless charger, often resembling a coaster, can charge one singular device and can only do so if the device is positioned in exact alignment with the charging surface. The result is only slightly less work than
plugging in a USB-C or Lightning connector. Ivanov elaborated on the point: “Current wireless charging applications are pretty much a one-to-one relationship between a charger and a smartphone,” he said. “Despite the fact that they have wireless charging capabilities in their phones, fewer than 30 percent of people with these capabilities are actually using it.” If wireless charging were as easy as setting something down, everyone would be doing it. No more frayed cables or worn out charging ports; just toss the device on a charging surface and forget about it. Consumers would be even
GREEN TECH
Metamaterials can be easily integrated into smart home blueprints to give the user a seamless wireless charging experience and, one day, a wireless power experience. (Right) Metaboards CEO Nedko Ivanov envisions a future in which walls, floors, and workstations provide wireless power for any device.
more inclined to use the tech were they able to charge multiple devices at once. That’s where metamaterials come into play. These materials allow integrators to design custom furniture, walls, or even flooring capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously.
Streamlining the User Experience Metamaterials can be easily integrated into smart home blueprints to give the user a seamless wireless charging experience and, one day, a wireless power experience. “What I could envision is a very similar user experience to what we have with wireless data today or wireless connectivity to Wi-Fi,” Ivanov offered. “You could have your device charge on any charging-enabled surface without worrying about how many devices are being charged. You’re going to have your smart desk where your monitor will be charged without a cable – your phone will be charged, your mouse will be
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charged, your keyboard, etc. You could have wireless speakers powered by metamaterials in the floors that are also powering your kettle or your coffee machine.” Currently, Metaboards is focused largely on wireless charging, but their vision for the future includes wireless power capabilities as well. Metamaterials may also make wireless data sharing more common. The materials could one day wirelessly transmit data across multiple devices, eliminating the need for networked spaces, flash drives, and all variety of wired data transmission devices. Again, this ability is further down the line for Metaboards, but the scope of this company’s vision is impressive.
Looking Ahead Were metamaterials able to deliver on every aspect of their vision, the smart homes and offices of the future may look very different than they do today. One might have a workspace free of cables. One could swipe data from their
Photos Courtesy of Metaboards
smartphone to a coworker’s wirelessly-charged laptop, who could then send that data to a wireless printer. The data could also be sent to a wirelessly powered monitor for the afternoon meeting, during which everyone will have their phones charging wirelessly while… well, you get the idea. It’s a different world than we know today, but one that isn’t that hard to imagine, particularly when looking at how far wireless capabilities have come in just the past 20 years. “We are going to see the technology take off similarly to what we witnessed in the past with Wi-Fi,” Ivanov conjectured. “We initially used modems for internet connections. You had to have a one-to-one device relationship between your computer and the modem, then there was a certain procedure to dial-in, and even then it didn’t always connect. Today, with Wi-Fi, once you enter the password, everybody seamlessly connects in the area. This is why Wi-Fi technology has taken off, and this is what is missing for wireless charging to become a widely adopted technology.” Ultimately, Metaboards may change the way smart homes and offices are designed. With metamaterials incorporated throughout the design and planning phase, entire buildings could be equipped for wireless power, wireless charging, and wireless sharing. As more devices become wireless-charging equipped, the utility of Metaboard’s designs will continue to grow, and hopefully, so will consumer interest in the technology. x
HEALTH
Healthy Home Evolution Delos Launches the Residential Version of its Darwin Wellness Technology Platform By Jeremy Glowacki
We spend 90 percent of our time indoors – in our offices and our homes. Unfortunately, those environments are not always the healthiest places to hang out. Indoor air quality can be two to five times worse than outdoor air quality, drinking water is often compromised by the quality of the pipes it flows through, and don’t even ask about the effects that all of those new LED bulbs are having on sleep patterns. Enter Delos, the pioneer of “wellness real estate” and the founder of the WELL Building Standard and the Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence platform. Darwin is designed to enhance health outcomes in the home and mitigate harmful indoor environmental concerns, by utilizing proprietary wellness algorithms and sensor technologies to create spaces that help reduce stress, improve sleep quality, increase performance, and enhance overall well-being. Through extensive scientific research and real-world testing, Delos discovered that it could mitigate environmental triggers within the home to enhance both physical and emotional well-being. Delos’ Darwin platform incorporates health and wellness features and technologies into the home to bring the benefits of natural outdoor conditions inside.
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Utilizing Delos’ proprietary wellness algorithms and sensor technologies, the Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence platform creates spaces that help reduce stress, improve sleep quality, increase performance, and enhance overall well-being.
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HEALTH
Healthy Home Evolution
Backed by more than seven years of research, the Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence platform focuses on four main components: air filtration, water purification, circadian lighting, and comfort-focused technologies, all of which simulate the natural outdoor condition.
“We’re doing for people what LEED did for the environment,” explained Anthony Antolino, chief commercial officer for Delos. “The WELL Building Standard is now contracted across 1,000 buildings, in 34 countries, affecting about a million and a half people. That is a profound validation that this is a massive movement that is profound to the built environment and all the constituents that make up that value chain.” Backed by more than seven years of research, the Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence platform focuses on four main components: air filtration, water purification, circadian lighting, and comfort-focused technologies, all of which simulate natural outdoor conditions. Powered by Delos’ proprietary cloud-based algorithms, the platform interacts with an ecosystem of Delos-approved products and solutions. Darwin
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is designed to be flexible and accessible, launching across all segments of the housing market, from mass market to luxury. Building upon its success in the commercial sector, the launch of the Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence platform marks the first expansion of Delos’ offerings to the residential smart-home market. Delos is partnering with premier dealers, installers, builders, and other stakeholders across the globe to integrate the Darwin Home Wellness Intelligence platform into residences. Simonds, a volume home builder in Australia, has begun including Darwin as part of its base package in all new homes in the state of Victoria. Darwin training is also being provided to the HTSA buying group, and it will be featured as
the wellness technology platform in KB’s “Home of the Future” at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Also, as part of a broad national roll out in luxury housing, several luxury single family homes in Beverly Hills, CA, will incorporate the home wellness platform, making them the first luxury residences to be powered by Darwin. “As a company, we believe that health and well-being is a right, not a privilege,” Antolino pointed out. “So, while we’re [collaborating] with HTSA and the luxury end of the market, Delos believes that from an entry-level price point to the luxury end of the market, we’re bringing forward the ability to improve your health and well-being across all socioeconomic classes.”
HEALTH
Healthy Home Evolution
Delos has architects and designers on staff, as well as a full lab in its global headquarters in New York. There are a number of PhDs on staff, covering a variety of different disciplines. On the automation side, a Crestron API pulls the Darwin wellness dashboard functionality into that manufacturer’s app, or for those without a control system, it can be managed from the Darwin app on a smart phone or tablet.
quality data to make water filtration recommendations and the products it’s using will remediate those specific water-quality thresholds.
Delos has formed research collaborations with the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, a board of doctors from the Columbia University Medical Center and architects, scientists, and wellness thought leaders to introduce wellness standards, programs, and solutions into the built environment. In collaboration with Mayo Clinic, Delos established the Well Living Lab – the world’s first lab committed to researching the real-world impacts of the indoor environment on human health and performance. “It’s a really big deal to have a system that’s a combination of algorithms/software and hardware incorporated into the home that passively provide an environment that can improve the health outcome of you and your family,” Antolino said. The system’s dashboard provides status reports on the building environment, including records of corrections that have been made to the air, water, or lighting quality. Antolino provided a real-world example of how Darwin
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could react to maintain a healthy environment within a building. “Let’s say you’re in a building in Los Angeles, and there’s construction going on outside – you have a bunch of bulldozers, trucks, and diesel fumes coming into the window,” he explained. “Someone opens the window, and the air contamination threshold spikes. The air filtration system is going to kick on but will not impact thermal comfort. As the levels back under the right threshold, it will turn itself off.” Similarly, water filtration can occur at either point-of-use or whole home, depending on the desired intent. In the luxury market, Delos will take water samples from that specific address, have them tested to understand exactly what is happening with the water at the source of the home, and make sure the filtration and remediation is addressing the specific concerns at that location. At the mid- and high-volumelevel market, it’s cost prohibitive to do that type of testing, so Delos will use regional water
On the circadian lighting side, Lutron-owned Ketra is already a Delos recommended brand, but there are other companies in the category coming on board, after the first of the year. On the automation side, a Crestron API pulls the Darwin wellness dashboard functionality into that manufacturer’s app, or for those without a control system, it can be managed from the Darwin app on a smartphone or tablet. AV integrators will likely see the most opportunity on the lighting side, with plumbers handling water filtration, and HVAC professionals tackling air filtration. Yet Delos is looking for the AV industry to serve as the “tip of the spear,” according to Antolino, to have full knowledge of managing expectations across the other trades. “It’s about awareness,” Antolino said. “Get in early and bring differentiation and bring value. At the value proposition level, health is the number-one most personal and intimate element of human beings. It’s above money. If you don’t have your health, you have nothing.” x
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Tickets on Sale Now! For information, visit www.AXPONA.com Learn about exhibiting at AXPONA 2019. Contact Mark Freed: mark@jdevents.com, 203-416-1927
ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere
Rewiring Custom Integration How Harrison Home Systems is Developing the Condo of the Future By Alex Moersen
Photo Phil Wenger
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ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere
In 2018, nearly 38.4 million households were using some sort of smart home device. By 2022, that number is projected to hit 93 million, according to data compiled by Statista. While the number and variety of devices that homeowners are employing can vary, one thing is clear: people want this technology. While the term “smart home” might naturally conjure images of suburban domiciles, this tech, of course, isn’t limited to just houses, and many high-end condominium and apartment developers are trying to find ways to better incorporate this technology into their units. However, due to the sheer size of many of these luxury condo developments, it can be difficult to do custom integration in every single unit. But that hasn’t changed the expectation of prospective buyers. As George Harrison, founder and president of Harrison Home Systems, explained, much of the demographic for these high-end condos are those who are technologically savvy: “They’ve lived with technology forever, and now they’re moving into this expensive condo. They came from a pre-wired setup in a custom home, and they expect that same scenario – distributed audio, video, and a robust control system, all of those things. But, they’re moving into these condos where they’ve typically made no provisions for it.” Facing this challenge, Harrison developed a strategy in which smart home tech could be easily customized for and integrated into a unit, without having to change any wiring or infrastructure. In fact, Harrison goes straight to the developers and offers these smart technology packages directly to residents. “Without having to do anything, we can add some bling to their project, from a marketing and technology perspective, and allow the developer to have an entire technology package to offer,” he said. It’s a simple solution that has caught the attention of many developers. Since their first successful implementation of this strategy two years ago with 250 Columbine, a luxury 71-unit condo development in Cherry Creek, CO, they have since worked on a variety of projects, including a 350-unit development (called The Coloradan) and its numerous penthouses and just confirmed another 71-unit luxury condo project in Cherry Creek. Harrison even developed an easily repeatable website that developers can use to lay out technology packages for owners and potential buyers, providing a complete package to their techsavvy developer partners.
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ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere // Rewiring Custom Integration
George Harrison, founder of Harrison Home Systems
“The heavy lifting we went through to get the foundation built for the custom website we made for The Coloradan is now easily modified to customize for future luxury condo projects, since the packages will be essentially the same due to their innovative design and lack of reliance on a customized infrastructure,” Harrison explained. The website allows customers to view the variety of packages, pre-order, and even customize which devices they want in which rooms. The whole process is much more than installation; it’s customization made simple. “What is significant is that we needed to create a solution that required no new wires … But, we’re bringing the fundamental elements from the custom world. It’s the perfect blend,” Harrison noted. Even with very basic pre-wiring, Harrison is able to develop a number of custom options for
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Harrison’s design for 250 Columbine includes Lutron’s smart lighting technology, which acts as a major convenience and energy saver for users. Photos Phil Wenger
Visit us at Booth #SU645
©2018 BRK Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by BRK Brands, Inc. 3901 Liberty Street, Aurora, Illinois 60504. BRK Brands, Inc. is a subsidiary of Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE:NWL). BRK is a registered trademark of BRK Brands, Inc.
ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere // Rewiring Custom Integration
their customers. For example, in their work with The Coloradan, they offer four different packages for residents to choose from: - Audio/Video: Their Audio/Video package includes a wall-mounted 4K HDR Sony TV coming in a variety of sizes, a premium universal remote, and an incorporated soundbar with built-in music streaming services. - Lutron Shade Package: In a collaboration with Lutron, Harrison offers battery-powered roller shades, which operate completely wirelessly via a mobile app. - Lutron Lighting Control: In addition, they also offer Lutron’s smart lighting technology, which acts as a major convenience and energy saver for users. - Josh.ai: Finally, all of this can be voicecontrolled via Josh.ai, a luxury voice-control system for the home. Since Josh works over WiFi, completely wirelessly, it can be set up anywhere in the house and is also accompanied by a mobile app for control away from the home. Josh is also now working in tandem with the industry’s predominant legacy control systems, simultaneously providing the best possible voice and handheld control experience.
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In a collaboration with Lutron, Harrison offers battery-powered roller shades, which operate completely wirelessly via a mobile app. Photos Phil Wenger
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ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere // Rewiring Custom Integration
These packages allow consumers to completely, and conveniently, customize their units. Everything from the TV size and its custom, paintable wood surrounds, down to the fabric of the motorized shades can be customized to the resident’s liking. Plus, all packages come with a year of seven-day-aweek remote or onsite technical support. But, according to Harrison, Josh.ai was a major key to this project. Josh is a local Denver company, which was important to local developers, and its ability to work with the other current legacy control systems became the winning combination. “Knowing that we had to work backward from no new wires, Josh.ai became the obvious voice control choice,” he said. Because of its wireless capabilities, Josh can be set up in any room and is portable throughout the unit. With Josh, clients can control their entertainment system, lights, shades, and more. According to Harrison, the biggest challenge throughout the process was “designing comprehensive luxury AV, lighting, shading, and control packages that are highly reliable, repeatable, and incorporate best-in-class equipment to provide a seamless experience for the client. All this while not affecting the critical path of construction for the developer.” As the home has become smarter, so have condominiums and apartment complexes. With the solutions that Harrison Home Systems has recently crafted, condos can now be built for the future, with convenience for both the resident and developer alike. x Harrison Home Systems most recently worked on The Coloradan, a 350-unit development (Left), and its numerous penthouses, developing a custom website for the development as well. Photos Glumac the Architect
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ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere
Backgrounds: iStockphoto.com/Pixtum | Bandage: iStockphoto.com/ vectomart
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What Are SelfHealing Networks? Exploring a Tech Convenience That’s Not Without Negative Consequences By Dennis Burger
When you first hear about it, it sounds a bit magical – technology capable of analyzing and repairing itself when problems arise. On a moment’s reflection, a bit of trepidation creeps in. Isn’t this how the Terminator movies begin? Dig to the heart of it, though, and selfhealing networks are like most, if not all, of the technological innovations permeating our lives these days, which is to say that they’re certainly a convenience, but not without some consequences.
does two things,” he said. “First, it can automatically reboot a network-powered device if that device doesn’t respond to a network ping request. Imagine a security camera goes offline, and then imagine that the network automatically reboots that camera when it pings it and doesn’t get a response. Secondly, we can also shut down a network-powered device on a schedule. Imagine a store owner wants to turn off their guest Wi-Fi at night and over weekends… the network can do that for him automatically.”
But what is a self-healing network, exactly? What does it do? How does it work? To answer those questions, I turned to Luxul Product Manager John Epeneter, whose company recently added self-healing capabilities to select managed network switches in the form of auto recovery and power scheduling. He explained these two key features thusly: “Simply put, self-healing
That hardly sounds like the stuff of dystopian sci-fi nightmares. It’s worth noting, however, that not all networks are capable of self-healing; generally speaking, there are two minimum barriers to entry. First off, selfhealing networks require the use of managed switches – network devices that can be configured on a port-by-port basis to allow for things like traffic prioritization, port
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The Network Ecosphere // What Are Self-Healing Networks?
SnapAV’s WattBox IP power conditioners can recognize an offline network issue and reboot the linked outlet [connected to the modem], thus quickly resolving problems perhaps even before a client is aware of them.
speed, etc. Secondly, the network needs some way of controlling power to connected devices. This can come in the form of Power over Ethernet (PoE) for devices that support it, or a power management device with IP capabilities for those that don’t. Caroline Oles, director of product networking for SnapAV, whose WattBox IP power conditioners fall into the latter category, explains that, “Sensing and fixing basic items in the background without a manual intervention turns common pain points into non-issues for installers and endusers alike. A common scenario that WattBox solves is when internet connectivity is lost. It recognizes the issue and reboots the linked outlet [connected to the modem], thus quickly resolving problems perhaps even before a client is aware of them.”
iStockphoto.com/ vectomart
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When you think about it, that makes perfect sense. After all, if your internet is down and you call customer support, what’s the first thing they tell you to do? Unplug your modem and router and plug it all back in again. And at the very simplest level, that’s essentially what self-healing network technology is doing.
“Dealers can even schedule regular reboots through the local UI or OvrC platform,” Oles continues, referring to SnapAV’s cloud-based remote device management platform. “The best-case scenario is that any issue is caught and rectified prior to the homeowner even knowing an issue occurred. This allows our dealers to focus on current sales and installs without having to worry about the stability of previous installs.” I also reached out to Evan Marty, former systems integrator and current senior product manager for remote product management at Control4, owner of Pakedge. I wanted to ask about his experience with networks with selfhealing capabilities, both as someone who previously installed and managed them and someone who currently works for a company who designs and manufactures them. “It’s a great feature to offer, and one we’ve offered on our SX Series managed switches and all of our power distribution units for years now via the local UI or BakPak Remote Management platform,” he told me. “One major benefit is that when you have something like a cable box in your system that is continually and predictably causing a problem – locking up every 10 days or so, for
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ISSUE FOCUS
The Network Ecosphere // What Are Self-Healing Networks?
(Above) Control4’s Pakedge SX Series managed switches and power distribution units can be scheduled for automated reboots via the local UI or BakPak Remote Management platform. (Below) Luxul’s Domotz Remote Management platform currently allows for the monitoring of specific services or functions running on network connected devices, far deeper than their mere network status.
example – you can schedule an automated reboot every Sunday morning at 3 a.m. Putting a scheduled reboot in there every seven days can save a lot of headaches.” When it comes to pinging and automatically rebooting devices, though, Marty encourages a little more caution. “As for the potential consequences, think for a moment about a smart home control system. Think about what happens when updates are pushed out. With Control4, for example, you download the firmware update to the controller, which then pushes that update out to connected devices, like touch panels. So that touch panel, when it receives the firmware, reboots and extracts the update. During that time, that device is unresponsive. It’s not on the network. So, what happens if a self-healing switch senses that lack of network connectivity and reboots the device in the middle of a firmware updated?” Pricey connected devices get turned into pricey bricks. That’s what happens.
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“Exactly,” Marty says. “The reality of automation is that it happens every time, regardless of condition. And that’s both a positive and a negative. Most dealers who work with lighting control can identify with being called to a house because lights are randomly being turned on and off, not knowing how or why or what, only to find that the lighting control system is in vacation mode. And self-healing can have very much the same result. Vacation mode with lighting is fantastic when it’s used right. If it gets invoked in the wrong way, though, it’s the worst.” In other words, it’s a very good idea to be selective about which devices you connect to self-healing ports or outlets. IP cameras are a great candidate, Marty says, because “once they’re installed, they rarely need to be reconfigured. If a camera does lock up or freeze, attempting to recover it without the intervention of a technician is a great opportunity.”
Even with more sensitive devices that are frequently updated, though, Luxul’s John Epeneter adds that there are workarounds. First, he says, if firmware updates are rolled out manually, “you can disable the Auto-Check function before you do the system update, then re-enable the feature after the update has been completed and verified. This is the preferred method. A second way is to increase the number of retries and the interval between retries such that the time from first failure, when an update has started, to the time that a reboot actually happens is longer than an update would take. This second method still has a chance of failure, so the first method is preferred.” The long and short of it is that once you move past basic scheduling of regular reboots, self-healing still has some limitations that you need to be aware of. But what might the future hold? Epeneter says that his company’s Domotz Remote Management platform currently allows for the monitoring of specific services or functions running on network connected devices, far deeper than their mere network status. When we reach a tipping point where more integrators and end-users are utilizing remote monitoring and management, Epeneter envisions a coordination between such services and self-healing mechanisms to deal with deeper issues, rather than simply keeping them from being a constant annoyance to homeowners and integrators. So, while self-healing may not be a panacea for all of your networking woes – at least not yet – it’s also not likely to be the source of the robot uprising. x
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To the O-Zone, and Beyond
From Home Entertainment Systems to Smart Appliances, Actor Omar Benson Miller Talks Tech By Charles Warner
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Photo HBO
Maybe you first saw him in 2002’s 8 Mile or 2008’s Miracle at St. Anna. Or, you might have seen him during his three-year stint on CSI: Miami. Currently, you can watch him on HBO’s hit Ballers or hear him as the voice of Raphael on Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Regardless, it’s safe to say that Omar Benson Miller has had a prolific acting career, appearing in an assortment of movies and television shows, not limited by genre or character. Miller is not content with just acting, however. In between shooting episodes of Ballers and Ninja Turtles, he records a sports podcast called The O-Zone with his brother. He also has been involved with a number of philanthropic organizations, helping raise money for disenfranchised children and gathering food for the homeless.
And, like a lot of stars in the modern age, Miller is all-in on smart home tech. From his home entertainment system to smart kitchen appliances, he is as big of a tech fanatic as can be. In this exclusive interview, Miller discusses the technology that goes into his podcasting, the devices he has around the house, and what gear he sees in his future. Residential Tech Today: I would love to start out talking about your podcast, The O-Zone. I checked it out, and you guys just sound like you’re having fun. Omar Benson Miller: We are, because that’s my actual brother. This is my older brother and we argue a lot in real life, and we decided, “You know what? Why don’t we actually make something out of this.” Whenever people are around us, and we get
to arguing sports, it was always entertaining for them, so we decided to give it a shot. And so far it’s caught on well. People seem to really like our perspective on things, and we actually have a lot of professional athletes who follow the podcast. The only problem we have with the podcast is, we just haven’t been doing it as frequently as we should because we’ve been on the road doing our tennis travel show [Advantage Omar] and shooting Ballers. And now I’m doing Ninja Turtles. It’s been a blessed year, man. I’m really living well. RT Today: What kind of setup do you have for your podcast? OBM: We started with the Zoom machine and that was just he and I, no mics. It was just the actual Zoom. And that Zoom took it a long way. Then we got a professional
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Cover Story // To the Ozone, and Beyond
engineer, so now we have a full setup of mics and, because we tape the podcast as well, video. We use the Mevo, so it feels like we have a multi-camera setup, but we really don’t. That Mevo is so sharp. The technology knows when someone should be the focus, so it’s almost like an “auto-editor,” which is
a full setup because you can also connect microphones to that...
of ways for you to actually plug in and get your message out.
The person that really motivated us to do it was Aisha Tyler. She has a show that I did with her, and her podcast is super-duper popular. One of the things that I found so interesting about Aisha’s
RT Today: You’re pretty wellversed in podcast technology. Do you consider yourself a techie?
“ I went to CES last year, and, dude, I totally and completely got my bell rung. I wish there was a CES monthly so that I could just figure out the stuff that I need to go get.”
OBM: I love tech. I used to be more of a techie. Now technology’s moving so fast, there’s always something to be reviewed. There’s always something to play with. I definitely consider myself a techie, it’s just hard to keep up... I went to CES last year, and, dude, I totally and completely got my bell rung. I wish there was a CES monthly so that I could just figure out the stuff that I need to go get. There’s so much technology now that isn’t just cool toys but it’s functionally making your life better. It’s crazy. RT Today: What kind of tech do you have integrated in your home? You’re a TV/movie actor, what’s your home entertainment setup like? OBM: It would be dumb for me to not have my home theater game up. It’s only right. My home theater is set up, I like to think, pretty phenomenally. I have two things that I’m really proud of. One, I got that Samsung, 75-inch, Q series, and the colors are outrageous. It’s a great place to watch a film. And I coupled that with a Sonos system.
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awesome. Then we’re in a studio and we can have a guest who sits in front of the camera and my brother Terry and I are on either side of the camera, and it’s like we have a three-camera setup.
podcast, when she asked me to join as a guest, is it was just me and her and a microphone and her MacBook. Super simple. It wasn’t an elaborate process. We just had a conversation.
So, I would suggest, anybody that’s just getting started, if you have the means, pick up that Mevo. It’s great for just getting started. The Zoom is also a really solid program, but if you can, get
That sort of setup makes it really comfortable, and you get the most out of people when they feel comfortable. So that simplicity really helps. I think if you have something to say, there’s a lot
Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
Mine is the place where you want to watch movies, dude. It’s poppin’. Honestly, I go full tech in my house. I’m on YouTube TV; I’m on all of the apps. And I got a freakin’ robot vacuum cleaner. These are pieces that I really like, my tech pieces. The thing that I’m looking to pick up ... I went to Tokyo and got my mind blown by Toto bidets because it’s just mind blowing to me that the culture there demands the toilet be in a separate room of its own. Separate from the shower and the
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Cover Story // To the Ozone, and Beyond
bathroom. And you have not lived until you’ve had yourself a heated toilet that washes your bum. It’s crazy. And clam shells open as you enter the room, so these are some of the luxe tech things that really excite me. RT Today: Did you use a custom installer for your home theater system or did you do it yourself? OBM: I have a buddy who’s an installer, that’s what he does professionally. He’s a good friend of mine, so we did it together, and because he patched up the walls there are no wires. We’ve got everything set up. We put an extra splitter on it so that I can also run the same thing that I’m watching in the living room to a mounted television outside, to take advantage of the California lifestyle, the indoor/outdoor lifestyle. When there’s a game on, you can run a split and have it work outside and inside so you can have a killer party for sporting events and whatnot. The TV itself is way too heavy for one person. You have to lift it and mount it and hold it. Then you need to cut and patch the wall. I actually live in a 109-year-old home, and they’re real walls, they’re not like drywall. You cut the wall, you get in there, then you have to create electrical outlets in there, close the wall back up, and paint the wall. So there’s a lot that goes into it. RT Today: Is there any kind of smart home tech that you’ve got your eyes on, besides the bidet? OBM: Well, you know, I got my eye on the bidet but I also have my eye – this sounds disgusting since we’re talking about the bidet – but I also have my eye on the smart refrigerator. I don’t know how necessary it is, but I’ve been checking them out.
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Omar Benson Miller playing former NFL player Charles Greane in HBO’s Ballers. Photo HBO
I can’t see what the refrigerator does besides keep my stuff cool. So I don’t understand necessarily why I need it to be so much smarter. I do have a smart oven, which I love. And it really helps because I have a tendency to forget that the bean dip is inside of the oven, and it can go the wrong way there. But
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Cover Story // To the Ozone, and Beyond
there’s so much tech in homes now. I also have an HD security system that I set up. So you have a full view of the yard, the house, the whole nine. This is the best time to be a techie and have a couple bucks. RT Today: For sure. Now everything’s integrated. You can do stuff on your phone. You can actually warm up the hot tub on your way home if you’ve got it connected. OBM: It’s outrageous. That’s the other thing that I have my eye on; the Nest system. Right now I have a Honeywell that connects to the air conditioning and this, that, and the other. But I have a few friends who have that Nest system and it makes me lust after it because it gets hot in L.A., and they can cool the house down just before they get there. When they leave work and they’ve got a 25-minute drive or something like that. They can turn the air on then, instead of running the air all day and running up the bill. I’m also a super fan of the tankless water heater. I just replaced a 75-gallon with a tankless. I’m pretty knee-deep into this home tech. I love it. RT Today: What work are you involved in outside of acting that you’re most proud of? OBM: We created a foundation called the Omar Miller Foundation … We created a system to take a lot of the leftover food from movie and television sets and take it to pantries – food pantries and food kitchens and what not. I would say the greatest thing we did is we teamed up with a place called Union Station Homeless Services Center that feeds people. You don’t even have to be homeless, it just feeds people on Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, we participated with them and helped feed thousands of people.
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I’m also part of something called the Irish Mathletes Alliance, where, basically, we take the spotlight of our board and channel it to whoever it is that has a cause, whatever their cause is at the time. So it’s a pretty spectacular board. And then I do Fight Night for [Fight for Children]. It’s a charity event down in Washington D.C., the one night of the year where they allow cigar smoke indoors in Washington D.C., at the same place where they do the correspondence dinner, the Washington Hilton. It’s about raising money for kids with cancer, underprivileged kids in the [Washington metropolitan] area. So there’s a few things that I have my hands in that I’m proud of. I don’t talk about it much because I feel like that sort of thing should be done in private. I have my eye on giving back and how I can expand that because I’ve been really blessed and so I want to help as much as I can. RT Today: What advice would you give to people who want to take their career or their business to the next level? OBM: I’m a real believer in failing up. So take the chances. You can’t achieve greatness when you aim for mediocrity, so fail upwards. Constantly take yourself out of your comfort zone, because that’s the only way to grow. There’s a great book out called Total Rethink from this communications titan named David McCourt. He sold a company for like 14, 15 billion dollars, and one of the things he analyzes in there is how in this world of technology, disruption has become the road to super success. I think that you can disrupt your own life in ways that break the routine, that challenge you, that will open doors for
Photo Baumann Manfred
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you to try to figure out the path. It really is about working smarter and not harder nowadays. Everybody’s working hard enough. But working smart is the way to go. And we are in a changing world … So with that, we have to constantly be aware of what we can do to update. We have to always be ready to challenge and be challenged. So if you run a business that’s been working for 50 years and you don’t have a monopoly on it, you better be ready. Because they are coming. No matter what the field is. And these young kids are sharp. You need to stay a step ahead of the game by figuring out the challenges that you can meet that aren’t even there yet. And the only way you do that is by trying. So actually step out of the comfort zone. Be persistent. And fail your way upwards. I had no less than 500 voiceover auditions that I didn’t get before I became the voice of Raphael [in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles], and I tell ya, if I would have been too discouraged to go and do the thousandth audition, I would have never gotten the role. x
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INDUSTRY RELATIONS
Female Forward Walking the Line Between Strength and Compassion as a Woman in a Man’s World By Jamie Briesemeister
Photo iStockphoto.com/jacoblund
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INDUSTRY RELATIONS
R
iding the crest of a wave of highly publicized female-led movements, such as #MeToo and the Women’s March on Washington, female leaders are sprouting up in places where they’ve previously been seen as unicorns. The technology industry, for one, has felt the surge of female entrants. Women in technology are finding positions in sales, as project managers, lighting designers, programmers, and installers. Yes – FEMALE installers. For those women already present in home technology, we have been waiting for you! Let me hold the door open: come on in, ladies. Here, you won’t find a line at the restroom, or at least, not yet. What you will find, however, is an industry that is predominantly male, filled with some of the most intelligent people you’ve ever met. I’ve had the pleasure to meet good, dare I say “great,” men in this industry. These men have been helpful, gracious with time and knowledge, and passionate about their craft. We have shared bourbons and beers discussing business best practices and business blunders. These same men have opened up to me about their cash flow, employee retention, and human resource issues. One topic of conversation, lately, has been centered around gender discussions and what should or shouldn’t be said to female staff, colleagues, or clients. Being female-friendly is one thing, but changing office and/or jobsite culture to accommodate a diverse staff is another – and it goes beyond dodging the F-bomb or other choice words.
It’s okay, gentlemen, I say them too… frequently. The importance of having emotional strength and compassion is imperative when entering an industry that is predominately the opposite sex, as you are bound to experience sexism, whether intentional or otherwise.
Instead of feeling awkward about what you can or cannot say, take a breath and consider this: if a female is in this industry, she has probably already experienced her fair share of sexism, toxic masculinity, and uncomfortable situations, and she’s here anyway. Not all women are gentle little flowers, and we certainly don’t want to be treated as such. Conversely, while we are all in this together, we aren’t always “one of the guys.” As you look at hiring females into your
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INDUSTRY RELATIONS Female Forward
industry, be mindful of diversity as you plan office parties, tell jokes, create incentives, or select uniforms and be comfortable having conversations with all of your staff as your company’s dynamics change.
More Questions to Consider Recently, we hired a female installer and found ourselves asking surprising questions. What do we say instead of “sending out the guys” when we schedule installs? Do we now “send out the team” (that sounds cheesy)? Should we order female cuts of our shirts for her? I’m a seasoned female in the industry and still found myself asking these questions as our workforce changed. A simple discussion with her answered all of our questions and for those of you interested, we still “send out the guys,” and she wanted the same shirt as our other technicians. Problem solved! If you are a female new to the industry, despite the minutia and a few hilariously awkward situations – CEDIA recently sent me a Man Crate gift box as a thank you for being a chair on its business working group, #TheyTried – the home technology industry is very welcoming to women. Most of the time, the men who say what they say or do what they do are completely ignorant to the fact that they are being socially unacceptable. I have a perfect example from a regional show I went to around five years ago. At the show, a projector demonstration was scheduled in room XYZ. Curious, I walked with a (female) friend to room XYZ and was shocked to find it was a regular, personal hotel room. Imagine yourself as either of the women, one new to the industry and the other, a decade seasoned in the industry, both going to a demo in an unknown man’s bedroom. This actually happened and, yes, it is just as creepy as you would suspect. But, no one else involved (i.e. all were male) thought it was weird or out of place. As with any population, there are bound to be bad apples and the technology industry isn’t immune. I’ve had men follow me to my room with the hopes for something more and have heard very inappropriate jokes followed by a wink, a nudge, and an order for another round of drinks. I don’t tend to talk about these situations and simply waive them away, minimizing the impact, excusing the age or sobriety of the offender, making it a non-issue. This year I found I wasn’t alone. At the 2018 Women in CE Luncheon, I sat at a table with some of my most beloved female mentors and a few men I hadn’t met
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The technology industry has felt the surge of female entrants. Women in technology are finding positions in sales, as project managers, lighting designers, programmers, and installers. Yes – FEMALE installers.
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before. One of the men commented that our table had so many women, and a gender conversation began. He asked what our craziest moment had been in sales and, soon, we were talking more about our craziest moment as a woman in the industry. Every woman at the table had a story to share and, I hate to say it, the stories weren’t pretty. The moments highlighted weren’t about our best deal; they were about the rudest, most sexist ass-hat we’ve dealt with that quarter, year, or decade. Don’t believe me, ask some of the women you know in this industry. Chances are you’d be appalled at some of your colleagues. #MeToo On the same note, these bad apples have not spoiled the entire lot. Many of my male colleagues abhor toxic masculinity and encourage female participation in the industry. These gentlemen are female-forward, always watching my back, ensuring I get to my destination safely. But, it’s more than that. They also have my back when I’m trying to learn a new skill, change an inefficient job process, or need help with a nagging problem. Just as they should be with their male counterparts: we are in this together. Collaborative environments where open dialogue and understanding are integral to the culture is what we need in business (and in life). The importance of having emotional strength and compassion is imperative when entering an industry that is predominately the opposite sex, as you are bound to experience sexism, whether intentional or otherwise. Compassion allows us all to take a step back, understand one another, and (hopefully) guide along another path that brings us more in line with each other. Speaking of lines, perhaps one day there will be a line at the lady's room during a technology conference. I look forward to that day. x CEDIA recently sent the author a Man Crate gift box as a thank you for being a chair on its business working group.
Photo iStockphoto.com/sturti
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NETWORKED HOME
Building a Cybersecurity Fence Strategies to Minimize Risks Associated with the Most Common Cybersecurity Threats By Henry Clifford Even the most tech-savvy among us can feel like a babe in the woods when it comes to protecting a home or business network from cybersecurity threats. When I explain to clients the steps they need to take to transform their home or business into a well-defended digital fortress, I often compare cybercrime to the physical security industry. I explain that their home or business now has digital windows and doors to protect as well. When appraising a building for a security system, it’s all about understanding the Crime Prevention Triangle, made up of Skill, Desire, and Opportunity on each side. The only element that you can control is Opportunity, by deterring bad behavior (snapping off the bottom of the triangle). In other words, don’t become a victim. Because good physical security is all about eliminating opportunity, cybersecurity should be no different. However, instead of only having to worry about bad actors who threaten a home or business, you are exposed to millions of potential criminals online. Build a high enough fence to deter skilled criminals, and you will drive down the risk of a cybersecurity incident. Here are some of the most common cybersecurity issues and strategies to minimize risk:
cybersecurity software crying wolf every 30 seconds. Previous attempts at these systems were so annoying that most users disabled them, rendering them useless. Newer hardware-based solutions from companies like Firewalla, Cujo, and Norton promise to head the bad guys off at the pass. Keep in mind that these products are still in their very early days and a clear winner hasn’t emerged. If you like to play with technology and don’t mind a few headaches, one of these systems will be fun to test out. No matter what you decide, make sure to focus on backing up your data automatically on a daily basis, and following the 3-2-1 Rule:
Pitfalls to Avoid: Many customer reviews complain about third-party firewall hardware products slowing down network traffic. Make sure to demand the following features in any third-party router or firewall that you install: parental controls, content filtering, cybersecurity, app-based control, and easy sharing of network passwords. Check to make sure that your internet service provider is compatible with any hardware that you’re considering.
Debit or Credit Card Fraud
x Store the copies on two different types of media (hard drive or SD card)
Definition: Criminals obtain credit or debit card information most commonly by phishing (sending emails or messages under false pretenses pretending to be the bank). Most often, card fraud takes place through deceiving the victim (low tech) versus truly hacking into accounts. These types of attacks are especially common in the workplace.
x Keep one backup copy off site (using a service like Carbonite).
Cybersecurity Strategy: Use two-factor authentication whenever possible. This usually
x Have at least three independent copies of your data
Malware Definition: Plain and simple, malware is software intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems. Examples include viruses or the infamous ransomware screens demanding bitcoin to regain control of your computer. Cybersecurity Strategy: Watch for an industry shift from protecting computers or other endpoints like tablets and phones to routerbased firewalls that reject suspicious traffic before it gets on the network. Thanks to machine learning and artificial intelligence, we have come a long way since the days of
To protect your credit or debit card information, use two-factor authentication whenever possible. This usually means getting a one-time code from a financial institution before approving a transaction. Photos iStockphoto.com/adventtr, Michael Burrell, tzahiV
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Your world, made simple. Imagine your smart home personalized to your lifestyle, intuitive to your needs and integrated with your daily activities. Imagine your home’s lighting, climate, security, entertainment and more are easily accessible from anywhere – out by the pool or across the globe. ELAN brings this power to you, enhancing your lifestyle and transforming the way you live. Your certified and trusted ELAN dealer can design an ELAN solution personalized for you, your family and your lifestyle.
Human Interface of the Year 2017 AWARD WINNER
elanhomesystems.com
©2018 Nortek Security & Control LLC. ELAN is a registered trademark of Nortek Security & Control LLC. All rights reserved.
NETWORKED HOME
Building a Cybersecurity Fence
and undiscovered vulnerabilities. Criminals exploit these weaknesses to seize control of a network, leading to cybercrimes such as credit card fraud and identity theft. Photo iStockphoto.com/stockcam
Cybersecurity Strategy: Learn from the Trojans! Don’t install any new electronics without checking with resources like the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) Recommended Best Practices for Securing Home Systems or products like BitDefender’s Smart Home Scanner, which scan networks in real time, delivering back results highlighting known device issues.
Password lockers embedded in common operating systems can help you practice good cybersecurity safety habits.
means getting a one-time code from a financial institution before approving a transaction. Using payment solutions like Apple Pay, which issues a temporary card number for each transaction, will render any stolen numbers useless. Apple, Android, and Microsoft all offer secure storage of credit card data through their web browsers. Use common sense to avoid most credit card fraud issues and take solace in the knowledge that in most cases consumers aren’t liable for unauthorized charges.
generators will offer to create and store complex passwords for you, which comes in handy if you don’t have a knack for memorizing 23-character strings of gobbledygook!
Pitfalls to Avoid: Look before you leap. By slowing down and questioning whether or not the merchant is legitimate, you will save a lot of headaches. If it feels wrong, it is probably a scam. Listen to your gut.
Internet of Things (IoT) Device Vulnerabilities
Data Breaches and Compromised Passwords
Pitfalls to Avoid: Stop making it easy for the bad guys! Don’t use birthdays or easy-to-guess passwords. It’s annoying to create complex passwords, but it’s one more brick in the wall of a cybersecurity defense strategy that will pay off in the long run. You’re only as strong as your weakest link.
Definition: Internet-connected electronics like voice assistants, lighting controls, smart speakers, and thermostats can ship with known
Pitfalls to Avoid: Anything connecting to the internet can undo all the good that you have done building your cyber defenses. Products that commonly slip by include children’s toys and gifts around the holiday season (nanny cameras and baby monitors are commonly exploited). Perform periodic audits to make sure you haven’t unwittingly allowed in any weak backdoor exploits. Be wary of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies at work that can allow in infected gear. By minimizing opportunity for cybercriminals, you are well on the way to driving down your network vulnerabilities. There’s no such thing as a bulletproof installation, but all you have to do is make your space less appealing than your digital neighbors to avoid most issues. x
Definition: An incident where information is stolen or taken from a system without the knowledge or authorization of the system’s owner. This could include unauthorized email or social media access. Cybersecurity Strategy: Much like credit card fraud and malware, most data breaches can be avoided by practicing good security habits like creating complex passwords consisting of at least six characters (and the more characters, the stronger the password) combining letters, numbers and symbols (@, #, $, %, etc.), if allowed. This one is tough to practice in day-today life without a password manager like those found embedded in Mac- or Windows-based operating systems. Many of these password
Devices like thermostats and cameras provide easy backdoors for cybercriminals. Photos iStockphoto.com/Gwengoat, zhudifeng
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MAKE A SMART HOME YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION.
VISIT Z-WAVE.COM to discover your perfect smart home solutions.
A Z-Wave smart home is the key to: • Peace of Mind • Time saving
• Energy Saving • Comfort and Convenience
What are you waiting for? Visit Z-Wave.com today and browse the perfect smart home solution.
Or visit Z-Wave Alliance at CES 2019, booth 41917, Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2019.
PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Bluesound, the developer and manufacturer of wireless multi-room music systems, has updated its software to enable Apple AirPlay 2 on all Generation 2i streaming music players, allowing users to stream audio from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer to Bluesound. For customers with Bluesound’s newest Generation 2i players, the software update enables AirPlay 2. Gen 2i users can then stream music services, podcasts, audiobooks, movies, games, YouTube audio, TV sound, and stored music from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer to any Bluesound Gen 2i player on the same Wi-Fi network. The integration also gives Apple Music listeners the ability to control playback on their Bluesound Gen 2i using Siri voice control. Free Update for Bluesound Owners DVDO Air series adapters are designed to deliver “cable-like reliability” with near-zero lag time, wirelessly, between audio/video equipment and a TV or projector. The company’s Air 2K device delivers up to 1080p/60, and the Air 4K delivers up to 2160p/30 Ultra HD content. Leveraging advanced radar technology, phased-array beam-forming technology automatically scans the room and looks for the best path from the transmitter to the receiver in every frame of video – up to 60 times a second – making the system free from frequency interference. DVDO Air is specifically designed with up to a 3Gb/s data rate and professional-grade technology to save valuable installation time and eliminate call-backs. $229 and $399 MSRP
Savant has expanded its designer window shade offerings to include additional bracket styles along with new low-voltage power modules and enclosures designed to enhance both pricing and wiring efficiencies. Designed by JGeiger, Savant’s new specialty brackets provide versatility to address an array of architectural details, such as window walls that meet at the corner and require a tight 90-degree angle. These fully configurable brackets can be mounted forward or reverse-roll to best suit each application. New brackets also have been designed to accommodate large windows with multiple fabric panels using multiple motors, minimizing the space required between each panel. Price N/A
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A New York-based tech startup, co-founded in 2018 by product innovator Hiro Ogura and former Onkyo and Harman executive Mark Friedman, has introduced VOIZ AiRadio, a voice-controlled radio that combines premium components, precise engineering, and luxury styling, along with a seamless high-fidelity streaming audio experience. The three AiRadio models feature bamboo cabinet exteriors, removable cloth grills, high-performance 3-inch speakers with oversized neodymium magnets, a high-performance omnidirectional microphone, a custom-tuned Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a powerful Class-D digital amplifier, and built-in Alexa voice control. The vertically-oriented AiRadio Poco (VR-60) and horizontally-oriented AiRadio Uno (VR-70) are single-speaker mono units that produce premium audio and offer an output for an optional second AiRadio speaker (VR-62 and VR-72, respectively) to deliver enhanced stereo sound. Price N/A
PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Kaleidescape, long known for its intuitive media server user interface, has a new mobile app and remote that eliminates the need for a thirdparty controller. The app also provides customers with timely information from Kaleidescape, such as movie recommendations. The mobile app’s design was also influenced by the lack of a practical way to visit Kaleidescape’s movie store and buy movies with a smartphone. The Kaleidescape Mobile App is available for download from the Apple Store. Kaleidescape plans to release the mobile app for Android phones in the future. Free for Kaleidescape customers
An increasing number of 75-inch TV models available from Sony and Samsung in the sub$3,000 price range is driving demand for a cost-effective sound bar to match them. Napa, CA-based manufacturer James Loudspeaker has responded by introducing the SPL3LCR-75, which is engineered to provide an off-the-shelf, costeffective premium solution for technology integrators. James Loudspeaker will now keep this fixed-width model in stock to accommodate increased demand. Integrators will still have access to the company’s custom sound bar solutions as well. This new model is available in satin black, with a width of 65 7/8-inches and a depth of 1.5 inches. It delivers bass down to 80Hz, and comes with a Z-bracket for wall mounting. $1,700 MSRP Klipsch’s new IP-controlled, ultra-compact C-Series subwoofers optimize output and low-frequency extension with a smaller footprint. The free Klipsch LowControl app for iOS and Android allows for full control, customization, and tuning in the palm of the user’s hand – including fast, easy automatic room correction utilizing the microphone built into the user’s device. The Klipsch C-310ASWi subwoofer is powered by an 800W BASH digital hybrid amplifier, has three 10-inch drivers (one active, two passive), and measures just 13-inch cubed. The C-308ASWi subwoofer is powered by a 600W BASH digital hybrid amplifier, has three 8-inch drivers, at just 11-inch cubed. The ultra-compact cabinets and elegant, premium piano gloss finish ensure the subwoofers blend seamlessly into any environment. $1,299$1,599 MSRP
KanexPro has introduced an HDMI 2.0 to HDBaseT 8x8 Matrix Switcher, the MX-HDBT8X818G, featuring the latest innovations of 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The 8x8 HDMI 2.0 to HDBaseT Matrix Switcher shifts inputs to outputs over Cat5e/6 utilizing an HDBaseT switcher to deliver 4K/60Hz with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The HDMI 2.0 Switcher is HDCP 2.2 compliant and supports video resolutions up to 4K2K@60Hz, 4:4:4, and multi-channel digital audio. Designed for midscale applications, such as multi-zone home theaters, houses of worship, and medical imaging, the HDMI 2.0 matrix can be controlled through front-panel buttons, IR, RS-232, Telnet and Web GUI, or custom drivers to control with any third-party integration system, such as Savant, Control4, and Crestron. Price TBD Jan/Feb 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Building on the successful introduction of its Palladiom Shading System, Lutron Electronics has introduced two new bracket finishes. The addition of Satin Brass and Dark Bronze rounds out the current Palladiom bracket offering of Satin Nickel, Black Anodized, Clear Anodized, and Pure White finishes. All Palladiom finishes are hand-polished, with a unibody structure. Lutron has also released a decorative cover, an aesthetic extension that slides over the bracket to mask visible fabric edges on the roll, and to more prominently display the beautiful shade hardware. In addition, Lutron has announced an extended bracket to support 3.5-inch rollup diameters, essentially expanding the selection of fabrics that can cover a 12-foot-tall window with this solution. Price TBD
To reduce service calls and deliver additional benefits for clients, Luxul has added Self-Healing capability for select managed network switches. Available via a free upgrade to firmware version 4.1.1 or greater, the new functionality empowers integrators with two advanced features: Auto-Recovery and Power Scheduling. Luxul’s Self-Healing capability is currently available on the company’s 12-port/8 PoE+ AMS-1208P, 26port/24 PoE+ stackable L2/L3 AMS-4424P, 26-port/24 PoE+ AMS-2624P, 26-port/24 PoE+ XMS-2624P, 52-port PoE+ L2/L3 XMS-5248P, and 52-port stackable L2/L3 XMS-7048. With AutoRecovery, devices connected to these switches by PoE no longer need to be manually rebooted when they fall offline or become unresponsive. The configuration in the switch triggers PoE-connected devices to reboot automatically. Price TBD
Dave Russell created Puro Sound Labs to address what he calls “the world health epidemic of NoiseInduced Hearing Loss” after he and his wife became aware that their daughter had headphone-induced hearing damage at a young age. Following the success of its original BT2200 kid’s volume-limited headphones, the company’s new line of studio-grade wireless headphones for kids feature active noise cancellation and the latest Bluetooth profiles for CD-like quality wireless audio, a high-sensitivity microphone for taking calls or gaming with friends, and up to 16 hours of active battery life. The headphones are available for sale at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca1, and PuroSound.com in both pink with a white headband and blue with a black headband. $199.99
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MSE Audio’s Rockustics OneSub and DubSub subwoofers are designed to enhance outdoor audio experiences with low-frequency bass. Both subs are designed with durable rock enclosures and built with engineering to withstand rain, frost, snow, and ice. The OneSub is a standalone, passive subwoofer requiring a sub amplifier with an active crossover. The DubSub performs as a sub/sat system. With the DubSub, integrators can simply wire two additional full-range speakers to the DubSub to create a three-speaker system, which can be powered by any traditional amplifier without the need for a subwoofer amplifier or external crossover. The subs are available in gray, sandstone, and brown. Prices TBD
PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Norwegian audio brand Hegel Music Systems has launched its first amplifiers aimed at the home theater and distributed audio markets. Called the C5 Series, three models are available, the C53, C54, and C55, which are configured as 3, 4, and 5 channel amplifiers respectively. Within each of the C5 Series are Class AB monoblock analog amplifiers rated at 150-watts per-channel. The amplifiers maintain a peak reserve capability that virtually doubles down to 2 ohms, closing in at 600-watts per channel. The amplifiers are quite capable of driving virtually any loudspeaker to its fullest capability and meeting a wide variety of installer’s needs. For example, a solo C55 can drive a 5.1 surround sound theater, with simply a few required to drive Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D, and DTS:X theaters. Starting at $6,000 MSRP Storm Audio, which manufactures 16-, 20-, and 32-channel immersive audio preamplifier/processors and amplifiers, has announced service alliances with Performance Media Industries and Domotz. PMI offers installers both a 90-step calibration service and three design services packages (Level 1: Home Cinema Internal Acoustic Design; Level 2: Home Cinema Acoustical Isolation and Design, and Level 3: Full Home Cinema Audio and Video Design.) Domotz is now a feature within the company’s StormMonitoring webportal software tool. As a premium support tool, Domotz adds even more functionality and security to remote management of all StormAudio products, namely on-demand full access to the units for diagnosis and immediate correction. An added benefit is that Domotz does not require internet router configuration. Price TBD
Sensative AB is now shipping two new sensors to their existing suite of low-profile Strips Z-Wave Plus and ZigBee smart devices: a light and temperature sensor and a water leak detector. The Comfort Strip features onboard light and temperature sensors that can be integrated into a home automation system to trigger automation events. Typical applications would include locating sensors in each room to enable discreet feedback to trigger lighting control, shading systems, and HVAC functionality programmed to deliver a personalized atmosphere for every occupant. Price TBD
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Spot for Dot is a patent-pending digital in-wall amplifier from Vanco that is engineered to hold an Amazon Echo Dot. When paired with speakers, Spot for Dot can add voice control of smart devices, scenes, and other functionality to many zones of audio within the home, without the need to run wires back to a central location. The product is installed behind a wall plate that is no bigger than a double gang outlet. When connected to an Amazon Echo Dot, Spot for Dot adds a concealed voice control option to any space. The vertical in-wall design improves the pickup and responsiveness of the microphone in an Amazon Echo Dot, rather than being placed horizontally and freestanding on a table or shelf – a setup that often comes with acoustic challenges. $299.99 MSRP
The Ultimate LED Desk Lamp Charging Station The Lumicharge® LED desk lamp is a versatile addition to any work area, office, or bedroom, providing dimmable lighting in a sleek design with high functionality. The included universal phone charger and two extra USB ports are perfect for families and people with various devices to charge. This innovative LED desk lamp with modern features aids nighttime reading, studying, and general work with illuminating delight.
GENERATION 1 AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON AND THELUMICHARGE.COM
DEBUTING LUMICHARGE GENERATION 2 AT CES 2019 FEATURES INCLUDE: Built-in 10W fast charging wireless charger // 1 USB port // Accommodates cell phones with covers* // 300-degree light area coverage // Easy access to front setup buttons // Dimmable front display to adjust the brightness with day or night option // Preprogrammed to include daylight savings in North America and some European countries // 3 light colors – soft white, bright white, and soft yellow – with multiple brightness levels // Last setting memory // Night light motion sensor // Metallic middle and upper arm VISIT US DURING CES 2019, BOOTH #51128/EUREKA PARK Contact info@lumicharge.com to pre-register for early adopter and crowd funding specials.
THELUMICHARGE.COM
*Can accommodate approx. 90% of cell phone covers in the market depending on thickness
ART & TECH
Made to Order
Control4 has Invested in Improving Triad’s Customized Speaker Production Capabilities By Jeremy Glowacki In early 2017, Control4 acquired the Triad Speakers audio brand from Larry Pexton, in response to dealer and customer requests for more premium multi-room audio solutions. The company saw Triad as an opportunity to bring high-fidelity, designerfriendly, multi-room audio solutions to the Control4 product family. Since then, the company’s dealers have gained easier access to Triad’s full line of speakers – from home theater, to multi-room audio, to a single solution for a TV room, and even full outdoor systems and custom options. Control4 has brought many new Triad products to market since acquiring the brand, including Triad Designer Series, an in-ceiling speaker and subwoofer with a discreet four-inch grill; Triad Garden Array, a family of all-weather landscape speakers and a flexible subwoofer; six new additions to the Triad R Series, round, high-performance inceiling speakers; and a completely new line of highresolution, multi-room audio Triad matrix switches, power amplifiers, plus the Triad One Streaming Amplifier, bringing high-resolution audio to any room of the home.
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A major differentiator that Control4 has to offer its dealers and customers is the customization element of the Triad line. Triad speakers are built to order and can be custom designed at the factory to match any wood veneer, paint finish, and size (for example, designing a soundbar to the exact width of a customer’s TV). Some of the most positive feedback that Control4 has received since acquiring Triad is regarding their ability to custom match speakers to various elements of the home. Customers love that their audio solutions provide noticeably superior sound, but the equipment doesn’t clash with their décor. Control4 has also invested heavily into improving Triad’s production capabilities as well, with new equipment and CNC machines that have helped increase efficiency and quality control and allowed the company to better meet customer demand. The Triad brand has been given a refresh in other ways, too, including a new, contemporary logo and color scheme, updated product and brand messaging, and a new tradeshow booth.
ART & TECH
In order to better serve their dealers, the marketing and product teams are systematically rebuilding all Triad dealer and customer materials, including data sheets, quick-start guides, product manuals, and other resources to reflect the level of customer service and support that dealers have come to expect from
Control4. A new website is also a work in progress. All Triad speakers are still handcrafted in Portland and made to order in less than a week. The company likes to say that its products are “made fresh daily,” following the lean manufacturing model of no inventory of finished goods. x
Control4 has invested heavily into improving Triad’s production capabilities, with new equipment and CNC machines that have helped increase efficiency and quality control and allowed the company to better meet customer demand. Jan/Feb 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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MEET-UP
Events
Taking place at the massive Las Vegas Convention Center, CES 2019 will showcase the technology, innovations, and people that will shake up the new year.
JANUARY 8-11
CES 2019, Las Vegas, NV
MARCH
15-17
Alexa Conference 2019, Chattanooga, TN
3-5
12, 14
23, 25
Florida Technology & Business Summit Ft. Lauderdale & Orlando, FL
Residential Tech Today | Jan/Feb 2019
5-8
ISE 2019 Amsterdam, Netherlands
APRIL
1-4
ProSource Summit and Expo Nashville, TN
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FEBRUARY
Azione Unlimited Spring Conference Bonita Springs, FL
Southern California Technology & Business Summit Irvine & Los Angeles, CA
15-18
HTSA Spring Conference Chandler, AZ
29-May 3
The ProSource Spring Meeting San Antonio, TX
COMING UP
Residential Tech Today
COMING ISSUES March/April
The Power of Power. The electrical infrastructure of the home is more complicated than it used to be, with line noise, grounding challenges, and complications to the way power distribution and routing can be tackled according to the National Electrical Code.
May/June
The Commercial Crossover. With the Google-fication of the workplace, more and more corporate office environments are reflecting the same technologies found in the most advanced intelligent homes.
July/August
How Remote is Remote? The evolution of home control technology has involved not only voice integration and cloud-based infrastructure, but the incorporation of new security technologies and inhome health monitoring to allow an aging population to remain in their residences longer, and more safely.
September/October
The Voice-First Revolution. Smart speakers driven by voice control have been one of the most successful consumer electronics trends in history. Yet, most of these devices are used for only a fraction of their full capability. What will it take for smart speakers to become the hub of the smart home or will they always be just one input into a more sophisticated system? How will consumer behavior, expectations, and the user experience play out in a voice-first world?
November/December
Clean Living and the Healthy Home. The smart home is great and the intelligent home is even better, but what about the healthy home? New technologies and better science are finding ways to help homeowners from all economic strata live in environments with cleaner air and water, as well as more natural lighting. Find out what opportunities exist for single-family and multi-family homes, and how technology integrators and forward-looking architects are leading the way. Photo iStockphoto.com/powerofforever
Jan/Feb 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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RELAX
The Lighter Side
Valentine’s Day Guide to Dating Apps By Anthony Elio February 14 is approaching fast, and you know what that means. You’re probably reading this phrase, remembering that you have been married for the better part of three decades, and now need to rush to the grocery store for some discount flowers and a heart-shaped box full of M&Ms. But what about those of us that, rather than spending years getting to know a person and grow alongside them, have chosen to instead forge a path of independence and frozen dinners? Well, fear not dear single readers, as there are a litany of apps that can help you get back on the dating horse without even having to get out of your bed or designated crying area.
Choosing Your App There is no shortage of dating apps available on the various online marketplaces, with most of them letting you swipe right or left to choose who fits your lofty relationship standards. Tinder is arguably the most popular, although some have designated it an application for “casual encounters,” and you certainly don’t want that. Bumble adds an interesting twist, as the ladies must send the first message after a match, saving men like me the trouble of starting the conversation with, “Please don’t let me die alone.” Hinge, a fairly new addition to the list, has the distinction of charging for its service, which is perfect for anyone ignorant enough to actually spend money to find their one true love. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also Badoo, Grindr, Coffee Meets Bagel, Blendr, Hornet, Hot or Not, Twoo, and, for the classier crowd, Bang City. Choose wisely, as each application is the potential doorway to your future love life. Or just download them all; that works pretty well, too.
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Creating Your Profile Once you’ve downloaded your app of choice, you’re going to need to create a public profile. Remember that the profile picture is the very first thing your possible future spouse will see. Choose an image that perfectly showcases who you are and how you can be beneficial as a mate. My image, for example, shows me holding a pair of nunchucks in one hand and a package of diapers in the other. The nunchucks inform potential partners that I have the physical skills to defend a home, while the diapers convey that I am not above the pressures of fatherhood. To fit this theme, my profile description simply says, “Prepared for action and children.” It hasn’t gotten much in the way of responses, but I imagine that’s simply a glitch in the app’s system.
Swipe Away And now it’s time to meet your ideal spouse! Now, remember, you’re looking for somebody that has the exact same interests as you, will immediately shower you with affection, and gets paid enough at their job to help support you when you get fired for using dating apps all day at work. It shouldn’t take too long to fill these criteria, but make sure to allot at least 15 minutes of swiping time in your search for eternal tenderness. With that, dear reader, you now have all of my patented tools for a loving Valentine’s Day. And, if you find yourself without the love of your life come February 14, feel free to contact me. I probably won’t be doing anything. x Photos iStockphoto.com/filadendron
At Access Networks, we believe building a better network starts with building better connections. Connections to the brightest minds in the business. Connections to the network solutions that work. Connections between you and the technology that inspires you.
This is the power of connection.
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