TAKING THE TEMP ON OUTDOOR TECH | HELPING THE WORLD WORK FROM HOME
ROBBIE CABRAL UNLOCKING THE SMART HOME
PLUS: June/July 2020
A Superpower to Save the Cinema Integrating Tech During Our ‘Now Normal’ Over-the-Air (OTA) Digital TV Virtual Channels Integrating an Outdoor Air Quality Monitor System
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From the Editor I would never call myself an “outdoorsy” person. I’m not much of a camper, and I have always preferred air-conditioned malls to humid hiking trails. But maintaining my lawn is an entirely different story. I’m not really a “gardener” either. But, what I really love are the satisfying results of perfectly mowed lines in the grass, the cleanest edging along the sidewalk and driveway, and the meditative process of shaping trees and shrubs. When it comes down to it, I’m basically a control freak who carries a similar insistence on keeping the interior of my house free of clutter to the areas outside my home. So, when I found out that the man who invented the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner had also created a solar-powered weed-killing robot, I knew I had to meet this kindred spirit!
Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki
“ W hen I found out the man who invented the Roomba had also created a solarpowered weed killing robot, I knew I had to meet this kindred spirit!”
The first thing that the inventor, Joe Jones, admitted to me, however, was that he was not, in fact, a big fan of housework or lawn maintenance. Not such kindred spirits, after all, it turns out. In retrospect, that makes perfect sense for the inventor of robots designed to do hard work for you. For Jones, it all started at the legendary MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab, where the seeds of the idea for Roomba were formed. After the Lab’s funding dried up, he landed at iRobot, which helped fine-tune the Roomba design and take it to market, eventually becoming the most successful consumer robot in history. In 2006, Jones left iRobot to start up an agricultural robotics company, Harvest Automation, where his team came up with a little robot whose only purpose was to pick plants and move them from place to place at ornamental plant farms to optimize their spacing. That inspired the horticultural focus of his current company, Franklin Robotics, and Tertill, the weed-killing robot. I haven’t met Tertill personally, but one of our product reviewers, Jay Basen, wrote a thorough description of his hands-on experience with the little green robot that looks kind of like a turtle, for our website. In my Residential Tech Talks podcast interview with Tertill’s human daddy, I learned even more about the creative process behind the robot’s unique design and how it differentiates between weeds versus the flowers and vegetables that have been planted in the garden. Just as fascinating, I learned how Jones overcame design challenges on both the Roomba and Tertill to reach a fair consumer price for the final products. Personally, I still love the physical exercise of maintaining my home, so prefer not to hire it out or look for “mechanical” help. As I get older, however, I’m sure I’ll look to more laborsaving devices to make my life easier and automate activities that become less of a hobby and more like a chore. When that time comes, I’ll have people like Joe Jones to thank for their inventions.
2 Residential Tech Today |
June/July 2020
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JUNE-JULY 2020
contents 40 Unlocking Potential
From Shark Tank to Smart Homes Cover Photo: Alex King
Departments 10 By the Numbers 12 Quick Bits 14 Connected Home 16 Audio 18 CEDIA Says 20 Control
22 Design Side 58 Product Revolution 62 Meet-Up Events 63 Coming Up 64 The Lighter Side
24 Innovator Spotlight Brandon White, Vanco International
26 Featured
Monitor Audio celebrates its nearly 50-year evolution with the new IMS-4 music streamer.
30 Off Air TV to the Rescue Keep TV content flowing without monthly charges, consider over-the-air (OTA) digital TV virtual channels.
32 Industry Relations
Integrating tech during our ‘now normal’
34 Featured
A superpower to save the cinema
38 Tech Advisor
Helping the world work from home
48 Issue Focus: Outdoor Tech
Products that take the work out of having fun outside
54 Installation
Digital Installers deploys a multi-room AV system with a centralized core.
56 Green Tech
Integrating an outdoor air quality monitor system
6 Residential Tech Today |
June/July 2020
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Contributors Brandon White is the director of new product development at Vanco, a supplier of home theater and lowvoltage electronic accessories. In this issue, he writes about how he shares a mutual interest in AV technology with his father and his own son.
At St. Louis-based Integration Controls, Jamie Briesemeister leads sales and marketing and is actively involved in business development, including industry outreach and education. She speaks about the smart, connected home at several national events. This month, Briesemeister describes how working from home, schooling from home, and enjoying a Netflix and chill have never been needed more… and have put more strain on the internet than ever before.
Sam Cavitt is the founder and CEO of Paradise Theater, a company that provides comprehensive private cinema design, engineering, and project management. He focuses his efforts on maintaining the highest standard of excellence and sharing the pleasures of fine private cinema with the industry and the world. In this issue, Cavitt weaves a yarn about a superhero called Private Theater that may be the only savior of the movie business.
Henry Clifford founded Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company. On page 38, Clifford describes how the COVID-19 quarantine encouraged his company’s clients to try out new ideas for smart products and services.
Darryl Wilkinson is a veteran freelance writer in the consumer electronics industry, which includes work as editor-at-large for Sound & Vision. He’s written for Audio, Home Theater, Wirecutter, Home Theater Review, and others. This month, while “sweltering in place,” Wilkinson takes the temp on outdoor tech.
Jay Basen retired after 40 years of professional software development, except for special projects. He is a Silver Certified Crestron programmer and specialized in the design, development, and installation of automation, building management, and energy management systems for residential and commercial buildings. In this issue, he shares his experience installing the PurpleAir PA-II Outdoor Air Quality Monitor System.
8 Residential Tech Today |
June/July 2020
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©2019 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Screen images simulated.
e NUMB RS
by the
A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives
To paraphrase song lyrics from the Disney+ video release of the Broadway smash Hamilton, with COVID-19 the world is upside down. Not only have introverts finally found the upper hand over extroverts by being better at staying home and keeping clear of coronavirus, but the act of streaming video content has completely replaced the once-popular pastime of going out to the movies. Beyond Ozark, Floor is Lava, and old episodes of Dance Moms, what has the world been watching most when curling up in the basement with popcorn and their new, 70-inch smart TV? Let’s take a look at some intriguing COVID-19 quarantine streaming stats.
WHICH STREAMING SERVICE IS SEEING THE MOST ACTION
GENRES THAT GAINED AND LOST THE MOST STREAMING SHARE
-10
-5
0
5
21.66%
50 41.32%
40 30
22.13%
20
17.19%
10 Source: blog.reelgood.com
10
15
20
25
TOP 10 TV SHOWS
0
4.81% 3.71%
2.88%1.92% 1.87%1.86% 1.59% 0.72% o + x u i i ide Hul ney ub BO TV+ TV ckle udu nFlix fl t T H ple Db Cra V cor Ne me V Dis Ap IM ony Pop Pri S
50
OZARK 8.59% TIGER KING: MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MADNESS 8.47%
40
BREAKING BAD 8.16%
44.46%
GAME OF THRONES 6.57%
30
WESTWORLD 5.95%
VIEWERSHIP SHARE OF STREAMING SERVICE TYPES
28.62%
BETTER CALL SAUL 5.92%
20
THE OFFICE (U.S) 5.02%
17.10%
THE GOOD PLACE 4.81%
10
STRANGER THINGS 4.62% THE WALKING DEAD 4.50%
0
2
4
8
10
0
OTT APP SHARE OF STREAMING HOURS FEB 3
MAY 11
NETFLIX
NETFLIX
25.2% YOUTUBE
21.7%
Source: www.comscore.com
HULU
10
26.7% YOUTUBE
21.6% HULU
17.6%
14.7%
AMAZON VIDEO 9.9%
AMAZON VIDEO 11.4%
DISNEY+
4.3%
ALL OTHER APPS
21.3%
DISNEY+
4.8%
ALL OTHER APPS
20.8%
Residential Tech Today | June/July 2020
9.82%
Source: blog.reelgood.com
6
NETFLIX
YOUTUBE
-0.1% HULU
-2.9% DISNEY+
-0.5%
+1.5%
+0.5%
ALL OTHER APPS
Rent/Buy (TVOD)
JAN.
FEB.
MAR.
APR.
MAY
(1-10)
+1.5%
AMAZON VIDEO
Subscription Free (AVOD) TV (SVOD) Everywhere
PERCENT CHANGE IN AVERAGE IN-HOME DATA BY DEVICE
% Change
(Feb. 3 to May 11)
Source: blog.reelgood.com
-15
Biography Documentary War Romance Horror Crime
6.32%
16.95 % 15.30% 12.59% 11.36% 9.89%
SMART TV
26 22 41 49 60
GAMING CONSOLE
6 12
15
12 6
PC/MAC
-3
9
29
PHONE
21 27 43
52
47
SMART SPEAKER
7
12
47
35
STREAMING BOX/ STICK
24 21 36
49
39
TABLET
18 15 24 23
42
ALL
16 16 28
33
Source: www.comscore.com
-5 -4
36
19
Source: blog.reelgood.com
Animation Family Cult Music/Musical Fantasy Science-Fiction Comedy -5.65% -5.92% -7.43% -7.95% -8.38% -11.80%
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“ How have your sales or services changed since the start of COVID-19?” With people spending more time at home – conducting remote meetings and homeschooling – we’ve had quite a few clients bring us in to improve their home network and Wi-Fi. We’ve also had lots of requests to install streamers like Apple TV and Roku, so they could have more viewing options. We never had to close our doors because of the virus, but we took extra precautions such as having our techs wear masks and asking how many people will be in the home, how everyone is feeling and requesting that homeowners basically leave our techs alone in the room/area where they are working so they aren’t exposed. – J ohn Sciacca, Custom Theater and Audio, Myrtle Beach, SC
New construction work has been steady – really no change for that part of our business. We have seen a pretty large increase in small upgrade projects, from outdoor projects to network and existing TV/audio upgrade work. With clients being at home and paying more attention to their homes, we are getting calls to re-activate projects we’d previously archived or put on hold last year. The biggest challenge for my team has been getting to them fast enough for our clients! – J W Anderson, The Integrated Home, Charlotte, NC
12
Residential Tech Today | June/July 2020
Considering the increase in time spent at home, indoors, the last number of months, wellness solutions and Wi-Fi are two categories that we’re seeing a greater demand for, and we don’t expect that to slow down any time soon. With what a shock this has been to everyone’s lives, people want to be well prepared for whatever the future holds and have the comfort of knowing their homes are safe, healthy, and running efficiently for them and their loved ones. – Jan Vitrofsky, HEDsouth, Hollywood, FL In the past, offering the ability to extend a client’s Wi-Fi throughout the home and yard was a tough sell. Since COVID-19, a client’s network has genuinely been put to the test, and due to the issues that they have uncovered, we have seen clients make the leap to more robust systems/products. Wi-Fi is no longer as invisible as it was in the past. – Heather Sidorowicz, Southtown Audio Video, Hamburg, NY Our remote-managed services have increased as a result. More people want us to service from a distance. We have really worked hard on our RMR service plans this year and last and have had great success. COVID-19 has really obviated the need and relevance of our remote services plans to our clients and makes for a much easier conversation about it. – George Harrison, Harrison Home Systems, Golden, CO We now adhere to a much stricter protocol than before when we meet clients in person. We have our folks call the client just before they arrive onsite to ask if they are still comfortable for the work to be performed, our team wears all of the expected PPE, and we wipe down everything before leaving. We used to do much of the required paperwork onsite, but that is all done electronically and remotely now. In general, we want to do everything possible to ensure the comfort, confidence, and safety of our clients. – Richard Millson, Millson Technologies, Vancouver, BC, Canada If anything, more people are concentrating on improving things at their house, knowing more time is being spent there, and more importantly, they are seeing themselves possibly spending more time at home in the future. In a weird way, the pandemic has been good for our industry because people are allocating more resources to have a better experience at home. – Greg Margolis, HomeTronics, Dallas, TX We recognize that our clients will spend more time than ever in their home for at least the next year or two, so we’re leveraging our technology experience into health and wellness solutions. In our New Home Technology Solution, we feature the new AI-enabled bed from Bryte, home healthy indoor air quality solutions from Panasonic Cosmos, hands-free control with bathroom and kitchen products from Kohler, and whole-house voice control from Josh.ai. – Gordon van Zuiden, cyberManor, Los Gatos, CA Our strongest offering has been the Crestron Mercury video conference system. Many clients know they will be home for at least three more months and possibly seven or nine more. It is also highly likely that many companies will go to a more liberal work-from-home policy, long term, reducing their commercial real estate expense. That means lots of video conferencing and clients want something much better than the camera built into their laptop. We also have had a lot of demand for improved networking. – Todd Anthony Puma, The Source Home Theater, Old Bridge, NJ
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DEPARTMENTS
Connected Home
A Remote System Monitoring Makeover
With Redesigned OvrC Platform, SnapAV Makes Monitoring Connected Products Easier By Jeremy Glowacki SnapAV has released a major update to its OvrC remote management and monitoring platform, adding support for Pakedge products and hundreds of enhancements across all aspects of the platform that make it faster, easier to use, and provide critical information at a glance, all within a mobile app or web-based interface. With the expanding support for Pakedge, OvrC includes one of the largest ecosystems of integrated products from both SnapAV and leading third-party manufacturers. “SnapAV has led the industry in enabling pros to do more with less via remote monitoring and management with OvrC, BakPak, and Ihiji. Remote management is an essential part of our pros’ businesses, and we obsess over their feedback” said Charlie Kindel, chief product and technology officer. “The new OvrC is now our single remote management platform for the future, and the enhancements are a direct result of us listening to tens of thousands of customers.” OvrC is Engineered for Performance and Easy Access to Vital Information Every aspect of the new OvrC has been engineered for performance with hundreds of enhancements throughout. Now, it’s easier for tech integrators to install quickly, monitor connected devices, and troubleshoot a customer’s system upon request. A new, modern design provides more information at-a-glance, giving pros quick access to the status of a project or a device. The interface is fully responsive, loading twice as fast and dynamically adapting the layout to utilize all available space on the screen. Integrators can now quickly access vital information, even when a device is offline.
14
Residential Tech Today | June/July 2020
“Faster navigation through both the mobile app and the web has made it easy for me to quickly focus on taking care of a customer and then get right back to my other work,” said Ron Indelicato of Audio Interiors, who participated in the OvrC Beta program. “This new OvrC release helps me focus on my business and keep my customers happy.”
SnapAV’s OvrC
offers hundreds of OvrC Mobile App Provides enhancements, including On-the-Go Support all-new mobile app, faster The OvrC mobile app is even performance, and added support for all SnapAV more powerful, enabling pros to connected products support customers from including Pakedge. anywhere, whether they’re behind a rack, on the road, or at the office. New mobile features complete, OvrC will become the replacement include the ability to add customers, view a map for BakPak and Invision. Timelines and of all the customer sites, configure the site and transition plans will be shared once integrations device settings such as wireless SSIDs, guest move out of beta and into full release. networks, DHCP reservations, and program “We’re bringing the power of OvrC to automatic reboots with WattBox products, to thousands of pros that love Pakedge and Ihiji. At name a few. the same time, existing OvrC users will also Expanded OvrC Ecosystem Now have high-performance Pakedge networking Includes Pakedge devices as an option for their customers,” Kindel OvrC boasts one of the broadest ecosystems said. “This new release adds tremendous value of supported products. Now available through to all pros and it’s just the beginning; through an Early Access Beta, Pakedge access points and our world-class cloud engineering and Ihiji monitoring appliances can be upgraded to operations, Pros can count on even more new OvrC. Through this expanded support, capabilities and products being added regularly.” thousands of integrators and their customers
can see the benefits of OvrC without requiring additional hardware to be installed in the home. In future releases, additional Pakedge products will also gain full OvrC support. Once full Pakedge and Ihiji integration are
The new OvrC is available to tech professionals now at ovrc.com. Existing OvrC users can start experiencing the new OvrC immediately by logging into their OvrC account at app.ovrc.com. x
DEPARTMENTS
Audio
A Smarter Soundbar
Sonos Arc is a Premium Smart Speaker with Dolby Atmos Support and Voice Assistant Capability By Jeremy Glowacki
For many consumers, Sonos is synonymous with home audio. So, when the respected manufacturer of speakers and multi-room audio solutions launches a new product, it’s likely that people who care about home tech will take note of what’s new and why they might need to upgrade or add to their home system.
Listeners can refine Arc’s sound in the Sonos app with features including Speech Enhancement to further clarify vocals, Night Sound to temper loud explosions, and an update to Sonos’ Trueplay tuning technology, adjusting Arc’s acoustic profile based on the room, accounting for a horizontal and vertical sound that comes with 3D sound.
With smart, adaptable, cinema-quality sound, support for Dolby Atmos, and multiple voice assistants, the new Sonos Arc soundbar and its companion Sonos Sub and Sonos Five speakers have been designed to set a new standard for premium home theater sound from the well-respected brand.
The new loudspeaker is available in black and matte white and features a 270-degree rounded plastic grille and a seamless exterior, for multidimensional sound. It can be set in front of a standing TV or mounted to the wall with a separate custom-designed wall mount. A connection through HDMI eARC or ARC keeps set-up simple.
Sonos Arc (MSRP $799) is a premium, smart soundbar that can deliver an ultra-wide soundstage from 11 high-performance drivers, including two that are upward-firing for 3D audio. Tuned in partnership with Oscarwinning mixing engineers, Arc adjusts its sound profile through software based on the home theater set-up and what’s playing, whether stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, or Dolby Atmos. Arc is designed to bring high-quality sound to anything you can stream, from the TV to music, podcasts, and radio when the TV is off.
16
Residential Tech Today | June/July 2020
Built on Sonos’ next-generation S2 software platform, Arc can be controlled from the new Sonos app, an existing TV remote, or by using Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, and Apple AirPlay 2. Alongside Arc, Sonos introduced two other updates – Sonos Sub (Gen 3) for $699 and Sonos Five, for $499, which replaced the Play:5 (Gen 2), bringing increased memory and faster processing power. Both are available in black or white versions. x
The Sonos Arc, a premium soundbar that is available in matte black and matte white, features a 270-degree rounded plastic grille and a seamless exterior for multidimensional sound. For an even more immersive experience, Sonos also has introduced the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) and Sonos Five.
DEPARTMENTS
CEDIA Says
Making CEDIA Certifications Mean More
A Dive into the Thought Process Behind the Development of CIT and IST Designations By Ed Wenck As the new CEDIA website was being updated – including the new CEDIA Academy education platform – another project has been progressing: the revamping of CEDIA Certification. With the assistance of the CEDIA Certification Commission and the Technician Job Task Analysis (JTA) task force, David Whitney, the association’s director of certification, is seeing the results of a months-long process. “The first thing we did was ensure we had the right volunteers involved,” Whitney said. Whitney and those volunteers then looked carefully at the actual work that was being performed in the field – and how technology had advanced since the last certification update. “Every few years, it’s critical that we go back and look at what jobs there are and how we define them,” Whitney said. The decision was made to start reverseengineering those certification requirements at the entry-level. “We wanted to first make certain that the best practices for those coming into the industry were very clear,” Whitney added That work – including reviews of more than 1,000 job descriptions and a survey of those in the field – yielded the new CEDIA Certified Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) and CEDIA Certified Integrated System Technician (IST) Certifications. CEDIA Certification Next Steps Another critical aspect of the new CEDIA certification development: ANSI (American National Standards Institute) accreditation, specifically the ISO/IEC 17204 conformity standard. As CEDIA Certification Commission Chairman Dennis Erskine noted, “We’ve heard a common thread for many years, namely, ‘What’s the true value of CEDIA Certification?’ When somebody sits down with an architect, a home builder, an interior designer, or any allied trade, and they tell that person, ‘I hold a CEDIA
18
Residential Tech Today | June/July 2020
David Whitney, CEDIA’s Director of Certification (left) and CEDIA Certification Commission Chairman Dennis Erskine (right) were both intimately involved in revamping CEDIA Certification.
certification,’ what does that mean to them? In many cases, those other tradespeople hadn’t heard of CEDIA, much less CEDIA Certification – but now, having the same body that recognizes their trade recognizing ours, that’s a new level of credibility.” Achieving that accreditation – especially for a global workforce – is no small task. “I thought I was busy when I was chairman of the CEDIA Board,” Erskine said. “This is a brand-new level. There’s an incredible amount of work involved and time spent developing policies and procedures.” That work includes (and is certainly not limited to) creating policy manuals that are audited again against ANSI requirements, the development of committees to review and update standards and ethics, and, of course, creating the certification exam. The CEDIA Certification Exam Creating the exams for these certifications comes with their own set of challenges. First and foremost, there must be an absolute firewall between CEDIA’s Education and Certification departments – the association can’t have its instructors “teaching to the test.” The next challenge is building an exam that’s not impossible to pass, but that isn’t terribly easy, either.
“We beta-test the exam with an army of volunteers,” Whitney said. The Certification team establishes a baseline of knowledge that can be applied to any technician on the globe (another detailed and lengthy process) and tries to hit a “sweet spot” of difficulty. “Obviously, if you’ve got a 90-plus-percent pass rate, you’ve made the exam entirely too easy” Whitney explained. This process, and the ultimate result, is a point of pride for all involved, and the realization of a key part of CEDIA’s strategic plan. “We will be the leading standards organization within our industry,” Erskine said. “We will be the leading education and certification body within our industry.” “The organization is actually growing up and becoming a force to be reckoned with,” Erskine added. “The other thing that is important to add is that this is the result of a long two years of board discussions about setting these goals and objectives.” To do that, Erskine said, “We had to define ‘What is our industry?’ And it became very simple. Any place a family would spend a night is our turf. That could be a hotel room. It could be a yacht. It could be an airplane. “But most importantly, it’s the family home.” x
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DEPARTMENTS
Control
DIY HVAC Monitoring SmartAC.com is Committed to Making Heating and AC System Maintenance Easier and More Affordable By Walter Joseph
The system includes the Comfort Sensor, the Filter Sensor, the Water Sensor, and the SmartAC.com Hub.
In these dog days of summer, it is more important than ever for AC units to function properly – especially where social distancing efforts make in-home repairs increasingly difficult. SmartAC.com has officially launched with $10 million in funding for its air conditioning and heating (HVAC) health platform that digitizes the experience of AC ownership by monitoring temperatures, airflow, air filter life, and drain lines. Powered by machine learning, the SmartAC.com platform enables a proactive approach to HVAC monitoring, notifying users of a potential breakdown before it occurs. SmartAC.com is launching at a discount with a membership fee of $5 per month and hardware bundles starting at $99. Membership includes a lifetime warranty on the hardware, daily HVAC health checks, discounted air filters, active water leak monitoring to enable home insurance discounts, and live chat with HVAC technicians in the app. The platform is available at SmartAC.com. “Over 70 million homes have central air in the U.S., making indoor comfort a regular way of life. People don’t often think about their HVAC systems, taking it for granted, until the day the AC or heat goes out,” said Josh Teekell, CEO and founder of SmartAC.com. “These systems require regular upkeep, and when they aren’t maintained, costs can get out of hand. Our proactive approach offers homeowners the opportunity to save thousands in repairs and
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energy over the lifespan of their system. None of us would own a car without a dashboard; we’re that dashboard for your AC.” The SmartAC.com hardware setup takes about five minutes, with magnetic sensors enabling simple DIY installation. The sensors are compatible with all HVAC equipment and thermostat manufacturers, including smart thermostats like Nest and Ecobee, and enable professional monitoring and daily system health checks with more than 50,000 temperature and airflow readings. This data set, when coupled with machine learning, enables SmartAC.com to alert users when problems occur and also predict when the system is headed for a serious breakdown. The company even offers a Comfort Guarantee in support of these claims, granting users a year of free service if an unpredicted breakdown occurs when the SmartAC.com platform is installed. While empowering consumers is the company’s primary focus, SmartAC.com is also partnering with HVAC service providers. One of the company’s HVAC partners, David Lewis of Mission AC, stated: “SmartAC.com is a total game-changer. Our clients love the additional transparency and technology allows us to improve our service speed and quality because, for the first time, we have real-time data on the systems we service.” The system includes the Comfort Sensor, the Filter Sensor, the Water Sensor, and the SmartAC.com Hub. Comfort Sensor monitors
the temperature of the air coming from your vents during each heating or cooling cycle allowing performance to be compared to manufacturer’s specs. The Filter Sensor tracks the lifespan of your air filters by monitoring pressure and airflow changes over time, alerting you when they need to be changed. Forgetting to change your air filter is one of the most common causes of failure and leads to increased energy consumption and poor air quality. The Water Sensor guards against leaks and clogs in AC drain lines that can cause major damage to the home. Additional water sensors can be added if users wish to extend coverage to other home appliances. Finally, the SmartAC. com Hub sends the sensor data to the cloud so the SmartAC.com app can deliver valuable intel and recommendations to help users reduce their overall AC costs. “The average AC replacement cost is $7,500 – an expense that can be a huge burden on homeowners. Caring for these assets is inconvenient and oftentimes confusing, resulting in 80 percent of homeowners skipping the recommended maintenance on their AC systems,” said Andrew Fuselier, SmartAC.com’s COO. “It’s time to digitize the AC ownership experience to solve a decades-old problem. SmartAC.com was formed in stealth mode with feedback from thousands of homeowners, so we’re thrilled to finally show the world what we’ve built.” x
DEPARTMENTS
Design Side
Remote Connections
Savant Unveils X2 Remote in Customer-Upgrade Campaign By Jeremy Glowacki Savant recently reached out to all current owners of its smart home systems to let them know about upgrade opportunities available from their custom integrator. The upgrades were available remotely using Savant’s cloud tools or during a safe, professional visit from integrators, who have been considered essential workers by the federal government since the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine. The campaign highlighted the availability of the Savant App, which turns a TV screen into a giant Savant control interface via Apple TV and the Pro Remote X2 remote control, which began shipping to customers in June. For each premium-finish Pro Remote X2 purchased, Savant donated a portion of proceeds to the COVID-19 relief effort. Savant President JC Murphy acknowledged that the custom integration industry, while deemed an essential infrastructure workforce by the federal government, is experienced the pandemic shutdown in wildly different ways, depending on their location. “Each Savant integrator is handling their business and local circumstances differently, and Savant is supporting them all as these regional scenarios evolve,” Murphy noted. “Some integrators have reported that they have been supporting consumers who have requested enhanced connectivity and security during these challenging times.” Savant hopes to help drive even more business from consumers to their integrators, whether remotely (via the cloud) or in person. “If there’s an opportunity to go into the home, then that’s great,” Murphy said. “But there are also a couple of products that dealers can preload and send to their clients that they can plug in themselves. The Savant Home app is exciting and so is the new X2 remote.” The Savant X2 delivers a full range of control for Services and Scenes, including
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The Savant Pro Remote X2 delivers a full range of control for Services and Scenes, including Entertainment, Lighting, Climate, and Shades.
Entertainment, Lighting, Climate, and Shades. It also includes Siri voice control, color control with Savant TrueImage lighting, plus the ability to select different video tiling layouts right from the screen. The new remote empowers users to personalize the smart remote experience, including adding and organizing icons for control of Favorite Services, Favorite Channels, and Savant Scenes. The X2 remote can be tailored for the functionality of the room or to the individual user, making interaction with smart home features a breeze for every member of the family. The Savant Pro Remote X2 is also designed to provide users with quick access to the all-new Savant Home App for Apple TV, a
smart home control center displayed on a TV screen. The X2 features an all-aluminum chassis, backlit buttons, and a 3.1-inch high-resolution glass touch screen. The standard finish is called Space Gray, and the two premium finishes are Rose Gold and Jet Black (with a portion of proceeds going to COVID-19 relief). Murphy would like end-users to be aware of features that they can do for themselves, such as Savant Scenes, which gives them the ability to build a scene on their own, inside the app. “We want them to know that there’s another way they can get even more use out of their Savant system,” he said. x
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innovator spotlight
From Father to Son
The Unique Perspective of a Second-Generation Technologist By Brandon White As a second-generation AV lifer and having been immersed in it from both the inside and outside throughout various stages of my life, I’ve developed a unique perspective on the industry. My father, Larry White, an industry veteran of more than 40 years, never pushed me into pursuing this field. I came in ready and willing after experiencing several other career paths, including many roles across the hospitality and medical fields. While AV technology is, first and foremost, my occupation (currently, as director of new product development at Vanco), it has always been a mutual interest and bond that my father and I have shared together. Growing up, my father would often talk me through how to operate various technologies within our house. When he installed a multi-zone audio system for surround sound in the living room, which also fed the audio for the speakers out on the back deck, he made sure I knew how to effectively operate the system in case he was ever out of town – or otherwise occupied – when someone wanted to use it. In the basement of my parents’ house, my father set up our home theater, which doubled as the family’s “party space.” This room included multiple sources that fed multiple zones, so we were able to watch movies on the projector or get the basement pumping with music, lights, and even fog when friends and family would come over for parties. My father was also a rep in the early years of karaoke, so naturally, that made its way into our system, as well. Music and audio have always been deeply ingrained in our family. Both my father and uncle used to DJ, and when one of them wasn’t available for a gig, I’d often step in. I quickly learned how to set up equipment, adjust levels, and mix music.
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The author in his day job as Vanco’s director of new product development, presenting to the media during CEDIA Expo 2019 in Denver.
Brandon at work
As I got older and my familiarization with audio products grew with me, my father continued to teach me how to set up different technologies that aligned with my interests. He would relate what he was teaching me to things I used in my everyday life. I remember being so proud when I was the only kid in school who was able to hook up my Nintendo system all on my own. Both my Sega and Nintendo gaming systems connected to a Technica AV receiver with Advent bookshelf speakers – a concept that was mind-blowing in terms of technological enhancement to many of my fellow sixth-grade classmates. My father also showed me the importance of relationship building and to make a career out of what I loved doing the most. I am grateful for the opportunity to have since met many of the AV legends my father told me about when I was growing up. The passion that my father demonstrated during his time working in the industry is something that was certainly passed down to me. Technology is a continuously growing and evolving interest of ours, and I’m beginning to notice it working its way down to the next generation in our family, with my 10-year-old son.
(From the Top Down) Three generations: Larry, Brandon, and Brody White. Brandon with his dad, Larry. Both Brandon’s father and uncle used to DJ, and when one of them wasn’t available for a gig, he would often step in. The author’s son Brody with his grandpa, Larry White.
Just as it did with my father and me, the mutual interests between my son Brody and me spark all kinds of questions when he watches me work from home. He often asks about the products I am testing or how he can relate AV technology to his own personal interests, such as hockey or gaming. Before the puck even dropped at the first Red Wings game that I took him to see at Madison Square
Brody taking after his father and grand father, tinkering away.
Garden, he was already asking me about how all the technology worked during the game. We discussed the projection mapping on the ice to how the scoreboard works, and occasionally why the commentator’s lips were moving but the sound was not matching up with what he was saying. He was totally mesmerized by all of the technology in the arena. Brody displays the same level of curiosity in our home. When it comes to video games, he isn’t just interested in playing, but he wants to know how the whole experience works, from coding to frame rates and resolutions, and so on. He also asks me questions like, “How are people able to stream their video games on YouTube?” or “How is a video sent and received throughout the house?” When I break something down for him and explain how it works, I feel that it resonates best – especially with him being a highly visual and conceptual learner – if I also get him to try doing it himself. One of my favorite aspects of the AV industry is how many opportunities we are given to touch, see, hear, and experience technology firsthand. Similarly, I am so proud of my son’s curious mind and continuous desire to ask, understand, learn, and apply the mechanical knowledge I share with him. Curiosity in the AV life drove my father and me to explore great things that ultimately guided us into careers that we both cherish, and while I can’t say that I am nudging my son in the same direction, it wouldn’t surprise me if he decided to venture down the AV path one day, too. x
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AUDIO
Rediscovering Sound
Monitor Audio Celebrates its Nearly 50-Year Evolution with the New IMS-4 Music Streamer By Walter Joseph As the world continues to evolve with new technologies and ideas, Monitor Audio is evolving with it. Most recently the British-owned global manufacturer of hi-fi loudspeakers and audio components introduced its IMS-4 Music Streamer, which joins the company’s range of installation amplifiers and a complete mix of architectural loudspeakers. But that’s only the most recent chapter from the story of the nearly 50-year-old brand that strives for excellence through innovation and unparalleled sound quality to deliver solutions that serve every application, style, and budget.
Monitor Audio’s Custom Installation speaker range started off small and became a huge collection. It includes this CP-CT380IDC model.
Monitor Audio was founded in Cambridge, England, in 1972, by Mo Iqbal and his team of engineers, who worked out of a small factory assembling loudspeakers by hand. They began by creating traditional loudspeaker designs, which would soon evolve into some of the most unique solutions within the industry by the mid-1980s when the company would introduce its first generation of metal drivers and tweeters called C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Aluminum Magnesium). Originally developed by the aerospace industry for jet engine components, C-CAM drivers and tweeters offer advantages over traditional drivers as its properties are ideal for loudspeaker cones, being extremely rigid yet light enough to yield high overall efficiency.
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C-CAM cones have a much higher resistance to bending and stress and therefore exhibit much greater control and fidelity over their entire operating range. They also feature a significant decrease in audible distortion compared with other materials. C-CAM shares an audible consistency, producing a smooth transition of frequencies and a sense of realism and cohesion in the soundstage. Today, by consistently refining and applying their technologies, Monitor Audio has become an expert in developing metal dome drivers and tweeters. Metal is not the easiest material to shape, which is why many companies choose paper or plastic. However, when treated correctly, metal has the ability to producing more life-like sound. Rediscover Design: Transcending into Custom Monitor Audio dealers around the globe wanted a broader range of solutions that would feature trickle-down technology from the company’s Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Series speakers. Lifestyle and custom installation speakers were the natural progression for the British manufacturer. Monitor Audio’s Lifestyle ranges are comprised of smaller satellite speakers, wallmountable speakers, and soundbars. Using the same C-CAM driver and tweeter technology that Monitor Audio is known for, the lifestyle ranges are slim and more compact than traditional box speakers, which make them ideal for rooms or applications where space is limited. Monitor Audio’s Custom Installation speaker range started off small, only to rise and become a huge collection of solutions across multiple performance levels. Today, Monitor Audio has nearly 70 different custom speakers ranging from $175 each to $5,500 each (USD), which include in-ceiling and in-wall models, subwoofers, and all-weather models.
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AUDIO
Rediscovering Sound
The IMS-4 music streamer can stream four different sources into four separate zones, and its BluOS Controller app offers complete flexibility.
Just two years ago, Monitor Audio took their custom range a step further and introduced a line of installation amplifiers that work seamlessly with their range of custom speakers. The installation amplifiers are built to do more and use less space and are backed by a five-year warranty. The range is comprised of six models – three standard distribution amplifiers and three connected amplifiers. The distribution amplifiers feature full connectivity with simple wired voltage trigger or signal sense and the connected amplifiers feature more complex DSP and IP control, offering wider flexibility and integration. Using the “Connect” IP interface, a web application that can be accessed by any device with a web browser, the installer can set features and finetune audio performance remotely from the amplifier location. Through training, Monitor Audio dealers are in a position to maximize the performance capabilities of the connected amps and in turn the Monitor Audio system. The New IMS-4 Streamer Featuring BluOS technology, the IMS-4 music streamer can stream four different sources to four separate zones, and its BluOS Controller app offers complete flexibility, including streaming from music services, easy access to music libraries, and voice control through a smart device.
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Monitor Audio’s connected amplifiers feature more complex DSP and IP control.
Accessed through the app, or one of the many supported integrated control systems including Crestron, Control4, and RTI, multiple IMS-4 music streamers can be integrated with other BluOS devices to provide up to 64 zones of music, with each zone able to play together in perfect sync or play different streams to separate zones. And, BluOS allows the streaming of lossless music up to 24-bit/192kHz to every room in a home network. The IMS-4 can deliver millions of Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) recordings, providing a high performance, seamless music experience anywhere in the home.
“The IMS-4 is an exciting new addition to our extensive range of industry-leading custom installation solutions,” said Michael Hedges, Monitor Audio’s technical director. “I am sure our customers will love its ease of installation, flexibility, and powerful performance.” With the slimline IMS-4 Music Streamer, Monitor Audio offers an exceptional source for custom home audio projects that will complement their range of installation amplifiers and custom speakers as part of their ever-growing portfolio of high-performance solutions. x
Municipal power is NOT getting better As homes become larger, power infrastructure does not change
(Image of Palm Beach in 1950 vs Now)
Everyone is experiencing power issues on a regular basis these days. Rolling brown outs are scheduled in California. Power outages and dips occur regularly across the country. Those little irregularities create great harm to your home automation, lighting controls, high-end audio video, security system and other home technology. Not to mention the inconvenience to everyone affected by it. RoseWater Energy Group believes power quality should be a core feature of your home. Without it, chaos will eventually ensue. The HUB SB20 is the only solution currently on the market to address ALL the power issues created by the decaying grid infrastructure, weather anomalies and other powercompromising situations.
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TECH TRENDS
Off Air TV to the Rescue Those Who Want to Keep TV Content Flowing without Monthly Charges Should Consider Over-the-Air (OTA) Digital TV Virtual Channels By Michael Heiss During this year’s COVID-19 “safer-at-home” pandemic crisis, most of us have been looking for alternative sources of entertainment. Those who want to keep content flowing without monthly charges may want to consider free, over-the-air (OTA) digital television broadcasting, which provides many unique viewing options.
has given rise to a new group of theme-related channels meant to run over the year. Yes, some are carried on cable or satellite due to the “retransmission requirements” but many others are “OTA Only” as a simple way to package existing content under a thematic banner, sell ads within it, lease channel time for it, and then let it fly.
The switch to digital television in the U.S. more than 10 years ago made it possible to have a single 6 MHz channel deliver up to 16 “virtual” channels. Even though these channels – or program services – are an optional feature for broadcasters, most stations provide them. For example, although there are 30 actual transmitting physical channels where I live in Los Angeles, I am able to receive as many as 176 virtual channels. Some stations have as few as three channels, while others have as many as 16 separate program streams.
Why pay for too many services just to bingewatch content, when you can do it for free. I’ve binge-watched the original Match Game and other old game shows on BUZZR. Looking for the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s TV series? Take a look at Antenna TV, Cozi TV, Decades, getTV, or METV. Cooking? Try Dabl. Movies? Heroes & Icons and Grit are action-oriented. SciFi? Try Comet.
The selection varies from city-to-city and station-to-station. In most cities, this is the place where you will find foreign language, religious, ethnic, and shopping channels. Of the 178 channels I mentioned here in LA, there are almost as many channels in Vietnamese (at least 24) as there are in Spanish (more than 27). There are 20 channels in Armenian, and about 10 each in Korean and Chinese. Over the course of the week, you will see Persian, Filipino, Italian, and Indian-oriented channels, as well. There is even one in the Khmer language spoken in Cambodia! I have enough trouble with English and have a hard time with the two other languages I have studied over the years. However, ask me what two of the favorite shows in my family are? One is Aibou, translated as Partners, which is a terrific Japanese police detective series that has been on the air for 18 years. The other is any one of many Korean family dramas, of which we are
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Now that you know what the content is, how do you pull it in? For starters, you need an antenna. For apartment dwellers or where an outdoor antenna isn’t possible, reception antenna technology has advanced dramatically in recent years. Brands such as Mohu, Antennas Direct, and Channel Master are just a few of the brands that have products that work indoors but are as sometimes thinner than your new OLED or QLED.
Who would have thought that you would be able to have 176 channels for free? With a good antenna, you can in cities such as Los Angeles.
currently watching Once Again. The good news for English-speaking viewers is that these, and other similar Asian program content, are subtitled in English. In fact, thanks to over-theair “digital sub-channels,” my wife and I watched the original Japanese version of Iron Chef long before it became a hit on Food Network. The abundance of digital channel space also
My suggestion is that, where possible, select a product such as Channel Master’s SMARTenna+ and Mohu’s Leaf Plus. Using samples of both (provided by their respective manufacturers) I’ve pulled in between 78 and 138 channels, depending on room location. Of course, for the ultimate reception, an outdoor antenna, or a good quality amplified antenna mounted in the attic, makes all the difference in the world. Thanks to Dish/Sling TV, my house now has an under-eaves mounted antenna that does not detract from the house’s appearance and doesn’t get the neighbors upset.
TECH TRENDS
Low slung and less than two feet below the roofline, the Televes model used by the Dish installer looks “space-age” and it is the reason why I get all the channels. For those readers who are home technology professionals, this is an old-line skill that can be profitable. For television enthusiasts, an outdoor antenna is definitely the way to go.
Modern rook antennas, such as this model from Televes, are unobtrusive while delivering every TV signal in the market. External roof top antennae no longer need to look like this except in remote areas or where signal strength is difficult.
Now that you have the antenna, how do you hook it up? For an indoor antenna, you simply connect it to the TV and scan for available channels. That’s great if you have only one spot for an indoor antenna, or if the coax link to the outdoor antenna can connect to the home’s internal RF distribution system. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, but technology comes to the rescue here, as well. Products such as those from Tablo, Sling’s AirTV 2, Amazon’s Recast, and SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun products connect to the antenna, but not directly to the TV. Despite that, they allow any of the off-air channels received to be seen on any TV in the house with a compatible streaming device. These devices connect to the internet via wireless or wired connections and then communicate with the cloud. In turn, a productspecific app lets you view and select channels, and when an external hard drive, or in AirTV’s case, the Sling app, record programs. Program grid or channel guides let you see what is on now and, where applicable, select programs for future recording and playback. The final conclusion? Even in the era of streaming services, there is still a very viable place for OTA TV, and the price of entry is both onetime and reasonably modest. x
Off-air channels, often not on cable or satellite, may have content in different languages that can help you practice a new language with subtitles, or in other cases help expats keep up with their original country’s culture.
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INDUSTRY RELATIONS
Integrating Tech During Our ‘Now Normal’ At No Point in the Relatively Recent History of the Internet Have We had to Tax Our Communication System the Way We Have in 2020 By Jamie Briesemeister
Hi, I’m Jamie. I’m the co-founder and CEO of Integration Controls, a home automation company that provides entertainment, ambiance, comfort, and peace of mind. Since 2004, we have worked with homeowners to integrate technology into their homes so that it is simple, intuitive, and reliable – even though we know, sometimes it’s not. When the tech gremlins surface, we are there. Our service has been impeccable – award-winning, in fact.
everyone would be using the internet to its fullest capacity.
These days, more than ever, I understand how difficult it is to stay connected physically, socially, and through the internet. At no point in the relatively recent history of the internet have we had to tax our communication system the way we have in 2020. Working from home, schooling from home, and enjoying a Netflix and chill have never been needed more. No one planned for this. No one wanted this.
The design/build community is feeling the impact, as well. As you look at your surroundings and plan for your future, what are you thinking of changing? For me, it’s wider hallways, more natural light, and taller ceilings. Thankfully, my Wi-Fi is rock solid.
Even with some of the best systems that my company and others like us put into place, we never expected a worldwide pandemic where
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Our service calls spiked in the morning because of poor Wi-Fi and bad upload speeds. They also picked up in the evening as people attempted to bring a little entertainment into their life. As such, we are getting new clients requesting better networks and technology that “just works.” Go figure!
Lifestyle changes are happening all around us, as well. People are walking around the neighborhood, having groceries delivered, and learning how to cook at home. If you haven’t found the YouTube channel, “Nat’s What I Reckon,” I highly encourage you to watch a few.
Warning: parental advisory for explicit (and f*@#ing hilarious) content. Aside from binging on Nat’s YouTube channel, we recently bought a Peloton so I could lose my COVID-19, but unfortunately, it hasn’t shown up yet. I guess the exercise industry is experiencing the perks of COVID-19, as well. I suppose I will use my 90 days of free service, which I recently signed up for, thanks to a voice command reminder. The realization of a new normal is dawning. My project manager called it our “now normal.” Fitting, given that COVID-19 has not gone away and is spiking in some areas across the nation. I’m not exactly sure what our now normal will include. Since I first started this article, a national movement changed the course of my content. George Floyd, a black man, was murdered on May 25, 2020, by white police officers during an arrest, for allegedly using a counterfeit bill – and it was filmed. This video footage spurred protests, riots, and a renewed conversation over racial inequity and systemic
INDUSTRY RELATIONS
Photo: iStockphoto.com/Vertigo3d
racism across the world, all without a vaccine for COVID-19 or racism. The conversation has turned political instead of humanitarian. While my business is in home automation, my heart is with humans. It’s with those sick because of the virus and those sick of hearing about it because they are losing their business – their livelihood. It’s with those who are disgusted and outraged by police violence and racial inequity, and it’s with those families of police officers who risk their lives every day. It’s with my white friends, some of whom are finally realizing what “white privilege” means, and for those who think it doesn’t exist. It’s with my black and brown friends, some of whom have experienced very little racism, and for those who have felt it in every hurtful way imaginable for most of their lives. Having grown up in a small, white town, I know I have had biases that needed re-educating. My default thoughts or reactions still need work, and
make Bolognese, or as monumental as fighting against racial inequity, the world needs us to show up. We need to improve how we communicate, how we treat one another, and how we do business.
I’m actively working to correct them. My community and yours needs to be openminded. To be understanding. To be compassionate. To realize our own bias and check ourselves on it – to be a critical thinker and question everything. And when we hear or read a viewpoint that is contrary to ours, instead of arguing or defending, we need to lean in. Ask questions. Put energy into developing ourselves beyond the confines of our mind and personal experience and take a walk in someone else’s shoes.
In our world of technology, it’s time we think past how we connect wires to inputs and devices to the network. Yes, this is what we are hired to do… technically. Yet the root of what we are hired to do is to connect people with their technology so they can work, see loved ones, and be informed. Or, every now and then, binge watch a hilarious show, hosted by a foul-mouthed, introspective, comedian who is inspiring those at home to make their own “End of Days Bolognese” and “$&ck jar sauce.” x
Our personal experience is not reality; it’s only our reality. If we continue to fight, argue, object, ignore, and defend, we will miss the opportunity to change the world for ourselves and our children’s children.
Links: Nat’s What I Reckon: https://youtu.be/Sw_ Ze9zIafM “End of Days Bolognese”
I live by the credo to “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” (Mahatma Gandhi) and I urge you to do the same. Whether it’s something as small as learning how to properly
Guide To Allyship: https://guidetoallyship.com/
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FEATURED
A Superpower TO SAVE the Cinema Movies will Live on in Private Cinemas Around the World, Even as Traditional Movie Theaters Struggle to Survive By Sam Cavitt
The story opens on a daunting scene. Clearly the main character is in peril – taken captive and separated from those who would offer support. This after a series of unfortunate events have already taken their toll. There is a potential hero, but even though possessing new superpowers, our avenger is subject to detractors from all sides, undermining and challenging his ability to provide salvation. If things don’t change, our character will be destined to a bleak fate… our hero faced with the prospect of pondering what might have been. The future looks grim. Is this a teaser of an upcoming blockbuster? A storyline that will be developed and produced with stunning cinematography, special effects, and profound immersive sound? Beloved characters, heroes, and reviled villains portrayed
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by our favorite stars? In fact, it is a true story that is unfolding before our very eyes. Our “damsel in distress” is “the movies” – the art form, the industry, and the theaters. The daunting scenario above is the current state of the movies. This current crisis, however, is only the proverbial last straw. To understand our unwary victim’s plight, we must employ the theatrical technique of retrospective. The movie industry has enjoyed times of preeminence and times of relative insignificance. In 1944, 60 percent of the American population regularly went to the movies. By 1970 the percentage had dropped to less than 10 percent, due primarily to an increase in television ownership.
So, is television the villain? Ironically, while television had an undeniable impact on movie attendance, in many ways it propelled the industry to innovate. Wide screens, color technologies, advances in cinematography, stereo, surround and, ultimately, immersive sound owe much of the impetus for their implementation to the drive to separate the movie theater experience from what would be available in the home. At this point in our story, we cannot definitively identify a villain, however, our beloved main character is still under duress. Our story flashes through decades of change. Our beloved star, the movies, sees good times and bad. Our new character – television – develops along a similarly tumultuous path. As we draw nearer to the present, we see both
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movies and television enjoying unimaginable success. With television, worldwide revenues climb to more than $260 billion in 2018 and theatrical box office sales grow to $42 billion in 2019. It seems like television and film could be friendly rivals. What could possibly go wrong? Things aren’t always as they seem. Another creature had appeared and was influencing both film and television: Technology. At the same time, that film was using technology, in the form of special effects, image quality, immersive sound, and more, to escalate the audience’s expectations, technology was providing television with an ever more compelling set of attractions. With streaming, it suddenly appeared as if there were fewer reasons to leave the home to watch movies. Great films – critically acclaimed artistic works – suddenly failed at the box office. The term “theatricality” found a new definition. Award-winning critical favorites like The Green Book, Whiplash, or Booksmart were said to lack theatricality as the audience chose to stay home. It seemed that only the latest actionadventure or space odyssey blockbuster would entice people to get in the car, pay for admission, and fill a cinema seat. In fact, did the audience even want to watch movies at all? Streaming offered not only a more convenient way to see movies (albeit not as quickly), but it also offered a huge new library of alternate content. As art once again imitated life, technology, as it had done with the internet, provided the public with so many choices that our poor protagonist, the movies, became lost in a crowd. The future of The Movies was, once again uncertain when a twist of the plot, worthy of M. Night Shyamalan, appears – COVID–19. The question of theatricality becomes moot as blockbusters, artistic nuanced films, and audiences alike are, in effect, held captive. As the crisis developed, it became clear that this was a
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A Superpower to Save the Cinema
A private cinema – designed with every detail in mind – can provide the big screen, stunning images, immersive sound, and power to transport every audience member into the cinematic artform.
potentially existential threat to theaters and the movies as we know them. It is at this point that we rejoin our tale and reenter that daunting opening scene. Up until now, we’ve been reliving the past. Interesting to be sure, but there isn’t much we can do about it. From here on out, the story is yet unwritten. One end might look like this: “The Movies” are in peril. In the current scenario, what was once a grand and noble entity is left with the option of ceasing to exist or being reduced to something that will fit in a much smaller world – a world without commercial theaters. A world where the once riveting and compelling experience that was known as “going to the movies” has to share time and space with social media applications, reality programming, and every other distraction imaginable. Gone is the suspension of disbelief as the “so-called” audience presses pause to take a call or text. Sure, a “would be” hero made a brief appearance.
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Calling himself, Home Theater, he promised to keep movies alive but ultimately compromised his own values and ended up hanging around on walls and in places a theater or movies were not really supposed to live. Our story ends in a far distant future where the denizens cannot fathom a time that groups of people would gather in a special place to become lost in a fanciful tale for a time and share those emotions with loved ones for years. There just isn’t time for that sort of thing… Again, things aren’t always as they seem. What had felt like the end may, in fact, be a new beginning. An alternate storyline is possible. “The Movies” are in the same perilous position. Facing the dilemma to become something less in order to survive. It is as if Film is in an arena where the spectators are shouting for blood and the only way out is to accept a soulless existence that is just a shadowy replica of the grandeur that had once been. In this version though our hero has appeared stronger. No mere home theater replica,
our hero has brought all the power of the greatest theatrical experiences to the fray. Not only that, but our hero’s superpower is that it can be with every movie lover at the same time – the big screen and stunning images, the powerfully immersive sound, and the power to transport every audience into the story completely. It is the movies, better than ever, at home! Our hero is Private Cinema. In this story, “The Movies” is far too important to our hero for compromise to be acceptable. This hero admires “The Movies” for what it is, “the most complete, truly contemporary art form” (Renzo Piano, Architect of the Academy Museum of Film, Hollywood). Worthy of being preserved and allowed to flourish. In this new beginning, our beloved main character has a new home. In fact, shares many homes. The great theaters that will remain, the great private cinemas that will be built, and most importantly, in the hearts of every movie lover that is and is yet to be. x
TECH ADVISOR
Helping the World Work from Home The COVID-19 Quarantine Inspired New Ideas for Smart Products and Services By Henry Clifford
Photo: iStockphoto.com/fizkes
Our new journey through quarantine, social distancing, and spending more (way more) time with our families, is forcing us to redefine what it means to deliver home technology experiences in an age where clients may not want outsiders physically in their homes. I run a technology integration business called Livewire in Richmond, VA, which early in the quarantine was deemed “essential” by the federal government because we enable our clients to work remotely, service security systems, and are part of the construction industry. We chose to leverage our classification by pivoting into new products and services during this unprecedented time. Many of our clients have discovered for themselves what we’ve been telling them for years. If their technology foundation isn’t solid, then everything else suffers. To that end, we’re looking at new stay-at-home and “touchless sale” offerings by focusing on a few key categories:
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Managing Home Networks During a Coronavirus Lockdown The industry maxim “if the network’s not right, nothing’s right,” has never rung truer. After a few days of glitching out during video conference calls or hearing children complain about their e-learning classes not working properly, our service desk began getting deluged with urgent requests from clients to fix their issues. We’ve been offering to remotely access client networks to analyze dead spots or identify hardware in need of an upgrade. Solutions range from a quick chat to scheduling in-person installations. Each interaction is different, and each client has their own preferences about having our people in their homes. We’re looking at our installation and service offerings as interchangeably virtual or on-site, with the virtual work prefaced by telling the client they may have to put up with some of the tech friction they called us about to complete their
installation. I have witnessed numerous service interactions where our people are patiently stepping a client through a thorny issue via Zoom or FaceTime. Hardening Home Security Many of our customers have called in asking us to shore up their physical security systems by replacing batteries, adding doors and windows, or adding cameras to blind spots around their home’s perimeter. Today’s video analytics and the ability to reduce false alerts make conversations about security upgrades very easy. As with most of our technology solutions, clients tend to run hot and cold when it comes to these upgrades, and we’ll usually wait to let them bring it up first. We deal with a wide spectrum of clients, ranging from macho alpha dogs telling us their security system is by Smith & Wesson to fearful homeowners who want their system to address any possible intrusion. We keep the
TECH ADVISOR
Photo: iStockphoto.com/onurdongel
conversation about the client and try to do much more listening than talking. Providing Remote Sales and Service of Smart Home Systems When it comes to scheduling service, we’re offering a seamless online booking calendar and payment solution. They don’t even need to pick up the phone. In many ways, the coronavirus quarantine forced businesses like ours to sharpen our online tools and ability to serve customers across myriad channels. We also offer clients the ability to text us or chat through the website. Our hope is that we’re able to offer the right solutions at the right time while becoming ubiquitous. Ongoing 24/7 Remote Support of Smart Home Systems Our remote support business is up over 100-percent since the beginning of March 2020. If our customers didn’t previously see the value
Photo: iStockphoto.com/doble-d
in having us troubleshoot and fix their systems remotely, they sure do now (full disclosure: I’m a co-founder of remote service provider Parasol).
published by renowned marketing expert Marcus Sheridan highlighting a few key points to keep in mind: • Smile… A lot!!! • Face a light source • Sit up straight or stand up • Mandating cameras on during virtual sales consultations can increase close rates by 15 percent • Limit screen sharing during discussions with your prospect • Ask questions using names (write them down) especially in a group setting
Many of our clients who previously decided against having us keep an eye on their systems have changed their minds as the network has evolved from something that needed to work only after hours and on weekends to a system every bit as important as HVAC. We decided to offer 90 days of free remote technical support to our clients during the COVID-19 crisis as a goodwill gesture to avoid coming across as tone-deaf. The last thing clients need then was someone selling something to them.
One thing’s for certain: the longer our clients are sitting at home staring at their broken or outdated technology, the bigger the surge will be when we transition out of the COVID-19 stay-at-home routine. Until then, we will continue helping our clients and their families work remotely by constantly trying out new ideas for products and services. x
Online Meeting Best Practices We’ve been fielding a lot of questions around best practices for online meetings. We created a survival guide based on market data recently
Photo: iStockphoto.com/RossHelen
Photo: iStockphoto.com/MStudioImages
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Cover Story
Unlocking Potential Photo: Alex King
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Cover Story
BenjiLock Inventor Robbie Cabral Leaps from Obscurity to Shark Tank Legend and Now into the Smart Home Market By Jeremy Glowacki
Robbie Cabral is the inventor, CEO, and founder of Los Angeles-based BenjiLock, a finger-print enabled padlock manufacturer that was introduced to the tech industry at CES 2017 and soon after was made relatively famous on ABC’s Shark Tank. Padlocks for gym lockers, luggage, and bikes aren’t typically the focus of Residential Tech Today, but Cabral is expanding his focus with a new digital door lock line that could be a perfect fit for the growing smart home market Cabral’s appearance on Shark Tank had a huge emotional impact on viewers of that show. His sincerity and story of overcoming hardship seemed to really resonate with the so-called Sharks (celebrity investors) who he was pitching. After three Sharks offered to work with him, he chose to partner with “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary, a somewhat surprising choice at the time. Cabral, in this exclusive interview, explains that decision, and offers insight into what it’s like to be a firstgeneration American entrepreneur these days.
in the Dominican Republic, right? What was your upbringing like?
RC: Six months into my job, I got laid off. It was in the worst time of the year, because it was December. The same day that I got laid off, my daughter, Olivia, was born. [After that] I was going through a lot of depression and eating a lot and getting myself overweight. I finally decided to start going to my local gym, and one day I noticed someone left their key inside the locker. I saw the manager coming in to bolt cut it, and then they had to get a drill. I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, in this day and age, we have the iPhones now, they open up with your fingerprint. And I’m like, how can you not have a lock that you can open with your fingerprint, but also with a key? Just keep it simple. No app needed. No phone needed. And that’s where the idea started.
RC: Correct. I was born and raised my whole life in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A lot of my family members live in a small town called San Pedro de Macorís, which is known for baseball. I grew up in that environment. I was only raised by my mom, a single parent. I was raised to always be humble, always be myself, and never to expect anything from anyone. And even if you give, never expect anything back. I always was raised that way by my mom, and I always remember growing up that I would see her working so hard every day, just to make ends meet and trying to at least put me into school. And even if she couldn’t be there during that timeframe to pick me up and all that, at least I knew that she was providing and keeping me afloat.
RT Today: That’s a pretty compelling origin story. I do want to know a little bit more about your background. You grew up
Residential Tech Today: Not to dredge up bad memories, but what were the circumstances in your life that led up to your invention of the BenjiLock? Robbie Cabral: No, not at all. I think anytime that you’re creating something or inventing something or pursuing something that you want to do in life, it’s not going to be positive always. You’re going to go through so many ups and downs. And believe it or not, that’s why I relate a lot with BenjiLock, especially with what’s going on right now with the pandemic, because this whole pandemic came out of the blue. A lot of people now are getting laid off and you weren’t really expecting that. RT Today: You lost your job back in 2014 and you and your wife had a baby on the way. How did that experience lead to your development of BenjiLock?
Robbie Cabral’s emotional moment on ABC’s Shark Tank Photos courtesy of ABC (Michael Desmond)
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FEATURED
Cover Story: Unlocking Potential RT Today: Well, I’m always impressed when someone has an idea, and they actually follow through with it, and the timing works out. RC: It’s interesting piggybacking to what you were saying right now. Because even when I built the prototype before my first time at CES, I remember a lot of people came to the booth and said, “Wow, this is a great idea. I had that idea years ago.” At the end of the day, I told them, “It’s the same as all of us. We all have ideas.” But what I’ve learned is that a lot of people don’t actually execute them. RT Today: I really wanted to dive into some of those early days, because I don’t think a lot of us really know how do you take that idea that’s on paper and then execute it. What was the first stage after the idea came to you for this?
Robbie Cabral and his co-worker Ashlie Wynne at CES
RT Today: Where does your reativity come from? RC: Before I came to America, I was in a band for 10 years. So that was my thing to let my emotions out and all that. I was into the whole alternative rock, punk rock scene. I just loved the whole artistic side of creating lyrics and writing and making music. And that’s how I ended up, after finishing college, going to America, because I wanted to pursue the whole music career, but that actually didn’t pan out. RT Today: How did you end up in Los Angeles to pursue music? RC: Well, I used to, in the summer times, go to New York to visit my cousins, and I have family there. I always thought that maybe my path would be going to New York, maybe going to Boston, in that East Coast area of Florida because then you’re more near back home, more near family. I never even pictured California, never even heard about California. I remember Baywatch on TV back home, and things of that nature, but I never really pictured it until an opportunity came by to sign up in a school here, to learn about the music business and things of that nature. And I said, why not give it a try? RT Today: Did you ever go beyond your
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creativity with music and do other creative work like how you eventually developed BenjiLock? RC: When the music thing didn’t pan out, then I basically started doing every other job to make ends meet. Working in restaurants, dishwasher, catering, valet, you name it, try to get some income in and figuring things out at the time. So, I guess because I studied back home, the whole arts, advertisement, creative, I wanted to be creative on that side. I ended up creating a retailer at the time. It was an online retailer, in the era of Groupon. I’m a big collector of action figures and things of that nature. I’ve always been a toy fanatic. I just love how they create and sculpt these figures. So, I decided to create a website called figureoftheday.com, at the time. And it actually started doing pretty well. Every day, I was launching a new action figure and that whole niche was really into it, and it was exciting for me. But that only ended up lasting a year or so. Because again, you have family, you have kids, work is a turmoil, you’re getting a lot of sales, but then at the end of the year, you’re not breaking even, and what’s going on? And at that time, lesson learned, not every business that you do actually works.
RC: Well, I remember getting out of the gym, and I was excited. I came back home, and I started writing all these designs of how I figured that the lock would look and feel and what would it have? And since, at the time, I had experience with headphones, I knew, okay, it’s an electronic product, so you probably have to have a battery. I still wanted to have a key, but I didn’t want it connected, because I didn’t have a lot of income to build a product with a lot of stuff in it. I felt like if you complicated it too much, then it was just going to be too difficult for the user to understand it. RT Today: What was your market research? RC: I went to my local stores, and I couldn’t find a product like it. On the internet, I noticed that everyone that decides to bring an idea to market, you have to do your research in the legal way. The bigger companies may already have the technology, patents, or the intellectual property. Then, it doesn’t even matter if you build a prototype, and you waste all your money and income, because somebody already has it. RT Today: Who did you reach out to for that sort of help or advice? RC: I started looking for someone to help me build the patents and the intellectual property on it. I also started knocking on a lot of doors to try to find a product developer. I had the idea, I have the vision, I have the designs, but I didn’t know how to build it. I also needed someone to
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help me on the legal part. I needed someone to help me with my ideas to create our branding around the product, because I felt that you could have your legal part figured out and your prototype, but if you don’t have really a name or something that actually resonates with a regular consumer, then you don’t have [everything you need.]
lose your whole family.” And I kept saying, “You know what? Let’s take a deep breath. I think there’s something here. We just have to keep pushing.”
I probably interviewed more than 900 people, showing them an early prototype and asking what they thought of the idea. Would you purchase something like this and how much would you pay for it and what do you like and don’t like? Basically, focus groups for this product. That was a three-year period before actually going to CES, and then stepping into the whole Shark Tank experience. It took three years.
RC: I remember renting a minivan from LA, putting all my stuff in it. We basically went, a couple of my friends’ family, we went to Vegas, and we all stayed in one room. And, basically, every day, at 6:00 a.m., we went in, set up the booth and did the best we could to showcase the innovation. I remember at that show, I said to myself, there’s no point for us to be paying all this money here, and just standing up and doing nothing. You have to let it go, showcase it, see what people think, let people react to it. And believe me, a lot of people said, “Oh, this is a crazy idea. This is stupid. Who invented that?” But, Ace Hardware was one of the first retailers that came in and said, “Wow, we want this product. We like this product. How can we get it?” And that’s when I was like, “Okay, there’s something here.” A lot of people were walking up and saying, “Hey, that looks like a really cool Shark Tank product.” But I personally had never
RT Today: It sounds pretty expensive too. RC: Oh, it was tough, because I was unemployed. I only had money coming in from unemployment for a little bit. And then beyond that, I had a little bit of savings, but then all of that ran out. I basically had all my credit cards [maxed out], because no one works for free. I had to knock on a lot of product development company doors. Finally, one [company] ended up going for it. It was expensive. It took me a lot of money and a lot of credit card debt, but at least they helped me build a prototype. Because I didn’t have a lot of money for legal, I ended going through the whole Legal Zoom route, legalzoom.com, and you try to find someone to help you. And thanks to that platform, actually, I was able to find a local patent attorney that saw my application and thought it was interesting. It kind of goes back to “right place, right time, right moment,” because the attorney saw my name was Roberto Cabral. He said, “I’m from Mexico, and I normally never see a Latino trying to get a patent. And, he said, “Maybe I’ll put a little bit more effort into this kid’s patent because I just never see a Latino come to my office and do an application.”
even seen the show, never even heard of it. But they had a casting call in the same venue, very near, and they said I should go and try the casting call. I got a wristband, did the pitch for two minutes, and came back and forgot about it. But then two months after the show, I got an email and they said they were interested. That’s how that journey started.
RT Today: So, you got a chance to go to the Eureka Park portion of CES – a more modestly priced area that’s created for startups. What do you recall from that experience?
RT Today: In the meantime, were you working full time on tweaking the product? RC: I was doing the whole Mr. Mom thing at home – dishes, everything, you name it, but also working on the prototype and building all those connections that I made at the show, like Ace Hardware and all these retailers. I wanted to keep them involved, because you still don’t have a partner, you still don’t have a manufacturer, you still don’t have an investment. It’s all you. RT Today: When it finally came time to go on Shark Tank, what was that experience like? RC: You have anxiety at home and with your family because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know who you’re going to pitch to. I remember meeting at a hotel with all the Shark Tank contestants that are coming from all over the States. And every day, there’s just a
The BenjiLock line of fingerprint locks includes a TSA Accepted travel lock, a drawer lock, and a bike lock
RT Today: Another “right time, right moment” was unveiling that prototype at CES. RC: I had my family fighting me, like, “Hey, you don’t have a job, what’s going to happen with you, you’re in debt, and you’re about to
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FEATURED
Cover Story: Unlocking Potential
bunch of us meeting at this hotel, and hopeful that we’re going to get in that day of filming, because they do a couple weeks of filming – 10 to 15 hours a day. And you’re one of those timeframes and some pitches could be 10 minutes. Some pitches could be two, three hours. Mine was actually around 45 minutes. I think on TV, you only get to see 15 minutes. So that’s an experience that you don’t forget, but you don’t really know what’s going on. RT Today: What is it like when you walk into the lights on that set? RC: Once you step in, they don’t start recording right away, but you see all the Sharks are looking at you. And they’re all looking at their phones, trying to Google your brand name. RT Today: Did you feel like you were properly prepared for that moment? RC: When you go to the set, each contestant has a little space that they can practice their pitch with their product and all that, but then before you actually step in, the producers tell you, “Don’t worry about the pitch now. Just be yourself.” And, it’s like, oh boy, you have this pitch in your head, and now what are you going to do? But at the end of the day, I always felt that because I wasn’t fanatically watching the show every day, that I was just going to be myself. And that ended up helping me out a lot, because I think the experience of being at CES, dealing with a lot of retailers, going through that whole three-year experience of emotional distress at home, but also building a prototype, building the patents and all that, I knew that even though I didn’t have any sales, there were retailers interested, and I had everything in place to go and defend myself. RT Today: If you read the quotes from the Sharks after the show, a lot of them said the result of your appearance was pretty unexpected. Do you think it was because you were only at the prototype stage? RC: I think so. That was one, and another one was that, and I know this because after the show, some of the Sharks asked me, “Do you even watch the show?” And I’m like, “Not really!” They told me, “It’s interesting because everybody that steps into the show, they already
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know the questions. They already know the answers. They already know what they’re going to ask us. And you were just, like, natural.” RT Today: How did you end up choosing Kevin O’Leary as your Shark? RC: I just needed a partner to help me navigate where I was right now at the moment. I think that’s why I ended up going with Kevin, because he was very straightforward. He was the first one that when I stepped in, he wasn’t on the phone. He was literally looking at [me] sharp, and I’m like, “Oh, boy. This is going to be a hot battle.” But, at the end of the day, I really went with him because he was a straight shooter. And he said to me, “Have you ever thought of licensing?” I said I had thought of it, but I hear the stories that if you license, then your brand name goes away and basically it [becomes] someone else’s property. I really thought that I had something special with BenjiLock, because everyone at the show came and said, “Hey, that looks like it could be the next, maybe, Fitbit of padlocks.” I always thought, too, that there was going to be an extension of BenjiLock beyond the padlock. Then you could go different ways because I felt like the technology of fingerprint and key could be leveraged into the home. Even at the show Kevin asked me if we could put this technology in the door. And I said, “Yeah, that’s going to be something that I would like to do in the future.” RT Today: You start working with Kevin as an advisor, then, in terms of licensing arrangements? RC: Well, basically after that, then each investor has their own team, so you have to meet with their team and make sure that everything that happened at the show, it’s what’s the reality. We both did our due diligence and all that, and it all worked out. And then when we partner up it’s basically like a marriage. And I think in that way, he knew that I was like a one-man army. I needed mentorship, beyond just the investment, because for me the money wasn’t really the important thing. It was more like, okay, now that I have a partner, how can we get this product to that next level? And the beauty was that he already had in his head, “Okay, we need to find the right manufacturing partner to bring this product to life.” And that’s where he presented
BenjiLock’s newest release will be a finger-print enabled door lock.
me the first time with Mr. Kim Kelley, the CEO of Hampton Products at that CNBC interview. He figured out a way to put those things together and make it happen. RT Today: I’ve seen that clip of you on CNBC. You didn’t know the Hampton deal was done when you went on that show? RC: Oh, no, I didn’t know. Because I had a brief relationship with Hampton Products during that whole CES [experience], but you only deal with lower management, figuring out your idea and product. And in that case, you’re protected too, because as inventors you have to figure out, okay, is this manufacturer looking for the best for me? So, you have to figure out if it’s the right fit or not. So, we were touching base here and there, but nothing really was happening. So that was the first time that I actually met the CEO, and from there, it was like, they said, “We’re building this BenjiLock; we’re making it happen.” And I was like, “Wow, this is a dream come true.” RT Today: So, then it becomes BenjiLock by Hampton, but you still get to keep your product name that you created. And what is your day-to-day then once you start working with Hampton? RC: When they said they were going to brand it BenjiLock by Hampton, that’s when I knew it was going to be a great relationship. That was my main thing because I felt that big companies, a lot of the times they take technology from little companies and basically just add it to the
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Cover Story: Unlocking Potential
again. It’s like the beauty of having a partnership because if you’re trying to do this on your own, then that requires a lot of investment and a lot of risk. I admire companies like Hampton. I admire people like Kevin, because they’re actually taking a risk, just like I did and took a risk years ago on building this prototype. RT Today: How has the pandemic impacted retail sales?
Shark Tank star and BenjiLock investor Kevin O’Leary helps Cabral (center) close his licensing deal with Hampton Products CEO Kim Kelley (right).
roster. At the time, I remember, you have two big padlocks companies in America. And one of them is Brinks. [Hampton handles] all the Brinks line. I felt that, that’s great with Brinks, but I’m BenjiLock, and I just don’t want to change that. And our day-to-day life is, basically, is that you can’t really go sit down outside and just relax. I’m just one of the thousands of SKUs, so in my case, I need to keep myself really hands-on from the branding aspect, to the design of the product, to product development. The good thing is that now, I don’t really have to pay for that. Now, you have a manufacturing company that is building all that for you. I just worked with their teams, with Mr. Kim, with Kevin. And that’s a good thing about Kevin, that Kevin has been very hands-on, because he really likes the product and the story. RT Today: Where are the products currently available? RC: The first retailer that was really excited about the technology [at CES] was Ace Hardware. And, I had no idea that Hampton Products builds all the Ace Hardware padlocks. Ace already being interested in BenjiLock really helped develop that Hampton relationship. They’re one of our biggest retail partners. Now, that you’re seeing [other] retailers coming to life [such as] Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and then also really cool trendy stores like Urban Outfitters and Touch of Modern, as well as QVC. It’s a lifestyle product, but it’s also about security; Hampton builds security products. You know that BenjiLock is a secure lock. It’s a steady, solid product, and it’s a very sturdy product. As a company, Hampton knew that
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they were going to amplify their portfolio of products. And that’s what we’re doing today. RT Today: You always had a plan for more than just the padlocks. How far along in the development stage is the fingerprint-enabled door lock? RC: We basically went from the regular padlock to a TSA padlock, and then, this year, actually at CES, we unveiled the bike lock. And, also, then a whole line of smart door locks, which won the CES 2020 Innovations Award, as well. It’s a door lock that you can open with your fingerprint (also with a traditional key and or a PIN pad), but it’s not connected. There’s no app, no phone needed. It’s still the same BenjiLock technology as the padlocks because I felt like I want to keep it that way, because even now I have one of the prototypes installed in my door. I get out of the minivan, and my kids are already in the house, because with a touch of their fingerprint, they’re already in. And The BenjiLock I’m like, “Wow, that was cool.” Only TSA padlock their fingerprint on it. That was it. And we also have another door lock coming in at the end of the year that will be connected [to the cloud.] So, it’ll be through an app under the Hampton umbrella that you can manage your BenjiLock with. RT Today: You can save multiple fingerprint scans in the lock so that other family members can use it? RC: Correct. So, they’re really expanding the technology and
RC: Another cool thing about having Kevin as a partner is his relationship with QVC. During this recent timeframe, actually, we’ve done very well, because we’ve been using the TV platform with partners like QVC. The locks have been doing great. RT Today: I read your statement on social media, that’s posted on your website as well, about how you went through a tough time losing your job but how it led to where you are today. Can you remember a little bit about that message and relate that here to those who are struggling? RC: Oh, yeah. I think that for people that are going through that right now, my message is to take a deep breath, go for a little walk, if you can, let that anxiety out. And if you feel it one day, just start putting those ideas together – whether you want to write a book or build something out of nothing, something that you always wanted to create. Just put a little bit of effort every day, and I’m telling you, that little bit just goes a long way. And that’s what I did with BenjiLock, too. You just have to have patience. x
PERSONALIZATION FOR EVERY HOME WITH THE NEW SAVANT PRO REMOTE X2 With a 480 x 800 resolution 3.1” touchscreen that can be personalized by your client, there is no need to look beyond Savant, and our award-winning user experiences, for the best remote control in the industry. • Built-in Voice Control with Siri integration • Quick touchscreen access to Scenes and Services • Programmable hard buttons for quick Scene activation • One touch activates the Savant Home App on any TV • Personalization by user so everyone has quick access to their favorite channels • Completely redesigned form factor - with an aluminum body, sturdy magnetic base, and elevated, backlit buttons
www.savant.com/pro-remote-x2
ISSUE FOCUS
Taking the Temp on Outdoor Tech Products That Take the Work Out of Having Fun Outside By Darryl Wilkinson Unless your backyard consists of several hundred acres of corn or a couple of dozen head of cattle, high on the list of things you probably think of when you gaze out your back door or patio window are the many opportunities for fun, relaxation, and entertainment. Although I can’t predict if your part of the world will still be hunkered down by the time you read this, I can say that summer will happen, pandemic or not, as it inevitably has ever since the invention of the four seasons. At that point, whether you’re sweltering-in-place with your family or having a long overdue get-together with anyone and everyone in the neighborhood, there’s more than enough technology for homeowners to make sure it’ll be a summer full of fun to remember for a long time to come.
pool automatically measuring the pH, sanitizer, and temperature levels more than a thousand times per week – not once a week as you might currently be doing. It then analyzes the data and sends alerts when you need to adjust your chemicals. pHin supports most major brands. After scanning a supported chemical’s barcode, the pHin app will calculate the precise amount you should add to the water, so you never have to worry about over-chlorinated or out-of-balance water. The pHin Smart Monitor, Wireless Bridge, and Mobile App are $349, and the package includes a one-year Monitoring Subscription for alerts and chemical recommendations. After the first year, a Monitoring Subscription is $99/year and includes a one-year hardware warranty extension with each renewal.
have now come up with the equally amazing but much more affordable Suntable. As the name suggests, the Suntable is a solar-powered table incorporating built-in Bluetooth speakers with 360-degree dispersion, an integrated solar panel that recharges an internal battery, plus a shaded shelf with wireless and USB charging capabilities for charging smartphones. At 26.5 inches tall with a 15-inch diameter circular top, the Suntable is conveniently portable with a removable pedestal base and can be used inside, outside, on a balcony, or at a picnic or tailgate party. ShadeCraft says the stout solar stand is expected to retail for $499 after it starts shipping in August of 2020.
RTI’s U3 remote
pHin ShadeCraft Suntable
Pooling Resources Anyone who has ever owned a swimming pool knows that maintaining the water so that it stays clean and healthy can be time-consuming and expensive. pHin makes caring for all sizes of pools (plus hot tubs and swim spas, too) about as simple and worry-free as it can be. pHin’s floating Smart Monitor bobs around in your
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After packing about as much automation and technology as possible – app control, voice activation, solar power, on-board Bluetooth/ Wi-Fi/cellular capabilities, integrated audio system, controlled lighting, environmental sensors, and device charging – into the $7,500 Blossom outdoor umbrella, the ShadeCraft folks
Oh, Buoy, a Floating Remote! Although there’s an app for controlling just about anything under the sun, one of the last places you want to be using your smartphone to change the volume, skip a song, or turn on the TV is out in the bright, hot sunshine – especially if it’s near your pool’s splash zone. RTI’s new U3 is a completely sealed, weather-resistant remote control that lets chlorinated water roll off its back, and it conveniently floats when dropped in the pool or hot tub. RTI says the $549 buoyant controller utilizes the company’s
ISSUE FOCUS
dual-RF platform, “supporting both 433-MHz RF for one-way control and 2.4-GHz ZigBee for bi-directional communication with RTI processors and supported third-party electronics like music servers, lighting, and pool control systems.” Thanks to its built-in e-paper display, the U3 is easy to read in bright sunlight, and its fully programmable soft-touch buttons provide quick access to commonly used functions. The U3 incorporates inductive charging technology and downloads updates wirelessly, so once an integrator customizes it, the U3 is virtually maintenance-free.
a Rachio Thrive starter kit containing a Rachio 3 and a 90-day supply (for two applications, 45 days apart) of Rachio’s Thrive Lawn Champion treatment. Once you’ve begun the program, Rachio’s app will automatically adjust your watering to maximize treatment impact and alert you when it’s time to re-apply.
Coastal Source
weed trimmers, and salt spray take a heavy toll on landscape lighting systems. As a result, Coastal Source’s fixtures are made entirely of brass and are 100-percent sealed using multiple O-rings to keep out debris, bugs, and moisture. The company’s patented Coastal Connector is designed to reduce the time it takes to design, install, and maintain landscape lighting systems – and minimize unreliable, faulty connections, the number-one cause of lighting system failures. Holm also offers a broad line of architectural and landscape lighting products, and its uTide underwater light and the supercompact uPebble-7 underwater fixtures can be installed to illuminate virtually any water feature. Each includes Cree integrated LEDs, utilizes brass construction, is a phase and PWM dimmable, and comes with color temperature filters for various artistic effects.
WORX Landroid
Rachio Smart Irrigation
Ground Rules The closest I’ve come to having a green thumb was decorating a St. Patrick’s Day cake. Rachio’s multi-zone smart irrigation system controllers, the Rachio 3 ($229.99) and Rachio 3e ($149.99), are perfect for botanically challenged people like me because they include the company’s “Weather Intelligence” technology that “automatically skips unnecessary watering with features like Rain Skip, Wind Skip, Freeze Skip, Saturation Skip, and Seasonal Shift.” Rachio recently added a new line of Thrive Lawn Champion natural lawn care treatments that include microalgae specially grown for soil use. Rachio says optimum results – greener grass with a more robust, healthier root system – requires a combination of the proper lawn care treatments with a site-appropriate amount of irrigation and timing. After answering a brief questionnaire regarding your goals on Rachio’s website and providing the size and geographic location of your lawn, the company will create an individually tailored lawn care plan, and ship
One problem with having a healthy, vigorous lawn is that it requires regular mowing to keep it that way. That used to mean regularly sweating away a good part of the day walking behind (or riding on) a noisy, obnoxious lawnmower. Using “razor-like blades [that] clip a little at a time, naturally fertilizing your yard,” the latest WORX Landroid-series of robotic lawnmowers not only do the mowing for you, they also include what the company calls “Artificial Intelligence Algorithm (AIA) technology” that allows the Landroid to “learn the best, customized cutting pattern to get the job done according to your yard.” The Landroid can be fully controlled via a mobile app (iOS and Android), is customizable with optional accessories (including an anticollision system that uses automotive-grade ultrasonic sensors), and automatically returns to its charging base when it senses rain or to top off its 20-volt 4AH lithium battery. I Like the Night Light Outdoor fun shouldn’t have to stop once the sun goes down, but there’s a better way to keep the party going than handing out baseball caps with LED lights in the brim. Coastal Source offers a line of outdoor landscape lighting fixtures ranging from basic utilitarian to pleasantly whimsical that can be used for path lighting, pinpoint or area-wash lighting, step lighting, tree lighting, niche lighting, and more. Irrigation, fertilizer, insects (and insecticides),
Holms' uTide and uPebble lights
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ISSUE FOCUS
Taking the Temp on Outdoor Tech (including square front, round front, and open roll) in nine colors. PowerShades says its fully customizable shades work with major automation platforms, such as URC, SmartThings, ELAN, Crestron, Control4, RTI, and Amazon Alexa.
coatings, adaptive picture technology that automatically optimizes image parameters based on content and ambient lighting, as well as IP55 protection ratings. Apollo Enclosures
Screen Innovations Zen
Bug-free Technology Whether it’s a deck, patio, gazebo, or a cabana, Mother Nature doesn’t care what you call your home’s outdoor living space. Screen Innovations’ Zen outdoor motorized shading systems allow homeowners to create completely sealed outdoor living spaces – essentially turning them into indoor living spaces – automatically at the touch of a button. Zen shades are available in a wide variety of fabrics, and the company’s Shy-Zip side channels keep bugs out of the enclosed area while keeping cool air in.
PowerShades
Zen shade motors have built-in obstacle detection that stops and reverses the shade’s direction in case raucous children, rogue pets, or random pieces of furniture happen to get in the way when the shade is coming down. Screen Innovations offers the Zen outdoor shade hardware in a choice of nine exterior colors for both enclosed and open-roll versions with a wide variety of connectivity options for integration with home automation systems. Joplin, MO-based PowerShades is a relatively new name in the motorized window covering industry, but they’re no strangers to the oftenunpredictable weather in the Midwest. The company’s exterior shades are available with four different styles of hardware enclosures
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SunBrite outdoor TV
Deck Chair Cinema I’m always amazed at how many people are amazed that there are TVs designed to be installed and used outside, enduring the worst (well, almost the worst) that Mother Nature throws at them. One of the earliest companies to offer TVs specifically made for outdoor use, SunBrite TV currently has three different series of 4K LED HDR outdoor TVs, with the primary usage criteria being the amount of sunlight: the Veranda Series (full shade), the Signature Series (partial shade), and the new Pro 2 Series (full sun). Designed for both commercial and residential installations, the recently released Pro 2 Series models include SunBrite TV’s proprietary anti-glare technology, special Day and Night viewing modes, and expanded connectivity options. Not to be outdone outside, Samsung’s series of outdoor Smart TVs, called The Terrace, includes 65- and 75-inch models ($4,999 and $6,499, respectively) that incorporate QLED 4K HDR displays, anti-reflective screen
Apollo Enclosures doesn’t make outdoor TVs, but they do make enclosures (didn’t see that coming, did you?) that turn indoor TVs into outdoor TVs. The company’s Elite Line of outdoor weatherproof TV enclosures encompasses six models for TVs with screen sizes up to 86-inches. The all-aluminum, powder-coated enclosures include anti-reflective safety glass, Tight Seal technology, and temperature-controlled, filtered airflow systems for protection from temperatures up to 122 F degrees. Apollo Enclosures says two essential advantages of using their enclosures are: 1) with enclosure prices starting at $895, there’s a potentially significant overall price saving versus buying a purpose-built outdoor TV, and 2) it offers a future-proof approach since the enclosed TV can be easily replaced at any time with the newest model incorporating the latest features. Outdoor Monitoring Doorbell and external video cameras have become quintessential to surveilling and protecting the exterior of a home, but they don’t always require a security expert for setup.
Samsung’s The Terrace
Abode indoor-outdoor camera
ISSUE FOCUS
Taking the Temp on Outdoor Tech
Joining more familiar names in the category, like Amazon’s Ring and Google’s Nest brands, the abode systems Outdoor/Indoor Smart Camera can be deployed using a number of included mounts to optimize installation flexibility and provide intelligent video coverage wherever it is needed most. Engineered into a compact package roughly half the size of a deck of playing cards, the video camera features a PIR motion sensor to identify when someone is approaching, an IR LED for low-light vision, a built-in microphone and speaker for two-way communication, a light sensor, and a wide-angle lens capable of providing 1920 x 1080p video across a 152-degree field of view. To withstand the elements, the abode Outdoor/Indoor Smart Camera features an IP65 weather-resistance rating and can withstand a wide variation of outdoor temperatures. Sod Song Whether music was invented for relaxation and enjoyment or vice versa, it’s a given that maximizing your backyard entertainment requires a good outdoor speaker system. In fact, outdoor speakers have become so popular that it’s easy to lose count of the number of speaker companies making weather-resistant versions. The most common style of outdoor speaker has a shape and driver configuration similar to that of indoor bookshelf speakers. For example, many manufacturers offer a variety of compact models with adjustable mounting brackets that make it easy for integrators (as well as DIYers) to mount the speakers close to a wall unobtrusively or under eaves, and point them toward the listening area. Not all backyards and landscapes are the same, however, and, as you’d expect, there’s plenty of out-of-the-box creativity when it comes to outdoor speaker styles. For years, rock speakers (they play classical, jazz, and other music genres, too!), many from companies, like Niles, Rockustics, Sonance, and others, that specialize in custom integration, have been designed to blend into the surroundings by looking like, you guessed it, rocks. A more recent trend sometimes referred to as “landscape” or “garden” speakers, packs the speaker drivers into enclosures that resemble landscape spotlight fixtures. Thanks to their smaller size and shape, these speakers can be tucked away in locations where other styles of outdoor speakers either wouldn’t fit or would become an eyesore.
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amplified outdoor speakers include built-in SKAA receivers, allowing them to be used individually or as part of a more extensive SKAA wireless multiroom audio system.
Origin Acoustics Bollard
Sonance offers systems that include two sizes of spotlight-style speakers, along with multiple outdoor subwoofer options (including models that can be buried in the ground). Origin Acoustics’ disguises its latest outdoor speakers to resemble landscape lighting bollards with 360-degree sound dispersion and integrated inground subwoofers. James Loudspeaker puts the landscape in the speaker with several outdoor designs that do double duty by also functioning as planters. Considering the difficulties inherent in installing long runs of speaker wires outdoors, wireless speakers would seem to be a convenient alternative. Wireless audio, though, has its weaknesses, such as limited range, latency and sync delays, and interference. Atlantic Technology says SKAA 2.4 GHz wireless technology “eliminates all issues of other wireless audio systems…delivering sound quality comparable to wired systems” over distances of up to 150 feet. The company’s new Atlantic Technology
Access Networks B310 outdoor WIFI
Wire Less, Enjoy More Taking entertainment outdoors usually means taking access to a home network, especially the internet, outside as well. It’s difficult enough for most folks to get decent Wi-Fi coverage throughout their homes, so extending that coverage outside the house might seem like an impossible dream. But companies that specialize in residential and commercial networking hardware and software, like Access Networks, can not only create seamless Wi-Fi throughout your home, they can also blanket your yard – over as many acres or as much beachfront as you might own – with a high-speed, reliable Wi-Fi signal using inconspicuous outdoor-rated wireless access points. This means you can enjoy streaming media, whether you’re inside or out. Perhaps more importantly, a stable outdoor Wi-Fi network enables home automation and other devices, such as pool and spa controllers or Wi-Fi-enabled BBQ grilles (yes, they exist), can be easily accessed and controlled. Conclusion Tennyson once wrote that in the spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love. What he didn’t say was that in spring (and summer), everyone else’s thoughts fill with the desire to get outside and enjoy the sun, the stars, and some fresh air. Unless you’ve decided to spend your summer “naked and afraid,” whenever and wherever you do step outside, there’s plenty of outdoor technology to make it more fun and relaxing than ever. x
FULLY LOADED. C 658 BluOS Streaming DAC It’s a streamer, it’s a DAC, and it’s a pre-amp. Just add powered speakers or connect it to a power amplifier and the world of music is at your fingertips through the BluOS Contoller app. With a variety of inputs and outputs for watching TV and movies, listening to vinyl records, or streaming from a music service or your personal digital music library, it’s no exaggeration that the NAD C 658 is fully loaded.
Find out more at nadelectronics.com/product/C-658
INSTALLATION
Bringing It All Together Digital Installers Deploys a Multi-Room AV System with a Centralized Core By Brian Galante While AV over IP remains all the rage as a distributed AV tech trend, there are still plenty of opportunities for traditional matrix systems in the residential market, where the IP transition has been slower, and HDBaseT and HDMI connectivity is still taking the lion’s share of the business. A recent luxury home AV installation for the Singleton family in the Huntington Beach, CA, area highlights how legacy AV systems still provide exceptional value in flexibility for moving audio, video, and control data across multiple rooms and spaces. Installed by Long Beach-based Digital Installers, the project delivered a multi-room system with a centralized AV core into the residence of an existing client as part of a larger renovation. According to Esmond Duong, technology manager at Digital Installers, the lack of a centralized headend meant that connectivity between space was virtually absent, leaving the family to manage a hodge-podge of disparate systems by room. “There were separate systems throughout the entire home, which meant that the AV equipment was local to whichever room that person happened to be in,” Duong said. “Both the Singletons and the Digital Installers team had a goal to design and deploy a centralized system that would also bring down the number of components to manage.” Duong and his team initially considered an AV over IP system before setting their sights on a more traditional matrix design that brought together new technology from Atlona, Control4, Samsung, Sonos, and TruAudio. The backbone includes an extensive cabling infrastructure from ICE Cable (Cat-6 network cabling, HDMI, and additional support cables) and a centralized 19-inch rack enclosure from Middle Atlantic.
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“The headend exists in a very tight space,” Duong said. “We needed a single tall and robust rack that could slide out from the wall and support a lot of weight, particularly for the audio systems that populate most of the shelves. The enclosure was also spacious enough to accommodate our cables, which we also pull through a wall-mounted Legrand On-Q enclosure to manage the runs.” WattBox WB100-VPS-6 rack-mounted power strips serve as the AV power supplies inside the rack. AV Everywhere The AV for the two-story house is distributed to a large and diverse group of spaces. Inside, the system reaches a foyer, wine cellar, kitchen, dining room, living room, two offices, a master bedroom, and two guest bedrooms. The system also reaches outdoors and other sections of the home, including a covered patio, a trellised patio, a pool, an exterior deck, and a large garage. The backbone of the network uses HDBaseT-certified Cat-6 cabling throughout, which Duong emphasizes as “mandatory” for ensuring signal integrity. “The cabling must always be HDBaseTcertified,” he said. “Otherwise, there are too many potential quality issues to troubleshoot, especially when it comes to highresolution video transmission.” Digital Installers quickly concluded that Atlona’s Opus Series of matrix switchers and receivers would best meet the requirements for the Singleton home, which included 4K video distribution for several rooms.
Duong chose the AT-OPUS-810M matrix switcher for the heart of the system, which is the largest capacity HDBaseT switcher in the product family with an 8x10 capacity. The main switcher is installed in the Middle Atlantic AXSXR-43, an in-wall rack that can be rotated once pulled out from the structure. That rack system was installed in a second-floor closet that essentially serves as the Singleton’s AV headend. The eight-input, 10-output capacity was a strategic choice, according to Duong. “In
Duong and his team initially considered an AV over IP system before setting their sights on a more traditional matrix design that brought together new technology from Atlona, Control4, Samsung, Sonos, and TruAudio. The backbone includes an extensive cabling infrastructure from ICE Cable (Cat-6 network cabling, HDMI, and additional support cables) and a centralized 19-inch rack enclosure from Middle Atlantic.
INSTALLATION (Top left) Control4 simplified the entire project, as Digital Installers did not have to build the entire control matrix from scratch.
(Top right and bottom row) Sony OLED and LED 4K displays were added to the family room, master bedroom, the second office, and the outdoor patio. Several televisions from the homeowner’s previous residence were also installed, along with a number of client-furnished existing Apple TVs and DirectTV set-top boxes for media playout.
choosing the largest scale available, the client can grow into the system,” he said. “Instead of choosing the exact fit for the time, we prefer opting for a looser fit, because then the client knows that they can always grow into it and continue to add new sources and destinations.” The matrix switcher feeds Atlona ATOPUS-RX receivers in several rooms that received new 4K UHD displays for television. Digital Installers added a Samsung UN43LS03NAFXZA 43-inch “The Frame” TV to a first-floor home office where Mrs. Singleton typically works. “She enjoys interior design, so we thought that ‘The Frame’ was structurally and environmentally the perfect choice for her space,” Duong said. Sony OLED and LED 4K displays were added to the family room, master bedroom, the second office, and the outdoor patio. Several televisions from the homeowner’s previous residence were also installed, along with a number of clientfurnished existing Apple TVs and DirectTV set-top boxes for media playout. Duong noted that the Opus systems streamlined distribution between these rooms, made further possible by adding Atlona HDREX-70C-KIT HDBaseT extender systems in the rooms most distant from the headend. The HDBaseT connectivity in all of the Altona systems eliminated the need to integrate Apple TVs or DirectTV boxes in each space where the homeowners wanted these services. “They just have a few Apple TVs and DirectTV boxes that are on the Opus matrix, and then from there the signal is distributed to any room they want,” he said, emphasizing that
this strategy also eliminated any requirements for video to reside on the Singleton’s home IP network.
robust switch that adds value while enabling control of each port, which facilitates troubleshooting.”
“One of the reasons we chose Opus was that it wasn’t a big AV over IP switching product,” Duong said. “This is a self-contained matrix switcher that directly accepts all video feeds. The transmission never actually interacts with the network switch, which we used mainly for control.”
A Sonos networked system amplifies and delivers audio throughout the house, including surround sound in several of the rooms with TVs. Opus also allows for television audio to be played back through the speaker system. “We de-embedded the audio from the HDMI input and sent it out as an analog signal,” Duong said. The audio system is made up of a combination of six- and eight-inch TruAudio inwall speakers, powered by either Sonos amplifiers or a Sony AV receiver.
A Control4 C4-4SIGHT-E solution, chosen for its ability to work well within the Atlona Opus framework, provides a remote connection back to the house for control of the AV across all rooms.
“We chose different TruAudio systems for each room to match the environment,” Duong said. “For simpler listening rooms, we chose their six-inch carbon fiber speakers. For surround rooms with a complete AV experience, we chose the larger format eight-inch loudspeakers with separate in-wall subwoofers. That helps to free up real estate on the floor, which especially pleased Mrs. Singleton.”
“Control4 simplified the entire rollout, as we did not have to build the entire control matrix from scratch,” Duong said. “It’s a simple interface for the Singletons, as well, and a quick learning curve when it comes to managing video and audio playout across different rooms. This system also plays very nicely with Opus, which was important for both our team for the integration and to the Singletons for ease of use.”
For the Singletons, the Atlona Opus system answered their key requirement: that the system support 4K.
Free Flow Communication between other devices in the system, such as control, audio, and automated home systems (including Nest HVAC control) is enabled through an Araknis Networks AN700-AP managed switch.
“As technology changes and new resolutions are introduced onto the market, the video distribution systems have to support it,” Duong says. “When 4K was introduced, there were few companies that jumped on the bandwagon right away. This system addresses the requirements for high-end AV distribution in the home that we see emerging as a common request from residential customers.” x
“We selected a managed network switch that allows us to pull up the GUI interface, see the pathway of how the traffic flows, and label the connection points,” Duong noted. “This is a
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GREEN TECH
Integrating an Outdoor Air Quality Monitor System The PurpleAir PA-II Walks the Line Between a Residential-Grade Outdoor System and One Designed for Industrial Use By Jay Basen The PurpleAir PA-II uses dual-laser particle detectors to provide realtime measurements of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 particulates.
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According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths globally are linked to ambient air pollution, mainly from heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections in children. Pollutants with the strongest evidence for a public health concern, include particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulphur dioxide (SO2).
has been linked to premature death in people with heart or lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, and increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that particulate pollution exposure
Professional outdoor air quality monitoring stations tied to the website airnow.gov provide
Residential Tech Today | June/July 2020
There are many options for monitoring indoor air quality in a home, but there are very few options for a consumer to monitor outdoor air quality around their own home.
outdoor air quality information in most areas of the country, but just as it can rain only a short distance away and not at your home, outdoor air quality can vary significantly between locations that are only a few miles apart. For example, depending on wind direction, air pollution from factories or coal-fired power generating stations can be blown one direction one day and a totally different direction the next. Also, wildfires have become more common in all parts of the country, and smoke from a fire is a significant health hazard. Wind
GREEN TECH
can drive the smoke plume from a fire to blanket one area in a thick haze, while only a few miles away the air is clear. Integrating a personal, outdoor air quality monitoring station into a smart home will allow one to make informed decisions to minimize exposure to polluted air and allow a smart home to make similar decisions on the owner’s behalf. The PurpleAir PA-II is an outdoor airquality monitor designed for residential, commercial, and industrial use. It uses duallaser particle detectors to provide real-time measurements of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 particulates. As the illustration on this page shows, PM2.5 particles consist of, among other things, soot, tobacco smoke, and even sea spray. Examples of PM10 particles are dust, pollen, and mold. Both PM10 and PM2.5 particles are dangerous to human health because they can lodge deep in the lungs. PM1 particles are less than 1 micron in diameter and are especially dangerous because they can pass through the lungs, into the bloodstream, and then to a person’s internal organs. Examples of PM1 particles are ultra-fine dust, bacteria, and viruses. PurpleAir PA-II Installation The PurpleAir PA-II mounts easily on an outside wall of a home with a single screw. It includes a weatherproof cover that protects the sensitive, laser particle detectors from the elements. To allow outdoor air to reach the detectors, the underside of the cover is open. Therefore, the unit must be mounted high enough off the ground so that snow accumulation in the winter won’t reach it. In addition, the PurpleAir PA-II is powered by a small, waterproof, plug-in power supply, so it must either be mounted near an outdoor, 120 VAC outlet or a hole needs to be drilled in an exterior wall of the home to route the wire from the power supply to the PurpleAir PA-II. The PurpleAir PA-II connects to a home’s 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. When the unit is first plugged in, it will broadcast a Wi-Fi SSID of PurpleAir-xxxx, where xxxx is a four-digit number. Once a user has connected to that
PM2.5 particles consist of soot, tobacco smoke, and even sea spray. Examples of PM10 particles are dust, pollen, and mold. Both PM10 and PM2.5 particles are dangerous to human health because they can lodge deep in the lungs. PM1 particles are less than 1 micron in diameter and are especially dangerous.
monitors that PurpleAir provided me with for this article are shown as small dots. Clicking on one of these dots displays the data from a PurpleAir monitor. There is a wealth of options to accommodate professionals’ use of the data from these sensors that go beyond what a consumer needs.
network, a pop-up will appear that allows the user to select their home’s network’s SSID from a list and enter their network password. Once the air quality monitor is connected to your network, you just need to register the unit by going to www.purpleair.com/register. The PurpleAir PA-II walks the line between a residential-grade outdoor air quality monitor and one designed for commercial/industrial use. The use of redundant laser particle detectors is one aspect of the product that leans more toward the commercial and industrial side. But, the ease of installation and connectivity to a home’s Wi-Fi network makes this a very consumer-friendly product.
The data from the PurpleAir PA-II can also be viewed by connecting to their local IP addresses using a web browser. The local web interface on the monitor allows a user to view live data, view a 120-second average, change Wi-Fi settings, and jump to the map registration page on the PurpleAir website. The PurpleAir PA-II outdoor air quality monitor is inexpensive enough for home use. The industrial design of this monitor doesn’t offer the same ease of use as other consumer air quality monitors, and there isn’t an app for your smartphone. But they provide a wealth of data and can be integrated directly into a smart home instead of having to be queried through a cloud service. So, the data from these devices can be used to drive air cleaners and other devices related to health without the worry that an internet outage will leave these devices inoperable. x
Most consumers today, however, expect that smart, IoT products that they install in their home will include an easy-to-use smart phone app. PurpleAir didn’t go that route with the PAII. Instead, there is a website that allows users to not only view the data from their PA-II, but all the other PA-IIs installed around the world. The map is reasonably easy to use, though it is definitely designed to meet the needs of the professional. It automatically centered my location on my computer’s screen, and the
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Klipsch has added The Fives powered monitors to its series of Heritage Wireless speakers – the first powered monitors to feature HDMI-ARC to connect directly to a TV. The result is a big, bold sound stage, and a better listening experience than a common soundbar. Made with luxury materials, The Fives blend the design legacy of Paul W. Klipsch with an integrated phono pre-amp, Bluetooth wireless technology, digital optical, analog RCA, and USB inputs. A subwoofer output is also included.
The new August Home Wi-Fi Smart Lock is 45-percent smaller in volume and 20-percent slimmer than the August Smart Lock Pro. From convenient access sharing and remote management to automatic locking/ unlocking and 24/7 monitoring to strict security and privacy policies, it provides users with complete control over — and insight into — their front door’s activities, from anywhere in the world. The new smart lock provides a smoother turning mechanism, and its face offers softer surface transitions and rounded edges.
When Bowers & Wilkins attaches the name “Signature” to its loudspeakers, you can be sure that the results are very special. The two new Signature versions of premium loudspeakers from the company’s 700 Series range — the stand-mount 705 Signature and floor-standing 702 Signature − share a common philosophy with their predecessors. Both models feature specially treated and upgraded bypass capacitors, larger heatsinking, and, in the case of the 702, an upgraded LF capacitor on the bass section of the crossover.
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Meeting the needs of the new remote reality of COVID-19, Crestron HomeTime is a unification of the Logitech MeetUp conference camera with the Crestron unified communications (UC) engine that integrates with Crestron control to deliver the optimal Zoom Rooms experience. It offers the size and scale to handle UC in any room in the home. Crestron allows users to host and join Zoom meetings without a laptop while providing the simplicity of one-touch join from a Crestron remote or mobile app.
People who love the timeless look of real wood blinds and the convenience of smart home technology can now enjoy both with the addition of smart wood blinds to the Lutron Triathlon and Serena window coverings product lines. In addition to their timeless aesthetic, smart wood blinds can be customized using the new Natural Light Optimization feature of the Lutron app to automatically adjust throughout the day, allowing the optimal amount of daylight into a room and providing maximum comfort day after day.
Control4, the smart home brand for SnapAV, has introduced Essential Lighting, an expansion to the Control4 Wireless Lighting line that makes it more affordable for homeowners to add to other areas of the home, such as bathrooms, the laundry room, and the garage. Designed to enable the addition of essential smart lighting features to any project, the affordability of the Control4 Essential Lighting line provides flexibility and introduces new homeowners to the smart lighting experience.
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION
AudioControl has announced the availability of three immersive AV receivers, the Concert XR-8, Concert XR-6, and Concert XR-4, which are packed with advanced cinema technologies, such as Dirac room correction and all of the popular surround formats. Each model features 16 channels of output, integrated web-based configuration, appbased control, Google Cast, Airplay 2, aptX Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi streaming connectivity. The company’s newest preamp/processors – the Maestro X9 and Maestro X7 – support 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced, with 16-channels of balanced and unbalanced output.
Denon’s new 8K-ready AV receivers – the AVR-X6700H, AVR-X4700H, AVR-X3700H, and AVR-X2700H – have been designed for the next generation of home theater, gaming, and music experiences. The receivers take advantage of the latest HDMI technologies. For example, a dedicated “8K” HDMI input enables 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through, new HDR format support (including HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR), and a new HDMI feature called Quick Media Switching (QMS), which allows a source to instantly switch the resolution or frame rate to eliminate screen blackout.
ELK Products Inc. has released a new version of its C1M1 Dual Path Alarm Communicator, the ELK-C1M1LTEA, which supports areas covered by the AT&T LTE cellular network. Using both IP and cellular pathways, ELK’s C1M1 Alarm Communicators provide full data reporting to central stations. Eliminating dial capture, data bus decoding, and cloud servers significantly reduce transmission time. C1M1 simplifies remote access for programming and control of M1 controls, with no port forwarding or extra fees.
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION
Leon has expanded on its Tonecase line of technology concealment products, with the patent-pending TcFIT-U, a universal mounting solution specifically for attaching any Sonos soundbar (including the new Sonos Arc) to a TV. The TcFIT-U system includes a “signature� Leon custom grille built to match the exact width of the TV, blending the soundbar with the display for a streamlined look. It comes in three models that offer adjustable depth to accommodate any Sonos soundbar.
Nortek Security & Control LLC (NSC) has added the Panamax VT1512-IP Advanced Power Conditioner, a BlueBOLT-enabled, ultra-slim form factor vertical rack power conditioner, and power sequencer. Measuring 1.7 x 1.75 x 37 inches, the VT1512-IP is a fullfeatured power conditioner providing protection and filtration for maximum longevity and performance of connected equipment. It is BlueBOLT enabled, which allows remote reboot of 12 individually controlled outlets, and the ability to monitor energy use, set alerts, program scheduled commands, and network pings with conditioner reboots.
Savant-owned Artison is dedicated to the design of premium performance architectural loudspeakers and that even holds true for in-wall subwoofers. The two new Mark II series Reactance Cancelling Configuration (RCC) architectural subwoofers were designed to offer increased output levels, improved dynamics, lower distortion, and a significant increase in efficiency. They are a perfect fit for active entertainment spaces such as great rooms, where integrators must deliver superior sound even as people move throughout the space.
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MEET-UP
Events
The opportunity to gather in-person, connect with manufacturers, and learn from some of the industry’s best is not something any of us will be taking for granted this year. Our friends at CEDIA were able to put together a new schedule of events that will serve as an important touchpoint for the industry as we are on the road to recovery from the pandemic. CEDIA’s revised schedule for the popular CEDIA Technology & Business Summits provides eight in-person events and one new virtual conference for the fall.
Upcoming 2020 CEDIA Technology & Business Summit Dates
Sept. 22
Atlanta, Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia
Oct. 29
Houston, Hilton Houston Post Oak
Nov. 19
New York, Melville Marriott
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Sept. 24
Vancouver, New Virtual Event
Nov. 5
Toronto, Toronto Airport Marriot
Dec. 1
Woodland Hills, CA , Marriott Warner Center
Oct. 27
Dallas, Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel
Nov. 17
New Jersey, Renaissance Newark
Dec. 3
Irvine, CA, Irvine Marriott
COMING UP
Residential Tech Today
COMING ISSUES August
Embracing Biophilia: The “healthy home” is being discussed as the next frontier for the evolution of smart technology. This issue’s theme is finding the best way to turn the smart home into an environment that mimics the natural world for improved health and wellness of its occupants, from human-centric lighting to proper sound isolation, air handling, and water purification. FOCUS: BATHROOM TECH
September/October
My Control: There are many ways to control a smart home, from individual apps to handheld remotes, voice-controlled devices, and even machine learning to predict your behavior. What are the current strengths and limitations to the state of the art in this category, and what’s on the horizon for smart home control and automation technologies? FOCUS: LIGHTING AND LIVING ROOM SOLUTIONS
November/December
Faster Mobile Internet: 5G technology is the next generation of wireless communications. It is expected to provide internet connections that are least 40 times faster than 4G LTE. The introduction of 5G holds many promises in the world of technology, particularly related to self-driving vehicles. Find out how it will impact home technology in the near future. FOCUS: WELLNESS & HOME OFFICE
Photo: iStockphoto.com/NelleG
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RELAX
The Lighter Side
Fitness Tech You Need This Summer
By Anthony Elio
Photo: iStockphoto.com/CursedSenses
There wasn’t a chance to get back in shape before showing off your summer body this year. I don’t read the news, but for some reason gyms have been closed for the past few months. Because of this, instead of doing my usual 300 daily sit-ups and maintaining a healthy diet, I’m up to three gravy rum smoothies every morning. Because my doctor has informed me that I’m now composed mostly of cholesterol, this might be my final column. Regardless, here is a list of the tech you’ll need to burn calories, regain muscle, and exude your first energy of the summer. Now, if only somebody would actually take these exercise tech ideas and (um) run with them.
NFL Career VR
Exercisr It can be tough to get to the gym, I get it. But the simple fact is that you’re paying for a membership and should make the most of it. Well, thanks to the new app Exercisr, you can match up with someone that looks enough like you on your gym membership pass. After that, they’ll not only visit the gym for you, but this new fit version of you can also attend family events, dates, parties, wedding, honeymoon, and your child’s conception and birth.
Thanks to NFL Career VR, you can get the exercise of a professional football player without ever leaving the house. In addition to playing in games and practicing, you can also partake in all the other aspects of professional football, such as appearing in Subway ads, receiving a four-game suspension for performanceenhancing substances, and dealing with nagging knee pain after retirement. Unfortunately, the development company has faced backlash for their recently announced “Michael Vick DLC.”
Photo: iStockphoto.com/MundusImages
GymCrush Essential Smart Workout System
Photo: iStockphoto.com/Dmytro Aksonov
Dr. Mason Macgillicutty’s OldFashioned Weight Loss Elixir As long as you’re using all this new tech, why not add a throwback to your health regiment? An established name from the late 19th century, Dr. Mason Macgillicutty’s OldFashioned Weight Loss Elixir is a retro supplement ready to make a full comeback. Containing an ideal mixture of chlorodyne, blue lotus extract, and sulfanilamide, the elixir helps to eat away excess fat, as well as excess minerals, excess skin, and excess kidney tissue. Possible side effects include loss of minerals, skin, and kidneys. Photo: iStockphoto.com/worldofstock
Anthony Elio is a ranch dressing enthusiast and can be be followed at www.instagram.com/ants.tvg
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One of the quickest ways to lose weight is through the GymCrush Essential Smart Workout System. The entire system includes a smart yoga mat, smart water bottle, smart headband, smart sash, shoes with smart shoelaces, and full smart bodysuit. The entire system costs $5,785. Because a U.S. dollar weighs approximately one gram and there are 454 grams in a pound, you will immediately be 12.74 pounds lighter upon leaving the store.
AVANCE
Rock-solid AV Performance
Versatile 4K/UHD HDMI Over HDBaseT Extension The Atlona Avance™ Series of HDMI extender kits are the latest generation of reliable HDBaseT extenders for 4K/UHD AV signals. Avance is made up of five kits to suit a wide variety of budget, distance, signal, and power requirements, all of which include powerful integration features that ensure video transmission integrity and quality.
Models now shipping! AT-AVA-EX100CE-BP-KIT
FILTERING
STRETCHING
LINK TEST
EDID Filtering
Clock Stretching
HDBaseT Link Test
Prevents extension of unsupported resolutions to increase the integrity of video transmission
Improves interoperability with legacy and low-quality HDMI video sources
Enables easy verification of cabling, termination, and link quality at the point of install
40/100M TX
RX
IP/RS-232/IR
EXTEND 4K
Flexible Powering
Control/Data Options
Distance Options
Kits are available with either local power supplies, remote where TX powers RX, or bidirectional, BP, where power is supplied by either TX or RX
Avance offers kits with no control, extension of RS-232 and IR, or extension of Ethernet, RS-232, and IR
Extend 4K/UHD 60Hz 4:2:0 at distances up to either 40M (130’) or 100M (330’) over Category 6A/7
Visit atlona.com/avance
paramount
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Rough-in brackets are now available. Visit accesspointmount.com or sales@whyreboot.com to learn more!
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