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From the Editor My home features an eclectic blend of technology. Over the years, I’ve built a modest basement home theater, added manufacturer-installed in-wall and in-ceiling speakers and a corresponding multi-room audio system around the house, then, most recently, had a Control4 TV system professionally installed to control my lighting dimmers, fans, and TV. Call it the perks of writing about the “smart home” for more than 20 years. The challenge realized by anyone with a professionally integrated home system of a certain scale, however, is that once the technology is installed, it’s almost immediately considered “outdated.” At least that’s how it seems to me, as new products are introduced each year, and even the way my family interacts with the system evolves over time.
Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki
“ Nothing beats having a trained, certified, and ‘road-tested’ professional integrator stop by to give your home technology system a touch-up.”
Fortunately, pro-level home tech these days is designed to be more flexible after the initial installation. While there’s still quite a bit of programming required, most major control systems now allow the end-user to make adjustments to such things as lighting control “scenes,” TV or streaming music channels “favorites,” and schedules for automating certain devices. When my integrator, Indianapolis-based Millennium Sound, updated my Control4 system to OS3 recently, I received an email from the company letting me know that my iPhone app would look different after the update and that they were happy to come out and walk me through some of my system’s new features. Due to my job, I was pretty well acquainted with the new features. Still, I welcomed the opportunity to hear directly from my integrator about features I could adjust myself (see page 22). The great thing about having your integrator stop by is that it affords you the chance to make minor adjustments to your setup that you’ve been ignoring for a while. For me, I had purchased a new 4K Apple TV box that I asked Millennium to add into my system. I also learned about a “gesture” feature within the Control4 OS3 app that mimics – on your iPhone screen – the “touchpad” of the Apple TV remote. It was something that I hadn’t heard described in my editorial briefings, so to me that was worth the visit alone. We also made some minor adjustments to my lighting control system and installed two new Pakedge WA-2200 Wave 2 access points to make my home’s Wi-Fi even zippier than it was before. All in all, “It was a good day.” I realize that installing a DIY home technology system can be gratifying, if that’s your thing. But, nothing beats having a trained, certified, and “road-tested” professional integrator stop by to give your home technology system a touch-up.
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
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contents
48 Tamara Day’s Family Matters Cover Photo: Paul Versluis
Departments 10 By the Numbers 12 Quick Bits 14 Connected Home 16 Smart Devices 18 CEDIA Says 20 Power 22 Control 64 Product Revolution 68 Tech Tools 70 Events 71 Coming Up 72 The Lighter Side
24 Innovator Spotlight J. Becher & Assoc. Simplifies Life with New Technology
26 Design Side Eliminating Audible Garbage
28 Networked Home Taking the Edge Off
32 Industry Relations Considering the Tech Consultant
36 Issue Focus: How Remote is Remote? M/I Homes Embraces Clare Controls Technology 42 Remote AI
44 Health Tech Improving Our ‘Well State’
54 Installation Experiential Showroom
60 Innovative Tech Technology Fit for a Disaster
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
Contributors Mark Moody has been with Legrand in Europe and the USA for over 25 years. During this time, he has worked on areas as diverse as lighting control, user interfaces, and network initiatives. He enjoys outdoor activities including dirt biking, skiing, and hiking in the Utah mountains with his wife and two teenage children. Moody studied computer-aided product design and marketing with honors.
Gordon Isaac is a veteran sales leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the technology industry, including Core Brands and AVAD. He focuses on culture and building successful teams that get results and make companies grow.
Based in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, Cody Crossland is vice president of sales and marketing at BlackWire Designs, a CE wholesale distributor that provides support for residential and commercial integrators. He also owns Diamond Design-Texas, a lead supplier and integrator for home automation, theater, and home security.
At St. Louis-based Integration Controls, Jamie Briesemeister leads sales and marketing and is actively involved in business development, including industry outreach and education. In addition to local, community-focused CEU sessions and seminars, she also speaks nationally about the smart, connected home at events such as The Remodeling Show/Deck Expo, IBS/KBIS for Design & Construction week, The Remodeling Leadership Conference, and at CEDIA Talks and Expo panels.
Dennis Burger is a native Alabamian whose passion for AV and home automation technology is matched only by his fascination with the weather and his love of Star Wars. His credits include writing for and/or editing publications ranging from Robb Report Home Entertainment and Digital TV & Sound to Wirecutter and currently Home Theater Review.
Henry Clifford founded Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. Through hard work, honesty, and quality craftsmanship, Livewire has become the premiere technology integrator in Central Virginia. Livewire’s installation and service techs have years of experience and a wide range of technological, construction, and electronic certifications. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company.
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. He’s currently working on designing the perfect automated smart chicken coop.
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
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A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives
When security and the smart home cross paths in conversation, cybersecurity is generally the topic that comes to mind. However, while keeping your IoT devices locked down is important, the physical security of your home and possessions is vital. Luckily, with smart home security devices such as connected cameras and smart alarms, it’s more convenient than ever to secure your abode. Let’s dive into the statistics that reflect the growth of smart home security tech and, as a likely cause-and-effect result, the decreasing burglary rates we’ve seen in recent years.
FBI data says that Property Crime (Burglary, theft, car theft) has dropped
3/5
Day
$2,383
% 50 between 1993 and 2017 pewresearch.org
in the U.S. say security is the primary benefit of the smart home
Average Residential Theft Amount - Night Vs. Day (2017) Night
$1,995 statista.com
(2015 Lowe’s Smart Home Survey)
Average Homeowner Claim Severity (2013-17)
Smart Home Security Industry Revenue ($Millions) 30,000
28,198.8 24,350.5
25,000
FIRE/LIGHTNING
$68,322
20,633.1
20,000
17,107.4 PROPERTY DAMAGE/ BODILY INJURY
13,801.3
15,000
$26,085
10,754.6 7,607 statista.com
10,000 5,000 0
2017
U.S. BURGLARY RATES (PER 100,000 CITIZENS)
fbi.gov
HOMEOWNER LOSS CLAIM FREQUENCY www.iii.org
10
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
1998
2002
2007
2012
WIND/HAIL
FREEZING/ WATER DAMAGE
THEFT
FIRE/ LIGHTNING
2.05 0.31
Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
0.28
$10,234
2023
2017
863.2 747.0 726.1 672.2 430.4 2.10
FREEZING/WATER DAMAGE
PROPERTY DAMAGE/
BODILY INJURY
0.08
icons freepik.com/macrovector
WIND AND HAIL
$10,182 THEFT
$4,264 www.iii.org icons freepik.com
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QUICK BITS WE ASK INDUSTRY INSIDERS ONE QUESTION
In what ways does your company provide remote service for clients?
Our service standard revolves around Pakedge networks with BakPak and Panamax power with BlueBolt. All clients have that capability in their systems, and it interfaces with our ERP system, ConnectWise, for a ticketing platform. Clients can be remotely managed and serviced without even knowing it is happening! If a client requires onsite service, the ticket is escalated and assigned. Chris Smith, Cloud9 Smart, New York City
We sell Parasol [24/7/360 monitoring service] for $600/year on systems up to $25,000, collecting yearly. On systems from $25,000 to $100,000, we sell a three-year Parasol package for a flat seven percent of the sale (divided over three years). From $100,000 to $250,000, it’s six percent. Sales over $250,000 are five percent (divided over three years). If a client doesn’t opt for our service plan, then they get 90 days of free service, then pay per service call or phone consultation. Tom Stone, Stone Glidden, King of Prussia, PA
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
The Loop sees remote service as a win for both sides – us able to respond faster to client needs resulting in happier clients and us able to address issues at a lower overhead since there is no driving or applicable burdens. We use VPN tunnels, OvrC, and Domotz, all under our ProCare brand, to manage power state, network uptime, firmware updates, and even remote entry/exit for third-party tech scheduling. Just recently, we used our remote management platform to manage an HVAC service for one of our clients, resulting in us actually making money on an HVAC service call. Eric Crawford, The Loop, Boise, ID Currently, we mostly rely on OvrC-enabled products that we configure to autoreboot the network (modem, router, switches) if internet connectivity is lost. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, we can log into the OvrC account and reboot outlets as needed for cable boxes or controllers. We also use Control4’s remote access to log in and check IP connections and status. John Sciacca, Custom Theater and Audio, Myrtle Beach, SC One of the most unique ways we provide remote services for our clients is by providing them with cloud-based NVR/DVR services for their camera systems. Through years of experience, we found that 99 percent of the time when a client wanted to access recorded footage from their camera system, they would end up calling us to help them do it because they had forgotten how to do it. We decided to start offering those services remotely, so that our clients could contact us when they needed to view footage, and we could send it to them directly [for a fee]. Travis Leo, Residential Systems Inc., Denver, CO All of our integrated control systems include a network monitoring device and an IP addressable power controller (Wattbox, OvrC, and BlueBOLT products primarily). We monitor our client’s systems and we are notified if any device disconnects from the network. We are able to log on to our systems, reset devices, and test our systems in most circumstances. Barry Reiner, InnerSpace Electronics, Port Chester, NY Depending on the project, we use both Pakedge BakPak and OvrC. With our proactive – rather than reactive – approach, we monitor all items in a smart home. If an issue were to occur, our team remotely addresses the issue. In most instances the issue is resolved before the customer even knows that there was an issue. Another remote service we offer is remote system OS, network, and security updates. To date, about 90 percent of the systems we deploy and manage are updated remotely during out-of-use hours. Joe Whitaker, The Thoughtful Home, St. Louis, MO and Dallas, TX Our company utilizes a third-party remote monitoring solution combined with IPcontrolled outlets to remotely manage our clients’ systems. We have found this to allow proactive solutions, in most cases, prior to client notification of an issue. We are monitoring electrical, internet bandwidth, and speed, as well as all networked devices in the home. This, coupled with our 24/7/365 on-call support, allows us to provide the level of service our clients demand. Scott Fuelling, Phoenix, Memphis, TN cyberManor provides remote services via a number of different platforms: OvrC, Domotz, Lutron, Control4, and TeamViewer. We use the remote service that is most appropriate for the client based on the hardware that we have installed in their home and the remote services that we are trying to provide. And, of course, there is always the tried-and-true phone-based service call. Gordon van Zuiden, cyberManor, Los Gatos, CA
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Savant Shades are designed to complement architectural details rather than conceal them. Savant’s shading solutions are available in both wired and battery motor options making design the first choice even for retrofit installations.
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DEPARTMENTS
Connected Home
Peeping Mom Smart Home Systems and Spy Cams Are Helping the Elderly Keep Their Independence The creators of the abode iota Smart Home Security System saw an opportunity and developed an approachable, easy-to-install monitoring system to help older clients stay in their homes.
By Patricia Miller
“Getting old sucks,” my mother muttered as we wheeled her up the driveway after her hipreplacement surgery. Aging can be frustrating. Changes in mobility, temporary disabilities, and the threat of a fall are sometimes all it takes to shift from independence to assisted living. As smart home technology catches up to the needs of older consumers, more people are choosing to “age in place.” Voice activation, sensor-based monitoring, and smartphone control systems are making it easier for elderly consumers to incorporate life-saving technology into their homes. The creators of the abode iota Smart Home Security System saw an opportunity and developed an approachable, easy-to-install monitoring system to help older clients stay in their homes. CEO of abode Chris Carney even installed the iota in his father’s condo. Carney explained why he wanted his dad to try the iota: “He’s not the most technologically advanced person, but he uses the system for home security. And really, I got him the system so myself and my brothers would have peace of mind.”
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
More than home security, Carney wanted to be able to check on his father’s safety. “[My father] doesn’t even know it’s there most of the time,” he said, “unless we say something to him on the camera to trigger him to know that we’re there on the other end. He’s not to the point where he needs a system to keep track of him, but if we hadn’t heard from him in a couple of days, and we called and he didn’t answer, we could look in on the camera and see if he was okay.”
made an agreement with him that we weren’t going to go looking at him all the time, just if we hadn’t been able to reach him for a few days,” Carney explained.
Abode’s system allows two-way communication between the camera and the smartphone control. Carney can look into the room, see his father, speak into his smartphone, and his father will hear it and respond by speaking aloud. Control4 offers a similar capability with its Intercom Anywhere feature.
“You could add door locks, you could add light switches, thermostats, or garage door openers,” Carney noted. “You could have [a loved one’s] garage door automatically open when they drive home.”
These tools allow for rapid communication, though they raise some privacy concerns. Just because our parents are aging doesn’t mean they lose their right to privacy. Carney addressed this concern with his father prior to installing the system. “You can turn on and off the streaming camera privacy. Our father has control of that functionality, as do we. We
Smart home systems like the iota allow for lots of customization. For someone with dementia, this could enable a loved one to install pressure sensors or open and close sensors which would signal when a door has been closed or a medicine cabinet opened.
Home automation and security systems are helping the elderly population to stay in their homes longer and live a better quality of life. They’re also giving adult children the opportunity to be more engaged with their parent’s health and safety. Even though these technologies may not bring us together physically, they allow us to be present emotionally when our loved ones need it most. x
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DEPARTMENTS
Smart Devices
Sweepr the Smart Home Concierge
New Brand is Poised to Serve as a Behind-the-Scenes Monitoring Service to Maintain All Connected Devices Automatically By Jeremy Glowacki “The goal is to have a single, ubiquitous support layer to communicate with many different products and services to provide help to customers when they need it,” Coleman said. “The reality of that situation is that it requires a lot of collaboration and content to help deal with the diversity of issues that arise. We don’t have all of the answers to all of the tech support questions in the world, and we don’t have the commercial muscle, so to speak, to force all of the constituent parties to cooperate and play nice. What we do see is economic factors driving toward that ubiquitous support layer.” Using machine learning and emotional intelligence, Sweepr creates multiple personas for users based on their knowledge and acts as the technical concierge for the home, looking after seen and unseen incidents on behalf of the homeowner.
16
Our homes are becoming more connected with every year. The average home is predicted to have 50 connected devices by 2020. With more connectivity comes increased complexity. The average homeowner will need more support to manage their home, and it can’t be all via call centers. A new brand, called Sweepr, is poised to serve as a behind-the-scenes monitoring service to maintain all connected devices automatically.
North American companies such as AT&T, Comcast, and Sprint. In 2016, Brite:Bill was acquired by the Israeli company AmDocs, as one of three companies bought by the Nasdaq-listed provider for approximately $260 million.
Using machine learning and emotional intelligence, Sweepr creates multiple personas for users based on their knowledge and acts as the technical concierge for the home, looking after seen and unseen incidents on behalf of the homeowner. It maintains an up-to-date store of all device-related content to help homeowners with any questions they might have about how a device works, why it has stopped working, or when the warranty expires, etc.
“It really requires a lot of agent intervention,” he noted. “One North American ISP shared with me that they still have 96 percent of their technical support issues come in as phone calls to their care agents. As a result, the economics are very punitive and getting worse, because the variety of issues that are driving tech support is getting wider, and the frequency that people need help is increasing as well with the complexity of our homes.”
Sweepr is the latest development from cofounders Jim Hannon and Alan Coleman, which began in 2010, with their Dublin-based billing software company Brite:Bill, which was used by
Sweepr will leverage the proliferation of voice assistants in the home as well as connectivity features embedded into household appliances and smart home technologies.
Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
Coleman says his team, many of them from Brite:Bill, are using their experience solving one sort of customer service headache (billing) to sort out another (technical support).
Coleman says that appliance and smart home products companies are only beginning to experience the financial challenges that internet service providers have endured for years, while servicing client calls. They’re also finding that it’s incredibly difficult to support a connected product without any relationship to the router or network layer. Sweepr looks to serve as the behind-the-scenes service layer for your local ISP. The plan is for it to play the technical concierge role as voiceenabled Level 1 and Level 2 support for the network and other connected devices in the home. “Our expectation is that a customer having a technical issue would say ‘Hey Comcast, why isn’t my Whirlpool fridge working?,’ and we’ll be able to take the diagnostic information from the device and then, based on content authored by Whirlpool, we’ll give a Whirlpool-accredited support solution that is facilitated by the ISP.” That’s the plan, at least. Today, Sweepr is in a trial with one North American ISP, delivering their support – via Skills – without any interconnectedness with other connected products. They hope to launch in Q4. Stay tuned. x
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DEPARTMENTS
CEDIA Says
Consider These Classes The CEDIA Expo in Denver Will Feature 60 New Educational Offerings By Ed Wenck “Home Cinema Master Class” (September 11, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.) will help attendees learn the secrets of high-performance home cinema design and maximize their knowledge in the strongest revenuegenerating sector of the industry. It will feature a deep dive focused on video performance, advanced audio techniques, and the cinema environment, taught by three worldrenowned experts in the field – Anthony Grimani, Joel Silver, and Theo Kalomirakis. “Save Money, Make More Profit, and Satisfy More Customers Through Process Improvement” (September 10, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) will focus on Lean Six Sigma tools CEDIA integrators can apply to their businesses immediately to eliminate waste and increase For CEDIA Expo 2019, CEDIA built courses for a business owner looking for leadership-based education, as well as project profitability. Instructor Jason Sayen, management, or sales classes that could really take their skillsets to the next level. LK & Associates, will take an indepth look at the most common When CEDIA’s Senior Director of Education Derick Abshire, CEDIA’s director of processes used on a daily basis and analyze two Samantha Ventura began mapping the curriculum, echoed that CEDIA has been of them to help spot areas for improvement. educational offerings for CEDIA Expo 2019 in particularly conscious of identifying the level of Denver, she asked her team a question: “How would somebody coming to Expo this year want to spend their money?” The answer was to build courses for a business owner looking for leadership-based education, as well as project management or sales classes that could really take their skillsets to the next level. We also asked ourselves: “If that business owner was to bring technicians along, what would he or she want those people to learn?” Ventura answered, “We’ve put in a new-hire track – a specific class list for those folks [new to the industry] – as well as more advanced technical classes that would make sense for somebody to come and bring along one or two or three guys or gals to learn at the same time.” Photos: Patrick Williams, (Top Right) Les Kamens, (Bottom Row) PWP Studio
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
experience people have and matching class offerings, appropriately. “We have basic classes that are designed for anyone with less than two years’ experience in the industry,” she said. “Then we have intermediate classes that cover folks with up to five years’ experience, and advanced for people with more than five years of experience in the industry.” Abshire noted that this year’s curriculum will include 125 different classes, 60 of which are brand new. Below are just a few classes that attendees seem to be excited about as seats are filling up fast; make sure to browse the entire course list at cediaexpo.com.
During “Wash, Rinse, Repeat: Standardizing the Design and Engineering Process,” (September 11, 8-10 a.m.) instructor Ron Callis, Jr., One Firefly, will show attendees how to create a well-documented, repeatable process to save time, reduce errors, add profit, and decrease stress. In the always-popular class, “Future Technologies: The Inside Scoop from Silicon Valley,” (September 12, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.) Rich Green, Rich Green Ink, will provide a completely new perspective on stampeding technologies, their importance, and how they can make you more profitable. x Register for CEDIA Expo and the CEDIA education conference at cediaexpo.com.
Expo: September 12-14, 2019 Conference: September 10-14, 2019 Colorado Convention Center I Denver, CO
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DEPARTMENTS
Power
Wireless Charging is Really Happening Wi-Charge Makes Wireless Power Charging a Reality in the Smart Home By Jeremy Glowacki Up until recently, the wireless smart home has been a bit of a myth. Despite developments in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the final hurdle has always been that pesky power cord. Soon, however, wireless power technology may finally become a reality. Wi-Charge (pronounced “Why Charge”), an Israeli company with its U.S. headquarters in Baltimore, has already developed a wireless smart lock solution with Alarm.com and Allegion’s Schlage brand that eliminates the need for batteries. Additionally, Wi-Charge’s Wireless Power Kit for Amazon Echo and Google Home won an Innovation Award at CES 2019 for its ability to “untether” smart speakers from a power outlet. As Wi-Charge Chief Marketing Officer Yuval Boger explains it, WiCharge has set out to improve and simplify the user experience with smart home devices by investing in innovation and exploring the possibility of integrating their technology into technologies such as smart locks, smart speakers, and smart thermostats. “Power delivery to smart home devices such as battery-powered smart locks, cameras, and sensors is an issue for manufacturers and consumers alike,” he said. “The existing choices between the convenience of batteries and the power of wired devices limits the features that can be added by developers and used by consumers. Consumers are also forced to deal with low battery notifications and battery replacements or find that devices may lack features when not plugged into an AC outlet.” Wi-Charge uses infrared (IR) light to deliver
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
energy safely and efficiently across the room. “What that means for companies is that they don’t need batteries and wires,” Boger explained. “They now receive power from a small photo cell that connects to their device. They never have to replace batteries.”
Wi-Charge is collaborating with smart home security and automation ecosystem providers to provide wireless power charging capabilities.
Similar to a laser pointer, IR sends a direct beam of light from one side of the room to the other, ensuring that the receiver collects 100 percent of the energy transmitted. “We can deliver a couple watts across the room,” Boger explained. “For perspective, if we deliver half a watt to a cell phone, then that phone could be on and playing music endlessly without needing to charge. Any time I deliver more than half a watt, I can contribute to the battery life.” In a typical setup, the Wi-Charge energy transmitter, which is about the size of a beer can, is connected to a power outlet. That transmitter sends the infrared signal to the devices in need of a charge. It is capable of charging multiple
devices, as long as the aggregate power requirement is within the system’s threshold. The distance between transmitter and receiver can be as far as away as 20 feet, within line-ofsight. Wi-Charge-branded products are not yet in mass production, but expect to find them on Amazon in the early part of 2020, along with products from other OEM partners. “WiCharge is collaborating with innovators in the smart home security and automation ecosystem industries to enable the next generation of smart home devices,” Boger said. “Untethered, wireless power will usher in a new era of devices and use cases for consumers that have previously been limited or restricted by power cables and batteries.” x
DEPARTMENTS
Control
5 Things You Need to Know About Control4 OS 3
Smart Home Operating System Upgrade Provides Fresh Look and User-Friendly Controls By Dennis Burger and Jeremy Glowacki
(Above) Control4 Smart Home OS 3 now allows a user to arrange and remove favorites. (Center Top) This is how OS 3 scales to the TV screen. (Center Bottom) A Family Room view on this touch screen showcases one of the new custom background options. (Right) The Music Sessions view on a mobile device.
It’s somewhat easy to look at the new Control4 Smart Home OS 3 and summarize it as a largely cosmetic overhaul – at least at first glance. The bold new look is, after all, the first thing that catches your eye. For the first time since this advanced home control and automation platform hit the market a decade-and-a-half ago, its user interface looks truly modern – forwardthinking, even. Honestly, if this sort of cosmetic coat of paint was the beginning and end of Smart Home OS 3, it would be a worthwhile (and long-needed) redesign for Control4. But this fresh new look and sexy new layout is literally just the surface of what turns out to be a pretty massive re-jiggering of how Control4 works – or at least of how the homeowner interacts with the system. Control4 Smart Home OS 3 is designed to unify hundreds of connected devices within the home, control them all from a single platform, deliver the personalization homeowners want, and facilitate the professional support smart home technology needs. Here are the five most important things you should know about Control4 Smart Home OS 3:
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1) “Favorites” provide homeowners the flexibility to prioritize the devices for each room. When a device is Favorited, the homeowner can bring virtually everything in the home to the top of the room page in the mobile app, touchscreen, and TV. Favorites provides one-touch control, and homeowners can now see whether the home is secure or lights are on anywhere in the home without tapping. In a living room, the news station can be at the top of the app, where the over-island lights show up first in the kitchen view. Simply press and hold to Favorite a device, service, scene, or playlist in any room. Drag icons to reorganize or delete them from the screen with a simple tap. 2) Homeowners can personalize their system. OS 3 leverages the talent and skill of tens of thousands of smart home pros around the world to install, update, and manage smart home technology for families. The system, however, can be tailored by the end-user by editing or creating smart home scenes, setting schedules to automate devices, and modifying how devices interact. Users can even set a different “wallpaper” background for every room screen. 3) OS 3 reimagines multi-room
entertainment. With OS 3, you can share your music throughout the home with the ease of onetouch access to the most popular streaming services. Music and video take a prominent position with Active Media located at the top of the screen, showing music controls, and track details right at the front. The all-new Sessions feature allows a homeowner to easily add or remove rooms and adjust the volume everywhere or within a single room. OS 3 also adds native support for streaming high-resolution audio in Control4 systems with the addition of MQA (Master Quality Authenticated). 4) Advanced security system management. With unified lock management, lock users and PINs are now easily managed through OS 3 for all locks (with no need to create and edit users for each lock). Create a user, assign a PIN and a schedule, and apply the changes to all locks installed in the home. 5) Coordinated shade control. New blinds and shade options include more than 350 new icons that represent the wide variety of ways window coverings operate, letting users easily see all shades that are open and, with one button press, close them across the house. x
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innovator spotlight
Simplifying Life With Home Technology Minnesota’s J. Becher & Assoc. Automates Every Facet of a 10,000-Square-Foot Residence
By Eric Gross
Large homes traditionally require full-time staff to perform maintenance and assist the owners with daily tasks, but a newly renovated 10,000-square-foot residence in Medina, MN, shows that nearly every function of modern home life can now be controlled and automated through a professionally installed home control system. According to home electronics integrator J. Becher & Assoc., the system allows the owners to quickly and easily manage everything from lighting to heating to multi-room audio, all from the ELAN Home Control interface. When your dream home has more than 100 light switches, 12 TVs, and 48 zones of audio, the only way to effectively manage it all is with a full home control system. It would be incredibly stressful to try running a home that large without modern technology or full-time help, and even communication could be difficult without an intercom system. These particular
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homeowners were familiar with the ELAN system from their previous home, so in the new one, their integrator’s focus was maximizing simplicity and functionality without impacting the aesthetics. A major benefit of the system is that it allows all core equipment to be centralized, which helps declutter living spaces and eliminates the need for visually intrusive electronics. The owners are utilizing nearly every capability of the system, so they have control of the home’s TVs, music, lighting, heating and cooling, motorized window shades, security, surveillance, garage door access, and pool settings. According to J. Becher & Assoc., their clients wanted all the latest home technologies but didn’t want their beautiful home to “end up looking like a Best Buy.” Since they decided to renovate before moving in, the integrator was able to run all new wiring in the walls and use a single location for all
of the amplifiers, cable boxes, thermostats, and lighting control modules. Now the only visible technologies in the home are the TVs and remotes, light switch panels, and multiple 12-inch ELAN touch screens that blend seamlessly in with the home design. Using fiber optic and Cat-6 cabling, the system offers property-wide distributed 4K video-over-IP and high-quality audio in 48 zones totaling hundreds of speakers, including outdoors. The owners wanted excellent audio in every room, so they decided to use in-ceiling speakers throughout the home and added Sunfire subwoofers to multiple areas, including the home theater, which has a 119-inch glassscreen 4K projection system. While most of the components were included in the project’s original scope, the long-term nature of the installation – completed over 18 months – gave the owners ample opportunity to add on special features, such as two
All core equipment is centralized in this 10,000-square-foot Medina, MN, home. The ELAN system controls 100 light switches, 12 TVs (including two custom-made Seura mirror TVs) and 48 zones of audio. The homeowners utilize nearly every capability of the system, so they have control of the home’s TVs, music, lighting, heating and cooling, motorized window shades, security, surveillance, garage door access, and pool settings.
custom-made Seura mirror TVs for the master bathroom and two “frame” TVs adorned with hand-built wood frames that make them look like works of art. All of the TVs have accompanying ELAN remotes that allow full control of every connected system while providing all the familiar buttons necessary for watching TV and listening to music. Another core benefit of the control system is advanced scheduling and event-based automation, which allows the owners to set schedules for lighting, window shades, and climate, including the ability to time them with sunrise and sunset each day. Because the user interface is the same on every smartphone, every ELAN touch panel, and every computer, it is so easy to use that even first-time users can navigate it and control their environment within minutes.
Security integration was key as well, with an alarm system, ELAN surveillance camera system, garage door control, driveway gate control, and front door intercom camera providing 360-degree coverage, all monitored through the ELAN system and app for easy viewing and control. This way, the owners can arm the alarm system after they’ve left the house, check the video cameras while on vacation, and allow access to workers who may need to enter when they aren’t home. There are also sensors that detect smoke, fire, water leaks and carbon monoxide and send instant alerts to the owners through the app and inhome interfaces. Additionally, the expansive electronics system is guarded by Panamax surge protection equipment and utilizes audiovisual and
communication products from several ELAN sister brands, so it qualified to be an NSC Flagship System that provides the owner with an extended warranty on core components. Managing this huge home is about as simple as it could possibly be, thanks to the J. Becher & Assoc. design and integration of the ELAN Home Control System. Looking to the future, the owners can add almost any new technology they please, because ELAN is designed to be future-proof and is continuously updated for compatibility with the latest consumer technologies. In the end, it has simplified every tech interaction and activity in the home and given the owners the freedom to enjoy their time without having to worry whether something will work or not. x July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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DESIGN SIDE
Eliminating Audible Garbage We Have the Power to Remove Product and Technology Noises from Our Living and Learning Environments By Jamie Briesemeister
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Remember being in class and hearing someone’s squeaky shoe during a test? Or perhaps you had a ballpoint pen “clicker” sit a little too close to you – drawing your attention to his thumb and color of the ink, all while you imagined ripping the pen out of his hand. While we can’t always eliminate “people” sounds, we can design our smart home audio systems in preparation for them, with the goal of minimizing or eliminating them. In design and product selection, we also have the option to choose products that operate in silence (or near silence), versus those that result in hums, beeps, clicks, and the relentless sound of grinding motors. As someone who is sensitive to light and sound, I’ve always struggled in loud, chaotic
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environments, but here’s the thing: it’s not just because I’m sensitive to these sensations. Research has proven that this “audible garbage” can distract from sufficient learning in educational environments and interfere with sleep in healthcare. Heart rates are shown to increase with loud environments while altering behavior and social interactions. As specifiers in home technology, interior designers in homes and commercial spaces, and architects that love open floorplans, we have the power to remove audible garbage from our listening environment. I’ll start with open floorplans and the hard surfaces connected to them. These areas tend to be beautiful and look stunning when showcased in our favorite interior architecture magazines. Yet, when you look at the reality of how the
space is used, it’s often multi-functional, full of people and sounds. The kitchen is a perfect example of mass chaos, both in its function and decibel level. People come in and out, appliances whir and beep, homework is attempted, audio/visual systems add to the entertainment experience, and it can be loud. The same concept applies in noisy classrooms, where students report feeling dizzy, uncomfortable, and having a hard time understanding their teacher. Let’s fix the problem before it starts by designing ahead of poor learning or dizzy students. Consider soft fabrics in specific areas, acoustic treatments in open spaces, and how people communicate (both the speaker and listener) in these environments to ensure your
DESIGN SIDE
Photo: iStock.com/Pixsooz
guests can hear each other in your home and children can learn better in their classrooms. Another area of consideration rests in the electronic systems that we have around us…and it’s not uber techies that I’m referencing. Homes, work spaces, and commercial shopping centers all have lights. Poorly designed lighting, or that which is improperly wired or dimmed, can often buzz or hum, providing audible errors in functionality that can be irritating or distracting for the user. Combine that with the visual side effects of poorly designed systems and add flickering or strobing on top, you have a perfect recipe for a negative experience or in extreme cases, seizures. Aside from health and education, audible garbage affects our quality of life when we invest
in products or solutions that are aimed at providing convenience, atmosphere, ambiance, and comfort. In my world of smart home technology, motorization is one such investment that many clients want, namely for window shades and hiding televisions. The cheapest option is typically one where the motor sounds the loudest. Imagine being told that your window shades can gently wake you in the morning, only to find the G-R-I-N-D-I-N-G sound that accompanies it jarring, not gentle. Television lifts are another area where inexpensive products tend to result in loud experiences. Wouldn’t it be frustrating to invest the time and money in a custom media cabinet with a lift, using the finest craftsmanship in
woodwork and detail in the finish, only to hear it grate your senses every time you use it? One of my clients left his TV up, exposed, out of the custom media cabinet because their previous home technology provider selected such a product. What a waste of time and money! He spent more to correct the issue, but he shouldn’t have had to in the first place, if properly designed. If you are in the design/build industry or are involved in product selection, it is important that you consider the audible impact of your design or the items you choose to be in that space. Paint the whole picture – not in just what you can see, but in what you hear (or don’t hear) once the project is complete and in use. Our experience is depending on you. x
July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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NETWORKED HOME
Taking the Edge Off
Blackwire Designs Reduces Headaches for Integration Pros with Snacks, Reliable Products, and Support By Cody Crossland When a BlackWire Designs box arrives, the company’s iconic packing tape is a sign of good things to come for custom integration professionals. That’s because shipped alongside the equipment there are always snacks – perhaps some beef jerky, Skittles, or even some fresh coffee beans. Our company’s founder, Kevin Luther, who worked previously as a technology integrator, came up with the snack pack idea after missing multiple meals on a job while climbing around in hot attics. Hunger has always been part of the professional AV installer’s life and the snacks are there to help take the edge off. BlackWire Designs understands, however, that the way to a customer’s heart isn’t just through the stomach, but through a shared experience. Several members of the BlackWire team have an integration background, including me, who serves as VP of sales and marketing. This has honed the company’s networking philosophy, unwavering service and support, and broad offering of tried-and-true solutions, which includes HDMI distribution, networking, speakers, power and remote management, cloud devices, cables, custom drivers and software for residential and light commercial installations. Choosing High-Quality Networking Products On average, there are 20 to 30 devices that need to be connected on any job. For an AV integrator, it’s not as simple as plugging in a device, putting it on the network, and walking away. There are other things that installers have to consider to deliver a good experience.
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BlackWire’s service and support philosophy is offering preconfigured video distribution and networking solutions.
Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
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30%
LESS TRAFFIC
Access
Intelligent hang tags for campus, residential, loading and event parking communicate with the network – allowing controlled access
Fybr’s smartphone app Parking GeniusTM leads drivers to open spots in addition to delivering pricing and other information
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Safety & Security Safety
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Item Location in warehouses, buildings or streets for asset control. Plus, stolen property can be tracked for recovery
Health & Security Nuclear, chemical and biological monitoring help prevent emergencies – leading to public health and well-being
Environmental Sensing Weather
Sensing for precipitation, air and ground temperatures
Agriculture
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Accidents and loss due to leaky underground gas and water pipes is prevented
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Rainwater run-off levels are monitored to gauge infrastructure
NETWORKED HOME
Taking the Edge Off
For example, most consumer networking products have a low concurrent device limit built in. This is a great opportunity to educate the customer on why they should be using higher quality networking products, which can handle not only the demand of their devices but also those of friends and family who may use the network when they visit.” Integrators must ensure that their customer’s network and components are configured so they’re not all fighting for the same little slice of the network pie and are also saving some room for devices on the horizon. To do this, the integrator should be able to provide all of the equipment past the modem, know how to install it, and properly configure it. They have to know how many devices are going to be connected, and how many access points are needed to make sure the home has the best coverage. Likewise, customers want to know they’re getting the best bang for their buck and that all of their components are installed properly. Wi-Fi Can’t Do It All While Wi-Fi is great, it’s not perfect. There can be poor signal spots, and if this is the case, then the customer is going to have an extremely frustrating experience. Any device that has the option to be plugged directly into an Ethernet port should be. That way, attention is paid to both current and future wired and wireless needs. By owning the network – knowing those problems spots, for example – the integrator can dial that device to the customer’s specific needs. Another example is granting secure and limited access to IP-based security cameras, which can be a direct link into the customer’s network. Integrators should know how to properly secure and control any network ports that are accessible outside of a building. Coordinating Between All Service Providers Beyond network issues and the multitude of devices, integrators also face complex jobs where there’s not only the internet provider involved but an IT technician as well. Each person has a stake in providing a good experience, but it can be difficult determining who is responsible for what when problems do arise. BlackWire recommends integrators coordinating as much as possible with all parties
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BlackWire founder Kevin Luther came up with the snack pack idea after missing multiple meals on a job while climbing around in hot attics.
as part of providing solid service. Finally, as systems and network standards constantly evolve, integrators have to be aware of what’s going on in the industry to stay on top of the latest technology. BlackWire realizes that owning the network and keeping pace with new standards is less of a finish line and more of a moving target, which is why we have a strong and dedicated service and support team who is available for a broad range of hours, even nights and weekends. The biggest example of this is the move from 2.4GHz to 5GHz Wi-Fi. While 5Ghz gives you faster speeds, 2.4 gives you better range. So, where you might have covered your bases on 2.4 with maybe two or three access points, to get the same coverage with 5Ghz, integrators may need to add one or two more access points. The other part of BlackWire’s service and support philosophy is offering preconfigured
video distribution and networking solutions. To preconfigure the components specifically for the video distribution system, we ask a multitude of questions about the system design, so that when the equipment arrives, it’s ready right out of the box. There’s no waiting around for firmware updates, configuration of settings, or new equipment due to DOA components. This also allows companies to hand off setup to lower level technicians and get a head start on any job. What a lot of people find when they’re doing business with us is that we’re not just staff that happen to work at a distributor. We’re folks who live and breathe AV. We have experience that allows us to offer support where customers can pick up the phone, send an email, and start a chat with somebody at our company who gets it. We know what they’re going through and what they’re trying to accomplish. x
INDUSTRY RELATIONS
Considering the Tech Consultant
An Independent Voice Can Assist Both Homeowners and Custom Integration Companies By Gordon Isaac
For most homeowners, any type of large-scale home-improvement project can be a challenging and downright stressful task. Regardless of whether it is a backyard landscape project or outfitting a home with the latest technology, with so many contractors to choose from and product choices to make, it’s hard to know what steps to take. Fortunately, when it comes to residential technology, independent consultant firms can be of great help to both homeowners and custom integration companies that provide home tech designs and installation. For some homeowners, hiring a tech consultant is a way to keep the design and
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installation teams separate, just like one would hire an architect to design their home and a builder to construct it. Sometimes consumers want an “independent voice” to assist with making the right tech decisions and at the right budget. From there, they can take a design to a couple of integration companies to request a direct comparison of the cost to install a system that is made up of the same parts and pieces. For custom integrators, the necessity for an independent AV consulting company can vary. With small businesses starting out, installation work is often done by the business owner and for many, they already have a lot of work to do
and can’t risk spending time on designing systems and putting proposals together. Others might not have the experience designing systems based on the size or scope but do have, or will have, the technical experience to install them by the time the project is ready. Even larger companies can run into resource challenges based on the cycle of their projects. Whatever the reason, many top-level integration companies use independent consultants to help them with their business. For example, Mike Zarb, co-founder of Tekkease, has consulted with integrators and
(Opposite page) Tekkease can provide programming services that help to ensure that the system performs from a software standpoint in the same way the hardware was designed based on the understanding of the customer’s needs. (This page) Dealers use Tekkease to assist with challenges handling details and documentation, particularly on larger jobs that can take much more time and experience.
end-users on residential projects as well as boardroom, winery, and bar projects over the past six years. Tekkease’s three-person team does approximately 50 projects a year, varying in size.
out for help when systems exceed $30,000 dollars, but most of the work they do is on projects that are more than $100,000, with their largest being nearly $1.5 million.
Zarb grew up in the custom installation industry, having worked for his father’s AV company for six years, before moving on to a job with industry automation giant, Crestron. From his experience, he saw both homeowners who were sometimes skeptical about the system proposal they were getting from their integrator and also many integrators who struggled to balance time and resources while managing their business. This often would lead to challenges with the quality of the designs they put together and resulted in lost profitability from missing parts or inadequate labor and sometimes resulted in a poor customer experience. Many companies also didn’t have someone on staff with CAD, Visio, or D-Tools Software experience that could put together elevations, 3D room renderings, touchpanel designs, and sometimes even high-quality proposals to present to their customers.
When necessary, Tekkease works on behalf of the integrator, meeting with the homeowner often three or more times for design meetings and spends anywhere from 5 to over 40 hours on creating a fully engineered proposal, which they help present to the homeowner. In addition, finished projects typically have more than 60 hours of drawing and design work invested with some being over 300 hours for the larger or more complex jobs. Tekkease makes sure to include every connector, insert, rack parts, etc. in a package that may exceed 100 pages once you include all of the schematics, line drawings, heat mapping, and theater room designs. They are so confident in their work that if any part is missing, they will cover the cost, bringing peace of mind to both the dealer and the end-user. The end result is a proposal and design that is far more detailed and professional than what their customer could create on their own.
Zarb explained that dealers use his company’s services due to challenges with handling details and documentation, particularly on larger jobs that can take much more time and experience. Tekkease finds that integrators typically reach
One of the biggest benefits that Zarb has found with dealers who use his services is that the dealer is charging for all of the system design work. Too often, integrators don’t charge for
this, for many reasons, and the end result can be a lot of work being done that is not generating revenue for the company. Zarb’s customers are able to save money on staffing, make money on the proposals, save money on paying for parts that were missed and the time to get them last minute for the job, and can ultimately focus their resources on other things while ensuring a better result for their customers. Tekkease even helps with creating purchase orders for the products in the design and tracks change orders to help ensure that any changes are being properly invoiced. Back to that million-dollar plus project. One example of how Tekkease helped their customers grow their business involved one of their integrator customers who was referred to a Hollywood A-List celebrity. Unfortunately, the integrator had not done a project of that size and wanted to put their best foot forward when presenting to this high-profile opportunity. They used Tekkease to help put all of the documentation together and not only successfully completed the project, but the enduser has three more homes that he is looking to have work done from this team and has also provided recommendations to some of his friends. Ultimately, the partnership gave the integrator greater confidence to do larger projects and they have since started growing
July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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INDUSTRY RELATIONS
(Right Top/Bottom) Many companies also didn’t have someone on staff with CAD, Visio, or D-Tools software experience that could put together elevations, 3D room renderings, touchpanel designs, and sometimes even high-quality proposals to present to their customers. (Left Top/Bottom) As an independent design consultant, Tekkease provides project management services to end-users only to help ensure that the dealer chosen by the homeowner is installing the system the way that it was intended and with the same functionality.
their business to be able to go after this higherend segment of the market. For homeowners looking to use an independent consultant, most of the time the customer has a fear of the unknown or perhaps has had a bad experience before and is not sure where to start. They see Tekkease as an ambiguous resource and want to make sure they are getting the best products while not being taken advantage of, explained Zarb. Ultimately, it comes down to working with someone who can ensure their needs and wishes are met. While most of what was described with the experience for integrators who work with Tekkease is the same for end-users, there are a few more details that differentiate. For the system design, the customer is provided with a proposal that includes retail pricing for all items and standard labor rates. They also try to design a little bit bigger than the initial scope so the customer can scale down in performance or size based on the final number. This gives them an estimate in-which they can budget, knowing that most companies who bid on the job will come in at or below the price of the estimate.
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Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
Tekkease also provides project management services to end-users only to help ensure that the dealer chosen by the homeowner is installing the system the way that it was intended and with the same functionality. For most of these projects, they also provide programming services that help to ensure that the system performs from a software standpoint in the same way the hardware was designed based on the understanding of the customer’s needs. Often, once the design is complete, the customer will ask for a recommendation of integrators with whom Tekkease has worked, so partnering with a good consultant can sometimes lead to additional projects for their integration partners. Their team likes to make sure that they refer based on experience and personality and will only refer the work of companies that they have seen firsthand. The cost of all of this is typically around 5-10 percent of the overall cost of the project, additional for the programming services, but very much a reasonable price for any homeowner looking to make a sizeable
investment into their home’s technology. Commercial AV consultants are far more common than those in the residential market, due to system size and budgets. There are, however, many low-voltage consultant companies that specialize in residential and can be a great service to both custom integrators and end-users. While there are hundreds of custom integrators around the country who do a great job with having system designers and programmers on staff, some would argue that outsourcing these skills makes for a “best inclass” type of experience for the end-customer. Either way, it’s important to remember that these businesses exist and can be a great business partner or customer resource. So if you’re a small business and feel like you don’t have enough time in the day, or maybe you’re a customer who is looking for an advocate to help guide you through your technology needs, remember that these very experienced companies just might be the solution you’ve been looking for. x
ISSUE FOCUS
How Remote is Remote?
Welcome to Better
Builder M/I Homes Puts Clare Controls Technology in 3,000 Houses in the U.S. By Gordon Isaac What do you get when a home builder, an electrical company, and a home automation manufacturer all come together with a focus on providing the best customer experience? This year at the International Builder Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, I visited with Jason Collman, VP of sales for Clare Controls, to learn more about how Clare was working with builders to help make it easier for them to provide their new home customers with the latest technology. Collman shared several success stories with builders throughout the country and suggested that I don’t just take his word for it, but that I visit with one of his builder partners, M/I Homes, which is going to be putting Clare in around 3,000 homes around the country this year. So, I went to Houston, where the relationship started, to learn more about how builders are using Clare Controls products to provide added value to their customers purchasing a new home. Clare Controls has been around since 2010 and has gone through many changes during that time. Recently, the Clare team has started to refocus the company and streamlined the product line with imbedded wireless security so production builders could offer to their buyers a solution once only available to custom home buyers. This offering would provide a premium smart home experience at a fair price, with no strings attached. Clare’s new approach has clearly been working well over the past few years as the company is currently doing business with nearly 300 dealers nationally and will have around 20,000 smarthome controllers installed this year alone based on their builder’s new projects pipeline. Now with their new partnership with SnapAV, they are expecting those numbers to grow. Research has shown that 80 percent of new home buyers feel that smart-home technology should be included in the home, and 75 percent of customers surveyed said that if they were deciding between two different homes, smarthome technology would be the deciding factor for making their purchase. The challenge for
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many builders has been that as land prices have increased along with building materials in some areas, adding the cost of technology to the home as a standard has had the perception of being too expensive, too complicated, or too difficult for the builder to service. The end result, often times, was a customer that paid more for their home, yet had problems using the technology installed in it, leaving a negative impression of the builder. To try and address these problems, many builders have experimented with using bigname products like Amazon Alexa, Nest, Ring, and others to attract customers. However, these DIY-type products often carry a premium price point for their respective category and are really designed for the homeowner to service. Some builders have tried to use security-based systems with smart home features or other bundled systems that require a recurring monthly fee to
help cover the cost of the equipment. Many customers didn’t like having another monthly bill for their technology and in many cases, this led to a poor customer experience and caused problems for the builder and all involved. The partnership with M/I Homes and Clare Controls started with one of the nation’s largest electrical companies, IES Holdings (formerly Integrated Electrical Services), which has 29 locations around the country and trades publicly as IESC. Chris Brunner, the North Houston division manager, is responsible for this fast-growing division, which does around 300 homes a month. IES North Houston had been doing electrical work with M/I Homes for many years when Brunner saw the opportunity to improve his partnership with the builder by providing low-voltage installations, as well. This IES branch had begun offering low-voltage services to its customers several years ago, when
ISSUE FOCUS
Brunner was looking to differentiate and expand beyond line-voltage electrical services that they were already offering. Low-voltage technology was changing much faster than the electrical trade, and his team of 120 employees was up for the challenge and embraced the new direction. Brunner later learned that his Dallas office was already using Clare on other builders’ projects and recognized that it would be a perfect fit for M/I Homes in how it would address many of the issues the builder had been experiencing with their previous technology offerings. Brunner liked the Apple-esque feel of the app, the quality and assortment of products, and that there were no monthly fees or hidden costs. It was the perfect mix of a solid product for an honest price. He brought this solution to the Houston office of M/I Homes to show them how they could improve the technology experience for their customers. M/I Homes started in 1976 in Columbus, OH, where their corporate office still resides, but has now expanded with offices in 17 locations throughout the country. Houston is the fastest-growing market in the country for new home construction, and also where M/I Homes first started with Clare Controls. In Houston, I met with Jay McManus, the area president for M/I Homes, to learn more about their experience with providing smart-home technology to their customers. Now, if you ask most builders about their experience with technology as a part of the home, you will likely hear stories of customers not understanding how to use it, not wanting to spend the money, or having problems getting service with the system down the road after the equipment’s warranty expires. So, it was no surprise that July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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How Remote is Remote? | Welcome to Better
of Clare Controls is how they service and support not just their dealers, but also the enduser. Unlike most smart home systems on the market which require advanced programming from the company that installed it, or often times needs someone to be on-site to troubleshoot a problem, Clare’s customer support team can fix about 90 percent of their calls from their office in Sarasota, FL.
the discussions with Collman from Clare controls started nearly a year before systems started being installed as a standard in the Houston M/I Homes. McManus and the builder team wanted to ensure that this product offering, and the manufacturer supporting it, was going to “do right by the customer,” which is a core value of M/I Homes in which all decisions are made. Every six months they evaluate every aspect of their builder product offering and determine if it “adds value” to the homeowner. If not, then they make changes to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. For the evaluation process, M/I Homes made a significant investment to have systems installed in the model homes as well as the homes of several team members so they could live with the product for a bit, including McManus and his family. McManus and his wife both really enjoyed being able to control their Honeywell thermostats to ensure that someone hadn’t overrode the settings and made an area of the house either too hot or cold. They found themselves using the lighting control capabilities and noted that it was convenient to be able to ensure that all of the lights were off at night and liked returning to a well-lit home in
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the evening for greater security. They also found greater peace of mind using the security cameras. Not everyone who had a system for evaluation just lived with it. Some wanted to truly test the level of service that Clare was going to provide their customers. Collman recalled a time in which he received a call from his tech-support team regarding one of the homes where a system was installed. They had received six calls regarding problems with the system falling offline and other random issues. Collman reached out to the M/I Home employee and apologized for the problems. He wanted to dig deeper and come out with IES to further evaluate the glitch and make sure they got it resolved, as this was not a normal occurrence. It turns out that this was all being done intentionally by the M/I Homes employee so he could see how Clare’s Customer Service would handle repetitive issues. As with any business, sometimes you get a customer that experiences more problems than normal, and M/I Homes wanted to see how Clare would support even the most challenging customers. Speaking of service, one of the biggest benefits
The majority of their calls come from homeowners who are looking to add something new like a smart thermostat they bought, or maybe they need to get their new door lock to work with their system. These simple additions take only minutes for a Clare specialist to complete remotely. Clare also has built out a robust database of support for third-party products, which allows for many items such as Sonos and various IP cameras to be discovered automatically, requiring no need to even remote into the system. The customer can simply install the product and the Clare System sees the device online and automatically integrates it into the user interface. For larger additions to the system, or for problems that can’t be fixed over the phone, Clare will reach out to the dealer partner that installed the system and have them go on-site to assist. With the increase in popularity of DIY products, it’s no surprise that research has shown that homeowners want to make their own changes and don’t want to have to rely on an installer for simple updates or additions. Unfortunately, many of the larger DIY manufacturers outsource their support team to call centers around the globe. Clare, on the other hand, tackles all of its support in-house (for free), so the tech-support person that a homeowner speaks with is very familiar with the product and has the experience to handle their concern in an efficient manner. After about a year of testing and working together on a launch strategy, M/I Homes was ready for Brunner and his team from IES to start integrating Clare technology into their homes. Collectively, the three companies worked together to create marketing materials that make it easier for the homeowner to understand the technology and what upgrade packages are available. Every home comes with a standard package that includes the Clare smart home
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ISSUE FOCUS
How Remote is Remote? | Welcome to Better
From left, Jason Collman, Clare Controls VP of sales east; Chris Brunner, IES North Houston Division manager; Kathy Delgado, VP of sales and marketing for M/I Homes; Jay McManus, area president for M/I Homes.
controller with wireless security, HVAC integration, lighting control, a video doorbell, and also free remote access, self-monitoring, and tech support for life. Together, they outfitted the M/I Home models and design centers, and then trained all of their sales agents on how the technology worked while making sure that every agent had the Clare app installed on their phone and was comfortable demonstrating it to every customer. This was done well in advance of the first system being installed in a customer’s home as an additional measure to ensure there were no performance issues prior to their customers experiencing the product for the first time. Once a customer purchases the home, a member from IES meets with each customer to go over the technology that is included and make them aware of additional technology packages that are available, such as additional lighting, automated door locks, and home entertainment or music packages. Once
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installed, IES comes back and spends 60-90 minutes going over how their system works and providing them with the customer support information for both Clare Controls and IES, so customers feel good knowing they don’t have to call the builder down the road should they have any further needs with the technology. So far, M/I Homes in Houston has included Clare Controls in 260 of their homes in 2019 and is expecting to exceed 400 homes by year’s end. They are finding that their customers are spending four to five times more on additional technology than what they had spent previously because of how easy the system is to use, how affordable it is to expand, and that there are no monthly fees or additional strings attached. McManus and his team are very happy with the response they are getting from their customers, saying that his team has not received any issues so far. This success has led to Clare Controls expanding their program with M/I Homes into 11 other markets with around 2,000 systems
forecasted so far to be installed this year, and even more markets likely to follow. McManus notes that the home buyer market is changing, and customers are expecting the technology to be there just like they do the stove and other standards. He sees that technology will take a bigger role in new homes and feels that a lot of what we are seeing with more minimalist design and younger buyers will continue to create the opportunity for additional technology to be a more important part of the new home requirements. McManus has already seen other builders in the market try and come out with solutions to compete, but it’s more than just about offering technology to your customers. M/I Homes tagline is “Welcome to Better!” To be better, you need to have the right team of people all working together with the customer’s best interest in mind and with IES and Clare Controls as partners, they definitely have the right technology team in place! x
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How Remote is Remote?
Remote AI The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Remote Service Monitoring and Maintenance of Smart Home Installations By Henry Clifford
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing our world at a dizzying pace, promising to improve lives and make us all better, faster, and stronger (or unemployed!). I spend a considerable amount of time studying where AI might impact the smart home, particularly in the arena of remote monitoring. While this category is still in its infancy, it promises to affect three key areas in the coming years. We can call them “improving the signal-to-noise ratio,” “selfhealing,” and “moving from artificial intelligence to intelligence assistance (IA).” Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio Depending on who you ask, remote monitoring notifications from services like Domotz, BakPak, and OvrC are anywhere from one-to-10-percent effective. That’s like saying your car will only start three to 30 days out of each year. Professional technology integrators, like myself, who are on the receiving end of so much “noise,” tune it out like the boy who cried “wolf,” rendering remote monitoring tools worthless without doing a ton of custom configuration. If everything’s important, nothing’s important. While it’s possible to dial
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in these tools to deliver more meaningful results, it requires time and expertise that only a small percentage of current integrators are willing to invest. Companies like the video conference monitoring platform VisibilityOne saw solving signal-to-noise challenges as paramount, driving the creation of their product. “We had a client video conference for over 3,000 people, and the call dropped,” said Von Bedikian, co-founder and COO of the company. “Their CIO called me that afternoon and was very upset. Thanks to our software, we were able to instantly identify that the issue lay with the ISP – not us.” Solutions like VisibilityOne can intelligently keep an eye on much more than just whether or not a device is on the network. Video connection quality, component temperature, and battery life are just a few of the parameters being measured and analyzed, delivering more uptime for customers. Even after a remote monitoring tool delivers a meaningful result, you still have to decide what to do with it. This can become incredibly labor
intensive and out of reach for many integrators to do themselves, giving rise to remote managed service providers (MSPs) like Parasol and OneVision Resources (full disclosure: I’m one of the co-founders of Parasol) who handle subscriber support issues from network operations centers staffed around the clock via phone, text, email, or chat. As integrators decide to either manage their own remote monitoring client base or partner with an MSP, AI will become a much bigger part of the picture. Self-Healing AI promises to help with the triage process of tech support, ultimately leading to self-healing systems. After delivering meaningful results, AI can be trained to perform routine tasks like rebooting devices or acting as a first layer of technical support before a human is required. Because professionally installed smart home technology customers have such high expectations for their uniquely designed systems, that’s a tall order. Integrators and MSPs are reluctant to reboot or fix anything remotely without taking into consideration what else might be affected.
Photo: iStock.com/Vertigo3d
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(Left) the Scudo Box network appliance. (Right) Visibility One’s user interface.
“We have a ‘Do No Harm’ rule similar to the Hippocratic Oath,” said Ted Bremekamp, one of my fellow Parasol co-founders and the company’s director of operations.
Scudo Labs thinks they’ve solved both issues by developing their Scudo Box (launching in September), which leverages a large database of “heartbeats” (unique to each product) developed across hundreds of home technology devices.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Intelligence Assistance (IA) Thomas Friedman’s book, Thank You For Being Late, describes a key inflection point for AI when it begins to help highly skilled workers make better decisions at a faster rate, freeing them up to spend more time working on ways to improve their industries. In remote monitoring, this dovetails perfectly into helping integrators by asking them if they’d like to automate routine behaviors or power cycle a system that may affect other parts of a home. Each time the integrator replies back to the AI, the machine learning improves, delivering better future results.
When the Scudo Box sees devices like an Apple TV or cable box failing, it can reboot it automatically using a virtual technician engine developed by their engineers. “Devices don’t usually fail suddenly, they fail slowly over time,” said Jason Blais, Scudo Labs lead engineer. “We want to be able to predict product failures down the road and proactively notify our clients, reducing support calls and creating revenue opportunities for integrators.”
Companies from industries of all stripes are working hard to create basic AI enhancements to their businesses by training routine tasks first and then moving on to more complex operations. It’s not uncommon to hear examples of learning AI applications in call centers recording every step a customer service representative takes and then eventually trying to solve the issue itself while being corrected by the human “trainer.”
How do you train a machine to observe a “Do No Harm” rule? As the old adage goes, you only need three things to be successful: “practice, practice, practice.”
Solutions like Zendesk’s Answer Bot are great examples of early AI at work trying to better assist support professionals. While customer support agents are engaged in helping customers in the moment, Answer Bot offers up suggested solutions in real time based on chat or email sessions. By measuring the efficacy of its own answers, Answer Bot gets better and better each time using machine learning. While AI may be just getting started, we have a long way to go. “Eighty percent of our customer issues aren’t solved with a simple reboot,” said Joseph Kolchinsky, founder and CEO of OneVision Resources. “Today’s support data aren’t clean enough to draw meaningful conclusions using AI.” Remote monitoring solutions will be some of the earliest beneficiaries of innovation in the CI channel and it looks like a human/machinefriendly partnership is much more likely than an outright replacement of talented technology professionals. I’m excited about the possibilities and will be positioning my technology integration company to take full advantage. x
July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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FEATURED HEALTH TECH
Improving Our ‘Well State’ Mimicking Outdoor Light for Productivity and Health Benefits in Commercial and Residential Spaces By Mark Moody
Human-centric lighting (HCL) is gaining popularity in the home for its ability not only to set the mood and bring out the best qualities of a space but to emulate natural daylight patterns to help affect physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Smart homes aren’t the only places that benefit from this approach to lighting, however. HCL technology is showing up in all spaces where humans spend their time, including commercial meeting spaces. That’s because it can create a better lit environment for the tasks at hand and reset our circadian rhythms (body clocks) to match how we live and what we want to accomplish throughout the day.
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intensity. In residential applications, HCL enables scenic presets that give users a simple one-touch override of the natural
Control Lighting Based on the Activity
environment. Homeowners can
HCL systems combine intelligent lighting control with LED lamps and fixtures that have the ability to change their color temperature and
relaxed environment by tapping
Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
easily create a more stimulating or the appropriate scenic preset button. Multifaceted controllers will
In offices and schools, HCL can increase alertness and concentration, resulting in higher performance and productivity from employees and students.
HEALTH TECH
Sunrise and sunset light naturally stimulates activity and rest “states,” with color and light intensity being the driving forces.
also let integrators incorporate all light sources into a scene, regardless of their technology. This is an important capability in personalizing a lit environment in a home – one that best matches the patterns and activities of the people who live there. For increased productivity and visual acuity, it pays to take the HCL approach in places outside the home as well. For example, just as a home office could be lit to mimic midday sun levels to stimulate productivity, a conference room could be lit the same way. And just as you would dim the lights in a home theater to a warmer, lower intensity while watching a movie, you could do the same in a conference room to make videos or presentations easier to see.
Personalize Lighting to the Body Clock Being able to dim and color-tune LED lighting also means we can render natural light indoors to better match the natural path of sunlight. That capability yields numerous advantages when it comes to making sure lighting coincides with a homeowner’s individual habits. It also improves sleep and perhaps overall well-being. Let’s take a look at the science. The cycle of sleep and wakefulness is a key part of human behavior. When asleep – which is how we spend about a third of our lives – our brains memorize and process information, while our bodies clear toxins and repair themselves for proper functioning when awake. For these reasons, even short-term sleep deprivation significantly
affects our well-being. But while scientists have long understood the importance of sleep, the role played by light exposure is sometimes overlooked. Light is so important to the human sleep cycle because it sets our circadian rhythms via specialized light sensors within the eye. Our eyes detect the light and dark cycles within our environment and adjust the body’s circadian rhythm so that the internal and external day coincide. That’s why people with severe eye damage can find their body clocks are thrown off, leading to sleep problems. But that’s an extreme example; there is a much more common cause: artificial lighting. For many of us, lighting in the home and workplace entails a multitude of artificial light July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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FEATURED HEALTH TECH Improving Our ‘Well State’
Human-centric lighting has been used in the residential space to improve the well-being of homeowners.
sources generally set to one light level that approaches the light of the midday sun – no matter what time of day or night it is. Such artificial light can confuse our body clocks. Add to that the artificial light from all the electronic screens in our lives, and the result is a negative impact on our sleep and possibly our health or emotional stability. While artificial lighting is essential in our modern world, it also disrupts our circadian rhythms. Recent studies are showing that it can be tuned to help restore them. Enter HCL. Essentially, the goal of these systems is to render ideal natural light conditions through these artificial sources. The lighting automation controller is the brain of the operation, and as with any technology, available solutions vary in their capabilities. More advanced systems can precisely determine their longitude and latitude; automatically calculate sunrise, sunset, and daylength; and set the lighting schedule accordingly to replicate the ideal conditions of daylight based on color tone and intensity throughout the day – no human intervention required.
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HCL has been utilized in the residential space in an effort to improve the well-being of homeowners. While it’s not designed to bring people’s body clocks in line with the position of the sun like they were in prehistoric times – it would be impossible to live life that way in the modern world – HCL can help people create a personalized circadian rhythm that matches their lifestyle and helps them to fall asleep more easily, wake up better rested, and be more active throughout the day. It can also help address the potential psychological and physiological issues that are created by disruptions to our circadian clock. Outside of the smart home, HCL is increasingly being deployed in commercial spaces where occupants have little to no access to natural light. In offices and schools, HCL has been shown to increase alertness and concentration, resulting in higher performance and productivity from employees and students. In hospitals, psychiatric wards, and nursing homes, it has also been shown to improve patient care and shorten recovery times.
Combining HCL With Other Systems In an integrated experience, lighting is but one element. Think of it as the solid foundation upon which a one-touch environment is built. In the residential space, integrators construct that environment through the seamless integration of the controller with a home’s subsystems, such as automated shading, allowing them to work in harmony with the lighting. They can also bring HVAC and AV systems into the mix for a more rounded approach to “residential well-being.” Commercial integrators can bring similar capabilities to their clients in the workplace, allowing them to ready the office for the day or create the ideal environment for a presentation in a conference room, all with the touch of a button. As you can see, HCL systems aren’t just for the smart home. There are numerous advantages to incorporating them into a variety of spaces. By taking advantage of today’s advanced lighting controllers, integrators can easily take their lighting offering to the next level by delivering fully integrated, one-touch environments for their clients at home and at work. x
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Cover Story
Tamara Day’s Family Matters Bargain Mansions Host and Home Renovator Tamara Day on Integrating Smart Home Tech and Inspiring Young Girls to Embrace Home Renovation By Anthony Elio
A native of Kansas City, Tamara learned crucial renovation skills working on projects with her father, a theme that has continued on Bargain Mansions.
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T
Tamara Day looks at the glass half full. This is best exemplified by her show Bargain Mansions, which airs on both HGTV and the DIY Network. The show features Tamara, along with her father Ward Schraeder, purchasing undesirable and dilapidated mansions before making them nearly unrecognizable after hours upon hours of design and renovation. On the show, Day’s positive attitude makes her the perfect foil to her father, who provides oftenblunt commentary when viewing the duo’s fixer-uppers. While the two have different personalities, renovation runs in the family. Interestingly enough, it’s this relationship with her father that put Tamara Day on the career path of residential renovation in the first place, as the two would fix up buildings on their Kansas family farm together. This experience paid off as, in 2008, Day fully renovated the entire 5,000-square-foot house she had purchased with her husband. Between her renovation projects, hosting duties, and mothering four children, there’s no doubt that Day keeps herself busy. As she comically told People, “There are days that I’m
Nate Sheets Photography LLC
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an awesome mom. There are days that I’m an awesome TV host. There are days that I’m an awesome renovator and designer. But there are also days that I suck at all of those things.” It’s quotes like this that reflect why Day’s personality is a perfect fit for TV. Additionally, it was this engaging personality, along with her massive knowledge of the residential space, that made Day one of our publication’s most enticing conversations. With more episodes of Bargain Mansions on the horizon, Day opens up about the inspiration that comes from classic architecture, the importance of sustainable renovation, and her personal message to future renovators in our exclusive discussion. Residential Tech Today: The smart home has grown so much over the years. How often does tech play a role in your renovations? Tamara Day: You know, it depends on the situation, whether it’s for the show or for a client. We’ve had some homes that are completely smart homes for clients. But when I’m on a renovation budget, it’s only the specific
houses that can handle that cost that I’m able to put it in. I always want to put the tech in, but I’ve got to pay attention to budgets too. Some of these houses are small and we do security systems that are all fully automated, thermostats that are fully automated. In the farm house that we did last year, it was really modern, contemporary style, we did full house automation with the theater room. It was awesome to get to do. I’m blown away consistently by all of the incredible technology that’s out there and available now. I went into one of my local places that I work with and they had speakers that look like drywall. I was like, “What is this? What little bit of heaven is this for a designer?” You know? You literally paint it. You shoe block it in and you have whole-house sound but you can’t see a single speaker. RT Today: Is there any of that smart technology you’ve incorporated into your own home? TD: We actually are just getting ready to do it ourselves. We have teenagers, and they want to July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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FEATURED
Cover Story // Tamara Day’s Family Matters Stuff like that. If money is no object, then those are awesome things to be able to do. But at the same time I’m always budget conscious, so it’s gotta make financial sense for me to want to do it. RT Today: Do you consult with different integrators in your projects? TD: Yeah. I had talked with a lot of different companies and of course, just like any kind of subcontractor that we might use, I have my favorites and tend to go back to them, depending on what that feature is. For the most part, I like to stick with the guys that I know and I know do a good job. RT Today: What does that process generally entail?
One of Day’s favorite aspects of hosting Bargain Mansions? Inspiring the next generation of female home renovators.
TD: It depends on who the client is and what the project is. Things that we do a lot of are televisions and installing those so that they look seamless in the décor. We just had one installed in a home over a fireplace where there was not previously a television. Framing it, putting it in … It’s a pretty easy sell to a brand new client when you take them in and you can show them you can have this big, black, shiny box on your mantle, or you can have this beautiful, mattefinished, framed piece of artwork when it’s turned off. It’s such a beautiful addition to the space instead of taking away from all the designing you’ve done. RT Today: How has working with your dad on Bargain Mansions helped you come up with new renovation ideas? TD: There are no “new” ideas. Everything new is an old philosophy. A lot of times it’s new to me, but it’s something he’s already done. Having him there to help guide and direct things is really helpful because he may have had experience with something that I’ve never seen before or dealt with before. Having his wisdom is always helpful.
Photos: Nate Sheets Photography LLC
sneak out and all the good stuff that teenagers do. I’m sure that they will eventually, but if we can beat them to the punch with security measures, that’s the goal. Our security system in my office and warehouse is all automated from my phone. My thermostats, too. It feels like such an expense, but at the end of the day, it’s such a cost saver because I’m going to be able to remotely manage
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the thermostat, which is going to save me money over the course of a year significantly. RT Today: Is there any smart home tech you find to be a little superfluous? TD: There are a lot of things that are certainly not a need. It’s definitely a want. Things like turning on your fireplace with your iPad. It sounds pretty cool, but … can’t you just flip the switch on the wall? It’s a few steps.
RT Today: Your chemistry with your father is one of the highlights of the show. Is that how you two naturally interact? TD: Yes, it is. He’s pretty funny. He’s easy to love. Dad is a riot; he says it like he thinks it. RT Today: Throughout your career, between Bargain Mansions and private clients, what’s your favorite project you’ve worked on?
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my fit for their home. It’s been really fun for me to get to branch out in that way. RT Today: On the other side of the coin, what’s been one of the most difficult projects? TD: Well, difficult personalities are always difficult personalities and you run into them no matter what you do in life. I’d say more of the difficulties, they’re usually the surprises in the home. And the frustrations are when I have a vision and can’t bring it to life because of structural issues or budget issues and things like that. That’s probably the biggest frustration, knowing it could be better and not being able to get it there.
While she believes that some home tech, such as smart fireplace controllers, can be unnecessary, Tamara Day maintains that “If someone had a disability, that could be such a huge life changer for them, to be able to push a button from a phone instead of having to figure out how to get to the light switch.”
TD: Each house has a favorite feature to me. I think I have yet to find my favorite house because then I’ll probably move in. Each one has its own unique challenges and unique feelings and vibes. For me, it’s been really fun to be able to do so many different styles of home, so many different ages of homes, and be able to find a vision for each of them. That has probably been my favorite part of this whole journey,
being able to really be free with my full designs instead of being limited by constraints of others likes and dislikes. I’m typically designing on the show to my taste. I don’t have a client in mind, so I’m designing how I feel that it should look versus when I’m working with a client, there’s a personality that you’re meeting and finding the right fit for their home, not necessarily what is
Photos: Nate Sheets Photography LLC
RT Today: You get to work on all these really cool older and classic homes. Does that older architecture inspire you in any way? TD: Absolutely. Some of my favorite projects are always the oldest projects because I have done work on new construction homes for clients, but I feel like it loses a sense of story when it’s new construction versus the old home. There’s always some constraint that you run into. “I want to do this, but for some reason it can’t happen.” 80 to 90 percent of the time something ends up having to be worked around in some way or method, and it ends up being the most interesting element of the design. It creates a feeling of, “If this was new, it wouldn’t be here.” But you can design around it to make it feel like it should be there and make it feel like it’s part of the intentional design. It ends up giving it that quirkiness that makes it feel more like a home instead of just a showcase. RT Today: Has sustainability been a focus throughout your projects? TD: It has been. It depends on which building material it is. Of course, with sustainability, there’s different ways to look at how you’re being more efficient in the home. Windows are a really good example. It’s always a toss-up to me with windows because, on the one hand, you can put really awesome, energy efficient windows into a home. It looks gorgeous, it saves on the utility bills, etc. But it also means you’re taking windows out of the house and throwing them into a landfill. Is it better? I try to only replace windows when I absolutely have to. If we can repair them, July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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Cover Story // Tamara Day’s Family Matters
Earlier this year, Tamara Day made headlines for holding an open house on a 5-bedroom 4 1/2 bath Leawood ranch-style home, selling the home’s accessories and furnishings that made an appearance on Bargain Mansions. Photos: Nate Sheets Photography LLC
use them when we can, but I also try to think about the other effect. Is that filling up a landfill? RT Today: What are you looking forward to for the future of Bargain Mansions? TD: I hope that we are able to continue inspiring people. I think that the show is such a wonderful platform in so many ways. We get to showcase the designs. We get to save these historic homes.
I like to save them, because of the historic charm and because I’m not filling up a landfill any further than I have to. There are weights to my decisions in those regards. Preserving the integrity of the space and making sure that you’re being energy efficient is important to me. But if it means that you’re going to have to rip down all the walls to put insulation in the middle and set up new walls, that’s not very efficient either. You’ve gotta find that soft balance. There are obviously lots of fantastic composite materials that you can use. There are opportunities with bamboo. There’s quartz and all kinds of sustainable products, and we try to
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A side effect that I didn’t expect of the show is how many young girls come up to me and say, “I want to be just like you when I grow up,” and, “I want to do what you do.” I sign their little backpacks and Trapper Keepers and all that good stuff. They take their picture with me. I didn’t anticipate how many young girls would watch this type of show, and how inspired they are, and how eye opening it is that a woman can be in this industry. And it’s not relegated to strictly the design side of this industry. You can be part of the design, you can be part of the construction, you can be part of anything you want to be a part of. Breaking through that glass ceiling and showing young girls anything is possible has really been a blessing in my life. The other thing that has been interesting is Dad and I’s relationship. I have probably taken for granted that he’s always there and always awesome. I think a lot of the messages we receive are, “I watch your show. It reminds me of my dad. What I wouldn’t give to have another day working with my dad.” They reminisce on
their experiences with their father. Men and women. But then it’s also, “I wish my dad had been around. This is so wonderful to see a father-daughter relationship like this, because I didn’t have that.” They aspire to have that with their children. “I hope that my daughter will work with me when she’s grown up.” It just brings up a lot of emotions in people, I think. I had one woman recently message us and say, “I was watching your show. My dad passed away two years ago and watching your show just reminded me of him so much. I cried through the entire episode. Thank you for the memories. It was wonderful to feel that again.” It was just such a sweet heartfelt message, and I never would have expected something like that from this.” So my hope is that we can continue to inspire people both in design, in relationships, and in doing whatever you want to do. RT Today: Is there any advice you give the people you’ve inspired? TD: I always say, “Find what piece of this you’re passionate about.” There are so many parts to what I’m doing. Because I have a great team around me, I’m able to do all the things I love, but I think that I am the exception to that rule. It’s certainly not where you start. Finding the piece that is your favorite and starting from there, it can grow from there instead of just jumping into the whole package thinking it’s all going to be hunky dory. Find your lane and then go there. x
CONFERENCE: JUNE 13-19 EXHIBITS: JUNE 17-19 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
“In almost 20 years of attending InfoComm, it is by far the industry event I look forward to the most year after year! It never disappoints.” Victoria J. Ferrari Account Executive Netrix
infocommshow.org
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Experiential Showroom
How an Indianapolis-area Technology Integration Company Leveraged a Knock-Out Location to Grow Its Business By Erin Phillips Since 1999, The Premier Group has been servicing homeowners in Indianapolis, IN, and surrounding areas with technology solutions and installation services for categories including audio, video, lighting, electrical, and more. Over the past 20 years, however, the integration business has changed dramatically. Where audio/video solutions used to dominate Premier’s business, today categories such as networking, security, and automation are growing at an exceptional rate. Unlike a simple AV system, Premier found it increasingly difficult to explain to customers the vast possibilities of the smart home. Having been at the forefront of home automation technology and one of Control4’s first authorized dealers, Premier understood the importance of demonstrating to homeowners how nearly all of their technology at home can work together seamlessly and be managed and controlled through a single system. Over the years, when they had opportunities to bring hot leads to existing customers’ homes during the quoting process, Premier closed project bids at a significantly higher rate. For that reason, the burgeoning custom installation business decided to open a showroom to further showcase the many possibilities of a truly intelligent home. For years, Premier’s first showroom was located in a strip mall alongside one of Indianapolis’ busiest roads, Meridian Street. Although it was a prime location from a visibility standpoint, it just didn’t catch the right kind of foot traffic and customer base Premier desired. In 2010, they were informed that the plaza was undergoing major construction. Knowing this would reduce foot traffic even
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more, Premier decided it was time to rethink their business model and find a new location. “You know the old saying, ‘Timing is everything?’ Well, it applies to Premier’s story as well,” said Jamie Sanger, director of business development for Premier. “As we started to look at changing locations, we found out the brandnew Indiana Design Center was coming to Indianapolis’s wealthy and highly desirable neighborhood of Carmel.” Located 12 miles straight north of the heart of Indianapolis, the 88,000-square-foot design center with multiple levels of mixed showrooms and offices promised to offer designers a onestop-shop to bring their clients into a space that allows them to touch, feel, experience, and ultimately purchase every single design element related to the interior and exterior of the home, including flooring, stone solutions, drapery, cabinetry, and more. “Needless to say, it was the perfect location for a stunning technology showroom, so we were quick to secure the space,” Sanger said. Fast forward to 2017, Control4 called on Premier with an offer for them to become one of the first dealers to participate in a new sales and marketing initiative: the Control4 Certified Showroom Program. Designed to benefit Control4’s top-performing dealers, participants of the program work with Control4 to build out beautiful showrooms demonstrating a fully automated home experience while reaping the benefits of qualified leads – exactly what Premier had in mind but just didn’t have the right tools to do all on their own. “We have been a Control4 dealer since the inception of the company, and when they came
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Looking through the glass walls into the Premier showroom is like looking into a beautiful modern home.
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to us to discuss the Control4 Certified Showroom Program, we jumped on it,” said Jason Barth, Premier’s founder. “After 18-plus years in business, the program presented an easy opportunity to get our clients excited – something we had been trying to figure out on our own. The program inspired us and with us already itching to revamp our showroom, it couldn’t have come at a better time.” In 2018, Premier completed renovations and opened the doors to their gorgeous new Control4 Certified Showroom inside the Indiana Design Center. Looking through the glass walls into the Premier showroom is like looking into a beautiful modern home; it’s an elegant marriage of interior design elements complemented with the latest technologies and devices, all running effortlessly by a Control4 system. “Our current showroom in the Indiana Design Center is all about the demo,” Sanger said. “When we have a client in front of us, rather than starting with individual categories like audio/video or lighting, we incorporate it all into pre-programmed scenes that trigger independent technologies in the home to operate simultaneously. We start the experience at the front of the showroom by pressing the doorbell on the Control4 Door Station. When the doorbell rings, the music inside automatically pauses, then the touch screen lights up and immediately displays the camera from the door station as well as exterior lighting. “Next, we engage our evening/movie scene that closes the shades as the lights and fireplace turn on, and an automated art display above the fireplace lifts to reveal a flat screen TV, which also turns on. The combination of these two memorable demonstrations alone immediately triggers the ‘Aha!’ moment, where customers faces light up as they start to not only get it – they want it.” Premier’s main follow-up message to consumers after they receive demos and a walk through of the showroom is to explain that they are going to have all of the various devices in their home anyway, why not leverage the smart technology to work for you? “The Control4 system is the glue that binds it all together,” Barth said. “By demonstrating
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The Premier Group showroom is an elegant marriage of interior design elements complemented with the latest technologies and devices, all running effortlessly by a Control4 system.
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Unlike a simple AV system, Premier found it increasingly difficult to explain to customers the vast possibilities of the smart home.
what the system can do, we frame a more engaging and educated conversation with the customer, and that leads to the ability to upsell, because right away they start asking for more.” The showroom offers the same benefits to Premier’s partners as it does to homeowners. And being located in the Design Center allows Premier easy access to invite interior designers, architects, and builders into their space to educate them on the benefits of the smart home and to demonstrate what their clients will experience. “Showing them that their clients can essentially test drive the technology before they buy it is always well received,” Sanger added.
Being affiliated with the Indiana Design Center also provides Premier with many opportunities to piggyback on regular events happening in the building, allowing for greater exposure and occasions to educate influencers and key potential customers that are unfamiliar with smart technology. Currently, The Premier Group employs 23 full-time staff, and does roughly $4 million in business annually while completing several hundred projects per year. In the past, their business consisted primarily of large, high-end, custom projects that required extreme attention to detail and repeat touch points over an extended period of time, which meant each job
was long, complex, and required multiple hands on deck. Since becoming a Control4 Certified Showroom Dealer, however, they have leveraged the demo vignettes to help build out packagebased sales for a broader clientele. “We have tweaked our demos to the point that they are so tight and relevant, customers immediately ask how much a particular demo costs,” Sanger said. “We have built out different package levels, from silver to gold right up to fully custom and we quote off of a set of worksheets with go-to smart lighting, locks, shades, surveillance, and AV. Based on the size of the home and technology asks, the
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The Premier Group’s showroom is located in the 88,000-square-foot Indiana Design Center, which features multiple levels of mixed showrooms and offices.
worksheets help our sales people quickly drill down to the right package and device quantities – all realized through the demo experience.” “One thing is for sure; we do not struggle with foot traffic any longer. Moving to the Indiana Design Center and building a Control4 Certified Showroom has given us both access and opportunity to build relationships with local designers, architects, and builders who bring us qualified leads,” said Jason. “We have become the trusted go-to residential technology partner for the Indianapolis metro area, and we are seeing a lot of repeat business resulting from our relationships.” Since becoming a Control4 Certified Showroom Dealer, Barth and the Premier team
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are expecting a minimum of 15-percent growth year-over-year, and they believe that the majority of growth is going to come from continuing to tweak and grow their packaged sales, where half their revenue comes from that segment of the business. “We became a Control4 Certified Showroom Dealer because of the credibility statement it provides,” Barth added. “We can say, ‘Here’s what we’re capable of.’ We’re meeting a standard of presentation and solution, and if you’re claiming to be a leader in the industry, you have to lead by example and prove it. Control4 has become a recognizable consumer brand. Customers, including homeowners, builders, and designers ask for it by name, and they laud the Control4 accreditation. It’s one more
notch to set us apart and have us stand above the rest when it comes down to the quoting process.” For dealers thinking about building a showroom, Barth says, “Just do it!” He also advises dealers not to cut corners. “Don’t go in under-funded, he said. “If you want it to be relatable to your customers, you have to make sure you are buying the furnishings and touches that your customers want or already have in their home environment. You want them to feel like they are walking through a home that they want and experiencing technology that works for them, so make it realistic and engaging, with experiential demonstrations every time, and I promise you too will get those aha! and ‘I have to have it’ moments.” x
INNOVATIVE TECH
Gear to Consider Today So You will be Prepared if Things Get Crazy Tomorrow By Darryl Wilkinson
Natural disasters and small-scale personal emergencies are equal-opportunity destroyers. Tornadoes and hurricanes, for example, don’t care who or what you are as long as you’re in their path of mayhem and misery. Nor does a cellphone battery that dies as you’re making a life-saving 911 call.
the essential items that you may need in the event of an emergency. While there’s no way to prepare for every eventuality, here’s a list of some high-tech (and some not-so-high-tech) gear to consider calmly getting your hands on today so you’ll be prepared if things get crazy tomorrow.
Here’s more cheerful information regarding disasters: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would like you to know that, “After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water, and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours.” (Oh, joy…)
Get Kitted Out
Big catastrophes and local emergencies typically happen with little-to-no warning. That’s why the DHS, FEMA, Red Cross, and just about every other organization that deals with such situations recommend putting together a basic disaster supply kit containing
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After packing food, water, a first aid kit, and a manual can opener, drop a cellphone charger and a backup battery in your kit. Keeping your smartphone charged will be absolutely essential, because even if you can’t get a signal strong enough to make a call, you can still use apps (assuming you’ve previously downloaded them) from FEMA, the Red Cross, and others for first aid advice and other survival information. Although it may be tempting, don’t assume you’ll be able to rely on your phone as a flashlight or to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) from the National Weather
Photo: iStock.com/photovs
Technology Fit for a Disaster Service (NWS) or your local, state, or federal government agencies. Instead, follow the DHS recommendation that your disaster kit includes a separate flashlight (with extra batteries) and a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert. Of course, not all flashlights are created equal. The JumpSmart ($159.95), for example, combines a 330 Lumen flashlight, a 37,000 mWh jump starter (powerful enough to jump start 8-cylinder, 5.0L gas, or 2.0L diesel engines), and a 2.4A output for charging USB devices together and encases it all in a hefty, anodized-aluminum, cylindrical casing. The 495-foot reach flashlight includes high, low, SOS, and strobe modes; and the detachable Smart Jumper Cables have audible alarms and visual safety indicator lights that warn if you’re making improper or dangerous connections— something that can easily happen in stressful survival situations.
INNOVATIVE TECH
Kaito Electronics’ KA500 ($49.95) won’t jumpstart your car, but this portable radio will keep you alerted to severe weather conditions in the area with its built-in NOAA Alert function. The KA500 can also receive broadcasts from AM, FM, short wave, and seven preprogrammed NOAA weather stations. It includes a five-LED flashlight/reading lamp and a USB port for charging other devices. The built-in Ni-MH battery pack can be recharged using the unit’s dynamo hand crank, a standard USB charger, or the unit’s 180-degree adjustable solar panel. The KA500 can also be powered by three AA batteries or an optional AC adapter.
I’ll Drink to That The DHS recommends that your disaster supplies kit includes at least one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days to be used for drinking and sanitation – but that’s a bare minimum. Unfortunately, until somebody invents a powdered alternative, liquid water is bulky, heavy, and cumbersome to transport, especially if you’re traveling or with a group. The Platypus GravityWorks 2.0L Complete Kit ($99.95) is a pump-free, ultralight system that can filter up to 1.5 liters of water a minute. That’s enough filtered water, the company estimates, for up to four people “on backpacking, hiking, and backcountry trips.” (That’s one way to keep your sanity during a disaster. Tell yourself it’s a spur-of-the-moment camping trip…) After filtration, you can kill any gut-busting stuff that might remain with the help of the Steripen Ultra UV water purifier ($109.95). Steripen says that the easily carried handheld device emits ultraviolet (UV-C) light rays that can “safely purify clear water by destroying 99.9 percent of protozoa (including Giardia and Cryptosporidia), bacteria, and even viruses.” The small OLED screen on the front of the Steripen Ultra UV even lights up with a smile to let you know the water is safe to drink. The built-in UV lamp is designed for up to 8,000 treatments, and the Steripen Ultra internal lithium battery can be recharged from any standard USB power source.
Kaito Electronics’ KA500 portable radio will keep you alerted to severe weather conditions in the area with its built-in NOAA Alert function. JumpSmart combines a 330 Lumen flashlight, a 37,000 mWh jump starter, and a 2.4A output for USB charging.
At first glance, it’s doubtful something called a “smart mug” would find its way onto anyone’s list of useful survival tech gear. Yet, although the Cauldryn Fyre Mobile 2.0 Smart Mug ($149.99) looks like a souped-up insulated travel tumbler with its built-in LCD screen that displays the internal temperature and up/down adjustment buttons, it’s actually a mobile, modular, personal survival kitchen. The basic unit includes a rechargeable battery and a removable (for easy cleaning) heating element that can keep the Cauldryn Fyre Mobile 2.0’s contents anywhere between room temperature and boiling for up to 20 hours. The company says the smart July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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(Clockwise from left) The Platypus GravityWorks 2.0L Complete Kit is a pump-free, ultralight water system that can filter up to 1.5 liters a minute. After filtration, you can kill any gut-busting stuff that might remain with the help of the Steripen Ultra UV water purifier. The Cauldryn Fyre Mobile 2.0 Smart Mug is a mobile, modular, personal survival kitchen. It includes an optional Cauldryn Blender Attachment (right).
mug’s ideal uses include: “Keep coffee hot, brew coffee and tea, cook freeze-dried food, sterilize water, charge devices, heat soup, boil water.” The optional Cauldryn Blender Attachment ($39.99) is strong enough to crush ice (if you’re lucky enough to find any). An optional Vehicle Base ($9.99) lets you recharge the Fyre Mobile 2.0 from a 12-volt outlet. LOKSAK’s aLOKSAK flexible, re-sealable storage bags (starting at $8.49 for a 2-pack of 3x6-inch bags) offer 100 percent protection of the contents – including firearms or electronics like phones, tablets, and flash drives – from water (depths of up to 200 ft), dust, humidity, sand, snow, and most other things Mother Nature can throw at them. Even more impressive, touchscreen devices work while contained in aLOKSAK bags, including making and receiving cellphone calls. LOKSAK’s OPSAK bags (starting at $9.49 for a 2-pack of
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7x7-inch bags) are similar, except they’re specially designed for food storage and preparation in less-than-ideal situations. Each re-sealable OPSAK bag is made from BPA-free, FDA- and NSF-approved food-safe materials and can withstand direct heat up to 170 degrees (F). That means you can pour boiling water straight into an OPSAK bag to rehydrate food or make hot beverages. In addition to being washable, they’re odor-proof—so food stored in an OPSAK bag won’t attract wildlife (or, in a seriously apocalyptic scenario, other humans). They can also be used to transport body waste (diapers, for example, or worse…) without the accompanying stench or possibility of spreading disease.
Burning Desires
and cook using sticks, wood scraps, pellets, pinecones, or other biomass as fuel, the CampStove 2 can generate 3W of electricity from the heat of the fire to charge devices in real-time or store the energy in the unit’s onboard 2600mAh backup battery. The included KettlePot can boil one liter of water in less than five minutes, and the Grilltop fits up to four hamburgers (or other, um, meat patties…). The company’s Energy Bundle+ ($439.65) includes everything in the CampStove 2 Bundle and adds a five-watt solar panel with a built-in 2200mAh storage battery, and an extensive multifunctional lighting package incorporating a dimmable flashlight, a lantern, packable overhead lighting, and a 4400mAh rechargeable battery pack.
You can take your survival cooking to the next level with BioLite’s CampStove 2 Bundle ($239.95). In addition to letting you grill, boil,
As long as the sun is shining, you don’t have to pick up sticks or find other fuel to cook with the GoSun Go Portable Solar Cooker. Using two
As long as the sun is shining, you don’t have to pick up sticks or find other fuel to cook with the GoSun Go Portable Solar Cooker. The TekFire Charge Fuel-Free Lighter doesn’t require butane fuel, nor does it need adjustments for altitude. You can take your survival cooking to the next level with BioLite’s CampStove 2 Bundle. Keep copies of your vital files on one of Corsair’s Flash Survivor Stealth USB 3.0 flash drives.
internal temperature anywhere from -4 to 68 degrees (F). The Chill’s built-in 144WH PowerBank can also be used to charge phones and laptops. The unique Flex is a folding table with a solar panel integrated into one half of the table’s surface. The configuration is incredibly clever because while the solar panel is charging the Chill, the other half of the Flex’s top surface can be used to prepare food. At the same time, the Flex can provide a nice bit of shade for the Chill, making it even more efficient.
parabolic reflectors, the Go concentrates energy from the sun on an evacuated glass tube containing a slide-out stainless-steel cooking tray. It’s so efficient at capturing and retaining heat that the Go can boil water or cook “most meals” in 20-30 minutes. In full sunlight, the Go can reach temperatures up to 550 degrees (F); but GoSun says the Go will cook without blazing sunshine as long as “you can see a defined shadow.” By the end of the year, GoSun expects to be shipping the GoSun Chill + Flex ($949.00) package. The Chill is a 40-liter capacity, batterypowered, portable fridge that can maintain its
No disaster supplies kit is complete without some method of starting a fire, be it a waterproof container of matches, a magnesium fire starter kit, or a primitive bow drill fire starting kit (not recommended, by the way, unless you plan on freezing to death). Ultimate Survival Technologies (UST) suggests packing one of the company’s TekFire Charge Fuel-Free Lighter. Unlike traditional lighters, it doesn’t require butane fuel, nor does it need adjustments for altitude. The electronic design is flameless and windproof, while the internal 3000mAh lithium-ion battery can also be used to charge other devices. The lighter includes a ParaTinder Utility Cord that initially functions as a wrist lanyard but can be unwound to access a special, easy-to-ignite tinder thread woven inside.
Keep Your Finances Afloat The primary focus of the survival tech gear listed so far is to keep you alive during an emergency. After the disaster, assuming civilization hasn’t collapsed, you’re going to want to begin putting your previous life back together again. With that in mind, both FEMA and the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) recommend that you save essential family documents – such as copies of insurance policies, personal identification, and bank account records – either electronically or in a waterproof, portable container. You could save electronic copies on your phone and back them up using a cloud storage service provider, but what if your phone gets destroyed and the cloud service is affected by the same disaster? You might also want to keep copies of those vital files on one of Corsair’s Flash Survivor Stealth USB 3.0 flash drives. Available in storage capacities up to 256 GB ($64.99), these super-tough flash drives include an anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum housing that’s waterproof to 200 meters and is both vibration- and shock-resistant up to 40Gs, providing what the company calls “adventureproof data transport” capability. Ideally, you’ll never be forced to rely on any of these devices to keep yourself and your loved ones alive during a long-term emergency. Having one or more of them on hand, though, is a good insurance policy in case Mother Nature gets out of hand. And, unlike with most insurance policies, you might find yourself using some of these devices – especially if you’re the outdoorsy type – a couple of times a year. x July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION
The third generation of Anthem Electronics’ ARC Genesis Anthem Room Correction (ARC) software is available for free from anthemarc.com. This proprietary digital signal processing technology works with compatible 2-channel and home theater audio products and offers advanced measurement functions, acoustic correction algorithms, userconfigurable target curve customization, a streamlined user interface, and support for both Mac and Windows.
The new Avalon G4 4/3/2-channel amplifier from AudioControl is designed for everything from immersive surround sound applications to multi-zone audio, 2-channel, or 2.1-channel entertainment systems. The 2U rack space amp features a Class H design that achieves 230 watts/8-ohms or 300 watts/4-ohms into four channels all channels driven. The Avalon G4 also features AudioControl’s LightDrive anti-clipping protection circuit, which protects loudspeakers from clipping and distortion even in extreme conditions such as a highly dynamic action movie soundtrack.
BlackWire Designs, a distributor in the custom installation market, is offering a new module for the integration of Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controllers into URC’s Total Control 2.0 wholehouse automation system. The company supports Rachio in Control4 as well. Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controllers make it easier to create custom schedules that automatically adjust for changing local weather. They work with current sprinkler systems, up to 16 zones, and provide users with complete control over their sprinklers via their smartphone or tablet using the Rachio Remote app.
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Bryston has introduced native support for the Qobuz streaming music service as an available firmware update for its BDP Music Players. Qobuz, a certified high-resolution (24-bit/up to 192 kHz) streaming service, enables users to stream uncompressed content from a library of more than 40-million tracks representing every imaginable style including jazz and classical music. Qobuz offers exclusive editorial content along with deep metadata, complete digital booklets, interactive articles, reviews, and playlists all available to Bryston BDP users.
PRODUCT REVOLUTION iFi’s new wireless music system, the Aurora, brings together a collection of proprietary technologies to deliver a tabletop, all-in-one system clad in bamboo and elevated by a distinctive aluminum frame. The Aurora connects to a home Wi-Fi network, enabling users to stream music via their favorite apps, or play audio files stored on networked devices such as computers and NAS drives. Bluetooth is also included, so that users may stream directly from any smart device. The Aurora is hi-res audio enabled, supporting data up to 32-bit/192kHz.
Control4 has begun shipping its new Pakedge WA-2200 Wave 2 Access Point with BakPak Lite. Engineered for improved performance and reliable wireless connectivity in homes with a growing number of connected devices, the WA-2200 enables Control4 dealers to provide centralized management and configuration with simplified deployment. The all-new, highperformance chipset delivers faster speeds, lower latency, and seamless roaming across the wireless network, according to the company.
Two new 7.2-channel Denon X-Series AV receivers are now available from Sound United. The AVR-X2600H (95W per channel; $799) and AVR-X1600H (80W per channel; $599) support the latest surround sound formats, including Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, which adds virtualized height and surround effects on traditional stereo or surround content as well as Dolby Atmos content while using fewer speakers. Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization is used to create the sensation of sound that extends above and beyond the listener, using only loudspeakers originating at listener-level.
Savant’s Pro Remote now includes IPbased Apple TV integration with Siri voice recognition built in. Savant users can now choose from the security of user-activated voice functionality by commanding Siri to find a movie, an artist, or streaming service. The Pro Remote offers a blend of hard buttons, touchscreen interface, and voice control. This new functionality also includes Apple HomeKit integration with hundreds of smart home devices. July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION Epson has introduced two new Home Cinema projectors designed to deliver an immersive 4K experience to DIY home theaters. The Home Cinema 5050UB (MSRP $2,999) and wireless Home Cinema 5050UBe (MSRP $3,299) 4K PRO-UHD projectors feature 2,600 lumens of equal color and white brightness, HDR10, and Epson UltraBlack technology. Leveraging full 10-bit color output – plus proprietary dedicated processors for resolution enhancement, HDR and image processing – the new Home Cinema 4K PRO-UHD projectors are designed to display incredible color accuracy, brightness, and image detail.
Harman’s Mark Levinson recently previewed its 5101 Network Streaming, Super Audio CD (SACD) player and Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), featuring new industrial design and PrecisionLink II DAC. It was designed, engineered, and precision-crafted in the USA. With a wide range of supported digital audio sources and formats, the 5101 allows playback of physical media including SACD, CD-A, CD-R, and CD-RW. It supports FLAC, WAV, AIFF, OGG, MP3, AAC, and WMA formats.
Josh.ai continues expanding the range of voice control in the home by integrating with DISH’s Hopper DVR for satellite television compatibility. Available now, this integration provides the user experience of being able to walk from room to room and ask Josh Micro to control the DISH TV experience, including navigation and content selection. After connecting to the network, Josh. ai auto-populates supported DISH set-top-boxes, including Hopper (all generations), Wally, and Joey (all models), and provides authorization instructions.
Nortek’s Security & Control SpeakerCraft Terrazza Series Landscape Speaker System with the 8-inch Burial Subwoofer option are now available from qualified integrators. Consisting of four SpeakerCraft Landscape Satellite Speakers and Subwoofer, the Terrazza Series delivers a value price point with a simplified installation that doesn’t require expensive high-power amplifiers. Terrazza is designed for the lower power of distributed audio amplifiers, or extended audio zones (like Zone 2) from conventional AVRs. And it can expand up to an 8.2 system without requiring additional amplification.
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PRODUCT REVOLUTION New custom A2V Powered Subwoofers and AllWeather Outdoor Loudspeakers are now available nationwide from the PowerHouse Alliance. The front-firing, in-room, A2V Powered Subwoofers are a high-quality, cost-conscious option built to suit a variety of audio and home theater installations. Dealers can select from three subwoofer models: 8-inch (A2V8SWB), 10-inch (A2V10SWB), and 12-inch (A2V12SWB), with acousticallytransparent grilles wrapped in a proprietary mesh. The A2V525OD outdoor model features a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter and 5.25-inch polypropylene woofer. The A2V650D features a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter and 6.5-inch polypropylene woofer.
Torus Power is now shipping its PowerBlock PB 5 toroidal isolation transformer, which is designed to power and protect TVs, projectors, receivers, and source components in compact AV systems. Surge suppression and noise filtering through proprietary narrow bandwidth technology (NBT) allow sophisticated audio-visual components to deliver a lower noise floor, better dynamics, imaging and bass, and video that is notably crisper with brighter colors, deeper blacks, and a more compelling overall image.
The TX-NR797 9.2-channel AV receiver ($699 USD) and TX-NR696 7.2-channel network AV receiver ($599 USD) from Onkyo USA are THX Certified Select and support immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound formats, 3D sound virtualization technologies, simplified audio distribution, 4K HDR support, and new proprietary functions, all of which underscore their price-to-performance advantage.The TX-NR797 is the first Onkyo product to be released under the IMAX Enhanced program, which features DTS:X immersive audio decoding that is optimized to properly reproduce the full dynamic range of IMAX theatrical sound mixes available in digitally re-mastered IMAX Enhanced content. Intended for dedicated home theaters or living rooms, the BenQ CinePrime HT5550 projector combines the company’s HDRPRO and CinematicColor DCI-P3 technologies to achieve all the clarity and depth of HDR content and 100-percent coverage of Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)’s DCI-P3 wide color gamut standard to deliver the picture just as the director intended. It is designed to deliver true 4K performance with 3840x2160 resolution and 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame.
July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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TECH TOOLS
Acoustical Analysis, Pokémon Go-Style
Augmented Reality and Professional-Caliber Room Correction Collide in AcoustiTools App By Dennis Burger
Start a conversation about AR, or augmented reality, and most people’s brains will likely head in the direction of Pokémon Go or other games that cross the line between the real world and the digital. Hang with an even hipper crowd, and you might hear talk of Childish Gambino’s new mind-bending interactive musical experience, Pharo AR. One company, though – Acoustic Masterminds Inc., the brainchild of founder and CEO Caleb Madsen – is using AR for something a lot more functional, way more educational, and infinitely more useful. But to me, it’s no less fun. Rather than letting you chase Pokémon around your neighborhood, the company’s AcoustiTools app puts professional-caliber sound analysis and diagnostic tools right in the palm of your hands, in a way that lets you see, and indeed interact with, the sound in the environment that you are analyzing and tweaking. By default, the app comes with three essential
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tools: a full-featured decibel meter with both peak and average values; a Real-Time Analyzer that lets you see the frequency curve of audio playing in the room around you (or even outside); and an AR spatial module, which is where things get a little sci-fi, to be honest. Much the way that Pokémon Go has you waving your phone around looking for Pikachu and friends, the AR spatial module has you looking through your iOS phone’s camera to track down discrepancies in delay, or variations in volume, in a virtualized representation of your actual environment. Looking at the onscreen representation of your listening space, indoors or out, you simply tag the speakers individually, and the location of each is locked down in three-dimensional space. Based on the location of the tags in the 3D space, you can see in real time what the delays are between each speaker and your ears (well, actually your smartphone), with readings delivered in terms of both distance and time, as well as RMS and peak sound pressure levels.
This is particularly handy if you are running a sound system without built-in speaker calibration, which makes sense given that AcoustiTools was primarily designed for live music venues. Founder and CEO Madsen says that one of his main goals for the app was to allow traveling bands, who of course don’t own the venues in which they play, to quickly and easily tune unfamiliar sound systems for optimal performance. That, of course, doesn’t mean that it can’t be used at home, in both stereo and surround sound systems. I just so happened to get my hands on AcoustiTools at pretty much exactly the same time that I began digging into a review of a high-end AV preamp whose room correction software wasn’t fully baked just yet. Using the app from my main seat, I was able to look around the room through the camera in my phone, tag each of the speakers in my sound system, and get a quick and accurate reading of the delay and level settings necessary to bring the complete system into balance. Frankly, it was a heck of a lot quicker than the more typical
TECH TOOLS
By default, the AcoustiTools app comes with three essential tools: a full-featured decibel meter with both peak and average values; a real-time analyzer that lets you see the frequency curve of audio playing in the room around you (or even outside); and an AR spatial module.
method of whipping out a Radio Shack SPL meter and a tape measure. And with my subwoofers, its results were a lot more accurate. By far the most useful tool in the AcousiTools toolbox, though, is the add-on diagnostic parametric equalizer (PEQ), which is a separate purchase from within the app. Parametric EQ can be an incredible tool, allowing you to tame the acoustics of a space with surgical precision. But it also can be a daunting tool, especially in figuring out how to adjust settings like Q, which is inversely proportional to bandwidth. With AcoustiTools’ Diagnostic PEQ, there’s nothing to understand, nothing to guess at, and, indeed, nothing to worry about. Simply blast pink noise through your sound system, tell the app how many bands of PEQ you have available via your sound system, and you get a completely intuitive graph of center frequencies that need to be either boosted or attenuated, by how much (down to the hundredth of a decibel), with Q values for each band. There’s even a handy pause function that lets you lock in those values, in
case you need to walk back to your sound board or preamp to adjust its parametric EQ. Again, the intended application here is for live sound first and foremost, but I was able to use the Diagnostic PEQ to tame the performance of that aforementioned preamp in my home theater system with such precision that I’m honestly not concerned with its lack of room correction. In about five minutes, start to finish, I had my media room’s speakers and subwoofers balanced, properly delayed, and perfectly tuned to my room. What’s more, my wife – who was looking over my shoulder the entire time – commented that for the first time she thought she understood what I was doing when I was “moving microphones around and blaring static” in the media room. There’s undeniably an educational aspect to seeing room acoustics through the magic of AR. For Acoustic Masterminds Inc., however, all of this is just the beginning. “We have several different expansions in mind for AcoustiTools,”
Madsen noted, “and there’s another, separate app in the works that’s designed to provide advanced analysis for creating 3D models for room treatments.” That app, he says, will allow you to scan a room – or studio, or live venue, or even a café or restaurant – in three dimensions, upload the results to the cloud for processing, and then see an overlay of exactly where acoustical treatments are needed for the space. “We can actually show the before-and-after, as well as the look of the treatments, and have a new way of illustrating it instead of having to take out a tape measurement and work up drawings, and then still have to describe it to a customer who’s unsure of what everything will look like when it’s done,” Madsen explained. What comes after that? If Madsen knows, he’s not telling. All he will say for now is that his company’s ultimate goal is to “revolutionize acoustic analysis and make it a faster process.” If this first effort is any indication, I daresay they’re already well down that path. x July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
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MEET-UP
Events
Photo: iStock.com/Planet Unicorn
Denver will once again serve as the host city for CEDIA Expo, September 10-14.
AUGUST 5-7
CEDIA Basic Residential Boot Camp Indianapolis, IN
SEPTEMBER 10-14 CEDIA Expo Denver, CO
8-10
CEDIA Home Theater Boot Camp Indianapolis, IN
OCTOBER 1,3
14-16
15
22-24
NY/NJ Technology & Business Summit Long Island, NY & Newark, NJ
Southeast Technology & Business Summit Atlanta, GA Photo: iStock.com/skynesher
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Azione Unlimited Fall Conference Seattle, WA
HTSA 2019 Fall Conference Dallas, TX
COMING UP
Residential Tech Today
COMING ISSUES
September/October
The Voice-First Revolution. Smart speakers driven by voice control have been one of the most successful consumer electronics trends in history. Yet, most of these devices are used for only a fraction of their full capability. What will it take for smart speakers to become the hub of the smart home or will they always be just one input into a more sophisticated system? How will consumer behavior, expectations, and the user experience play out in a voice-first world?
November/December
Clean Living and the Healthy Home. The smart home is great and the intelligent home is even better, but what about the healthy home? New technologies and better science are finding ways to help homeowners from all economic strata live in environments with cleaner air and water, as well as more natural lighting. Find out what opportunities exist for single-family and multi-family homes, and how technology integrators and forward-looking architects are leading the way.
January/February
Privacy and Security Matters. There are more internet-connected devices in the home than ever before, which adds remote control conveniences and efficiencies, but also real privacy mistakes and security breaches involving IoT devices and private information. Find out how home networks can be protected and what lessons can be learned from prior security breaches.
July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today
71
RELAX
The Lighter Side
(Possibly Real) Quotes from Tech Leaders By Anthony Elio
“ Personally, I find air travel to be far too expensive. So, when I need to leave the house, I’ll generally ask one of my friends with Amazon Prime to order a package from me. After properly packaging myself, within two business days I’m at their house and ready to hit the town.” – Jeff Bezos, Amazon
“ By reading this sentence, you agree to allow access to your search history, credit data, contact list, and physical measurements to personalize the experience of future sentences.” – Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
Photos: iStock.com/ljphoto7
Photos: iStock.com/stevanovicigor
Thought leaders. Tech influencers. Digital gurus. These are all empty buzzwords used to describe the famed entrepreneurs that dominate headlines, Forbes lists, and tax brackets. And, because of their massive success, these leaders of the tech space are known for their words of wisdom that will undoubtedly be misquoted, slapped onto a stock image, and shared on social media. With that in mind, here are some possibly iconic quotes that might be accurate from these masters of industry.
“ A lot of people think that Napster allowed for music theft, but I found our file sharing network to be more of a form of borrowing. In fact, everything I own is borrowed. My entire music collection? Borrowed through Napster. This watch? Borrowed it from the lost & found. This suit? Borrowed it from Jack Dorsey.” – Sean Parker, Napster
“ People tend to take my social media way too seriously. For example, I once joked that the newest Tesla model would run purely on gravy. That’s preposterous. Standard country gravy doesn’t have the consistency to properly fuel a vehicle such as the Tesla. Hollandaise might work though.” – Elon Musk, Tesla Photos: iStock.com/BWFolsom
Photos: iStock.com/WillSelarep
“ In order to access this quote, you will need to upgrade your current mobile device to an iPhone XR, establish a strong Wi-Fi connection, and download update 3.5.7.” – Tim Cook, Apple
“ Sean Parker is wearing my suit?” – Jack Dorsey, Twitter
“ Trade you this bus transfer for 50 cents.” – Tim Armstrong, AOL
Photos: iStock.com/PashaIgnatov Photos: iStock.com/baona
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Photos: iStock.com/AnthonyRosenberg
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