Cool apps via Apple App Store developed by home automation integration manufacturers.
I am a fan of Smart Home Technology and there are some cool apps via Apple App Store developed by home automation integration manufacturers such as Savant Systems, Control4, HomeSeer, and HAI that will allow you to control your home via an iPod Touch, iPhone, and the new iPad. But in my hastiness to show you what an iPad can do outside of just playing games, watching video, reading books and sending an email/tweet or two, I may have incorrectly given folks the idea that all you need is an app downloaded onto you Apple gadget and you are good to go – WRONG! You need a little bit more than just an app and a cool control gadget to have a complete home automation system capable of controlling your lighting, security, media & HVAC. The Low Down: I am gonna give you a down and dirty on what you would need to have a complete Home Automation System. Here are the basic components: Software – The language that your system uses to operate If you can put two and two together, you already know which part the fancy Apple products falls under…..the interface. It's the nifty gadget that you use to control your system. Most systems still use those bulky, expensive, touch screens OR a universal remote with not enough buttons to get the job done. These devices can easily run you approx. $1k+ just to run your home from the inside, which makes using an iPad or other mobile gadget a VERY NICE alternative…you can do much more for much less. The interface, while the coolest, is usually the LAST part you need to complete your system. Probably the first component of a home automation system you need to think about is the Software – the portion that translates the signals from the interface into commands for the devices to execute. Next up is the path of travel (connection) for the signals and commands to travel. It can either be wired, or wireless, or both. But the signals need a path to get from your interface to the device. The only thing that's left is the brains of the system – The control unit. It's the component that routes all the translated commands from the software to the appropriate devices. It tells what to go where and when. The control unit monitors the system and is hooked up to all of your controlled devices. With home automation, you can either Do it all yourself, or get a home integrator to do it all for you – DIY home automation is getting easier and easier, but it takes time to figure out all the ins and outs. If you can put a values your time (and it takes time), paying somebody to do it may serve you better. Now of course I left out a bunch, but that was the purpose of this article – to let you know there is more to home automation than just downloading an app. But I'm not gonna leave you hanging without some linky goodness if you want to do more research. How to Install Smart House Technology How to Wire Your Home for Automation |
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