Hidden Sound Solutions vs. The Full Sound Experience: Which is Best for You?

Did you know that there are multiple ways to customize your home audio? You can have completely hidden sound solutions so the sound happens like magic or have designated listening areas that show off what your speakers can do. But how can you choose?

Maybe you don’t even have to choose! Let’s go over the benefits of each and how you can improve your sound!

The Hidden Sound Experience

If you dream of having music appear in your home like magic, you’ll undoubtedly be a fan of the hidden sound experience. With hidden sound, speakers are integrated into the wall or ceiling (even behind the drywall!) and blended with your home’s aesthetic.

You can use other techniques like custom art speaker grilles, small aperture speakers you can hide behind artwork, or create an entire visual feature that camouflages your speakers. There’s no limit to how you want to disguise your speakers!

Benefits of Hidden Sound Solutions

So, what are the benefits of hidden sound solutions? The most significant one is how they blend with your home aesthetic — there won’t be any obvious signs of tech anywhere, but everything works like magic! To that effect, our team of custom integrators can help create bespoke covers, bevels, and custom power lifts to hide your equipment.

The second benefit is having smooth background audio for any activity, whether at home relaxing or entertaining your friends for get-togethers. However, the one drawback is that the sound won’t be as dynamic as in a fully treated room tailored to your listening experience.

The Full Sound Experience

The second way to customize your sound is with the full sound experience, meaning you have a fully treated room with speakers facing toward you. And there are two ways to achieve this: 2-channel audio or an 11.2 home theater surround sound!

2-Channel Audio

With 2-channel audio, you will see all the audio equipment, including speakers, receivers, amplifiers, and music sources. But the room will focus on human binocular hearing, which tailors the sound to your ears for a full room audio sound or a designated listening sweet spot.

11.2 Home Theater Sound

 2-channel audio is typically for a listening room, but an 11.2 home theater sound is precisely that — for your home theater! These systems involve multiple speakers (up to 11) and a subwoofer angled toward your seating. So, whether the speakers are in front, above, to the sides, or behind you, there isn’t a single spot your audio misses!

Benefits of the Full Sound Experience

The idea behind the whole sound experience is receiving the clearest, crispest audio tailored to your hearing, which audiophiles love. But even if you’re not a designated musicophile, you too can benefit from a fully treated audio room — you get to hear content as close to how it was recorded in the studio!

This brings out the emotion of everything you listen to, so you can feel every bit of it in your chest! You get a mini concert just for you! The only drawbacks are that you’ll see more of your audio equipment, and your listening experience will be limited to the treated room.

Can You Do Both?

Absolutely! You can have both hidden sound solutions and a full sound experience together! And it’s up to you how you want that to look— our custom integrators will do the rest!

So, if you want the benefits of hidden audio in your living areas, bathrooms, studies, home office, and a dedicated listening room, there’s no stopping you. And the best part is that tons of new speakers are works of art themselves with colorful glazes, so they’ll even enhance your home’s aesthetic.

Pro Tip: If you want multi-room audio you can control and schedule, let us know! We can customize your listening experience even further!

What’s Your Sound?

Now that you know more about the difference between hidden sound solutions vs. the full sound experience, are you ready to get started? If so, our team at [store name] is ready and waiting for your call! We’ll set you up with a consultation appointment where we’ll review the scope of your audio needs and work up ideas on how to meet your audio needs!

All you have to do is point at what you want, and we’ll do the rest!

Did you know there’s more than one way to customize your home audio? 🤯

Yup! There’s custom hidden audio solutions and the fully treated sound experience — which one will you choose?

5 Spooky Smart Home Halloween Ideas that Kids will Love

Halloween is right around the corner. Why not use your smart home to create the spookiest house on the block? Using your Control4 system and a few little tricks, you can create a spooky atmosphere that will amaze the kids and impress the whole neighborhood.

You already have a lot of the devices you need to make your house the most fun on the block for trick-or-treaters. Using your home automation system and a few tips from us, you’ll be able to create a scary show with lighting and sound effects from your favorite scary movies. You can also create spooky and fun surprises for kids in every dark corner of your yard.

Here are a few spooky smart home Halloween ideas that the kids will love!

Spooky-Up Your Doorbell!

To give your home a spooky feel, ditch the typical doorbell sounds and use scary ones instead. There are tons of options available. You can choose from various screams, a witch’s cackle, howls, creaky doors, ghosts or even songs like the “Monster Mash.” The easiest way to do this is to replace your doorbell’s chime with one of these scary sounds on Spotify or another music streaming platform..

When trick-or-treaters visit your home, you will be ready for them. If you want to create a little mystery and fun, you can even use your cameras and intercom system to interact with them.

Set up an Automated Halloween Candy Shoot

Surprise the kids with an extra treat, and set up a Halloween candy shoot. This is incredibly easy to do and you can automate it too. All you need is a photo shipping tube (you can order this on Amazon or any shipping supply store). Then decorate it in Halloween colors. You could paint it orange and string purple or black Halloween lights around it. Or, add paint it black and cover it in Halloween stencils or stickers.

Then, you can use your Control4 4sight subscription to set up a when>>then personalization to create a simple Halloween automation. Use an extension cord or smart plug to connect your lights to your home automation. Then program the Halloween lights to automatically light up when the door bell rings. When you drop the candy down the shoot, the kids will be thrilled!

Light up Your Front Porch with Color Changing Light Bulbs

Smart lighting is a great way to trick-out your home for Halloween. You can buy color changing smart light bulbs and use them to illuminate the path to your door and create a creepy entrance.

Philips Hue has a ton of great options for outdoor Halloween lighting, from spotlights to strip lights. They also have a motion sensor that you can use to automate your lights. When kids walk by, the path automatically lights up.

Another option is to buy some Halloween themed string lights and plug them into smart plugs. You can connect them to your smart home system and automate them or turn them on and off with your phone when kids walk by.

Digital Decorate your Windows

If you haven’t heard of digital decorating, this is something you have to check out. Digital decorating is a new trend that kids — and adults love! AtmosFX offers a variety of spooky animations like ghosts, skeletons, and jack-o-lanterns that you can project onto a screen or wall..

You simply purchase a digital download. Then you can use a projector and screen to project the spooky animation on the screen. You can even play the download on a television. This would be a great way to use your outdoor television for Halloween. You could create a haunted backyard for the kids or have a killer Halloween party for the grownups.

Use Outdoor Smart Plugs to Automate Your Outdoor Halloween Decorations

You can use smart plugs to decorate your house for Halloween and to save money on electricity. Smart plugs are easy to install and set up. Just connect your smart lights or outdoor decorations to your smart plug and you’ll never have to worry about turning them all off manually. You can program them so that the lights automatically turn off at night, or whenever you want.

They’re also a terrific way to automate your smoke machine, digital decorations, or pop up Halloween inflatables. Just pair them with a motion sensor and let your home automation create the special effects. Kids and adults will love the way all of your outdoor Halloween decorations turn on and off like magic.

We’re the Experts in Home Automation

Whether you want to make your house the spookiest on the block for Halloween or have the most convenient home automation system ever, we can help. Contact us today at (770) 317-7016 to learn how to make your home a smart home.

4 Ways Your Business Can Benefit from Smart Technology

Businesses are always looking for more ways to generate more revenue, reduce expenses, and improve efficiency. Smart technology can help businesses do all three of these things. Adding smart technology such as smart lighting, smart security cameras, or an intelligent meeting system can help your business run more efficiently. This will save you money in energy costs and improve workplace productivity.

If you’ve never put much thought into smart technology, we’re going to explain a few ways your business can benefit from it.

Smart Lighting

One of the best ways to utilize smart technology for your business is to install a smart lighting system. No matter what kind of business you have, it is an easy way for you to implement smart technology. It will not only save you money, but it will provide better lighting for your retail store, restaurant, or office space.

Aside from the fact that lighting is essential for any business, lighting also affects how we feel. Have you ever noticed how your mood changes when it’s overcast and gloomy outside or how the sunshine brightens your day? Artificial light has been used to treat seasonal affective disorder and depression. It may improve the mood and energy of your employees. This in turn can make them happier and more productive. Your customers will also benefit from it, as it has been shown to affect buying habits.

Adding automated lighting to your office or workspace can save you money as it’s much more energy-efficient than traditional lighting. You can program your lights to turn off at times you don’t need them. Or, you program the lights to dim when there is more natural light. Just dimming the lights by 50 percent will reduce the cost of your lighting by 50 percent. And, smart lighting can reduce your overall energy costs by as much as 30 percent. If you have a large energy bill, these savings could be substantial.

A Smart Thermostat

If you are still using an old thermostat or programmable thermostat for your building, you will find that investing in a smart thermostat can do much more than just adjust the temperature. For example, it can tell when people are in the building or not and adjust the temperature accordingly.

A smart thermostat adapts and learns from the behaviors in your building. It will automatically adjust the temperature in your space, so that it doesn’t engage the heating or cooling system every time you change the temperature. This is a huge money saver. When you change the temperature manually, the heating and cooling system has to fire up each time, which wastes a lot of energy.

A smart thermostat is another easy way to add smart technology to your office or retail space. If you combine a smart thermostat with an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, you will see immediate money-saving benefits.

Smart Security Cameras

Every business owner wants their office or retail location to be safe and secure. Smart security cameras are an excellent way to keep your business secure. Unlike other security systems, a smart security system does more than just monitor your property. The cameras can be viewed from anywhere. You can check in on your location from anywhere right from your smartphone.

A smart security system allows you to monitor your business remotely. This way you can take immediate action if there is an emergency. If there is a break-in, the system will alert you and can take high-resolution photos of any intruders. You will have peace of mind knowing you can remotely view cameras inside and outside of your building to keep an eye on the situation until police or emergency crews arrive.

Intelligent Meetings and Conferences

As more businesses embrace remote and hybrid workforces, video conferencing has become a must-have for many companies. It allows people to participate in meetings regardless of their location, and makes meetings more convenient for everyone. Companies can make their meetings more effective and productive with an intelligent video conferencing system. You don’t want to waste time trying to get a meeting started with technology that’s difficult to use.

Beyond 1, a leader in intelligent video conferencing is now part of Creston. They have designed cutting edge tools that allow for more realistic video conferencing. Their solutions are much more advanced than other video conferencing systems like Zoom or Google Meet. Their intelligent conferencing uses multi-camera technology to automatically focus on the person speaking, which makes it easier to follow the conversation.

Even when a speaker is moving around, the cameras will focus on them. This system is remarkable at keeping track of the conversation. It makes participants feel like they are in the room, even if they are participating remotely. This is an innovative solution that will make your business stand out from your competition.

Are You Ready to Add Smart Technology to Your Business?

If you would like to add smart technology to your business, our team is ready to help you get started. Whether you’re looking for a smarter lighting system, security system, or video conferencing, we can design a custom system built around your needs. Contact us today at (770) 317-7016 to find out how smart technology can improve your business.

Millennials Love Smart Homes: Here’s Why

Even bigger than the baby boomer generation, millennials are grown up now and buying homes. Many of them are buying smart homes. These young adults love smart homes, but you might be surprised about some of the reasons why. When it comes to home ownership, they aren’t like the previous generations. They want homes and lifestyles that reflect their values. This is one reason they are willing to spend a little more for a smart home. We’re going to discuss the reasons why millennials love smart homes and what they are looking for in a home.

Millennials grew up around technology

Millennials are a generation that was raised on the internet. They’re always connected, constantly texting, sharing videos and are digital natives Unlike their parents’ generation, they never experienced a world without rapid technological change. For millennials change and technological advancements are normal.

They are used to seeing a new brand of technology each year. Naturally, they want to invest in the latest and greatest technology — not just the latest iPhone. They want their home to be as advanced as their smartphone. This is just one reason they love smart homes.

Millennials care about the environment and sustainability

Millennials have a completely different mindset than previous generations. They are aware and passionate about climate change, reducing our carbon footprint, and our reliance on fossil fuels. They embrace new technology and energy efficiency. Millennials and Gen Z are charging the way in the market for sustainable products and services. Since a home is their largest investment, they are looking for homes that are smarter, energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Unlike baby boomers and Gen X, millennials have been slower to buy their first home. The Covid pandemic, student debt, and the housing market has made buying a home more challenging for millennials. Because of this, they want to make sure that when they do buy their first home, they get the best value for their money. For them, a smart home is an investment in their future.

What millennials want most in a smart home

Smart home features that are popular with millennials include voice control, remote access to their home, and energy-saving systems. They love everything from smart thermostats to smart lighting, and smart watering systems.

Smart Thermostat

Millennials must-haves include a smart thermostat. They want the ability to use voice commands and operate their thermostat remotely. They also like advanced features such as a thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature based on their habits or how much energy they are using. They are interested in energy efficiency and the long-term savings you get by using a smart thermostat.

Smart Lighting

Smart home lighting is incredibly popular and is sought after by everyone, not just millennials. With smart lighting, you can use voice commands, schedule lights, and even control your lights remotely. And smart lighting can save energy too, which appeals to millennials. With smart home lighting you can schedule your lights to turn on and off automatically, adjust interior or exterior lights, and do much more.

Smart speakers

Another smart home category that millennials love is entertainment. These days, almost everyone has a smart TV and smart speakers. In fact, 25 percent of Americans already have smart speakers in their home. However, millennials want more than standalone speakers. They want built-in wireless speakers and a sound system that they can control with voice commands or through a smart control panel.

A fully integrated smart home

The millennial generation is looking for the whole package when it comes to smart homes. They realize that in the future, smart homes will be the standard. They are willing to pay the upfront cost to have a truly smart home.

With smart home systems like Control 4, anyone can have a fully-integrated smart home. Control 4 is a leader in smart home technology.Thousands of brands and smart devices can be integrated into a Control 4 system. Control 4 is perfect for younger millennials with a limited budget, who might want to add smart features to their home and have the ability to scale over time.

If you’re interested in learning more about a Control4 smart home system, give us a call at (678) 392-2363. We can help you design a customized smart home system tailored around your needs and budget.

Improve Your Productivity with a Smart Home Office

In the past most people had to be in their company’s office to do their job. Only a small percentage of Americans were able to work from home. The Covid pandemic changed all that. Now almost 60 percent of U.S. workers say they can do their work from home. And, more companies have shifted their workforce to remote work or hybrid work. This has led to more consumers investing in better and smarter home offices.

If you are one the millions of Americans who now work from home, you already know about all the perks. However, you may have discovered some disadvantages such as slower internet, more distractions, and a need for better computer and video conferencing options. There are a ton of ways to improve your productivity with a smart home office. Here are a few ideas for creating the best smart home office.

1. First things first, reliable high-speed internet is a must-have!

Everyone loves the idea of working from home, but there are a few things you may take for granted when you do. When you work in a corporate office, you may have gotten used to your company’s high-speed internet. Business plans generally provide internet speed that’s as much as five times faster than you can get with a personal internet plan. This may not seem like a big deal when you’re streaming movies or surfing the web, but if you need to upload large media files or presentations, you will quickly discover just how inadequate your home’s wifi network is.

If you’re not a networking professional, your first thought might be to upgrade to a business internet plan. While this may give you more speed, there’s more to a fast, consistent network than just having a high-speed internet plan.

If your wifi network isn’t professionally set up, you may still have issues with a splotchy or slow internet connection. This is especially true if you live in a large house, or your office isn’t located close to your router. If you want the fastest speed for uploads and downloads, it’s best to have a professional come out and configure your network for you. A professional installer can also make sure your network is secure.

2. Your lighting matters more than you might think.

If you’re trying to make improvements to your home office, the lighting may not be your first priority. But, great lighting is essential for a smart home office. Even if you have the best ergonomically designed desk, office chair, keyboard, and mouse, that won’t make up for bad lighting. According to research by J Environ Public Health, inadequate lighting can lead to anxiety, fatigue, lethargy, headaches, eyestrain, migraine, nausea, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, poor concentration or lack of mental alertness, and daytime sleepiness.

If your office has windows, you can optimize the lighting by opening the blinds and moving your desk closer to the window. But, an even better option is installing a smart lighting system. Not only will it improve the lighting, but it will also make your home office more efficient and you more productive.

You might also consider smart blinds. Motion sensors and a smart home automation system like Control4 can automate your home office for the best lighting. You can use smart home scenes to create the perfect morning routine, such as automatically opening the blinds and turning on the lights when you enter your office. And at night, your blinds and lighting can be programmed to close and turn off automatically.

3. Add smart speakers to make your office even better!

If you do a lot of video conferencing, the right set up is a must. If you handle any type of video conferencing like Zoom meetings, client-intake meetings, or company conferences, having the right set up is important. A noise-canceling headset with a built in microphone will make your sound quality better so that everyone can hear and understand you.

If you want an even better sound system for your conferencing or listening to music, adding smart speakers will make your home office more enjoyable. One of the perks of working from home is that you can blast your favorite music while you work — if you want to. Plus, music boosts productivity and energy, which are two things you need a lot of if you work from home.

These are a few ways to improve your productivity with a smart home office. If you’re ready to find out more about home automation or designing a smart home office, call us today at (678) 392-2363 to learn more.

Control 4 4Sight: What Is It and Do You Need It?

If you’re thinking about adding smart home technology to your home, you’re not alone. There are so many reasons to make your home smarter. Smart home technology adds convenience, security, and energy savings to your home. You can automate just about anything with a smart home system.

A smart home operating system like Control4 allows you to control nearly every device and system in your house such as your lights, thermostat, and sound systems. This isn’t like buying a bunch of different smart devices. It is a smart home operating system that connects nearly every device in your home to one easy-to-use interface.

Control4 works with thousands of brands and devices, so you can use it to operate a large number of products in your home — and add virtually any smart home feature you can think of.

While Control4 is incredibly easy to use, even for the people who aren’t tech savvy, because it’s a professionally installed system, there are a few limitations. Your installer will create most of the home automation features for you, so If you want to add a new feature or customize an existing one, it can be inconvenient. This is where Control4’s 4 Sight comes in.

What is Control4 4 Sight?

4 Sight is a subscription feature that allows you to get more out of your Control4 system. It includes a ton of extra features including remote access, voice integration, When>>Then personalization, Intercom Anywhere, and more. This yearly subscription allows you to personalize your smart home system without having to call your installer. Let’s go over some of the additional features you get with 4Sight.

Remote access

With Control4, you can manage your home from your smartphone or tablet. You can check on the status of locks, check cameras, control your lighting, sound system, thermostat, or other connected devices while you’re at home. But, what if you want to operate your smart home when you’re not in it? 4Sight allows you to operate and control your home automation remotely. You can check the status of your door locks, view your cameras, or operate your lights, music, and more – all conveniently from your smartphone.

Adds the ability to use Voice Control

Voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home are very useful additions to any smart home. These virtual assistants can control your lights, temperature, and smart home scenes. They make it quite easy to turn on lights, raise the temperature, or close the garage door, all with a simple voice command. With 4Sight you can use Josh, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant with your Control4 system.

WHEN >> THEN Personalization

One of the advantages of a Control4 system is that it is installed by expert professionals. They will set all of your automation up for you and make sure everything functions properly in your home. After your Control4 system is installed, you can use 4Sight to add new features or make changes to existing features. When>>Then personalization is available to you with a 4Sight subscription.

With When>>Then you can personalize your smart home without having to call your installer. Here’s a quick rundown of how it works. With your subscription you can visit the When>then personalization page to access a library of “if/then” options. “When” options correspond with “Then” actions. For example, “when it’s 9pm”, then ‘lock” the door.

Intercom Anywhere

A smart home allows you to see who is at your door and speak to them through an intercom system and a smart doorbell.. Intercom Anywhere lets you do this from anywhere. You can use your smart video doorbell wherever you are. Would you like to check who is at the door? Or use your intercom remotely? With 4Sight’s Intercom Anywhere, you can unlock the door and let guests enter, and then lock the door again once they leave. Intercom Anywhere lets you do this, and so much more.

Do you need a 4Sight Subscription?

You can use all of the features of Control4 without having a subscription to 4Sight. However, if you want to be able to operate your home remotely — a major perk of having a smart home – then you definitely need 4Sight. Priced at $100 per year, it’s well worth it.

Are you ready to make your home smarter? If you’re interested in learning more about a Control4 smart home system, give us a call at (678) 392-2363. We can help you design a customized smart home system tailored around your needs and budget.

5 Smart Home Features Everybody Wants

A smart home might make your home the coolest on the block, but being cool isn’t what most people are looking for in a smart home. There are a lot of smart home features that people want right now, but the main features they’re looking for are home security, efficiency, and ease of use. There are many trends happening in the smart home industry right now, but these are the main features that everybody wants!
Smart home security

Consumers want a smart home security system that is responsive. They want the best automation in their homes and a system that does more than just sound an alarm when an emergency happens. Advanced smart home security systems are the most sought-after smart home feature that everyone wants. Traditional home security systems are just too simplistic.

People want to know their home is safe, but they also want to be able to monitor it remotely. Security systems can send real-time notifications to a homeowner’s phone, and allow them to take action from afar. They can see who’s at the door before they open it, or even see if there’s a fire in the kitchen when they’re at work. An “integrated” smart home alarm system can also take things a step further and provide additional security by turing on flood lights or opening an access gate in the event of an emergency.

Built-in Wifi

Newly constructed homes are being wired for smart home integrations. These homes are called Wi-Fi-certified homes. These homes are built to accommodate a fully integrated smart home system. This means you can connect to the internet from every room in your home. While mesh networks help you get a wireless signal in every room, a Wi-Fi-certified home takes things further by hard wiring the internet connection into the house.

Homebuilders anticipate the direction the smart home industry is going in, where every home is a smart home. Wi-Fi is becoming just as important to a home as its electrical and plumbing systems. New homes will have the infrastructure needed to run numerous smart appliances and smart devices at once because the wiring is built-in. By hard wiring every area of the home, people can use any wireless device such as smart TVs or gaming systems without affecting the rest of the family’s internet connection.

Remote access

One key feature everybody wants in a smart home is remote access. This, and the ability to use voice commands within the home are two of the most desired smart home features. Everyone wants to be able to control all of their home’s smart devices by using a simple touch screen or voice command. But they want to be able to control their home both when they are in it and when they are away from home.

For example, they want to be able to check their homes while they are on vacation or to change the temperature on their way home from work. They are looking for seamless remote access from anywhere. They are looking for a way to always be connected, whether it’s to change the temperature in their house or see what is happening at home.

Smart Thermostat

Pretty soon everyone will be using a smart thermostat. There are numerous advantages to using a smart thermostat including the fact that they can be controlled by voice commands and operated remotely. But, they do more than that. A smart thermostat truly is smart. It learns from the surroundings and automatically adjusts the temperature in the house accordingly.

People love their smart home thermostats because they can be voice-controlled. But the main reason people choose them is that they are energy efficient. In time, traditional thermostats will likely become obsolete, since smart home thermostats allow you to heat or cool your home in the most efficient way.

Smart Lighting

Imagine turning off your lights from the comfort of your couch. It’s pretty cool. A smart home feature everybody wants is the ability to control your home lighting system from one app. Whether it’s dimming the lights before a dinner party or turning the porch light off automatically at night, people love smart lighting systems.

Smart lighting can help homeowners save energy and be more comfortable in their homes. You can schedule lights to turn on and off automatically and adjust exterior lights to suit the mood you want to create. You can also adjust your window blinds and exterior lights to control the ambiance and energy use in your home.

While smart homes of today have so many incredible features, these are the smart home features everybody wants! Of course, as smart home technology improves, people may discover other interesting features they want in a smart home.

4 Smart Home Trends to Look for in 2022

The smart home industry is rapidly growing. In the last decade, all of the things we used to see in sci-fi movies are becoming a reality. There are many trends in smart home technology, but one thing is certain – every U.S. home is becoming smarter.

Will more homes be fully automated in 2022? What trends can we expect this year? With new technology and consumer interest, we expect the smart home industry to continue growing at an accelerated pace. These are a few exciting smart home trends to look for in 2022.

1. More Options in Smart Security

The Covid pandemic was responsible for much of the growth in smart home security. There’s been an increase in working from home, leading to what is called the “Zoom boom”. It has not only changed how we live and where we live, but it has also made people more interested in making their homes secure. Americans are investing in smart locks, smart doorbells with cameras, and smart home security systems now more than ever.

Consumers are looking for smart home security systems that are easy to use, accessible remotely, and use voice control. At the same time, they have concerns about privacy and data breaches. They want to know what information is being collected by their smart home system and if it can be hacked. This is why it’s so important to work with trusted brands. At Intuitive we are extremely selective about which brands we work with or integrate with to preserve our clients’ privacy.

Smart home security systems will continue to add more features like CCTV cameras, management of lighting, and the ability to make our homes look occupied when we are not home. As more people make the move to smart home security, the systems will be easier for anyone to use.

More companies are jumping into this space, offering smart home installation and smart motoring as consumer interest drives growth in this segment of the smart home industry. Although it can be tempting to jump at every new product on the market, working with a trusted industry partner can ensure your system is designed with a product that has been tested and proven in the market. This way you will have peace of mind that you have a system that will stand the test of time.

2. Smarter Offices

Energy efficiency is one factor that attracts people to smart home technology. People want to live sustainably, and they are willing to make investments for the long term. Smart technology is more efficient than standard devices because of its ability to connect with all the devices in your home.. For example, rather than having to adjust the temperature manually, a smart thermostat can do it all for you.

Smart thermostats and smart lighting have been around for a while, but the technology is getting better. A smart HVAC or lighting system can save energy and money. These smart devices monitor your energy use, and automatically adjust your lighting or temperature so that you are using only the energy you need.

This is one reason more people are making changes to their home technology. How much money could you save if your home only consumed the energy it needed. What if you never had to worry about whether your porch light got turned off at night? Or if your home automatically lowered the temperature when nobody was home?

Although the smart home market has seen significant growth in recent years, it’s honestly still in its infancy. Smart home technology is rapidly improving. We expect 2022 to be a big year for the smart home market and these are a few of the big smart home trends to look for!

Automate Your Life with Smart Home Scenes

If you’re just getting into home automation, you might not know all the cool things you can do with a smart home system. Smart homes can do a lot more than just turn your lights on and off. With a smart home system, you can create scenes that automate everything in your home, from your lighting to your HVAC system.  If you want to get the most out of your smart home, you need to learn how to create smart home scenes that can be used in your daily life.

What are smart home scenes and how do they work?

A smart home scene is a preprogrammed configuration of settings for lights, outlets, and devices in a given room. It tells the lights, outlets, and devices to turn on (or off) and to what level. You can activate a smart home scene with a voice command, by pressing a button on your smart home app. You can also program a scene to happen automatically. For example, you can program your lights to turn on at a certain brightness when it’s time for dinner. You can also set the connected devices or outlets to turn off at a certain time.

Types of Smart Home Scenes

You can use smart home scenes in two different ways to make your life easier. The first way is to set up routines that use voice commands. This is possible when you connect your smart home with an app like Alexa, Siri, or Google Home. Saying a voice command can initiate a programmed scene. For, example “Hey Alexa. Make my coffee.” Or, ”Hello Siri. Let’s cook dinner.”

Remember the sci-fi shows where dinner just popped out of a food slot? Well, a smart home can’t make your dinner magically appear in a food slot, but it can help you make dinner. You can create smart home scenes that help you prepare dinner. Each time you say a voice command, your home will respond by completing a preconfigured set of tasks such as preheating the oven or turning on the kitchen lights.

Using voice commands around your house is pretty cool, but automated scenes can really simplify your life. Automated scenes are scenes that happen automatically. It’s possible to automate every area of your home with a smart scene. You can use scenes to help you wake up in the morning, to remind your children to do their chores, or to keep your home safe at night.

How to set up Smart Home Scenes

Getting a smart home set up and learning how to use all the features can be confusing. If you want to use all the features in your smart home, it’s best to work with a professional. A fully connected home automation system that controls all of your devices will require a professional installation.

There are smart home devices that you can install on your own, but there are some drawbacks to a DIY smart home. A professional will make the setup and process of learning to use your system so much easier.

Setting up a scene is pretty similar no matter which smart home system you use. Your app will have a place to add or create a new scene. Although each system is slightly different when you create a scene you tell the app what to do and in which room.

What can you automate with smart home scenes?

There are virtually endless possibilities when it comes to creating smart home scenes with your smart home. Any light, outlet, or device that connects with your smart home app can be programmed with a scene. Scenes can be programmed to make any device do what you want — like turn on or off, brighten or dim, or increase or decrease the volume. There are limitless possibilities for scenes.

You can create a scene to wake you up in the morning. For example, you can set your window shades to slowly rise when the sun rises to gently wake you up. You can talk to your home, too. Instead of hearing an annoying alarm beep over and over, you can program your speakers to talk to you in the morning in a soft voice saying, “It’s time to get up, sleepyhead.” Your smart home can even start your coffee brewing, warm up the house, and turn on the morning news for you.

At night, your smart home can automatically turn off all the devices in your child’s room. It can also turn off lights throughout the house and lock the doors. The more scenes you created, the more automated your life will be. Once you get the hang of creating smart home scenes, you’ll want to automate everything in your house.

If you are interested in getting started with smart home automation in your home, get in touch with Intuitiv AV. We can answer any questions you have and help you find the smart home system that’s right for you.

How Covid Has Affected the Smart Home Industry

When the Covid pandemic started, it caused a lot of things to change in the technology industry. Our entire workforce was disrupted as many employees were forced to work from home. Not surprisingly, the sale of PCs went through the roof. In fact, more people bought laptops and computers in 2020 than they had in the last six years.

Because so many people were working from home, home technology became a necessity for many American workers rather than a luxury. This led to a spike in purchases of home office tech products such as webcams, microphones, and printers. Companies and employees were forced to become more innovative and make adjustments.

Covid initially disrupted the smart home industry

While Covid created a surge in home office technology purchases, the smart home industry did not fare as well. The economic situation was frightening and with social distancing in place, many consumers decided to postpone new installations of smart home systems.

Initially, the pandemic caused a big drop in the sales of smart home systems. However, as people have adjusted to living in the “new normal”, they have become more aware of the benefits of smart home technology. Covid has sparked a lot of interest in two areas of smart home technology in particular – home security and voice-controlled devices.

Covid has created a huge interest in smart home security

Home security is the main category driving growth in the smart home industry right now. Many homeowners purchased devices like security cameras, smart locks, and smart doorbells with cameras. According to a survey by Homes.com, 70 percent of consumers said that home security was their number one reason for purchasing smart home products. The majority surveyed also said that smart home tech had helped them during an emergency situation.

Before Covid, people didn’t put much thought into who was coming to their door. They used home security systems mainly to protect their homes when they were away or to keep them safe at night. As contactless deliveries became commonplace, people wanted to know who was at the door before they answered it.

Covid also spurred an interest in indoor video cameras. Quarantines made it difficult for friends and family to visit each other. This was particularly concerning for people with elderly parents. Having an indoor security camera allows you to check-in or connect with your loved ones, even if you don’t live nearby.

There has also been a surge in voice-controlled devices and home automation

Since Covid started people are trying to keep their homes cleaner and safer. Smart home technology allows people to cut down on the number of high-touch surfaces they touch, such as doorknobs, light switches, and remote controls. By using voice commands, people can unlock a door without touching it or turn on a light without using the light switch. Homes and businesses are switching to more automation to reduce the need for touching switches or controls

This might explain why smart lighting is currently the second-largest segment of the smart home market. Voice control and automation are trending, partly because of Covid, but consumers are also buying smart home products for other reasons. A big one is energy reduction. With more people working from home, consumers are looking for ways to reduce energy. Smart lighting is one way to do that. Similarly, consumers are also looking into smart thermostats and HVAC systems.

Covid has changed our lives. We are doing things differently and are more connected than ever. As we move forward, more people are getting interested in smart home technology. Intuitive AV can help you add a smart home system to your home. No matter what kind of system you’re interested in, we can help you get started with smart home automation.