HomeTech.fm

Episode 47 of HomeTech brings to you a conversation with Chris Pinder of HDAnywhere, a manufacturer of unique HDMI distribution solutions. As the video landscape continues to evolve, and 4K displays and content become more ubiquitous, it's become increasingly important to have an array of video-solution options in your tool belt. To that end if you're not familiar with HDAnywhere, you should be! This company initially came to our attention via our fans in the UK (Shout out to the #LiveInstall community). Recently HDAnywhere has made inroads into the US market. Their modular distribution solutions warrant special attention. Although only half of the HomeTech team (Seth) was able to conduct the interview, we are excited to present this episode! In the news portion of the show we give special focus to the often-overlooked battle to control the media room. Over the last year home technology fans have seen countless new entrants to the smart home market. For a variety of reasons however control of the A/V devices in your media room have warranted little attention from the startup community. This week seemed to represent a shift on this front. New entrant NEEO lighting Kickstarter on fire was probably the biggest story. iRule, Logitech, and Pronto (yes you read that right, Pronto) also had something to add to the conversation. Tune into this episode for all you need to know about this important shift in the smarthome evolution.

With the gaze of gadget lovers worldwide fixed on Las Vegas this week for CES 2015, it was not difficult for us to pick a topic for our show. In fact the challenge lay in separating the wheat from the chaff. As usual, the massive trade show brought about a plethora of stories, some worth noting others good for little more than a laugh.

The sheer volume of news coming off the show floor can make it tough to find stories that actually matter. So we've done the hard and cut through the noise for you. Whether you attended CES or (like us) just watched from afar tune into this episode for everything you need to know, and a few things you don't.

As always, we thank you so much for listening. If you enjoy the show please share it with a friend, subscribe and rate on iTunes, and / or leave us some feedback! We read every email we get and would love to hear from you!

Show Notes

Cameras

• DropCam
• SimplyCam Adds Facial Recognition
• Visualint - Intelligent Cameras for CI's
• Netatmo Welcome - Records to SD card
• Canary home security device
• Chamberlain Notifi - Light socket camera
• Sengled - WiFi light bulbs with cameras and wireless extenders
• D-link Introduces WiFi camera
• Clever Smart Switch Covers Existing Switch

Smart Home / Hubs

• WeMo Introduces new Sensors
• WeMo Echo System
• SmartThings News at CES
• HomeKit question from listener Mark
• HomeKit discussed in Episode 17
• Insteon Introduces a HomeKit Hub
• Reddit discussion on Insteon Hub Announcement
• EchoStare introduces Sage Home Automation
• Sage Home Automation Feature Sheet
• Nortek pushes GoControl brand into the DIY world

Baby Stuff

• Sproutling -- the fitbit for babies
• Smart Pacifier
• NapTime Baby Monitor
• mamaRoo connected baby rocker

Streaming and TV Content

• Intel's Compute Stick
• Plex Media Center
• Sling TV Announced - $20 for 20 Channels
• More Sling TV info
• Tablo Unveils New Hardware
• TiVo OnePass

TV Technology

• Quantum Dot Technology
• Samsung SUHD TVs
• Sony TVs to run Android for OS
• Firefox OS on Panasonic TVs
• Samsung TVs to run Tizen OS

Multi-room Audio

• LG's Answer to Sonos
• Philips Announces Multi-Room Speaker for Spotify
• Google Cast Audio

The Worst

• Sony's $1,119 MP3 player
• Pono Music Player
• Selfie Sticks at CES
• Selfie Brush
• Levitating Speaker
• Kid friendly Android 65-inch Tablet
• Polaroid Socialmatic Camera

In our final episode of 2014 we decided we'd do what every other tech-news show and blog on the planet do, and take a look back at the biggest stories of the year. What we lack in originality we strive to make up for by giving our own personal take. Specifically offering our thoughts as home automation professionals and systems integrators.

When looking back at the big home technology news of 2014 we couldn't help but notice three overarching themes:

1) The Push of Both Big-Box Retailers and Tech Giants Into the Smart Home

For years we've heard it said by professionals and enthusiasts alike that "the smart home is going main stream". For a variety of reasons it has just never materialized. As 2014 comes to an end we still wouldn't argue that the smart home is truly "main stream". However without question the camel's nose is under the tent. To varying degrees we saw 6 major retailers place their bets in 2014 (Home Depot, Lowes, Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target). We also saw (major) moves by tech giants Google, Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft (sort of). In this episode we discuss what this all means not only for consumers, but also for integrators as we struggle to stay relevant in the face of such increased commoditization.

2) The "Year of the Standard"

Looking back at the year in home technology, we couldn't help but see 2014 as the "year of the standard". Competition between different protocols and standards like Zigbee and ZWave is nothing new. However as the smart home becomes a reality for more and more consumers the conversation has gained increased relevance. Improvements to existing technologies (like WiFi and BlueTooth), as well as new entrants (like the Thread Group) have also added complexity to this conversation.

3) Empowering the End User

The third broad theme of 2014 we discuss is an increased push towards empowering the end user. DIY installation and app-based configuration are no-brainers for startups entering the smart home space. For traditional manufacturers like Crestron and Savant this is a different proposition all together. These systems tend to be far more complex in nature. Additionally their distribution models depend on an integrator being able to add value. 2014 was an interesting year to watch these traditional players adapt to increased pressure from the low end of the market. Crestron's Pyng, and Savant's new 7.0 release are discussed as the two prime examples of this game-changing trend.

Lastly we close the show with a few predictions about what 2015 will bring to the smart home.

In addition to 2014 being a big year in the industry, it was also a huge year for us personally as we launched HomeTech.fm. Entering 2015 we will continually strive to produce the definitive source for home technology news and opinion. We want to sincerely thank you for your listenership! We look forward to a big year in 2015 and hope that you will continue to be a part of it!

Show Notes

• SnapAV Ovrc
• ihiji Remote Network Monitoring
• Comcast CXI Program
• Staples Connect
• Zonoff
• Lowes Iris
• Home Depot - Quirky
• Nest
• Pēq Smart Home
• Amazon Echo
• Nest Purchased By Google for $3.2 Billion
• Nest Acquires Dropcam
• Thread Group
• If This Than That (IFTTT)
• Savant
• Crestron Pyng
• Control4 Composer Express

It's the holiday season and this week we sit down and chat about what smart home devices we hope Santa brings this year. So sit back, grab a glass of eggnog, enjoy the show. If you have more ideas leave a message on our feedback form, Twitter, or reach out to us using SpeakPipe and leave a voice message for the show!

Show Notes

• Dropcam
  • Dropcam Pro
  • Dropcam 'Original'
• Netgear Arlo Cameras
  • Amazon says shipping January 7
• Dropcase - Outdoor Case for Dropcam
• Lutron Caséta
  • Lutron Pico Controller
• Lutron Meastro
• Lutron RadioRa 2
• Control4 Lighting Solutions
• Harmony Ultimate Remote
• Philips Hue
  • Philips Hue Tap
  • CNet - Taking a closer look at color-changing LEDs
• Amazon Now Streaming 4K
• Big 4K push at CES 2015
• Samsung 4K TVs
• Sony 4K XBR Tvs
• Sonos
• Leon Custom Soundbars
• Ecobee Thermostats
• Ecovent Smart Vent Systems
• Tesla Motors
• Hustler Zeon Electric Riding Lawnmower
• Apple Watch
• Moto 360

We were pleased on this episode to be joined by Duane Paulson, Senior VP of Product & Market Development for Linear. Duane is a long time technology veteran whose background lends him a very unique perspective on the industry. We were eager to get his take not only on what Linear has been up to, but also on current trends in the smarthome at large. We close the conversation with a discussion of what we can expect form Linear at CES2015, where Duane surprised even us by breaking some news right here on HomeTech! But you'll have to listen to the end if you want to know more about that!

In the news portion of our show this week we discuss two stories. The first being the recent unveiling of Kaleidescape's new Alto movie player. This is the first product in the company's lineup to exclude the ability to load content from physical discs. Users instead will only be given the option to download content from Kaleidescape's online store. Although not explicitly stated in any of the releases we've read, this move is clearly a reaction to the legal troubles Kaleidescape has been continually battling. And at $2,500 MSRP, we suspect it will be a tough sell for consumers who can get much of the same functionality from a $99 AppleTV. Speaking of inexpensive streaming media servers, we also cover the recent update released by Amazon for the FireTV. What makes this story interesting is the inclusion of code that "bricked" jailbroken hardware. Anyone who had previously hacked one of these units now has themselves a rather expensive paper weight.

As always we thank you for listening! If you enjoy the show please don't forget to tell a friend, and to leave us a review on iTunes!

Show Notes

• Kalidescape announces new media player for only $2,495
• Kalidescape settles with DMCA
• AppleTV
• Amazon update bricks jailbroken Fire TVs
• Linear
• GE Security
• AOL - You've Got Mail! Classic Sound
• AT&T Digital Life
• LifeShield
• DirecTV LifeShield Acquisition
• 2GIG Announces new GC3
• 2GIG Security Systems
• Canary DIY security solution
• Linear Z-Wave Garage Door Opener Remote Controller Accessory
• SpeakerCraft
• Elan Home Automation
• Niles Audio
• Broan/Nutone
• IeI Access Controls
• Duane Paulson on Twitter

After a week off the HomeTech team is back in action. We are excited to present a new episode featuring Tim McInerny of Savant as our featured guest. As discussed on our recent CEDIA Wrap-Up Special Savant managed to steal the show this year with the unveiling of their new app. Completely re-designed from the ground up, the so-called "Savant App" is a very modern, clean, and extremely intuitive user interface. Not only is the new app easy for integrators to deploy, but in keeping with current industry trends, it also empowers end users to create, edit, and modify their own scenes. In our conversation with Tim we cover the new app extensively. We also discuss Savant's history as a company, and what differentiates their product offerings in an increasingly crowded smart home space. We have been looking forward to sharing this conversation with you. We hope you enjoy!

Show Notes

• Sonos gets $130M in additional funding
  • Sonos Play1 Commercial
  • Denon HEOS
• Control4 paid $900,000 in cash for EV
  • EV was making $1.3m/year in revenue (most all of it from Control4 driver sales, not much URC)
  • 52% from one driver -- probably Sonos
  • Control4 closing EV driver store 12/31/2014
  • All 3rd party drivers now being sold through the HouseLogix store
• Savant - Luxury Home Automation
  • Savant Acquires LiteTouch (2012)
  • Savant Video Wall Tiling Video
  • Back to the Future Video Wall
• Savant App - iTunes
• TrueControl App - iTunes

Jason takes some time off for daddy-duty and Seth sits down with Mike Wolf of The Smart Home Show to discuss the week's news.

Show Notes

• Technology.FM
• Jason Griffing on Twitter
• Expect to see HomeKit devices at CES 2015
• HomeKit reverse enginnered in software
• Blossom Smart Irrigation System
• HomePlug
• Watercop automatic water shut-off system
• Aquanta Intelligent Water Heater Controller
• Quirky Egg Minder
• New Vera Edge Controller launched
• Vera facebook page
• Netgear Arlo outdoor wireless HD camera
• zigbee 3.0 Announced

We did not book a guest for this week's show, primarily because Jason wasn't even sure he'd be able to participate. As it turns out he was able to join the show this week because his wife is still (very) pregnant. That's right, for those of you who have been listenting, no baby yet. At the time of this typing we are 5 days past due. Baby-watch 2014 continues...

Plenty to talk about in the news this week. We start the show with a conversation about the release of Savant 7.0. This beautiful new app made a big splash at CEDIA and we are excited to see that it has been released into the wild. This new offering from Savant is consistent with current trends in the industry in that it affords much more control to the end user than the previous version. Consumers are able to create and edit scenes from within the app, freeing integrators from having to roll a truck for such minor modifications.

We then dove into a discussion about Sony, the megalith that's been surprisingly quite in the smart home space. Although we have yet to see a true smart home offering from them, they made the news this week with a Playstation Vue, a cloud-powered offering aimed at disrupting the traditional cable / satellite TV subscription business.

Speaking of TV providers, we closed the show with conversations about both Dish Network and DirecTV. The former because it appears as though they may enter the smart home market with a product called Sage (unveiled recently by their parent company Echostar). The latter because they have now unveiled (liminted) 4K TV offerings. Still not a lot of UHD content out there, but it's a start.

As always, we thank you so much for listening. If you are enjoying the show we would greatly appreciate a rating on a iTunes!

Show Notes

• Savant releases 7.0 - a new, fresh interface for the home
• Sony's new streaming service
• Play PS3 games on Sony TVs
• Anyone playing PS3 streaming games on their TV? Leave us a message on SpeakPipe
• Niles A/B Speaker Level Switch
• DirecTV Launching 4K Content
• Echostar / DishNetwork getting into home automation

We opened the show this week giving our thoughts on the very sad news of Crestron founder George Feldstein's passing. George was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word. Through his work he did volumes to push the systems integration industry forward. Without his passion and diligent efforts it is hard to say what our industry would look like today. We want to extend our deepest condolences to his family.

We also covered recent news that both Walmart and Target will be rolling out smart home displays in time for the holidays this year. By our count this brings the list of big box retailers dabbling in the smart home up to 6 (Lowes, Home Depot, Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target). We give our thoughts on what this means not only for the market at large, but also for home technology professionals. In a similar vein we cover the recent unveiling of Verizon's new router, which features a built-in Z-Wave radio. Clearly managed service providers are also keenly interested in the smart home. Tune in to get our take.

For our guest this week we are joined by UniKey founder Phil Dumas. UniKey is the technology behind the Kēvo smartlock, which is produced in conjunction with Kwikset. Phil has a long history in, and a clear passion for access control. The backstory behind his company and the product very interesting. In fact, Phil is our second guest to have previously been featured on ABC's hit show The Shark Tank (Jamie Siminoff from Ring was the first). While Kēvo is undeniably a well thought out product which more than stands on its own, Phil feels it's only the beginning for what UniKey is capable of. Check out our conversation to learn more.

As always we thank you for listening. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to tell a friend and to leave us a review on iTunes or on Stitcher. We greatly appreciate any feedback you might want to offer as well, which you can do on our feedback page.

Show Notes

• Crestron Founder George Feldstein Passes Away
• WALMART rolling out Home Automation fixtures
• Target also testing Home Automation
• Verizon FiOS Router has Zwave
• Mike Wolf chats with Zonoff's Mike Harris
• UniKey
• UniKey Hospitality Solution
• Kēvo Smart Lock
• Why Doesn't Kēvo use Geo-fencing?
• Kēvo Android Beta Program

This is an episode that we have been excited to bring you for quite some time. Ever since CEDIA 2014 there has been tremendous buzz in the industry surrounding the announcement of Crestron's new home automation platform Pyng. This product represents a major evolution for Crestron in that the entire system can be programmed and configured using only the app, no laptop necessary. The price point of the system is also garnering attention, coming in at a low starting point of only $599. This week we bring in Crestron Technology Manager Evan Ackmann to dive deep into the new offering, covering the key points and hoping to clear up some of the misconceptions around the product.

Before we jump into the interview we cover a few of the top stories from the week in smart home technology. This week the networking company Ruckus announced an exciting new product line called Xclaim. The product is a more affordable offering than traditional Ruckus hardware. While the price points warrant attention, what makes the offering really noteworthy is the tie-in with Google (more on that in the episode). We also discuss the news that LG has officially pulled the plug on plasma TV technology. It would appear that this news sounds the death knell for this once coveted technology.

All this and more in this week's episode. As always, thanks so much for listening and we hope you enjoy!

SHOW NOTES

• Ecobee 3 Smart Thermostat
• No 4K for NFL on the horizon
• NFL's Crazy Viewing Rules
• Ruckus XClaim
• Google working with Ruckus
• Cisco Meraki
• LG Kills off the last of the Plasma TVs
• Crestron Pyng
• Crestron Pyng (Info for Dealers)