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5 Automation Startups Pushing Technology Forward
Submitted on 05/20/13, 06:13 AM | Click Here for the full article: TechnologyTell
5 Automation Startups Pushing Technology Forward
In the world of home automation, there are two big issues to overcome: one is the price and the other is integration and centralization. Right now, many people have DIY home automation controlled by numerous apps. Homeowners have to open one app to water their yard and another one to change the thermostat. This simply doesn’t make sense, and some people think it’s more trouble than its worth. Fortunately, in addition to the established home automation companies like Control4, URC, Crestron, and others, a few key startups are starting to take a more centralized approach to automation.
Often, it’s the little guys that cover the most ground with new technology. Keep an eye on these startups as they change the face of home automation. In addition to making features more cost-effective, they’re all gravitating toward the centralized approach that makes much more expensive automation solutions so convenient.
1. R2 Studios, 2. Brandcast, 3. Revolv, 4. Ninja Blocks, 5. HutGrip. Read More here:
Allure Energy Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Nest Labs
Submitted on 05/16/13, 07:20 AM | Click Here for the full article: HomeToys Newspage
Allure Energy Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Nest Labs
Allure Energy, Inc. has filed suit against Nest Labs, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on the grounds of patent infringement through the design, manufacture and sale of smart thermostats under the name "Nest Learning Thermostat." The complaint contends the Nest Learning Thermostat infringes on U.S. Patent No. 8,442,695 for the invention of an "Auto-Adaptable Energy Management Apparatus."
Kevin Imes, president and CEO of Allure Energy, first began developing a smart thermostat in 2009, filing its patent application in 2010, to manage home temperature and energy usage. Allure Energy also developed and patented "Proximity Control Technology" that instantly adapts to a user's daily schedule to provide automatic comfort and energy savings at home based on the distance a user may be from a residence.
"Allure Energy invented an elegant energy management solution through our EverSenseTM product line, which uses patented Proximity Control Technology we began developing back in 2009," said Imes. "With our own capital, we created a smart and original thermostat control that also syncs music, reports local weather and offers energy tips, and filed all the required patent documentation well before Nest Labs launched its products."
Home Automation Finally Simple with New Cloud Services
Submitted on 05/15/13, 06:33 AM | Click Here for the full article: Tech News Daily
Home Automation Finally Simple with New Cloud Services
Now, several companies are trying to make home automation easy by creating technologies that allow software and services that connect the disparate gadgets and get them to perform several tasks together — such as opening the front door, turning on the lights and firing up the stereo when you pull into the driveway.
One of those companies is a startup called Revolv. The company makes a single small box, called a hardware hub, which is designed to control all the devices in a home, whether they use common wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or relatively obscure ones, such as ZigBee or Z-Wave.
"Our hardware hub has seven different radios,” said Revolv co-founder Mike Soucie. "It can talk to all these devices, depending on what language they speak." This could include thermostats, locks, security cameras, garage-door openers and even those automated drapes.
One neat feature on the hardware hub is its ability to use a single smartphone app in place of the individual apps for each connected device, such as a wireless lock or a Sonos streaming music player.
But Revolv takes its hardware hub one step further by incorporating Geosense technology. Through the home Wi-Fi network, the hardware hub connects to the company's cloud service to automate tasks based on your location.
HouseLogix Launches Patented Wireless Speech Control Module for Home Automation
Submitted on 05/13/13, 06:03 AM | Click Here for the full article: PR Newswire
HouseLogix Launches Patented Wireless Speech Control Module for Home Automation
HouseLogix, a Pennsylvania-based provider of advanced hardware and software products for home control, today announces the release of VoicePod®, its patented wireless speech control device for home automation systems. VoicePod adds both voice recognition and speech synthesis capabilities to popular home control systems such as Control4. Users simply say "Hello VoicePod" from anywhere in a room to activate VoicePod and then issue voice commands such as "turn on the lights", "secure the house", "good morning" and "listen to music". Utilizing embedded speaker-independent voice recognition technology that requires no web access, VoicePod instantly interprets speech commands for voice control of TV, music, thermostats, lighting, shading, door locks, cameras and more.
VoicePod provides many handy voice control features that add speed, convenience and safety to everyday living. For example, users can select TV channels simply by speaking a channel name.
Hands-free control of thermostats is also supported. Users can even ask VoicePod questions such as "what is the house status?" or "what is the weather forecast?" and VoicePod verbally delivers the requested information. VoicePod can also speak in response to any event, alerting users to security concerns such as open garage doors or unusual temperatures or weather conditions.
CEA Announces New Standard Group for Connected Home and Smart Energy
Submitted on 05/09/13, 03:56 PM | Click Here for the full article: HomeToys Newspage
CEA Announces New Standard Group for Connected Home and Smart Energy
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® announced today that it is forming the R7.8 Working Group 2 to develop a new standard to enable home electronics to communicate energy use data to smart energy management systems and apps. The new standard will be called CE-Energy Usage Information (CE-EUI) and will conform to the North American Energy Standards Board Energy Usage Information (NAESB -EUI) model, which forms the basis for the national Green Button initiative.
“Product manufacturers already understand how much energy a device will use during operation, based on its design,” said Brian Markwalter, senior vice president of research and standards at CEA. “By programming that information into the device and enabling the device to calculate how much energy it uses over time, manufacturers can help homeowners accurately capture the data for their energy management systems and applications.”
The standard will be compatible with the new Green Button “Download My Data” and “Connect My Data” initiatives. Green Button defines how consumers and authorized third-party services can access a history of their home’s total energy usage and cost based on smart meter readings. By enabling each device to report its own energy usage, consumers will be able to see the energy each CE-EUI-compliant device consumes and make better informed decisions. The standard will be network agnostic, operating over networks, such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, ZigBee and Z-Wave, that are an existing part of the home ecosystem.
InfoComm China 2013 Sees 20-percent Attendee Increase at Beijing Show
Submitted on 05/08/13, 06:32 AM | Click Here for the full article: TSNN
InfoComm China 2013 Sees 20-percent Attendee Increase at Beijing Show
In its 8th year, InfoComm China 2013 continues to grow, drawing 19,431 attendees, a 20-percent increase compared with the 2012 show, to the China National Convention Center in Beijing.
The three-day annual pro audiovisual show, held in early April, has grown so much since its inception that next year it will fill the entire CNCC, according to show organizers.
"We are really thrilled by this year's success, as it once again proved companies in China are recognizing the importance of pro AV in providing a competitive edge to their businesses,” said Richard Tan, the show’s general manager.
He added, “The potential for sustainable growth in the Chinese AV market is enormous! Through InfoComm China, our exhibitors will share their expertise of the application of pro AV technology and innovations to help more companies achieve breakthroughs in their businesses."
The show, organized by InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd. And InfoComm International, expanded from four halls to six this year, with a gross exhibition area of nearly 35,000 square meters hosting more than 300 exhibiting companies.
According to exhibitors, the show’s success was twofold; the huge growth of China’s pro AV market, as well an increase in targeted marketing and public relations for the show.
ACTP Launches TiO Home Automation Brand
Submitted on 05/06/13, 02:28 PM | Click Here for the full article: Residential Systems
ACTP Launches TiO Home Automation Brand
TiO is a new approach to home automation, one driven by an “outside in” philosophy that focuses on the customer experience, according to the company. TiO home automation solutions will provide professional integrators with an easy-to-install, elegant home automation solution that offers powerful features, maximum flexibility and a new pricing model that will allow home automation to reach a broad base of consumers.
“TiO is driven by our vision to provide homeowners with an experience that seamlessly captures their mood and provides them with comfort and peace of mind,” said Mike Anderson, president and CEO of ACTP. “TiO is unlike any other home automation system because it truly allows the customer to control how the system interacts with their daily life. We’ve designed the TiO system to be simple and intuitive enough for the consumer to perfectly match their moods and create satisfying and powerful experiences in their home. We want to deliver a solution that adapts to the customer instead of asking the customer to adapt to the system.”
TiO systems will run on Android-enabled devices, allowing users to better utilize the world’s most popular mobile platform. Each system will be easily configured by a professional integrator via the convenience of an Android tablet.
Eyes-on with Ninja Blocks 'home automation for hackers'
Submitted on 05/03/13, 06:30 AM | Click Here for the full article: EnGadget
Eyes-on with Ninja Blocks 'home automation for hackers'
Ninja Blocks look a fair bit different than they used to, however -- the 3D-printed case has been traded up for something that looks a lot more like a final, saleable product. In fact, it looks a little like a router or an external hard drive, albeit one with color-changing ninja eyes. The company was also talking up the home automation possibilities of its platform a bit more than the straightforward sensor pitch. In a buzz phrase, the company is calling this "home automation for hackers."
Using the Ninja Rules app, you can turn lights and appliances on and off, get alerts for things like your wash and monitor your home, without writing code -- of course, knowing how helps. The whole platform is extremely open to users, and inside the case, you'll find a Beagle Bone and Arduino board, both accessible by pulling at the handy "Hack Me" tag that hangs on its side. The base system will run you $199. More information can be found in a video after the break.
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