Smarter video surveillance, neighborhood-oriented services, and machine learning are some of the alarm and home-automation trends to to expect at ISC West.
Julie Jacobson
Julie Jacobson's Latest Posts
How a ‘Custom’ Integrator Hangs a TV
Client wanted to replace an old rear-projection TV with a 65-inch OLED. Here’s how a home-technology professional does it. Take THAT, hang-and-bangers!
SnapAV Acquires Allnet, Major Midwest Distributor for Home-Tech Pros
SnapAV, leading provider of home-automation, audio, video, networking and security products – as well as the popular OvrC platform for remote network management – acquires Allnet, a top home-tech distributor in the Midwest.
Nortek Patent: The Idiot Savant of Smart Garage Door Openers
IoT garage-door controller provides all the safety measures required of UL 985 for ‘unattended operation’ but it’s stupid simple for DIY installs.
Parasitic Smart Locks: August and Nest/Yale Sponge Power off Doorbells
August and Nest/Yale employ low-energy home-automation protocols (Bluetooth LE and Thread/Weave) for their door locks, connecting to the home network via Wi-Fi-enabled video doorbells powered over wire.
ProSource: ‘We’re Two Years Ahead of Everyone Else’ in Remote Managed Services
The ProSource buying group is pushing lighting control and remote managed services as new opportunities for home-technology integrators, adding OneVision, Parasol, SnapAV’s OvrC, Coastal Source and Colorbeam to its roster of providers.
New Nest Temperature Sensors Coming Soon from the ‘Celebrity of Thermostats’
As a companion to Nest Thermostats, the new Nest Temperature Sensor can be installed in multiple rooms to regulate household temperature based on the needs of the occupants at any given time.
Installer Tip: Why You Should Love Banana Plugs Done Right [video]
A/V integrator Michael Restrepo swears by banana plugs for neater racks and more efficient installs, uninstalls and reinstalls, but warns the connections must be perfect.
Sonos Joins First Home-Technology Buying Group Ever – Azione
Sonos, an iconic brand that is both loved and loathed by home-technology pros, has joined its first industry buying group, Azione Unlimited, claiming it is “committed to building stronger relationships with the channel.”
A Nor’easter Superhero: Smart Home Pros Pack on the Power Protection
The home-technology pros at Creative Systems save the day for storm-ravaged clients, thanks to layers of protection from back-up generators, power regulators, surge protection and remote monitoring systems.
Move over 4K, ProSource is All About RMR and Dealer Productivity in 2018
ProSource added 13 new vendors in 2017, of which eight specialize in managed services and business productivity — a huge focus for the home-technology buying group in 2018. Here’s the latest in techs-for-hire, social-media management and productivity software from Summit 2018.
Installer Tip: How to Square Up an A/V Rack to Perfection [video]
Michael Restrepo’s short video explaining how to square up the face of an equipment rack demonstrates the great pride he takes in his integration work.