One of the largest worldwide providers of Z-Wave home automation devices, Nortek Security & Control plans to launch ZigBee products for the first time to grab MSO and utility business.
Julie Jacobson
Julie Jacobson is founding editor of CE Pro, the leading media brand for the home-technology channel. She has covered the smart-home industry since 1994, long before there was much of an Internet, let alone an Internet of things. Currently she studies, speaks, writes and rabble-rouses in the areas of home automation, security, networked A/V, wellness-related technology, biophilic design, and the business of home technology. Julie majored in Economics at the University of Michigan, spent a year abroad at Cambridge University, and earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a recipient of the annual CTA TechHome Leadership Award, and a CEDIA Fellows honoree. A washed-up Ultimate Frisbee player, Julie currently resides in San Antonio, Texas and sometimes St. Paul, Minn. Follow on Twitter: @juliejacobson
Julie Jacobson's Latest Posts
New CEO Discusses Vision for AVAD as Independent Co.; a Return to CEDIA
CE Pro interviews new AVAD CEO Tom Jacoby after the distributor was acquired by private equity firm Kingswood Capital: “We don’t see this as a broken company that needs to be fixed.”
Who’da Thunk? Indoor Air Quality as a Category is Actually Kind of Interesting
It’s not exactly 4K or RGB lighting, but IAQ gives dealers something interesting to talk about: wrecked hardwood floors, asthma, mold, nose bleeds, home warranties … and profit.
John Clancy’s Mission to Stir the ‘Sleeping Giant’ that is Crestron Home Automation
When big-time home-technology integrator John Clancy questioned Crestron’s commitment to the residential channel, he was hired to further the manufacturer’s home-automation agenda.
CEO: Despite New Remote, Savant is not About the DIY Mass-Market
Savant CEO William Lynch says the company’s new $499 DIY remote, now available at BestBuy.com, is not part of a bigger strategy to sell mass-market home automation.
Home Networking in the Custom Channel: Are We Asleep at the Router?
Eero makes home networking sexy. The custom channel could learn some lessons from a DIY-centric approach to home technology.
Samsung’s Amazing World Anthem for Rio Olympics (and Galaxy S7 Edge)
It’s an ad for Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, but “The Anthem” demonstrates the company’s ambition to “unite the world through technology and borderless communication.”
Control4 Gets Two-Way Driver for Haiku Fans and Lights from Big Ass Fans
Chowmain Haiku Driver allows two-way integration of Big Ass Fans and Big Ass Lights with Control4 home automation, allowing multispeed fan and dimmable lighting control.
Heos Shifts Gears to Endear itself to Integrators: Now Unapologetically Denon
Heos was launched as a standalone DIY brand to rival the mighty Sonos, but now we’re seeing a closer alignment with Denon and Marantz, as well as a full slate of home-automation drivers.
Sears’ Kenmore-Branded 4K TV Just Might Work
Sears has unleashed a line of 4K UHD TVs, as well as IoT devices under the Kenmore Elite brand. Will the brand work for the living room and the smart home?
Hands on: Dish’s New Hopper Remote with Gesture & Voice Control is Good Step in the Right Direction
New Hopper Voice Remote from Dish recognizes voice commands most of the time if you speak deliberately and close to the mic, but the button layout is flawed and Dish’s response to commands can be unhelpful.
Autonomic 5.3 Offers Richer Integration with Control4, Support for iHeartRadio & RadioRA
Latest Mirage OS firmware and Control4 driver improves user experience for media management and whole-whose music. Also: Autonomic adds iHeartRadio, Radio Ra 2 support. View screen shots of new Control4 UI.
