PowerShades Debuts PoE Version 2.0

PowerShades PoE 2.0 is out, and as the name implies, it includes PoE (dubbed TruePoE) automated window shades. This new version of PowerShades’ PoE shades arrives with new features and benefits, including indoor shade size up to 19’, quieter motors and 13x more processing power. Benefits of the new PoE 2.0 shades include: Up to […]

PowerShades Debuts PoE Version 2.0

DIY Automation Beefs

Remember that one guy in your classes who would ask the professor a “question?” I used quotes because their question was always a thinly veiled excuse to expound and fill up the air with their own opinions. I never liked that guy when I was in school. As a result, I try to avoid being […]

DIY Automation Beefs

The Top 10 States Most Interested in Smart Homes

A new study has revealed that West Virginia is the state most interested in smart homes in America, with an average of 1,877 searches per month for smart home related terms per 100,000 people. Home and tech experts Smarthomestarter.com used Google data to analyze searches for an assortment of smart home related keywords across all […]

The Top 10 States Most Interested in Smart Homes

Savant Adds More Personalization to Pro Remote

Savant is enabling users to personalize each Pro Remote by room or by user. In addition to touchscreen personalization, the Pro Remote’s native voice button can also be configured for Siri voice activation. With the latest release from Savant, users can now select from all available Savant Scenes, Services and Favorite Channels and add the […]

Savant Adds More Personalization to Pro Remote

Home Technology’s Rise of the Smart Displays

Digital assistants are all the rage these days and they seem to live in so many places like your car radio, watches, smart phones, tablet, computers and the very popular “smart speaker” category. The smart speaker category has grown rapidly and has seen adoption from major brand names in the audio and tech industries — […]

Home Technology’s Rise of the Smart Displays

What Keeps an AV Professional Up at Night – Part the Second

I’ve spoken about the things that keep an AV professional up at night — in part the growing rise of one-box, easily configurable solutions sharply reducing the need for highly skilled integration in simple spaces. That trend continues with both industry stalwarts like Crestron and smaller upstarts like Owl Labs selling single-device collaborative solutions. That’s […]

What Keeps an AV Professional Up at Night – Part the Second

Savant Adds Google Home

Savant has announced compatibility between Savant’s smart home ecosystem and the Google Home Assistant speech-recognition engine. Savant pioneered the use of voice control as part of the connected home by introducing the Savant Pro Remote, enabling homeowners to activate a Savant Scene, choose a favorite channel or select a source within their entertainment system. With […]

Savant Adds Google Home

Chromecast Now Supported in Roon — a New Hi-Fi Experience Awaits

Good news, everyone! Roon now streams to any Chromecast device, Google Home smart speakers, Chromecast Audio and Chromecast audio receivers, as well as a ton of third party devices. Roon announced it on their blog earlier this month (07/06/18) and you can read the full announcement here. “In addition to Chromecast streaming, today’s release includes […]

Chromecast Now Supported in Roon — a New Hi-Fi Experience Awaits

Amazon vs. Google Part 2

Smart homes and smart buildings aren’t for the ultra-rich… anymore. We’ve come to a time in our existence where our technological advancements have allowed for desire, need and know how of a more connected lifestyle, between home and work. After all, it’s no longer about a work-life balance, it’s really all about the work-life blend […]

Amazon vs. Google Part 2

Hello? Is Anyone Listening?

Amazon’s hottest selling items for 2016 were the Echo and its little brother Dot. These devices, along with their competitors from Google and Apple, are revolutionizing the way we interact with our homes and are quickly moving into the workplace. These voice command and control devices allow the participant to use their voices with simple […]

Hello? Is Anyone Listening?