Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2020 från Residential Tech Today

“When I found out the man who invented the Roomba had also created a solar-powered weed killing robot, I knew I had to meet this kindred spirit!” I would never call myself an “outdoorsy” person. I’m not much of a camper, and I have always preferred air-conditioned malls to humid hiking trails. But maintaining my lawn is an entirely different story. I’m not really a “gardener” either. But, what I really love are the satisfying results of perfectly mowed lines in the grass, the cleanest edging along the sidewalk and driveway, and the meditative process of shaping trees and shrubs. When it comes down to it, I’m basically a control freak who carries a similar insistence on keeping the interior of my house free of clutter to the areas outside…

With people spending more time at home – conducting remote meetings and homeschooling – we’ve had quite a few clients bring us in to improve their home network and Wi-Fi. We’ve also had lots of requests to install streamers like Apple TV and Roku, so they could have more viewing options. We never had to close our doors because of the virus, but we took extra precautions such as having our techs wear masks and asking how many people will be in the home, how everyone is feeling and requesting that homeowners basically leave our techs alone in the room/area where they are working so they aren’t exposed. – John Sciacca, Custom Theater and Audio, Myrtle Beach, SC New construction work has been steady – really no change for that…

As a second-generation AV lifer and having been immersed in it from both the inside and outside throughout various stages of my life, I’ve developed a unique perspective on the industry. My father, Larry White, an industry veteran of more than 40 years, never pushed me into pursuing this field. I came in ready and willing after experiencing several other career paths, including many roles across the hospitality and medical fields. While AV technology is, first and foremost, my occupation (currently, as director of new product development at Vanco), it has always been a mutual interest and bond that my father and I have shared together. Growing up, my father would often talk me through how to operate various technologies within our house. When he installed a multi-zone audio system…

Robbie Cabral is the inventor, CEO, and founder of Los Angeles-based BenjiLock, a finger-print enabled padlock manufacturer that was introduced to the tech industry at CES 2017 and soon after was made relatively famous on ABC’s Shark Tank. Padlocks for gym lockers, luggage, and bikes aren’t typically the focus of Residential Tech Today, but Cabral is expanding his focus with a new digital door lock line that could be a perfect fit for the growing smart home market Cabral’s appearance on Shark Tank had a huge emotional impact on viewers of that show. His sincerity and story of overcoming hardship seemed to really resonate with the so-called Sharks (celebrity investors) who he was pitching. After three Sharks offered to work with him, he chose to partner with “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin…

There wasn’t a chance to get back in shape before showing off your summer body this year. I don’t read the news, but for some reason gyms have been closed for the past few months. Because of this, instead of doing my usual 300 daily sit-ups and maintaining a healthy diet, I’m up to three gravy rum smoothies every morning. Because my doctor has informed me that I’m now composed mostly of cholesterol, this might be my final column. Regardless, here is a list of the tech you’ll need to burn calories, regain muscle, and exude your first energy of the summer. Now, if only somebody would actually take these exercise tech ideas and (um) run with them. Exercisr It can be tough to get to the gym, I get…

Brandon White is the director of new product development at Vanco, a supplier of home theater and low-voltage electronic accessories. In this issue, he writes about how he shares a mutual interest in AV technology with his father and his own son. At St. Louis-based Integration Controls, Jamie Briesemeister leads sales and marketing and is actively involved in business development, including industry outreach and education. She speaks about the smart, connected home at several national events. This month, Briesemeister describes how working from home, schooling from home, and enjoying a Netflix and chill have never been needed more… and have put more strain on the internet than ever before. Sam Cavitt is the founder and CEO of Paradise Theater, a company that provides comprehensive private cinema design, engineering, and project…

SnapAV has released a major update to its OvrC remote management and monitoring platform, adding support for Pakedge products and hundreds of enhancements across all aspects of the platform that make it faster, easier to use, and provide critical information at a glance, all within a mobile app or web-based interface. With the expanding support for Pakedge, OvrC includes one of the largest ecosystems of integrated products from both SnapAV and leading third-party manufacturers. “SnapAV has led the industry in enabling pros to do more with less via remote monitoring and management with OvrC, BakPak, and Ihiji. Remote management is an essential part of our pros’ businesses, and we obsess over their feedback” said Charlie Kindel, chief product and technology officer. “The new OvrC is now our single remote management…

As the world continues to evolve with new technologies and ideas, Monitor Audio is evolving with it. Most recently the British-owned global manufacturer of hi-fi loudspeakers and audio components introduced its IMS-4 Music Streamer, which joins the company’s range of installation amplifiers and a complete mix of architectural loudspeakers. But that’s only the most recent chapter from the story of the nearly 50-year-old brand that strives for excellence through innovation and unparalleled sound quality to deliver solutions that serve every application, style, and budget. Monitor Audio was founded in Cambridge, England, in 1972, by Mo Iqbal and his team of engineers, who worked out of a small factory assembling loudspeakers by hand. They began by creating traditional loudspeaker designs, which would soon evolve into some of the most unique solutions…

To paraphrase song lyrics from the Disney+ video release of the Broadway smash Hamilton, with COVID-19 the world is upside down. Not only have introverts finally found the upper hand over extroverts by being better at staying home and keeping clear of coronavirus, but the act of streaming video content has completely replaced the once-popular pastime of going out to the movies. Beyond Ozark, Floor is Lava, and old episodes of Dance Moms, what has the world been watching most when curling up in the basement with popcorn and their new, 70-inch smart TV? Let’s take a look at some intriguing COVID-19 quarantine streaming stats.…

During this year’s COVID-19 “safer-at-home” pandemic crisis, most of us have been looking for alternative sources of entertainment. Those who want to keep content flowing without monthly charges may want to consider free, over-the-air (OTA) digital television broadcasting, which provides many unique viewing options. The switch to digital television in the U.S. more than 10 years ago made it possible to have a single 6 MHz channel deliver up to 16 “virtual” channels. Even though these channels – or program services – are an optional feature for broadcasters, most stations provide them. For example, although there are 30 actual transmitting physical channels where I live in Los Angeles, I am able to receive as many as 176 virtual channels. Some stations have as few as three channels, while others have…

While AV over IP remains all the rage as a distributed AV tech trend, there are still plenty of opportunities for traditional matrix systems in the residential market, where the IP transition has been slower, and HDBaseT and HDMI connectivity is still taking the lion’s share of the business. A recent luxury home AV installation for the Singleton family in the Huntington Beach, CA, area highlights how legacy AV systems still provide exceptional value in flexibility for moving audio, video, and control data across multiple rooms and spaces. Installed by Long Beach-based Digital Installers, the project delivered a multi-room system with a centralized AV core into the residence of an existing client as part of a larger renovation. According to Esmond Duong, technology manager at Digital Installers, the lack of…

August Embracing Biophilia: The “healthy home” is being discussed as the next frontier for the evolution of smart technology. This issue’s theme is finding the best way to turn the smart home into an environment that mimics the natural world for improved health and wellness of its occupants, from human-centric lighting to proper sound isolation, air handling, and water purification. FOCUS: BATHROOM TECH September/October My Control: There are many ways to control a smart home, from individual apps to handheld remotes, voice-controlled devices, and even machine learning to predict your behavior. What are the current strengths and limitations to the state of the art in this category, and what’s on the horizon for smart home control and automation technologies? FOCUS: LIGHTING AND LIVING ROOM SOLUTIONS November/December Faster Mobile Internet: 5G…