Automated Home

Control4 have announced a new family of of wireless lighting control products.  The company says they reduce programming complexity and are ideal for both for retrofit and new build projects. The new Control4 Wireless Lighting family includes Keypads, Switches, Controllers and Dimmers.  Make sure to check out both videos below… Control4, a market leader in home automation systems, today [...]

We all have gadgets that seemingly need endless charging and the nature of our favourite mobile devices means that they are often away from a mains power source. Smart phones and particularly modern tablets like the iPad have even more demanding charging requirements.  For the last four years I’ve been using a little external USB [...]

A recent post on our C-Bus Forums highlighted a couple of new videos from Clipsal on their new eDLT (enhanced Dynamic Labelling Technology) switches… The best just got better with Clipsal’s eDLT (enhanced Dynamic Labelling Technology). The eDLT provides sophisticated and user friendly control of your C-Bus System and offers the ability to customise the colour [...]

HouseLogix are launching their new ZigBee Voice Control Device for Home Automation called VoicePod.  It’s a completely hands free system that interprets voice commands and sends appropriate signals to the home automation system using wireless ZigBee technology. VoicePod can be used to control all the usual HA suspects, including TV, music, thermostats, lighting, shading, security and [...]

The £170 ZipaBox from little known Croatian company Zipato challenges VeraLite’s Micasa Verde on price, yet promises a feature set on a par with high-end controllers like the Fibaro Home Centre 2. We put the ZipaBox through its paces to find out if it can really deliver. For this test, we’re using a ZipaBox together [...]

UK specialist Custom Controls recently undertook one of their most ambitious projects. Read on for all the photos and details… This project saw Custom Controls using and integrating just about every piece of automated control kit available including advanced audio, video, lighting and heating controls. This project covered a total area of 10,000 square meters, including [...]

  UK Distributors RGB, have just opened a Savant Experience Show Home to demonstrate how Savant has brought the familiarity of the Apple user interface to home automation. The system powering the central London Show Home is based on a Savant SmartMediaPro12 modular matrix switch/controller fitted with cards for 8 zones of audio and 10 zones of [...]

Logitech have announced two new universla remotes.  The Logitech Harmony Ultimate is a £229 touchscreen and hard buttoned offering and the Logitech Harmony Smart Control at £109 provides a smartphone interface to your home cinema and other equipment   Both units employ the new Harmony Hub.  Check out the videos below… Today, Logitech announced the expansion of its Harmony [...]

Keene have just launched a new IR Distribution amplifier to their range… Designed and manufactured in the UK the Keene Pro4 has some powerful features for demanding installations. It has four IR Receiver inputs, and uniquely all four receivers can be located in the same room if needed. Normally multiple IR receivers will cause timing issues [...]

Here’s another video from Apple based Home Automation company Savant Systems.  This latest tour of their Soho apartment shows the technology integrated across the home.  Using the iPad to control itunes for whole house audio plus extensive lighting control too.  ’True Image’ provides a photo of the apartment and touching the lamp in the photo controls that lamp. [...]