The Bluetooth Conundrum Bluetooth low energy (BLE) smart home devices can make outfitting your smart home easier. BLE is low power, so a small battery can power wireless motion detectors, door or window sensors, water leak detectors, temperature probes, air quality monitors, physical buttons or dimmers, and many other convenient…

If you haven’t noticed, we are in a transition period with mainstream TV technology moving from high definition to ultra high definition and even creeping towards 8K. A quick history of TV formats in the United States The easiest way to categorize the different models available is by the image…

The Challenge With Big Lighting Systems Having recently completed a major project for a client (installing a lighting automation system with a large number of dimmers and switches), I was confronted with figuring out an optimal configuration for voice control options. Sure it’s exciting to work on a large multi-room…

I was wrong? Or was I? I jusr ran into a situation that caused me to re-think a strongly held position. I’m usually an easy-going type of person, but once in a while, a few things really bother me.net As a consumer, and later as a product manager / marketing…

Is Your Home Wiring A Disaster Waiting To Happen? A few weeks ago I discovered a serious problem that may affects hundreds, thousands, or possibly hundreds of thousands of homes. You may or may not be affected. If you have an old home, live in an apartment, or don’t have…

“In Any Moment Of Decision, The Worst Thing You can Do Is Nothing” Theodore Roosevelt was on the right track. Today we call it analysis paralysis. It may not be the most critical part of my smart home, but choosing the right video doorbell has been one of the more…

Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? With apologies to Rod Stewart, this time I am not writing about cool new gadgets or control systems. I’m going back to basics to describe one of the most common smart home projects. This solves a real problem and is easy to implement. A great…

Spring has Spring! Now that we have swung full speed into Spring, it’s time to plan for re-planting the smart home garden of controllers, devices, and appliances. Every Spring I take an inventory of where things stand, what needs to be fixed or changed, and what I would like to…

DIY or Pro Integration? As your smart home continues to grow, it can reach the point where you may feel like you are losing instead of gaining control. …