Who says Simplicity, Technology & Elegance can't co-exist?

Here is a picture from a recent project. The customer wanted a clutter-free installation that was crazy simple to use, but didn't want to give up sound quality or limit their music options.

We installed a Bose Lifestyle for main room TV, Movies & Music. The only thing visible was the TV.

We installed 4 rooms of sound using Bose speakers and a Sonos System.  The customer can access Pandora and their iTunes library thru their existing iPads and iPhones.

This is where Simple meets Sophisticated ....... and that's what we at Acadian Home Theater & Automation take pride in delivering day in and day out.

If you're like me, you already have used your smart phone or iPad around your house to stream music, control your DirecTV DVR or remotely control some device you have at home.

Of course, in my business, we create lots of home automation and control systems from manufacturers such as Crestron, Savant and Control4.  Invariably, everyone wants their smart phone or iPad to be programmed as a control device for whichever one of these systems we install.  And honestly, those phones and pads will work VERY well for that purpose.  Now as soon as I say that, let me be quick to add that those will not operate as seamlessly for that purpose as the manufacturer's own branded mobile device.

Still, for ease of use, each of those manufacturers has created apps for those commonly owned media devices for the simple reason that the consumer is already familiar with it and generally keeps them handy.  Those apps work as well as the control system manufacturer can possibly program those phones and tablets to perform that way.  But know that there will always be some kinda glitch--some incompatibility--that the consumer will experience when using their phone or wi-fi pad to control their home automation system.

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about.  Back in the day, you either owned a PC or a Mac.  If you created a document or spreadsheet in one type of platform and emailed it to s0meone who owned the other type of platform, they couldn't even open the thing let alone read it.  One day, the industry smartened up and started creating programs so the two could talk to each other.  Now the two could interface and everyone was happy.  But anyone will tell you that the two don't work together perfectly and your sometimes encounter formatting problems in documents or linkage problems in spreadsheets.

That's the way it is marrying the popular smart technologies with automated systems.  They WILL work and will be quite enjoyable when they do.  But for best results, use the mobile device designed for the product.

 

How to Use Your Smart Home to Create a Family Environment

There are many reasons you may want to invest in smart home automation, such as saving time and energy. Or perhaps you have a proclivity for technology and enjoy using the latest smart home gadgets. However, did you know that a smart home can help you raise a family and manage a hectic schedule? Whether you have a house full of teens or are nursing a newborn, our automation services can create the right environment for your family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Continue reading to learn more.

SEE ALSO: Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Smart Home Installer  

Create the Right Environment for Newborns

You’ve finally put the baby to sleep and want to remember exactly what calmed them down. Use your smart home system to save the settings for the next evening. Pick the lighting levels, shade selection, music, and temperature using the touch interface on an iPad or in-wall touch screen. You can even label the scene, like “Goodnight Sweetheart,” so you can easily recall it at a moment’s notice. Hit one button and the nursery will instantly transform into a cozy and comforting environment – perfect for putting your baby to sleep and allowing you to get some much-needed sleep.

Wake up the Whole Family Automatically

Fast-forward 10 years and it’s time to wake your kids up and get them ready for school. You can create a ‘Wake up’ setting that helps everyone get out of bed in the morning. Each room in the house can be customized to the person’s preferences.  For example, in your bedroom, the in-ceiling speakers will play your favorite song exactly at 6 a.m. and the volume will slowly get louder as the shades open and let in the morning sun. At the same time, your mirror TV turns on the news so you can catch the traffic and weather report as you brush your teeth. Meanwhile, your daughter’s room lights gently rise to a bright level and her morning cartoon show turns on in the living room downstairs to get her moving. In your teenage son’s room, the shades open to lift his sleepy eyes and his favorite music playlist turns on as well. Your smart coffee pot wakes up too so that there’s a hot cup of joe for everyone downstairs. If you want to check in on any family member, you can use an HD intercom and talk to them through the audio system.

Keep an Eye on Every Family Member

How many times have your kids promised to call you as soon as they got home then left you in suspense for hours? With our security and surveillance solutions, integrated into your smart home, you can get alerts sent to your phone as soon as your kids walk into the house. Watch live video feeds if your boys and girls are home alone so you know they are safe no matter where you are. With whole house audio and video, you can also track what is being watched in every room from a mobile device, making it hard for your kids to view inappropriate movies, shows or games and change parental settings. Smart home controls are also very useful if your children have disabilities or if you are watching over the elderly.  You’ll have all the controls in the palm of your hands at all times for every need.

 

Anyone who's ever had a newborn sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) knows all too well the anxiety that goes along with such an event.  For the mother in particular, her strong natural urge to bond with her baby is interrupted and limited by her baby's need for specialized medical attention.

One of the most basic desires for the mother is to be able to reassure her baby that she is not far away.  But in NICU, that can be extremely difficult to do.  She knows her baby is in a totally foreign surrounding absent of anything to remind her child of his or her mother.  Unless the hospital is equipped to house mother and child together there will be a great deal of time in which they are separated.  But perhaps technology can help!

Mommy’s Hear™ is a device designed to allow mothers to both see and speak to her baby while in NICU.  With technology borrowed from remote access security systems, this device is located right at the baby's incubator so the parents and family members can see their infant from any remote device like a smart phone or iPad.  This is especially vital in the case of long-term NICU care as with infants born prematurely, for example.

When the parents can't be at the hospital such as while caring for the baby's siblings, the family can talk to their infant at any time, night or day, via the phone or iPad--much like using Skype or FaceTime.  Telling baby "good night," singing a lullaby, or just watching baby awaken in the morning can be so reassuring to newborn and parent alike.

This ability to communicate directly is significant, as recent studies show the introduction of sounds like the mother’s voice reduces cardio-respiratory events common to premature infants.  Not only that, but it can aid in the child’s development while promoting bonding when parents can’t be at the hospital.  And should a family member be a little "under the weather," they can still see and talk to their baby without risking exposing their newborn to infection.

If you are a sports fan, having a tiling feature on your TV is truly the ultimate way to watch.  Tiling means you can send multiple video signals to a single TV.  Imagine picture in picture on steroids.  Now, Savant offers 4, 6, and 9 source versions with the release of their SmartView Tiling.  For most sports fans, I'm sure the 4 is plenty.

OK, so you’ve got your big projection or flat panel TV.  Think how cool it would be to see one big picture with 3 smaller pictures off to the side!

Yes, you might have seen that before, BUT…with the Savant app, you just touch the screen icons on your iPad.  Up pop the sources and you can choose which source goes where.  Then, if you want, you can just double tap any of them and it will fill the screen.  Or, slide a small icon to the large one and everything flips.  But the coolest part of all is tracking which video source you are listening to.  The current one playing has a little speaker icon on it. All you do is slide that across to another screen and the sound flips!  That is just so slick!  Check out a demo here on this quick video.

With SmartView Tiling, Savant is just pulling way out in front of the pack in making it simple and fun to put the best technology at your fingertips.

If you don't want to miss any of the action in America's stadiums,  fairways, courts or tracks, call us!  We can bring it all home to you!