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Smart home technology is no longer a thing of the past. Today, most homeowners require a space with automated features, such as lighting control, motorized shades, smart security, and one-touch control of their home entertainment system. 

If you’re a luxury homeowner who wants an even better experience in your home, then now is the time to add smart home automation to your life. There are different home automation systems you can integrate, but Control4 is the top choice that we recommend. Its recent update with OS 3.3 and core processors offers a new level of speed, performance, and seamless smart home control. 

Read on to discover the top three reasons homeowners should add automated features to their Charlotte, NC, residence.

Introducing Josh.ai, the Voice Control That Understands You

We've discussed how voice control adds another dimension to home automation in your Charlotte, NC home. Systems like Amazon Alexa add hands and eyes-free control to all the capabilities of your smart home.

If there’s one knock on these popular systems, it’s that sometimes you have to say things a certain way to be understood. It’s frustrating when your hands are full, you need to turn on a light, and you have to repeat a voice command.

Undoubtedly, these systems are continually learning and get better all the time. But there is one that has been designed from the start to make it easier to control your home with just your voice – Josh.ai. Keep reading to learn more about this new and innovative approach to voice control.

Technology is never stagnant. Innovation requires that every gadget or device should constantly be improved upon, and your smart home automation system is no exception. We make sure that you have the latest tech at your fingertips. In this blog we'll cover some of the newest features you can experience from our top partner Control4.

SEE ALSO: 3 WAYS A CONTROL4 SYSTEM CAN TRANSFORM YOUR CHARLOTTE, NC HOME

Wearable Technology

The first time you saw someone talk into their watch to issue an important command, it was probably on Star Trek or in a James Bond film. But today this technology has been realized with the Apple Watch and various other models. According to Forbes, 245 million wearable devices are expected to ship in 2019. People want to wear their tech because it's portable, convenient, and just plain cool. Control4 just released news that you can now control your Control4 smart home with the Apple Watch. Open the Control4 app on your watch and enjoy these features:

• Media: See what audio or video that is playing in each room in your house and change volume, add additional rooms, or turn things off.
• Thermostats: See all thermostats in your home, adjust the temperature, and apply presets.
• Lighting: Control individual lights in any room of your house or activate lighting scenes that control many lights at the same time.
• Security: Check status of locks, unlock or lock doors, and open or close garage doors.
• Local or Remote: Control your home from the comfort of your couch, or use your watch when you're away at work or traveling.

Are you a builder or architect in the Charlotte, NC, area looking to bring smart home automation to your next project? This task can seem a bit daunting at first, especially if you don’t know much about smart technology, but we can assure you that you don’t have to become an expert overnight to bring these solutions to your clients’ homes.

By working with a smart integrator like The Integrated Home, you’ll eliminate any issues that might come up in the installation. In this blog, we’ll dive into the process and what teaming up with our integrators means for you and your project.

Want to find out more? Keep reading!

SEE ALSO: WHY BUILDERS SHOULD BRING HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEMS TO THEIR PROJECTS

Constant Communication Throughout Installation

One of the main concerns builders have before they begin on a smart-home build is how much knowledge they need regarding integrated technology and systems. If you’re going it alone, one knowledge gap can cause problems.

The Integrated Home Celebrates Three Years as a Luxury Tier HTA Dealer

If you’d like to bring multi-room audio, a home theater, or smart technology to your Charlotte, NC home, you want to be sure it works perfectly, looks great, and will be installed without delays or issues. But if you’re using a DIY approach or hire a subpar integrator, you may be left with a mess of wires, a system that isn’t wholly connected or is challenging to upgrade years down the line.  

So how can you ensure your smart home automation installation is the best? Look for an HTA Certified integrator. The Home Technology Association upholds the only industry standard of excellence for home technology installation companies. In Charlotte, The Integrated Home has been a Luxury Tier member for the past three years. We’ll explain what that means and more below!

Smart home automation isn’t a thing of the future – it’s for the here and now. But as a builder or designer, it can seem a bit daunting to bring it to your latest Charlotte, NC, construction or project.

Not to worry – that’s why our team of experts at the Integrated Home is here to help throughout the whole process. But you might still wonder how you can integrate smart tech seamlessly into your building and design plans without causing disruption.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the various ways smart technologies cannot only merge nicely with existing décor but can also enhance it. Take a look below to learn why your clients will be happy to see smart features blended in with your home’s design choices.

SEE ALSO: WHAT BUILDERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING WITH A SMART HOME INSTALLER

Hidden Audio Video Features

A home entertainment system doesn’t have to take up a room’s space the entire time. When a smart TV isn’t in use, homeowners can easily have an installed wall panel slide over it to display artwork or a mirror instead, adding a flair to the room or making the room look larger.

We are a proud Pinnacle Control4 Dealer because they are always coming out with new and exciting products that we think will benefit our Charlotte, NC area customers. Not only is Control4 smart home automation user-friendly, it’s also customizable. The personalization features of the user interface makes Control4 stand out amongst the other smart home manufacturers. Recently, Control4 announced some new upgrades, called “When>>Then Personalization.” Read this blog to learn all about it.

SEE ALSO: One App to Rule them All

What is When>>Then Personalization?

The control device is one of the most important elements of a smart home. With Control4’s 4Sight App, you can customize your home any way you like at any time. This new feature allows you to fine-tune your system depending on your changing tastes in music, your schedule and more. 

For example, if your work schedule is going to change around the holidays, meaning you will be working later hours, you can program you home accordingly. This tool is also useful for when family members come for a visit and may want to adjust your home to make themselves comfortable. You can experiment with the settings and then change it back to the way it was when you need to. 

Let’s say your mother is coming for a visit around Thanksgiving and she likes to keep the home warmer than you. You can change the thermostat and any other settings like the shades, lights and more while she is visiting that week and then change them back to your personal preferences when she leaves. When>>Then Personalization ensures you never lose all of those valuable settings you loved before, and you can play with some new ones too. 

No one wants to give an average gift. You want your friend, partner, or family member to feel loved, appreciated and special. Consider how a luxury smart device installed in their Charlotte, NC home can enhance the person’s lifestyle. So what are these are the top tech gifts of the season? We cover them below! One of these home automation accessories is sure to be the perfect gift for that special someone.

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways to Get Ready for the Holidays

1. Sonos One with Amazon Alexa

Sonos has combined the proprietary voice-control technology of Amazon Alexa with their incredible Play:1 speaker to bring you the best of both worlds. You can browse thousands of song titles with your voice, manage your busy schedule, and enjoy all of the other benefits of Alexa. The Sonos One with Alexa can play Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM and so much more with a simple voice command.

2. Apple TV 4K: $179

This gift would be perfect for the movie-lover who wants to watch everything in 4K. It comes with a voice control feature, so you can browse for titles by simply saying the name of what you are looking for, and the home screen is ad-free. This device is also the only streaming box that supports Dolby Vision, which is a huge plus. The colors on the screen will pop, and the images will look crisper with this brand new 4K streaming device.

3. Amazon Echo 2^nd Generation: $99.99

The Echo still stands as one of the top gifts for the holiday season. Their 2^nd generation model has a number of new and exciting features, including unique colors and Dolby sound upgrade. You can choose from an oak or walnut finish, sleek silver, and soft fabrics in charcoal and heather grey or white sandstone. In addition to the music upgrade and colors, the new Echo can also hear you better since it has seven built-in microphones for voice recognition.

It seems like everyone keeps saying, “there’s an app for that.” But if you continue to add apps to your smartphone, not only will you overload your phone, but you’ll also get app clutter. When it comes time to clean out the closet so to speak, you have to assess which ones you actually use on a daily basis and which ones you can do without.

DIY smart homes create app clutter because each time you buy a new device you have to download the app onto your phone. Buy a Sonos speaker for your Charlotte, NC property? You have to use the app to stream music wirelessly. Have a Nest thermostat? You have to open the app every time you want to change the temperature from afar. 

But what if you could simply open one app and use it to control your Sonos speaker, Nest thermostat, Lutron lights and shades and so much more? The answer is integration. The word may sound very lofty and you may even be reaching for a dictionary right now, but it means that you are connecting separate systems into one unified system. With smart home automation you can control every separate device with just one user interface. 

One amazing benefit of working with a Control4 dealer like us, is that you don’t have to get rid of the brands you know and love. We can connect them together and put them under the Control4 app. 

One App, One Solution

We have covered a lot of details about how to use automation in your Charlotte, NC home, but what about your car? How does your vehicle fit into your electronic lifestyle? Many auto manufacturers are adding the newest automation technology to their cars, which is great for smart home owners—especially if you use Control4. Here are a few things you can do by integrating your ride into your smart home system. 

SEE ALSO: Update Your Charlotte Home with These Three Trends

Push to Start

You’ve seen the option to use a push button to start your vehicle, but what if you could take this to the next level and start your car from inside your house? With Control4, we can integrate your smart car into your system so all you have to do is touch a button on your mobile device and start the car early before you step foot out the door. This is especially helpful on those extra cold days when you want to warm up the car before you venture outside. It may not get below zero in Charlotte, but there are those times when you tend to run to your car to avoid the chills.

You can even set a daily schedule for the car to start 10 minutes before you leave for work. But if you don’t want to use up the extra gas, you could set the task to occur only when the temperature drops below 30 degrees. So you get to decide how cold is just too cold for you!