Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home

18 August 2018

Recent content

[ 15 August 2018 ] Infographic: Passive housing | A smarter way of living Architecture
[ 14 August 2018 ] 5 approaches to make digital assistants a partner in your kids’ education Artificial Intelligence
[ 10 August 2018 ] Smart solutions to accelerate garden growth Connected Garage
[ 8 August 2018 ] 5 smart controllers to elevate your garage door Connected Garage
[ 5 August 2018 ] With smart security cameras, location is everything Connected Home

Architecture

Infographic: Passive housing | A smarter way of living

Passive housing is fast becoming one of the most sought-after types of accommodation as homeowners realize the energy-saving (and indeed bill-reducing) and sustainability potential of this fascinating concept. In a passive house, a steady, comfortable [...]
Artificial Intelligence

5 approaches to make digital assistants a partner in your kids’ education

Your family has a voice-controlled home assistant, but you’re tired of asking silly questions like “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” If you haven’t explored the technology’s ability [...]
Connected Garage

Smart solutions to accelerate garden growth

Having a garden is one of the biggest joys a nature enthusiast can have in their lives. You get to hand pick the little plants you want to raise in your yard and take pride [...]
Connected Garage

5 smart controllers to elevate your garage door

There are smart door locks and intelligent room lights and thermostats, so why not smart garage door controllers, too? As it turns out, you can buy those and there are a growing number to choose [...]
Connected Home

With smart security cameras, location is everything

So you installed a security system and you’re feeling great knowing that your family and your home are protected. After researching, you purchased one of the the best security systems that you could find and [...]
Connected Home

4 key smart home safety features to invest in

If you’re just starting to entertain the idea of installing smart security devices in your home, remember that these devices can sometimes carry a hefty up-front cost. It’s helpful to think about them as long-term [...]

Connected homes can be much more than technology showcases, and when properly outfitted can help improve our quality of life.

How smart homes can help improve quality of life

Connected Home

Today’s increasingly popular smart home technologies impress the neighbors and make us marvel at how far innovations have come in the last decade or so. However, these gadgets do more […]

Skydrop Arc smart sprinkler controller system. Image: Skydrop.

6 smart irrigation controllers to keep your lawn happy this summer

Connected Garage

As the temperatures creep up during the long days of summer, lawns grow thirsty. Even though you might have the best intentions to keep your lawn properly watered and looking […]

Smart grills and grilling accessories can keep your backyard party going down the right path. Weber offers the iGrill smart thermometer for many of its models, like this Spirit 2 grill. Image: Digitized House Media.

Smart home tech solutions for summer celebrations

Connected Home

Summer is a time filled with celebrations, such as birthday parties, weddings, and family reunions. If you’re hosting such an event, you may feel the stress of all the responsibility […]

Ever wonder how much energy your abode is using right now? Monitors like Smappee can tell you in a flash.

Smappee transforms boring appliances into smart devices

Connected Home

Everybody wastes at least a little bit of electrical energy in their home, but how can you eliminate that waste if you don’t know where it’s coming from? Well, with […]

Your Wi-Fi router might be slowing you down. It's among the key things you need to check if your smart home network is not up to speed.

Tips to maximize internet speed in your smart home

Connected Home

Smart homes and connected devices have become a part of modern life for many—our homes can relay information to us at any time, no matter where we are, and many […]

A dehumidifier, such as the portable hOmeLabs unit shown here, can go a long way toward making your home a healthier place. Image: hOmeLabs.

Smarter dehumidifiers for a healthier home

Outside the temperatures are soaring, and its possible the humidity level in your home may be increasing as well. There are many issues that can manifest themselves due to high […]

Here are 6 cool things an ENTR smart door lock can do for you. Image: ASSA ABLOY.

6 cool features your smart door lock should deliver

For today’s homeowner, a smart home starts with a smart door. By upgrading their front door with an ENTR® smart door lock, they can get a trusted product that is […]

Science fiction meets science fact. Cinematic droid R2-D2 faces off with a Google Home Mini speaker and Google Assistant. Image: Digitized House Media.

Google Assistant expands with dialect upgrades

As technology progresses, so does the trek toward artificial intelligence (AI). One of the world’s most popular AI tools is Google Assistant, which is learning at a fast pace and […]

The infographic Energy Efficient Home: The Basics goes far behind the basics of building an energy efficient dwelling. Scroll into it below. Image: Blinds 2 Go.

Infographic: Energy Efficient Home | The Basics

In a comprehensive infographic on the green or high-performance home, the creative and editorial team behind the Energy Efficient Home: The Basics infographic below have most assuredly gone far beyond […]

Smart plugs like the iDevices Switch can help promote energy efficiency for non-smart devices. Image: Digitized House Media.

5 energy efficiency tips for connected homes

These days, technology is prevalent everywhere. It may be in our pockets, on our wrists, in our cars and—unsurprisingly—may be found throughout our homes. With the right suite of tech […]

In Scandinavia, alarm monitoring company Verisure has added the Yale Doorman smart lock from ASSA ABLOY to their connected home repertoire. Image: ASSA ABLOY and Verisure.

Verisure connected home automation gets even smarter with Yale smart door locks by ASSA ABLOY

According to recent research by consultancy IFSEC Global, more than 90 percent of security system installers view home automation as a significant growth market. Verisure, Europe’s leading alarm monitoring company, […]

As the adage goes, you can't manage what you can't measure. That rings true in your home, where smart devices like the uHoo can help you measure and then improve air quality. Image: uHoo.

4 indoor air quality monitors for a healthier smart home

Do you often wonder why you sneeze a lot indoors or find your allergies flaring up? It could be because there’s room for improvement regarding your home’s interior air quality. There […]

Designed to replace standard toggle or rocker wall switches, the Eaton Aspire Preset Timer Switch works splendidly with bath fans. Image: Digitized House Media.

Control bath humidity with a medium-tech digital fan timer

As homes are designed and built to be more air tight, mechanical ventilation becomes a necessity. Once a bastion of high-performance green homes, mechanical ventilation systems have made their way […]

The Internet of Things, arriving at a city near you. Image: Vitalii Ustymenko on Unsplash.

The Internet of Things and your future, explained

In our editorial mission to articulate goings-on in the realm of connected homes, we often include the Internet of Things (IoT) as merely one of many tech-related SEO tags we […]

The Google Home Mini speaker offers broad voice activation compatibility with Nest and Works with Nest products. Image: Digitized House Media.

10 smart Works with Nest gadgets that go easy on your budget

So you’ve invested in some Nest-branded smart home products and want to make your abode even more connected. Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to meet your goal. […]

Smart home tech, such as the Nest Protect Smoke + CO Alarm shown here, can enable real-time detection and alerts for smoke and carbon monoxide events in the home. Image: Nest.

Preventing environmental hazards with connected home tech

Americans spend an average of 90% of their time inside, where pollutants can be up to five times more concentrated than they are outside, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection […]

The Austin Cool House Tour features this smart and colorful residence by Carter Design Associates. Image: Leonid Furmansky.

Austin Cool House Tour 2018 a study in smart design

For residents of Austin, Texas, the 22nd annual Cool House Tour is an opportunity to take in the latest in high-performance residential architecture, encompassing both new construction and remodels across […]

With the Fall 2018 release of macOS Mojave, the Apple Home app comes to the Mac desktop for the first time. Image: Apple.

Apple Home app coming to macOS with Mojave upgrade

It has been a long time in coming. The Apple Home app—the Cupertino company’s elegant interface to Apple HomeKit smart home accessories—is finally coming to the desktop of the Mac […]

Hello, Google. Can you tell me how safe my connected home is? Image: Bence Boros.

6 ways to keep your connected home safe

Not long ago, most people had barely heard of smart home gadgets. Now, they’re in households around the world. However, any high-tech accessory—even an extremely intelligent one—is at risk of […]

Finally, some synergy with Apple HomeKit, Apple TV, and the Home app: With iOS 11.4 and tvOS 11.4, Apple TVs will appear in the Home app and can play AirPlay 2 audio. Image: Digitized House Media.

Your Apple TV is now an AirPlay 2 speaker and HomeKit accessory

Since the launch of Apple iOS 10 and the Home app, Apple TV devices have been stealth-like participants in the Apple HomeKit ecosystem as HomeKit hubs, but have never made […]

The Digitized House channel in the Apple News app. Image: Digitized House Media.

Tune into our Apple News app channel

Chances are high that you are reading this on a mobile device. And if that device is from Apple and running iOS 9, 10, or 11, you have the option to […]

Nest has often been in the news since Google and parent Alphabet acquired them in 2014. Here, the company's home security system. Image: Nest.

Amazon to drop Nest-branded Items, more Google and Nest news

Silicon Valley smart home brand Nest launched its first product in 2011—an intelligent thermostat—and got purchased several years ago by Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Since then, it’s been in the […]

Nest Thermostat E. Image: Nest.

Deal of the day: $130 Nest Thermostat E at Verizon Wireless

As we are in the process of outfitting our latest Digitized House Connected Home demonstration house and integration lab, the team is constantly searching for connected home products and tech […]

The ENTR smart door lock is available Europe-wide in a new black version. Image: ASSA ABLOY.

ENTR smart door lock extends colour palette with black version

ASSA ABLOY built their award-winning ENTR smart door lock to blend seamlessly with European contemporary smart home design. Now, the product is available in a new black colour, as well […]

Nice S.p.A. and abode systems will join their global home automation forces. Image: Nice Group USA.

Italian firm Nice S.p.A. takes majority stake in Silicon Valley-based abode systems

The international link-up of connected home products and services companies continued unabated in April, as Italian global home and building automation company Nice S.p.A. took a majority stake in Silicon Valley-based abode […]

Nest Temperature Sensor (right) pictured with Nest Thermostat E. Image: Nest.

Nest Temperature Sensor enables tailored heating and cooling control

Filling a noticeable gap in their smart thermostat line, Nest Labs has announced the launch of the Nest Temperature Sensor, a remote sensor that works with the Silicon Valley company’s […]

April 9 is Internet of Things Day. Image: Digitized House.

Global Internet of Things Day: Join the conversation

Where is the Internet of Things (IoT) headed? One way to find out is to participate in one of the many events conducted during Global Internet of Things Day on […]

Nest x Yale smart door lock. Image: Nest and Yale.

Nest and Yale begin shipping Next x Yale smart lock

Bringing the convenience of the Nest connected home ecosystem to your front door, the Nest x Yale lock is the first smart lock to be integrated directly into the ubiquitous […]

Automating your window shades is easier than ever. These Graber Mezzanine layered shades have onboard Z-Wave motors and work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Image: Digitized House Media.

Automating your window shades in the connected home era: Part 2

As we wrote in Part 1 of this series, motorized shades and blinds are moving rapidly into the DIY connected home mainstream. You may no longer need to hire a […]

Graber Layered Shades with Virtual Cord Motorization. Image: Graber.

Automating your window shades in the connected home era: Part 1

Once a bastion of high-end home automation systems, motorized window shades are moving into the DIY connected home mainstream with product offerings from a number of major window covering manufacturers […]

Amazon Books store in Austin, Texas. Image: Digitized House.

Beyond tomes, Austin Amazon Books store a connected home haven

Putting a sharper point on the Works with Alexa mantra, shelves in the new Austin, Texas, Amazon Books store go well beyond books to offer a wide variety of third-party […]

Philips Hue Cher ceiling fixture. Image: Philips.

Philips Hue expands smart lighting with Cher ceiling fixtures

21 February 2018

Moving beyond the smart LED bulbs that have been the hallmark product of the Philips Hue brand, the company has announced the emergence of the Hue Cher line, a series […]

YzPlug and YzLight from YzOak are multi-faceted devices. Image: YzOak.

YzOak smart plugs and light sockets, powerhouses in small packages

20 February 2018

Packing an extremely deep set of features and sensors into the forthcoming YzPlug and YzLight, startup YzOak (pronounced “wiseoak”) aims to insert themselves into your connected home by coming between […]

First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound smoke alarm and speaker. Image: First Alert.

First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound smoke alarm brings speaker and Amazon Alexa to ceilings

13 February 2018

First it was our walls getting smarter with the addition of audio features, such as in the case of the iDevices Instinct wall switch. Now, smoke alarm maker First Alert […]

Roost Smart Garage Door Sensor. Image: Roost.

Roost Smart Garage Door Sensor elevates the connected garage

8 February 2018

Aiming to make the connected garage a safer haven for your automobile and household goods, the Roost Smart Garage Door Sensor is a Wi-Fi-enabled smart-home accessory that will send customizable […]

Brilliant Control, in a four-gang configuration. Image: Brilliant.

Brilliant Control packs broad smart home powers into walls

6 February 2018

Designed in 4 configurations to replace single- or multiple-gang wall switches, the Brilliant Control packs a broad range of smart-home capabilities into a slickly designed wall plate that combines lighting […]

iDevices EV Charger and Ceiling Fan Switch. Image: iDevices.

Smart EV Charger and Ceiling Fan Switch join iDevices connected home portfolio

31 January 2018

As a consolidation movement continues among connected home product companies, Internet of Things (IoT) device maker iDevices—a pioneer in development of Apple HomeKit accessories—was acquired in April 2017 by Hubbell […]

iDevices Instinct smart wall switch. Image: iDevices.

Conversations with your walls: iDevices Instinct smart switches to debut

29 January 2018

Aiming to elevate the lowly light switch, connected home accessory company iDevices has announced their Instinct line—smart wall switches with onboard voice activation capabilities. Designed with the Amazon Alexa digital […]

Infographic: Passive housing | A smarter way of living

Robotic mowers can be a big time saver in your landscape, giving you more time to tend to the garden. Image: Husqvarna.

Smart solutions to accelerate garden growth

6 smart irrigation controllers to keep your lawn happy this summer

As the temperatures creep up during the long days of summer, lawns grow thirsty. Even though you might have the best intentions to keep your lawn properly watered and looking lush and green, busy work [...]

Infographic: Energy Efficient Home | The Basics

In a comprehensive infographic on the green or high-performance home, the creative and editorial team behind the Energy Efficient Home: The Basics infographic below have most assuredly gone far beyond the basics. From our colleagues [...]

5 energy efficiency tips for connected homes

These days, technology is prevalent everywhere. It may be in our pockets, on our wrists, in our cars and—unsurprisingly—may be found throughout our homes. With the right suite of tech accessories, all you have to [...]

Infographic: Passive housing | A smarter way of living

Passive housing is fast becoming one of the most sought-after types of accommodation as homeowners realize the energy-saving (and indeed bill-reducing) and sustainability potential of this fascinating concept. In a passive house, a steady, comfortable [...]

Robotic mowers can be a big time saver in your landscape, giving you more time to tend to the garden. Image: Husqvarna.

Smart solutions to accelerate garden growth

Having a garden is one of the biggest joys a nature enthusiast can have in their lives. You get to hand pick the little plants you want to raise in your yard and take pride [...]

How smart homes can help improve quality of life

Today’s increasingly popular smart home technologies impress the neighbors and make us marvel at how far innovations have come in the last decade or so. However, these gadgets do more than just provide bragging rights [...]

Smarter dehumidifiers for a healthier home

Outside the temperatures are soaring, and its possible the humidity level in your home may be increasing as well. There are many issues that can manifest themselves due to high humidity in the home, so [...]

Infographic: Energy Efficient Home | The Basics

In a comprehensive infographic on the green or high-performance home, the creative and editorial team behind the Energy Efficient Home: The Basics infographic below have most assuredly gone far beyond the basics. From our colleagues [...]

© 2018 Digitized House Media, LLC | Austin, Texas USA