Home automation vendors

[CA renter]

[quote=cyphire]Sorry – thought you were talking true home automation, you mean home theater / sound / lighting…. Yeah that stuff rocks. I built a very state of the art theater system here in Wisconsin and will be taking all the major components with me to Coronado… Will not leave it for the people who (I hope) will buy the house, but will put in more normal less expensive used equip…[/quote]

Cyphire,

How do you like Wisconsin, and what made you decide to move back to San Diego?

If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear the pros and cons of each, as we are always thinking about moving to a different state sometime in the future, and Wisconsin is one of the states we’re considering.

Thanks! 🙂

[briansd1]

I would love to have a simple to use IP thermostat. Something that can be activated remotely.

This doesn’t really apply for San Diego where the weather is nice all the time. But in areas where it’s hot and cold, it would be nice to activate the HVAC system 1 hour ahead of arriving home.

Something like this:

iPhone app to control thermostat:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/ip-thermostat-controller/id305122439?mt=8
http://www.smarthome.com/3053T/Programmable-Thermostat-NT20e/p.aspx

I was wondering if anyone had any experience.

[briansd1]

I would love to have a simple to use IP thermostat. Something that can be activated remotely.

This doesn’t really apply for San Diego where the weather is nice all the time. But in areas where it’s hot and cold, it would be nice to activate the HVAC system 1 hour ahead of arriving home.

Something like this:

iPhone app to control thermostat:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/ip-thermostat-controller/id305122439?mt=8
http://www.smarthome.com/3053T/Programmable-Thermostat-NT20e/p.aspx

I was wondering if anyone had any experience.

[briansd1]

I would love to have a simple to use IP thermostat. Something that can be activated remotely.

This doesn’t really apply for San Diego where the weather is nice all the time. But in areas where it’s hot and cold, it would be nice to activate the HVAC system 1 hour ahead of arriving home.

Something like this:

iPhone app to control thermostat:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/ip-thermostat-controller/id305122439?mt=8
http://www.smarthome.com/3053T/Programmable-Thermostat-NT20e/p.aspx

I was wondering if anyone had any experience.

[briansd1]

I would love to have a simple to use IP thermostat. Something that can be activated remotely.

This doesn’t really apply for San Diego where the weather is nice all the time. But in areas where it’s hot and cold, it would be nice to activate the HVAC system 1 hour ahead of arriving home.

Something like this:

iPhone app to control thermostat:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/ip-thermostat-controller/id305122439?mt=8
http://www.smarthome.com/3053T/Programmable-Thermostat-NT20e/p.aspx

I was wondering if anyone had any experience.

[briansd1]

I would love to have a simple to use IP thermostat. Something that can be activated remotely.

This doesn’t really apply for San Diego where the weather is nice all the time. But in areas where it’s hot and cold, it would be nice to activate the HVAC system 1 hour ahead of arriving home.

Something like this:

iPhone app to control thermostat:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/ip-thermostat-controller/id305122439?mt=8
http://www.smarthome.com/3053T/Programmable-Thermostat-NT20e/p.aspx

I was wondering if anyone had any experience.

[KSMountain]

Not sure if this is exactly what you’re after but Sonos for music is really really nice. http://www.sonos.com

Their dedicated controller is very small and nice. They also have an iPhone app so you can use your iphone to control the music.

We used a service to rip all our cd’s to uncompressed flac, and the Sonos plays those (and our miscellaneous mp3’s from back in the day), but it seems what we really use all the time are the Rhapsody and Pandora music services. Sonos hosts those very seamlessly.

Sonos is coming out with an iPad app too very soon now which is expected to be quite good.

Overall we’ve found almost anyone can use the thing to play the music they want to hear. It is great for entertaining to just be able to empower your guests to play what they want, while you concentrate on entertaining.

[KSMountain]

Not sure if this is exactly what you’re after but Sonos for music is really really nice. http://www.sonos.com

Their dedicated controller is very small and nice. They also have an iPhone app so you can use your iphone to control the music.

We used a service to rip all our cd’s to uncompressed flac, and the Sonos plays those (and our miscellaneous mp3’s from back in the day), but it seems what we really use all the time are the Rhapsody and Pandora music services. Sonos hosts those very seamlessly.

Sonos is coming out with an iPad app too very soon now which is expected to be quite good.

Overall we’ve found almost anyone can use the thing to play the music they want to hear. It is great for entertaining to just be able to empower your guests to play what they want, while you concentrate on entertaining.

[KSMountain]

Not sure if this is exactly what you’re after but Sonos for music is really really nice. http://www.sonos.com

Their dedicated controller is very small and nice. They also have an iPhone app so you can use your iphone to control the music.

We used a service to rip all our cd’s to uncompressed flac, and the Sonos plays those (and our miscellaneous mp3’s from back in the day), but it seems what we really use all the time are the Rhapsody and Pandora music services. Sonos hosts those very seamlessly.

Sonos is coming out with an iPad app too very soon now which is expected to be quite good.

Overall we’ve found almost anyone can use the thing to play the music they want to hear. It is great for entertaining to just be able to empower your guests to play what they want, while you concentrate on entertaining.

[KSMountain]

Not sure if this is exactly what you’re after but Sonos for music is really really nice. http://www.sonos.com

Their dedicated controller is very small and nice. They also have an iPhone app so you can use your iphone to control the music.

We used a service to rip all our cd’s to uncompressed flac, and the Sonos plays those (and our miscellaneous mp3’s from back in the day), but it seems what we really use all the time are the Rhapsody and Pandora music services. Sonos hosts those very seamlessly.

Sonos is coming out with an iPad app too very soon now which is expected to be quite good.

Overall we’ve found almost anyone can use the thing to play the music they want to hear. It is great for entertaining to just be able to empower your guests to play what they want, while you concentrate on entertaining.

[KSMountain]

Not sure if this is exactly what you’re after but Sonos for music is really really nice. http://www.sonos.com

Their dedicated controller is very small and nice. They also have an iPhone app so you can use your iphone to control the music.

We used a service to rip all our cd’s to uncompressed flac, and the Sonos plays those (and our miscellaneous mp3’s from back in the day), but it seems what we really use all the time are the Rhapsody and Pandora music services. Sonos hosts those very seamlessly.

Sonos is coming out with an iPad app too very soon now which is expected to be quite good.

Overall we’ve found almost anyone can use the thing to play the music they want to hear. It is great for entertaining to just be able to empower your guests to play what they want, while you concentrate on entertaining.

[briansd1]

I still have not purchased an IP thermostat but I think that I found mine. nest seems like a great product. as long as there is no monthly subcription fee, I’m OK with spending the money on the hardware.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-smart-thermostat-20111025,0,5674129.story

Edit:
I’ve taken the plunge and bought the Nest. It’ll take me another few months to install it, haha.

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/nest-thermostat-reviewed-a-smart-device-for-all-seasons/
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669515/the-apple-way-how-the-second-gen-nest-thermostat-evolves-to-help-users

[briansd1]

I have finally got around to installing my Nest thermostat and I love it. It’s nice to be able to control the temperarature remotely.

Everybody who owns a vacation home should have an Internet thermostat.
http://www.nest.com/

Now, I’m looking for Internet cameras. Anyone has recommendations?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1] . . . Now, I’m looking for Internet cameras. Anyone has recommendations?[/quote]

brian, I hope you’re not hoping to be a “voyeur” on your tenant :=0

[briansd1]

Not at all BG. I want a camera to monitor the front door. My housemate is a nice person, but not the type that would care to spy upon.

My housemate is now very happy to have an Internet thermostat. She’s very busy with a hectic schedule; and now, she can control the temperature from her iPhone.

I think that I can save 30% in energy by turning off the HVAC when nobody is at home (this is not in San Diego, but in Philly where you need good climate control all the time).

Home automoation is cool. When I was a boy I had dreams of Tomorrowland where everything was automated. We are still far off.

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