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This is a comprehensive list of every smart lock manufacturer you’ll find available at Home Controls and the pros and cons of their standout models.

It is now possible to immerse your entire property with high-quality sound both indoors and outdoors without having to run endless multiple cables and install bulky audio devices. Wireless audio technology has come a long way and is now more innovative and flexible, allowing you to deliver audio into your bedrooms, living room, garage, your yard, and basically anywhere you have access to the Internet and a mobile device via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. In this guide we'll discuss the benefits of wireless audio systems from three leading brands: Lithe Audio, KBSound, and VSSL. Each offers a great selection of products, ranging from all-in-one speaker systems and Wi-Fi in-ceiling amplifiers to advanced devices with Native Streaming technology.

Apple HomeKit offers a compelling ecosystem of smart devices controlled via Apple products that can transform your daily living.

Smart home automation devices add convenience to daily living through hands-free automated coordination between pairs or groups of devices. But automated routines can only activate based on preselected events, there is no room for on-demand adjustments or commands.

Matter is a new wireless communication standard within the smart home industry that delivers unprecedented interoperability between wireless protocols and smart assistant ecosystems.

Thread is a mesh network wireless protocol specifically designed for Internet of Things and Matter compatible devices, allowing for interoperability between previously incompatible devices.

Your home is your sanctuary and you should feel safe in it, but after the sun goes down there are opportunities for burglars or unwanted intruders to hide in the dark areas of your property, leaving your home at risk for a potential break-in. One way to help keep that from happening is to add motion detector lights to your property because it’s a great way to enhance your home security all while improving your home automation.

There’s never been a better time to upgrade your home into a smart home. But what smart device should I get first? We've assembled a few Wi-Fi devices to help you choose.

Let’s be honest here: buying home automation products as holiday gifts is not the first idea most people have. Buying practical gifts for a friend or family member is always a gamble. You would have to know someone well – I mean, really well – to be able to buy them a smart device that can simplify their daily life that they will even use, such as a smart plug that adds remote control to plugged in lights or appliances, or a monitor to help them remember to close their garage door. Yes, finding stocking stuffers for these elaborate automation systems can be a challenge.

Have your bills been taking bites out of your holiday savings? Did you know that with some practical holiday gifts you can save money this year and all the years that follow? Home Controls offers several energy-saving products that will not only fit into your holiday shopping budget, but also save you money for years to come!

UPDATE: INSTEON (Smartlabs) shut down their servers on April 16th, 2022, effectively discontinuing the use of the INSTEON protocol and nearly all of their devices.

We’ve spoken about Z-Wave before, but now we’re going to get into a little more detail on the usefulness and practicality of home automation. Typically you would look at a door/window sensor, or motion sensor, and expect that all it does is tell you and your automation hub when a door or window is open or when movement is detected in the room. While that is true on both counts, these sensors are capable of much more than simply telling you.

Looking for ways to save money on utility bills and make your rented home a smart home? You don’t have to own the building you're living in to start building an automated home system with smart home products.

Let’s face it: for many of us, waking up during the work week can be a struggle. Whether you sleep through your alarms or force yourself out of bed while still half asleep, it can be hard to quickly muster the energy and focus necessary to kickstart your mornings. For days like these, adding smart home automation devices to your home can potentially improve your morning routine by programing your home to wake up with you. Here at Home Controls we offer a full spread of smart home devices that can make your mornings easier to greet.

Z-Wave technology and home automation are making things a whole lot easier at home. With smart home products being popular more than ever before, smart homeowners are constantly looking for ways to simplify their day-to-day activities at home before, after, and when they’re at work. Z-Wave friendly products come in a variety of options, allowing for endless ways to integrate them into home automation scenes so that the days are less stressful, more productive, and easier to manage. Z-Wave technology is helping to change the way we live at home for the better, and having smart home automation scenes will most likely be experienced by the majority of homeowners just as much as the features used daily from smartphones and smart TVs.

I want a Smart Home as a renter, but how can I have the benefits when I am not allowed to make infrastructure changes to my rental? How can I make my front door more secure, save energy with a smart thermostat, and remotely control lights and appliances without making changes to the rental and putting my security deposit at risk?

There are many great benefits to having automatic window openers in a home or business, from improving the air quality in an indoor environment to minimizing the use of air conditioning, which could help save energy all while lowering the monthly utility bill. But there are other important reasons you can improve your life by adding automatic window openers to your property.

The Leviton Omni Security and Automation Controller series is one of the tried-and-true workhorses of the home automation world since about 1985. Along with providing rock-solid security, it allows for control of the major systems in your home such as lighting, temperature control, access control and other automation functions. It is one of the most versatile and capable automation controllers available today. Leviton has an app available that makes the entire system accessible from the palm of your hand.