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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.

Compatibility between devices is a top priority to consider when creating a home automation or security system. Many manufacturers either focus on centering all of their devices onto a single communication protocol, while others make sure that their system hubs and controllers can command devices that use various different frequencies. Ecolink takes a different approach by creating multiple versions of a single device that each utilize different communication protocols, ensuring that their products can fill in the gaps of any growing smart home or smart security system.

Wireless audio streaming has become a common feature in our everyday lives whether we are at home, in our cars, or at a friend or family’s home. But even though we have become accustomed to using this technology, there are still hiccups and annoyances encountered almost every time we wish to use it. Every time you wish to stream content you need to open multiple apps or menus to secure the connection, pick what you want streamed, and select where you want it streamed to. This is especially true for smart devices when you wish to switch from Spotify to Youtube or Apple Music and you have to restart the whole process over despite your smart device already being connected to an audio output.

Home Controls now carries Overture by Broan-Nutone, the first fully integrated and connected smart Indoor Air Quality System.

For the first time in her life, my mother saw how a central vacuum system works and I’ve never seen her so amazed by technology. I recently took her to see my cousin’s new house, which happens to be a smart home that has all the bells and whistles. It has an Alexa dot in practically everyone room, automatic lighting control throughout the house, a top of the line security system, and an awesome central vacuum system.

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.

Kwikset’s newest iteration of their Home Connect smart locks are now available at Home Controls.

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.

Ecolink security products are now available at HomeControls.com.

Dakota Alert creates long range motion detection devices for indoor and outdoor security. Dakota Alert products primarily benefit users with large properties, such as farms, office buildings or other properties with lots of ground to cover. Their products have provided users exceptional security coverage over wide areas thanks to long range RF transmissions that have increased in strength and scale as newer iterations were released. Currently, Dakota Alert offers two distinct product series: the MURS series and the 4000 series.

There are many seniors who plan to live long lives at home independently, but as they get older the more challenging it could be just to perform simple tasks like turning on the lights in various rooms or even answering the front door. Then there’s safety and security to think about. Unfortunately, seniors do run the risk of injuring themselves if they fall due to poor visibility because of inadequate lighting, and some may even experience memory loss that could cause them to accidentally leave the front door unlocked, which could lead to a home burglary.

Have you ever wondered if your home is as safe and secure as it could be? Or, have you been thinking about adding a home security system to your property but are not really sure if the investment is worth it? To help answer these questions, we put together a Simple Home Security Checklist to see what areas of your property could use the extra security. If you answer “no” to any of the questions below, you’ll want to take action to improve your home security.

Home Controls now supplies Wi-Fi connected smart lighting products from SATCO, a premier supplier of smart and standard lighting products. Devices from the SATCO catalogue include color changing Wi-Fi Connected Lightbulbs, as well as Switches and Plug-In Outlets with remote Wi-Fi connectivity. Every SATCO device available at Home Controls is capable of remote Wi-Fi operation via their Starfish mobile application, no smart home hub or controller is required.

Home security has changed for the better with the integration of home automation systems. There is so much you can do nowadays besides just having a video surveillance system installed in your home. With so many home automation controllers and hundreds of different smart devices available at your disposal, you can literally set up your smart home in many creative ways to work against unwanted intruders. Combining your home security system with other home automation devices allows you to create unique scenes to occur when certain security sensors are triggered. Plus, many home automation systems can be accessed, controlled, and monitored with a mobile app, which means receiving alerts and notifications over the phone of all the activity that is happening at home so you can react and notify the authorities if needed.

When it comes to setting up a video surveillance system for your home or office, you’ll need to decide on what type of system to use: NVR or DVR? Which is better, or more importantly, which system is better suited for your needs? Both types of systems pretty much provide the same thing – a video recording of an observed area – but each system goes about it in a different way.

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.

Use home automation to help make the summer season a whole lot easier. Besides bringing blue skies and sunny days, summer is also responsible for increasing the activity around your home because it’s the time of year when the kids are out of school, the days are hotter, pool parties are being planned, and families get to go on their summer vacation.