Technology - Page 2 - Automating Easy

What are X10 and Z-Wave?

We’ve all heard about HTML, SSL and MMS but when you start automating your home, then X (as in X10) and Z (as in Z-wave) are the only letters that you need to know about.

Basically, X10 is a protocol for communication and is used for the devices that encompass home automation. This is a long standing and simple way of controlling electrical equipment within your home remotely. It works as a plug and play system, using your smart phone or PC.

Z-Wave is a wireless technology that enables household devices, like lights, appliances, thermostats, etc., to communicate, controlled by either phones, PCs or other electronic devices. Both X10 and Z-Wave are protocols, not manufacturers of products.

How Does X10 Work?

X10 Single Button Wireless Wall Switch with Dimming Control

It was way back in 1975 when X10 was first developed in Scotland by Pico Electronics. It was so named because it was the tenth project that the company developed. It has become the industry standard and very little has changed in the ensuing years.

Here’s the technical bit: X10 sends a signal, representing digital information, onto the powerline at the zero crossing of the AC sine wave (to minimize interference). Packets transmitted using the X10 control protocol consist of a four-bit house code (A – P) followed by one or more four-bit unit codes (1 – 16), finally followed by a four-bit command. This gives 256 possible addresses to which each controlled device in the installed unit is configured to respond, reacting to the command specifically addressed to it. Signals take about ½ to ¾ of a second to reach the responder. Devices usually plug into the wall or can be built-in for wall switches and ceiling fixtures.

Take a look at all of UK Automation’s X10 products

Z-wave Technology

Z Wave 3Amp Boiler Switch by Horstmann

Z-wave was developed by Zensys, Inc. in 2004. Again, it is a simple concept: a central, network controller device is required to setup and manage a Z-wave network, with each product in the home having to be included in the Z-wave network to be controlled. The Z-wave Network ID has a length of 4 bytes and is assigned to each device by the primary controller when the device is added into the network.

A Z-Wave network (http://www.z-wave.com/what_is_z-wave) can consist of up to 232 devices with the option of bridging networks if more devices are required. As a static network, Z-Wave assumes that all devices in the network remain in their original detected position. Easy to install, it does not require any rewiring and any product with Z-Wave on the box works with any other. With over 20 million products in homes worldwide, it is extremely well established, and allows you to control your home appliances from a smartphone or PC remotely.

There are thousands of products that are compatible with X10 and Z-wave http://www.uk-automation.co.uk/categories and if you want to check out some of the bestselling products used in homes for automation purposes, UK-Automation has an extensive list at highly competitive prices from the leading manufacturers in the field.

Take a look at all of UK Automation’s Z Wave products

Doing Too Much, Much Too Soon

Vera Z-Wave Controller with Internet Access

Smart home automation is what everyone with aspirations to improve their homes wants. However tempting it may be, the advice is to keep it simple and not get carried away with the plethora of gismos and gadgets available on the market today http://www.uk-automation.co.uk/. There is such a concept as over-automation so here are are few tips to keep your feet on the ground.

Managing a home’s electronic systems via a main control system or remote system is intended to make the home run smoothly. If it can save energy at the same time, then so much the better. However, the idea is to make home automation work around you, not the other way around.

User Interface

Z Wave Room Thermostat with LCD Display by Horstmann

First of all, tailor your user interfaces in a way that is simple for you. On a touchscreen, don’t put controls that you use constantly next to controls you use infrequently. You don’t want to press the ‘open the garage door’ button by mistake when you really want the lights to come on at a certain time. Make it simple for you to use. Whether you choose handheld remote or wall-mounted keypad or a portable touchpanel make sure user interfaces are right for you.

Keep it Simple

If you have sensors, programme them sensibly. Don’t be tempted to programme sensors to come on every time a presence is detected, especially if for example, you have a nocturnal cat with insomnia. By the same token, bear in the mind the range and angle of sensors. For example, locating a sensor in the middle of the kitchen is not much good when you struggle back from work with a mountain of carrier bags and the afore-mentioned cat has decided to have a quick nap next to the kitchen door.
Consider how people move around and place sensors to ensure that a light comes on before the person has entered a space and not when they are already halfway across it.

Remote access is also important to get right. Make sure that anything that can be accessed remotely can be done easily via your laptop, smartphone or iPhone. And make sure you understand how to do it. Again, the scenario of the TV being on when you get home when really you wanted the roast in the oven cooked springs to mind.

Money Back

Z Wave Home Energy Meter one clamp by Aeon

And finally, don’t forget that you are spending money on a decent home automation system so if you get some of that investment back, all the better. The majority of automation systems can help you save energy by turning off devices automatically so before you buy, check everything out to see how much money it can save you in the future. Energy saving devices are all the rage so check them out thoroughly.

UK-Automation can help you choose the best system and also advise on best practice for installation and operation. From CCTv, lighting, heating, energy devices, security, audio-visual and all sorts of useful accessories, the company is dedicated to the home automation market.

Apple iPhone, the New Generation

Apple is yet again launching a new product, well more than one actually. September 9 saw the official unveiling of the Apple iWatch and the eagerly awaited iPhone 6.

What is exciting about the iWatch is that this wearable device should, according to reports, be able to use the new HomeKit function on Apple’s new iOS 8 operating system. And what that means to home automation fans is that it potentially allows users to control elements within the house such as lights and garage doors.

iOS 8

Both devices are expected to be powered by iOS 8, launched by the company in June.

Already, through iOS 8, users can use the HealthKit app to monitor their health and fitness including blood pressure and heart rate. Now there is HomeKit, which is Apple’s connected home framework, which will allow users to control home appliances and other connected devices through the app. This app has been designed to streamline smart devices to control them in one place. And yes, it will involve Siri, the industry’s favourite faceless annoyance. Siri will soon be able to turn the lights out, set the heating controls and shut the garage door.

The iPhone 6 which will be launched at the same time, is Apple’s ninth iPhone model, and will be launched in two options: 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches. It is rumoured that both versions will use in-cell touch panel technology as the iPhone 5 does.

It is interesting to see the development of the iPhone 6 being geared very much towards the home automation market, moving from merely a communication device more towards a lifestyle device.

iWatch

As for the iWatch, it promises to be quite a device. Apple has lured over a number of key names in the fashion industry such as former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve and last year, CEO Tim Cook of Apple said: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/apple-iwatch-with-a-rumoured-release-date-of-september-9th-heres-everything-we-know-about-apples-fabled-smartwatch-9696140.html “I think for something to work here, you first have to convince people it’s so incredible that they want to wear it.” So it is eagerly awaited in the marketplace.

And according to sources, up to 80 million of the iPhone 6 devices are expected to be produced by the end of the year, showing Apple’s great confidence in an increasing market. Last month we mentioned that NextMarket Insights http://nextmarket.co/blogs/news-1/14195169-home-security-market-set-to-reinvent-itself-in-age-of-smart-home has already predicted $1.5 billion to be spent on equipment and services by 2020 in DIY self-installed home security solutions in the US. So it’s very interesting to see what Apple said in its press announcement and how focused it will be on home automation.

Featurephone controllable devices

I Want One Of Those…

For anyone interested, or better, passionate about home automation, then read on. There have been a few homes in the media recently, including one in our very own London West End that have been making headlines and winning awards for their home automation innovations. And although the chances of you owning a home like these are at best ambitious, there’s no reason why you can’t aspire to have something similar.

From Rags to Riches

HCF Proactive Security System - one of our new products (currently with 50% discount)

The first is the silver winner in the 2014 Electronic House Home of the Year Awards. And this house in Irvine, California is a superb example of a before and after project. It took nine months to convert the garage into a playroom for the kids, turn a guest room into a home theatre, change traditional to modern and install an automation system to manage all of the home’s electronics.

So now there are no light switches within eyesight, instead keypads take their place: as with the security system, surveillance camera, electronic door lock and thermostat, the lights can be operated with a mobile app on an iPad and iPhone.

Then an 8-by-10-foot space (formerly the guest bedroom) was transformed into a home cinema. With surround sound speakers in the ceiling and the projector in the garage, the house is now fully automated and the 60 light switches removed from the walls are simply a memory of an apartment that once was!

The overall Gold Winner of the 2014 House of the Year is what we all aspire to. It is simply the house I want. Now! Not content with just living in Hawaii, the owners of this house decided to creat a mini holiday resort! They have installed a 20-mile network of high-grade, low-voltage cabling internally to cope with the automation demands, which includes a two-tier swimming pool complex complete with diving cliff, underground water slide and grotto. Get this, one single APP on the iPad operates the swimming pool system, outdoor audio/video components, coloured LED landscape light fixtures and a sophisticated outdoor security system.

What Can Be Done

Finally we come to the Cornflake show apartment in Oxford Street, www.cornflake.co.uk which, although having been opened now for just over a year, is attracting more and more visitors.

The apartment is complete with living areas; kitchen, games room, den, cinema, all controlled by an iPad or should the customer want, an Android app. The Cornflake philosophy is all about combining technology and design “to create the best user experience possible”. The company can do this for you, and currently have nearly 50 live projects all over the world.

These projects show what can be done and what will be normal within the home automation industry within five to ten years. You might not aspire to a two tiered, Hawaiian-themed swimming pool but control at your fingertips, energy saving devices and a smart home are good places to start.

Take a look at our energy saving devices

DIY or Get A Professional

There have been numerous launches recently regarding smart home automation and a debate is rising about whether or not it is now possible to DIY or whether it’s necessary to have someone do it for you. The ideal scenario is coming home to a house that is ready for you. Your choice of music greets you at the door, a door whose security locks have just been disabled by you in the garage, whose doors opened automatically to allow your car in. The lights in the room have been dimmed and the food in the oven, which you turned on over an hour ago when you left the office, is smelling sumptuous!

Link Building

Of course you can control all of this by remote control, touch screen panels, smartphones and computers. To link them all together requires a bit of work, or you can get an installer in to do it, but this can be done by yourself if you are prepared to read up and research what is needed.

The DIY market has become easier over the past year with the improvements in wireless technologies, new product launches and a wealth of apps and smart phones geared towards the home automation industry. The new smart home systems are being designed to appeal to people with smaller homes and far more importantly, smaller budgets. This means that it initially won’t cost you a fortune to automate your home.

The success of the new family of gadgets on the market today is their simplicity of use. It really isn’t too hard to install a system that turns off lights and activates motion sensors at entry level. Then once the basics are conquered, as with anything else, more complex installations can be attempted.

On the Market

Take the X10 range for example: X10 home automation can be used to control basically any home electrical equipment from lighting to garage doors. And being a plug and play system, it doesn’t require any additional wiring to make it work, simply sending its control signals through the existing wires of the electrical system.

Russound 4 Source 4 Zone Multiroom Audio System

One area that is taking off is smart TVs. Smart TVs are internet enabled and can use your home broadband connection to access online entertainment, video clips etc., all operated from your remote control. Even better, check out new models from leading manufacturers that operate using your spoken command or the wave of a hand. Currently trending are surround sound systems: Russound http://www.uk-automation.co.uk/categories/Multi%252dRoom-Audio/Russound/ has an excellent range.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to take advantage of the innovations within the home automation market. You can however, listen to those who know. UK-Automation is one of the leading suppliers of multi-room audio and video (AV) solutions, energy saving devices, wireless sockets, lighting controls and home security systems, which are affordable and easy to install.

Apple Marches On

Apple is storming ahead into home automation with the launch of a new product that could have significant repercussions for anyone interested in home automation. At the recent Worldwide Developer Conference last month, Apple officially announced the launch of its Home Kit, a piece of technology that will enable the iPhone or iPad to become the remote control for a house.

Basically, the Home Kit allows certain devices (doors, door locks, webcams, lights, thermostats etc.) to be classed as ‘Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod’ or MFi. This certification means that the Home Kit app can then access whatever device is required, all under the same banner, reducing the need for separate apps for each device. Of course, you need an idevice first! And Siri will get to contribute too. Once the device has been categorised as MFi, this iconic remote voice can be programmed to perform tasks. Tell Siri that it’s hot inside and it can turn down the thermostat. Or close a garage door or turn off the lights at bedtime.

MFi – The Works

How does it work? Here’s the technical bit. According to a Greentechmedia report, the MFi-certified devices will have a wireless chip that can communicate over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or ZigBee.”

Will this exciting development take off however? There are some sceptics in the tank as although the idea of one app controls all seems appealing, it is a daunting concept should things go wrong. The majority of smart home services nowadays are through service providers, and to invest in a company more renowned for ringtones than security is a big ask.

The one big thing in Apple’s favour is that it has a lot of iPhone users. A lot. Far more people own an Apple device than subscribe to home security providers so Apple is in a very good position to muscle in.

DIY Home Automation

QED-UPlay-Streamer__63539 — QED uPlay Stream HiFi Wireless Network Music Streamer

On another note, a report from NextMarket has predicted that do-it-yourself (DIY) self-installed home security solutions in the US will account for $1.5 billion in equipment and services by 2020. The home security market will expand rapidly, it assesses, with the progression of smart home, mobile and cloud technology. With Apple proving itself to be a serious candidate in the home automation market, it appears that this could be the case.

According to reports, Apple already has some big-name partners, including Schlage, Philips and Haier, with the latter receiving the MFi certification earlier this year with an appliance that connects to Apple devices via Wi-Fi. The future is coming, so make sure you keep up with it!

Smart Bluetooth

Marmitek BoomBoom 75 Bluetooth Music Receiver

Bluetooth-enabled wireless audio is expected to grow to more than 250 million units by 2018 according to forecasts from ABI Research. But what does that actually mean, and what is Bluetooth? Essentially, Bluetooth is a way of connecting devices and people wirelessly, via headsets and speakers and consequently other devices, notably in-car equipment.

Then in 2010, new low-energy technology called Bluetooth Smart was introduced creating new markets, such as consumer electronics, fitness and leisure and medical. Using Bluetooth Smart, manufacturers can create sensor devices with the ability to operate on small batteries for as long as a few years. Now, Bluetooth Smart has been recognised as a “key enabler in the Internet of Everything” with ABI Research forecasting over 3 billion Bluetooth-enabled devices in 2014, and by 2018, over 10 billion such devices in the market.

Smart Bluetooth for the Home

Wireless Speaker for iPhone iPad or Bluetooth device

Now that’s a lot of billions so how does this equate to the home automation market? Well, this technology will affect the management of lighting, security and energy management over the next few years. Bluetooth Smart-enabled sensor devices such as locks, lighting systems, thermostats and related stuff, are already available with applications stored directly on Bluetooth-enabled smartphones or tablets, and also in the cloud so that they can be used remotely. So far, it is really concentrated on the functional abilities, for example, locking/unlocking doors, turning lights on and off etc. The fine tuning of Bluetooth Smart however, can enable homeowners to use compatible devices to adjust heating and air-conditioning, take charge of their energy consumption and appliance energy usage.

New Initiatives

And according to reports, some TVs and stationary media streaming appliances, (keep an eye out for Apple TV and Amazon’s new Fire TV and read about the pros and cons of both here http://thefusejoplin.com/2014/06/amazon-fire-tv-apple-tv-comparing-features-specs-price/ ) are geared up for home automation in the same way that mobiles and tablets work with Bluetooth Smart sensor devices, meaning that TVs and other entertainment consoles will be able to serve as the connectivity centre.

However there is one main drawback in Bluetooth Smart is its limitation in Android devices: although it supports all Apple iOS devices, smartphones and tablets operating on a version of Android before 4.3 may not support Bluetooth Smart device.

So keep your eyes open for Bluetooth Smart updates. Yet again, here is another innovation, or rather a progression, which is expected to affect the home automation market significantly. Managing home energy, lighting, security, audio or anything that can be remotely operated will be easier, cheaper and faster when Bluetooth Smart technology evolves in home automation.

3D Audio, Whatever Next?

We’ve heard of 3D TV and 3D printing (I still can’t comprehend how that works) but now there’s 3D sound. Yep, for all those of an auditory bent, it has arrived. One of the first demonstrations of 3D sound was held in the UK at Genesis Technologies headquarters. The aim behind the technology is to make the viewing experience even more scintillating.
If you have experienced the new Spiderman movie at the IMAX in London, you will know what the technology is capable of doing, even though it is currently pretty much in its formative years. But it is spreading, with a number of new games being encoded with the new format and indications that the BBC is investing some serious research and development into the concept.

3D Technology

Now here’s the techie bit: 3D audio relies on three layers of speakers: the lower layer, the traditional ear-height surround speakers; the height layer, placed at 40 degrees above the listener; and the top layer located at 90 degrees to the listener. Apparently these degree coordinates are quite important, with none of this “up and bit, right a bit, move it left” guesswork.

According to an article in Hidden Wires, http://hiddenwires.co.uk/2014/technology-3d-audio/ “new codecs provide both encoding and decoding for the new format, and these are capable of up-mixing non 3D sound. The DataSat RS20i processor for example, was used in the Auro-3D demonstration, and this offers backwards compatibility with existing 5.1 and stereo setups.” So now you know.

Interior Domain

Interestingly for those who fancy installing this technology in the home, once it becomes more established on the market, it is a matter of interior design and acoustic arrangements. If you want a home cinema atmosphere, there are many ways to customise your home, from acoustic wall panels to surround sound speakers. In anticipation of the 3D audio revolution, there are now 3D soundbars, which are speakers double-mounted in a single column.

Keep your eyes (or maybe ears would be more appropriate), for Dolby Atmos http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/movie/dolby-atmos.html. This is a new cinema technology which was first used for Disney’s Brave. Instead of using channels, Atmos uses object-based sound design, via a process of audio production becoming a 3D map of sound objects moving through space. The company has also developed a tablet version of Atmos which is so new that it doesn’t even have a name yet. However, if it’s been invented, it’s sure to come to the market in the future and into the home!

Wearable Technology? What’s That?

Google Glass

It appears that wearable technology is the new buzzword. Although in its infancy (which is probably why not many people have come across the term), this is supposed to be the biggest new thing to emerge in the personal technology market since Sonic. Indeed some have gone so far as to class this new technology, the ‘wearable web’ as it is also known, as the catalyst towards a trillion-dollar global industry.

A recent report from Generator Research http://www.generatorresearch.com/report/wearable-technology-2014/ has targeted the importance and potential of this new market. 225 pages long, a must-read for the avid techno fan, the report explains everything you need to know about the wearable technology market and who the key players are. And here we are talking major organisations from Apple and Google to Garmin and Nike and a whole host more.

Potential for Industry

So what do they know that we don’t? According to the report, the “wearable web will be the fuel that will power the mobile communications and mobile internet markets for decades to come.” Maybe an ambitious statement but currently the concept embraces smart watches and smart glasses . . . the potential, however, covers a myriad industry sectors, including body sensors and fitness equipment. The report says: “we project that the markets for smart watches, smart glasses and personal health and fitness products will be worth USD 8.0 billion in 2014 and USD 101.2 billion in 2018.”

Big Players

The fact that the big players are investing should be a sign. Intel has just bought the Basis Science company for ‘immediate entry’ into the wearable technology market. The merger is with Intel’s New Devices Group, which focuses on wearable computing and connected devices.

In a statement Mike Bell, Intel vice president for the New Devices Group said: “The acquisition of Basis Science provides immediate entry into the market with a leader in health tracking for wearable devices. As we accelerate our position in wearables, we will build upon this foundation to deliver products that bring people greater utility and value.”
And just in time for the tennis season, tennis players can now link up to Smash, http://www.gizmag.com/smash-wearable-tennis/32293/ a new device that monitors the consistency of players wearing it. Although in prototype mode, this is a lightweight wristband and application that allows tracking of statistics, such as number and type of shots, racket head speed, racket head momentum, amount of spin, wrist rotation, stroke trajectory, impact point consistency, and technique consistency.

Last week, Samsung unveiled Simband, http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2458663,00.asp a prototype wearable health and wellness tracker capable of measuring a wearer’s heart rate, blood pressure, and more on a 24/7 basis. For the technophobes, Simband is an “open-platform, hardware reference design that, along with a cloud-based open software platform called the Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions (SAMI).”

The value of the wearable technology market passed $4bn http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26743537 last year, and is expected to more than double by 2018. On your marks, get set…

Beat the Energy Drain in Your Own Home

We have long lived with the mantra, Save Energy and Save the Planet, and with January’s declaration that Europe is not only to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% over 1990 levels, but will also produce 27% of its energy from renewable by 2030, people in power seem to be taking it very seriously.

Paris in 2015 will play host to world governments to decide a global framework for avoiding dangerous levels of global warming but on the energy efficiency front, there seems to have been a glaring omission in targets set for the next 16 years. Indeed, it appears criticism has been quite vocal with Harry Verhaar, in a Green Wise Business article, head of global public and government affairs at Philips, saying: “The omission of a binding energy efficiency target is particularly disappointing. European policy-makers must realise that Europe will never lead on cheap energy and must lead on least consumed energy – energy efficiency is a key driver in making Europe more competitive and energy-independent.”

Matter in Hand

Salus Wireless Room Thermostat with Receiver ST320RF

So what can we, as consumers do? One way is to ensure that your home is as energy efficient as possible, and this can be done for far less than you would imagine. Heating and ventilation are the key problems, both in terms of domestic global emissions and cost. And cost is the issue. We don’t like paying too much for energy. Energy prices are rising disproportionately to income it seems. So smart systems that can save us money, as a no-brainer.

New technologies in heating and ventilation systems will allow compressors to operate more efficiently, and these systems will therefore be more complex. For the home owner, devices controlling these home automation systems must be even more intuitive with the ability to control systems remotely from a smartphone or a web application from a remote location, via simple physical alterations in the home that will not cost the earth.

The good news is that you don’t need an expensive and extensive network of home automation systems to take advantage of energy efficient systems. Look at the Google Nest Thermostat launched this month in the UK as an all-in-one energy saving programmer and thermostat device. This shows that there is a market for such smart devices (which Google has foreseen!)

A report published on 30th April 2014 has a stark warning: “energy bills are likely to rise twice as fast as the government forecasts this decade because households are not buying new efficient appliances that are supposed to save them money.”

Companies like UK-Automation feature energy saving devices that can easily be installed in the home. Get smart and check out an innovative generation of smart thermostat control equipment and systems that are being constantly developed with the latest technological advances and innovations.

Link to UK Automation’s ‘Energy Saving’ products