The Official Smarthome Blog – All Things Home Automation

No time to take a traditional class?

This course is designed specifically for residential installers, builders, or contractors, Whole-House Audio is an online course that teaches how to design and install complex whole house audio systems.

By taking an online class, you’ll be able to learn from the comfort of your home office. When you sign up for the Whole-House Audio Online Course, you’ll receive a printed course guide and a quick-reference guide, a field guide covering technical terms and definitions. You’ll be able to access the online course for three months by using your assigned user ID and password. Students should be familiar with the operation of a basic stereo system and have basic knowledge of structured wiring. A Structured Wiring Online Course is also available.

Whole-House Audio is an 11-part training session that goes into depth regarding source electronics, control electronics and speakers, along with the necessary wiring schematics to tie the system together. Students are taught the basic physics of sound and acoustics, and special attention is paid to component selection based on calculated performance requirements and homeowner specifications for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Both new-construction and retrofit installations are considered, with a clear process outlined for each situation, along with important safety considerations, standards, and codes that must be followed during installation. Finally, testing and troubleshooting methodologies are provided to ensure a successful installation. Special in-depth articles provide deeper background and technical information on critical topics, and project management tips coach installers on good management practices. The course includes informative text, detailed color diagrams, and engaging case studies. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the online course.

If you’re just getting started in residential technologies, a 2-hour online course is available to introduce you to structured wiring, networking, and integrated control. When you’re ready to continue your education, in-depth online classes are also available in home networking, residential lighting and residential communication. Read more

Does your attic overheat during the summer? Have you ever worried about, or found, mold and/or mildew in your attic during the winter? If your answer to either of these is yes then US Sunlight Corp’s 9910TRP 1,350sq/ft Ventilating Solar Attic Fan is must have. During the summer your attic can rise to temperatures of upwards 160°! A result of this is that your air condition will over compensate in an effort to cool the entire house down which in turn leaves you with a huge and unnecessary electricity bill. Now you may be asking yourself, “how can a fan help my attic during the winter?” The answer is that warm air from your home rises up into the attic throughout the day and eventually interacts with your cool and damp roof. This creates moisture in the air and can lead to the formation of mold and mildew without you even knowing.

Having a Solar Attic Fan from US Sunlight Corp will help regulate your attic temperature by using the free and clean energy provided by the sun. During the warm months the fan will draw out the warm air sitting in your attic while at the same time pull in cooler air from outside. This leaves your attic and house at a more stable temperature leading to less wasted electricity by your air conditioning unit and thus, smaller electricity bills. Now, during the winter months the fan will remove the moist air that is created by the mixture of the warm rising air from your rooms below the attic and the cool underside of your roof. This leaves you with drier air in the attic and thus prevents the growth of harmful mildew and mold which need dark, wet spaces to thrive. This mold and mildew build up can lead to much larger problems down the road as well as causing your family to be more prone to sickness.

The 9910TRP Solar Attic Fan is powerful enough to ventilate up to 1,350 square feet. Because this attic fan is solar powered it will run year round at no additional operating costs to the user and even begin to pay for itself with the savings you’ll see on your monthly energy bill. This solar fan is also capable of being tied into your houses power connection with a Solar Controller to allow the fan to be operated at night when there is no sunlight. The fan has a powerful 38 volt motor but is whisper quiet while operating so that you, the user, won’t even realize it’s there. It features 3 high efficiency fan blades that sit in a 20 gauge steel housing which will not dent or rust to provide years upon years of optimal service. The solar panel is commercial grade and encased in a hail and high speed wind resistant covering that can be tilted and swiveled so that it receives the best sunlight possible. The solar panel itself is a 10 watt panel and even comes with a 20 year manufacturers warranty to ensure the quality of the product. If you’re ready to begin taking advantage of the free energy provided by the sun and start seeing monthly savings on your electricity bill then this is the product for you.

• Ventilates up to 1,350 square feet of attic space
• Solar powered means $0 operating costs
• Great for year round use and not just summer
• Can be installed by an above average DIY’er or professionally done
• May qualify for IRS Tax Credits and area specific rebates

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• Remote starting system combined with an advanced security system
• Use your smart phone to control yor car
• Works with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, and BlackBerry
• Warm up your car while you eat breakfast
• Receive an alert on your phone if the security system is triggered
• SmartPark can guide you to your parked car
• Viper Motor Club roadside assistance plan
• Requires a service plan

Get rid of that alarm key fob dangling on your key chain. You always carry your phone, so why not use it to start your car and unlock the doors? Just call up the app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, or BlackBerry and you can start your car by pushing a button on your phone. And you can do more than merely start the car: arm/disarm its security system, pop the trunk, or use the panic button to find your car in a parking lot. Viper is famous for advanced car security systems, and the VSM5000 does not disappoint. Use SmartStart to warm up or cool down your car before getting in. You can even set up multiple cars in one phone so you can have the same control over your entire fleet from just your one phone.

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• Seven operating modes (combines beep sounds and pulse stimulation)
• Adjustable bark sensor
• Easy-to-adjust collar
• Rechargeable Ni-Mh Battery
• Waterproof

The Dogtek NB-Pulse NoBark Pulse Bark Control Collar is a safe and useful way to teach your dog to stop barking. When your dog barks, the collar interrupts him by emitting beep sounds and delivering static pulse stimulation. Simply insert the included battery into the collar, set the set bark sensitivity and then adjust the training mode (beep sounds only, or one of six different beeps sounds + stimulation settings). Once your adjustments have been made, wrap the collar around your dog’s neck with the strap adjusted so that the sensor comes into contact with the dog’s skin in order to ensure good barking detection. Two different length sensors are included in the package, the short size should be long enough to have proper contact with the dog’s skin, however if you have a long haired dog and the short replace it with the long one supplied with the kit. A power adapter is included to charge the built-in re-chargeable batteries.

When your dog is barking, let the collar operate without interference. Any interference on your part could be taken as a sign of acknowledgment; consequently the barking would become an effective mean to attract your attention. As soon as your dog stops barking, congratulate him (but not excessively) by petting him, verbally praising him, or giving him a small treat to encourage his good behavior. Remember that barking can indicate some behavioral issue. This bark control collar will allow
you to minimize excessive barking.

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The Cideko Air Keyboard is a wireless keyboard with an integrated 3D motion sensing air mouse and makes playing PC games, browsing the internet, and typing emails easy from almost anywhere in your home. There is no software or drivers to be installed and the light, ergonomic design make it very easy to use. Simply plug the dongle into a USB port on your computer, move the compact keyboard around to control the cursor and use the left and right trigger buttons on the unit just as you would with a standard mouse. It’s built-in 3D motion mouse sensor helps control the cursor. The keypad fits nicely in your hands and each key can be reached with your thumbs for fast typing without having to reposition.

The power saving and hibernation modes help conserve the life of your batteries when the air keyboard is not in use. The keypad also contains a LED indicator light to show low power (red) and a PC mode (green). Because of it’s powerful range, you are able to use the Air Keyboard up to 30 feet away from the plugged in dongle and does not require line of sight to operate.

The keyboard works with Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems. This keypad is your all-in-one air keyboard which is ideal for your home or theater PC and features keys to control volume, video control and one touch internet. The air keyboard only uses two AA batteries and features up to 50 hours of continuous use. Read more