Digital Smart Homes Blog and News
<i>Smart</i> <i>Living</i> <i>Journal</i>
Digital Smart Homes
  • © 2024 Digital Smart Homes | By Appointment: 999 W Broadway 7th Floor, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K5 | 604.670.7647 | Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Whistler, Surrey | Control4, Sonos, Lutron | Home Automation, Multi-Room Audio, Home Theater | Email 0

Smart Living Journal

Announcing the DS2 Door Station from Control4

control4-ds2
With great new features like better low-light performance, motion detection and detection, the ability to see the camera independent of a call, and email snapshots, the new DS2 door station will be used to protect and connect even more homes.

The DS2 door station will be available in four models in a Satin Nickel finish, with or without a keypad, and as a flush mount or a surface mount.

The Control4® DS2 Door Station will be available later this year
Read More...

Kwikset Introduces SmartCode 916 Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt

SmartCode_916_4c_600_px_w

Kwikset®, the leader in residential security, introduces the NEW SmartCode™ 916 Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt with HomeConnect™ technology! Expanding your security system solution with a Kwikset SmartCode 916 Touchscreen deadbolt with Home Connect technology will allow the lock to communicate wirelessly with a Control4® system.

New Features:
- Capacitive touchscreen
- SecureScreen™ security feature – helps to ensure that user codes cannot be identified by examining fingerprints
- Sleek metal design for enhanced quality
- Tamper resistant interior cover

916_Smartcode_RAS_Family_Image_3_Finishes_600_px_w
Available in: 
Satin Nickel

Polished Brass

Venetian Bronze

Invisible RFID Access with Control4

RFID-Cntrol4
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically stored information.

Now your Control4 system can be used for home and commercial access control. Using RFID tags, a Control4 system in conjunction with HouseLogix Access Control Database (HACD) driver we can give you a robust way to manage multiple users.

Check out the video below for more info.


Keeping Your Digital Home Safe and Smart

Keeping-Your-Digital-Home-Safe-and-Smart
With the rise of the “Internet of Things” dominating recent headlines, many consumers have rushed to invest in smart home systems that offer unprecedented options for connectivity. While the IoT opens up numerous possibilities for energy savings, home security and personal convenience, it also has the potential to impinge on the privacy of homes. Read on for tips to keep your data from falling into the wrong hands.

Secure Your Wifi - If you’re like many homeowners, you ignore your WiFi router after checking to ensure the Internet is up and running. This could later prove to be a fatal flaw in your home’s overall privacy. Start by checking to see what type of encryption your router is using. If your router doesn’t support WPA2 networks (a more robust security standard), consider investing in a new wireless router. As with other consumer electronics, WiFi routers have become more powerful and less expensive over time. Additionally, WiFi speeds continue to accelerate, so if you’ve purchased a newer computer recently, a new router may make the difference in your safety.

Keep Cameras Away From Prying Eyes - In many instances, products such as webcams and “nanny cams” come automatically configured with inadequate security safeguards. This leaves these devices vulnerable to hacks from almost anyone, even those with a very limited knowledge of technology. For many cameras, the best thing you can do is create a strong  password (‘12345’ and ‘password’ are off limits) that is unique and different from the default. Substituting numbers for words or letters is often a good strategy. If you don’t change your password from the default setting, you leave yourself (and your family) right in a stranger’s line of sight, as one babysitter in Houston found out the hard way.

Privacy Please - Companies hosting important personal and financial data, such as home security giants ADT and Nest, have a crucial responsibility to keep this information secure. But it’s also your responsibility not to recklessly over-share highly private information or leave your devices open for easy access. Never post your Social Security number, account numbers, address, phone numbers or even your full name in publicly accessible sites. Ensure that your smartphone — often the command center for security system and automated device control — is protected by a lock screen at the very minimum. It’s also wise to disable automatic login information or anything else that can be accessed while you’re away. Don’t share any information that could lead to compromising the security of your family and property.

If cyber criminals gain access to your interconnected home systems, they could potentially turn on thermostats or other appliances, increasing your utility bills. Then there’s the more dangerous risk of someone gaining access to your physical property, unlocking doors or breaking in to commit a robbery. And in the case of webcams and baby monitors, there’s the frightening possibility that someone could be gazing into your home without your awareness or consent. President Obama has proposed stronger anti-hacking legislation, which would make hacking-related crimes a felony carrying a minimum three year sentence. However, politicians and tech-experts alike are concerned that the law would do little to protect homeowners in the short term.

Ultimately, it is up to you to determine the security of your home and privacy. While automated home and security systems offer impressive new options for convenience and connectivity, it’s important to be safe and ask questions if you don’t understand how to install or maintain security features. Consider checking out this government website for further reading on the subject, and don’t forget to logout when you’re done!

By Guest Blogger Elizabeth Eckhart (Find her on twitter @elizeckhart)

HouseLogix Access Control Solutions for Control4

control4-access-control
Now your Control4 system can be used for home and light commercial access control. Using RFID tags, these readers connect via RS232 or Wiegand to the Control4 system. Pairing these readers with our HouseLogix Access Control Database (HACD) driver gives you a robust way to manage up to 300 users.
Read More...

Discussing Home Automation Concerns

control4-home-automation
For the past decade, smart home technology has been viewed as something that only the incredibly wealthy, or incredibly technologically aware, possess. High prices, complicated installations, and intricate technology have contributed to the belief that a completely automated home was something reserved for movie superhero alter-egos of the Clark Kent variety, and millionaires. Recently, however, the rapid proliferation of mobile internet and smartphones, along with an increasing number of companies choosing to invest in more user intuitive home automation products, has made the idea of a “smart home” more attainable than ever.
So if a system is more affordable, and easily connects to products many homeowners already have, why isn’t everyone opting for a more intelligent, wireless home? We turned to social media to find the answers, and what we found, using data from
Viral Heat, was that while over 50% of Twitter users discussing home automation were entirely positive about the idea, around 25% still had concerns regarding home automation systems. The top concerns are discussed below:
Read More...

Meet the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm

nest-smoke-co-alarm-vancouver
Nest is reinventing the smoke alarm.

The Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm quiets down when you wave, messages your phone when its batteries run low and tells you where danger is in a human voice. It also connects to the Nest Learning Thermostat which will automatically turn off a gas furnace to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Read More...

Introducing the AquaTel Fluid Level Monitor

AquaTel Fluid Level Monitor
The AquaTel Fluid Level Monitor uses unique ultrasonic technology to monitor fluid levels in a wide range of tanks. This wireless sensor and receiver package offers superior performance over older technologies.

The sensor can be installed for use in a wide range of applications (see below). The battery in the sensor can last up to five years, depending on the configured data refresh rate.
Read More...

LILIN Video Surveillance Products Now Available

LILIN Video Surveillance
We are pleased to announce that LILIN products are now available at Digital Smart Homes! LILIN’s professional-grade IP (iMEGAPRO) and Analog video cameras feature industry-leading specifications and design that help to deliver astounding image quality as well as discreet surveillance. Offering over 10 camera model types, the iMEGAPRO and Analog lines provide pristine footage suitable for almost any residential or commercial application. We're excited to make these solutions available to our clients!
Read More...
2024
2023
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010