by Kylie Molegraaf | Dec 14, 2018 | Blog
As you look ahead to 2019, you might realize it’s time to upgrade your home automation system. Maybe you haven’t made the jump over to full home automation, and you are wanting to simplify your life with all that technology has to offer. Homes are continuing to get smarter. Technology has woven itself into our daily lives, from the simplest of tasks to the most complex, and 2019 has some exciting trends.
- From “The Touch of a Button” to “The Sound of Your Voice”: If you can control it from your smartphone, then you can likely control it with your voice. Setup your “Wake-up” or “Home from Work” home routines to happen the second you tell them to. That means lights, music, etc. Have it customized for different seasons, controlling your fireplace, A/C, and fans. “Alexa, get me a blanket!”
- Another big trend you’ll see on the rise is smart kitchens. With almost every appliance having a smart version at this point, it’s only going to become more and more normal to see smart kitchens in action. Refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers and more…can you imagine the convenience?
- A trend overall will be devices becoming more intuitive across the board. A deterrent to smart technology for some is the difficulty of use or integration into their existing lifestyle. The more we research and test different inventions, the more we find out how to best introduce them to the people who aren’t already immersed in this world.
At Symbio, we want to ring in the new year with smarter homes. Give us a call today at 713-780-4601. Happy New Year!
by Kylie Molegraaf | Nov 29, 2018 | Blog
With the holiday season in full swing, it is important to protect your home. Shuffling new gadgets and presents for the family to and from your home is out of the ordinary, and you don’t want to be a target to anyone looking for a way in! Take the worry out of preparing for the holidays and let your smart home do the work.
Your home automation system can be your eyes when you are not home. Update your settings to switch outdoors lights on at dusk, or install motion lights to deter any unwanted visitors. You can also schedule lights to come on throughout your house at different times of the day, to imply people are inside moving around. Turning your Christmas tree lights on from your smart phone is another simple trick. A well-lit home and surrounding area is not inviting to thieves.
You can sleep soundly at night knowing that your home will be protected while you are away. By adding smart locks, sensors, and cameras that are constantly “speaking” with your system, you get alerted of movement or unauthorized access in any location, whether inside or outside of your home. Your system gives you tracking capabilities on any movement within the house and can send a text message when that movement is detected or even when certain doors are opened. Getting a pet-sitter while you’re out of town for the holidays? Unlock the doors for them from your phone, without giving away any extra keys or codes.
Holidays are stressful enough. Slow down and enjoy the people you’re around without having to worry about all the little details.
by Kylie Molegraaf | Nov 21, 2018 | Blog
Leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, and freeze warnings are right around the corner. It’s time to prepare your house for the winter. Your smart home can keep you cozy all winter long. Here are some ways that you can stay toasty and smart all season.
Heating your home…
Is there anything more aggravating than coming home from a long day of work to a frigid house? Your smart home can help you. Set a schedule for your thermostat. When you are not at home you can keep it set to energy-saving mode. Then, you can set it to come on before you get home so that you can ensure that you walk into a nice and cozy environment.
Relax…
Grab your favorite blanket and head to your favorite chair. With a touch of a button, you can start the fire and relax. Your smart home can turn on and off lights, start playing your favorite holiday tunes, and even greet guest at your door. Your home automation system does it all for you, so you can stay cozied up by the fire.
Don’t get left in the dark…
The days are shorter and the nights are longer. Don’t forget to adjust all your photosensors so they turn on at certain hours, or simply when the sun goes down. This helps everyone to stay safe all night long. Your landscape lighting can keep your driveway well-lit, so no one slips on ice in the dark. Everything is at your command.
by Kylie Molegraaf | Oct 18, 2018 | Blog
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is here! Decorating your home, planning parties and enjoying time with family and friends, has never been easier with today’s technology. From the decorating, to lighting, holiday music and more, let your automated home simplify some of the stress that comes with the holiday season. These tips will help you start imagining the endless possibilities that technology has to offer you, to help make your holiday season merry and bright.
Tip 1: Set the Scene
Your lighting system is possibly the most important technology in your home. Lighting will set the scene and help tie everything together. When you’re planning a holiday party, you can quickly define a lighting scheme that emphasizes the areas of each room that you want to show off, and downplays the ones you don’t want to draw attention to. A few swipes on your smartphone or tablet lets you raise or dim the lights in each area, so you can highlight different areas of your home. Another swipe can turn on all your holiday lights throughout your home, and the party can begin!
Tip 2: Lights, Music, Action!
Having a smart home is all about letting your technology work together. So, to help set the scene, combine your lighting with your home audio system. Your smart home system allows you to seamlessly control both. Once you’ve decided on a lighting arrangement, switch to your music controls and save the settings together for parties to come.Then, you can easily stream holiday music that puts people in the mood for a festive evening.
Tip 3: Start the Party on Time With Smart Entryways
When you’re rushing around preparing for a holiday get-together, you can easily lose track of time. But you’ll know the moment guests arrive thanks to your smart video doorbell. As your friends and family arrive at your door, you can see them and speak with them from anywhere in your home. Then, just tap a button on your touch-panel control device to unlock the doors and let them in. Once they enter, just one more tap on the controller prepares your space for the evening’s events. You can return to the lighting and music settings you’ve already prepared and focus on what really matters.
Cheers to a happy holiday season!
by Kylie Molegraaf | Oct 4, 2018 | Blog
If you’ve even begun to think about automating your home, a thermostat was probably the first thing you came across. It’s simple, effective and a great first step to ease into a smart home. This article will line out the reasons it is a good place to start, as well as some of the benefits you’re missing out on while you’re on the fence!
- The problem with a standard thermostat is that it has to work too hard to get where you need it to be. You wake up, get ready for work, actually remember to turn the air up before you leave and then get home to an uncomfortably warm house. If you’re like most people, you crank the temperature down further than you even want it, just to cool down “faster”. You should know though, this doesn’t make it work any faster, only longer, and in turn, costs you more money. An automatic thermostat not only allows you to schedule temperatures for throughout the day, (coming home to an already cooled house…so convenient) but depending on the model you choose, it will likely learn your trends and habits when it comes to minor adjustments made throughout the week and help keep your program/schedule energy efficient.
- As the weather (hopefully) continues to get cooler here in Texas, we tend to want to open our windows and let the fresh, cool air seep inside. Do you remember to turn off the air conditioning whenever you do this? An additional smart home tool can come into play here: sensors. There are all kinds of sensors that can help with your thermostat automation, but ultimately it depends on what habits you currently do or do not have in place. One that we’ve found especially convenient is one that programs your thermostat to turn off when a window or door is left open for a certain amount of time. This prevents cool air (that you’re paying for!) from being blown outside, saving you money and improving your home’s energy efficiency.
- With an automated thermostat, you can avoid being unprepared for the inevitable unexpected scenario. The downside to a scheduled thermostat is that schedules change every day. Well, it’s a good thing you can control all of it from your phone. Start feeling under the weather at work? Heading to a meeting that’s actually not until next week? Anytime you’re going to be home when you thought you’d be out, or vice versa, make those adjustments as soon as you need to from your smartphone.
Still on the fence? Each of these perks listed above not only provides you with the ultimate level of convenience but also saves you money! If you’re looking to make the switch, give us a call today. 713-780-4601.
