Whether it’s work-from-home or play-from-home, this July is seeing home tech innovations that will up anyone’s game.
Lutron Lights Up Their Lines
Mainstay of the smart lighting market, Lutron recently made exciting additions to their product line. The Ketra LSO Lightbar Slim combines the powerful and customizable lighting capabilities Lutron is known for with an ultra sleek profile, making it perfect for under cabinets, up stairs, and on toe kicks. It makes it easy to light places that might otherwise be left in the dark.
In addition to the Light Bar Slim, Ketra has introduced the S30 Downlight which brings a trimmer, round aesthetic to their line of downlights. Capable of a range of millions of colors and designed to bring Lutron’s lighting to even more spaces in the home, the S30 is set to start shipping soon. Between the Light Bar Slim and the S30 Downlight, you can easily bring a summery brightness to the most shrouded of spaces.
Veterans Gifted Smart Homes
We often think about smart homes as providing ease and comfort in living. But for some veterans, they’re providing something much more vital. The Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program provides specially customized homes for severely wounded veterans and their families. These homes have physical adaptations such as ramps and wide hallways to ease the passage of wheelchairs, and they are outfitted with a wide range of smart home technology.
The smart features in these homes, such as voice-controlled lights, thermostats, and locks, are paired with a consideration of the everyday challenges veterans with disabilities face. The goal is to give veterans back their self-sufficiency and make life less stressful for the entire family. Smart home technology allows us all to more easily navigate and control our homes, but for these members of our armed forces, that ease and control is a path to a previously unimagined independence.
Crestron Tabletop Conferencing Solutions
Crestron is recognizing the demand to make any space a highly functional workplace; they recently released a line of tabletop conferencing devices designed to elevate your home office. It integrates with the Crestron Home OS and is designed with a slim profile and minimal connections (no more tangle of cords on the desk). Now your WFH conference call will sound and look as if it’s coming from the office, but you don’t have to ditch your slippers.
Brian Eno Station on Sonos Radio HD
Sonos Radio HD streaming service launched less than a year ago, providing high-definition, lossless audio, available through the Sonos app. Since then they’ve introduced stations curated by artists such as Thom Yorke and Björk. The newest station is directed by Brian Eno, who will be selecting previously unreleased music from his substantial archive. The station, called The Lighthouse, will give listeners a rare glimpse into his long, illustrious career. You can listen now and stay tuned to Sonos Radio HD for more exciting collaborations.
Crestron Speakers
Crestron is amplifying its speaker game with two new additions. Their new residential speakers are designed to deliver sound sure to please any audiophile, but with an aesthetic that will blend effortlessly into walls or ceilings. These speakers integrate with the new NAX Audio-over-IP Distribution System. Built for flexibility and performance, this system takes audio from any source, from TVs to streaming services, and delivers class-leading sound.
Golf Simulators at Home
Is the summer heat keeping you off the course? Now you can harness the power of your smart home and bring the links inside. With the right equipment and software, golf simulators are now able to share space with a home theater or rec room. Overhead cameras and special HD projection screens designed to absorb your hardest drives can transport you from your home to St. Andrew’s in the time it takes to sink a putt. Get the most out of your home tech and get in some range time, no matter the weather.
July’s home tech advances are showing us how the field is looking to create ease and innovation at every turn.
Responsive Living, the term coined by Acoustic Architects founders, Aaron Flint and Spencer Hauldren, is the concept of seamlessly enhancing the client’s unique lifestyle using smart home technology. Responsive Living allows you to interact with your space via touch input, voice command, and predictive automation, placing you in full control of your home.
If you would like to learn more about integrating new systems into your smart home system, feel free to connect with us. We will be happy to schedule a demo with you.
For more information, visit acousticarchitects.net.
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