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We traveled to CEDIA Expo 2018 in San Diego earlier this month to check out the latest in smart home products. Here are some of our CEDIA highlights for you:  Séura SMART Mirror – This is the ultimate in smart home bling! You can control your smart home by touch from your mirror. View your security cameras, dim the lights, close your garage and more – all from the convenience of a bathroom or entry way mirror. The Séura SMART Mirror can display anything that can be displayed on an Android phone, so you can also connect to your calendar, email, weather, Netflix, and other favorite apps. A wide range of sizes and frame styles are available.
Z-Wave compatible products – There are over 700 companies that make 2400+ Z-Wave products that are all interoperable with each other. In addition to the many brands you may already be familiar with (e.g., August, Honeywell, Kwikset, Ring, Samsung, Schlage, Yale), here are 3 companies making noteworthy Z-Wave products:  Strips Drip water leak detection sensor Sensative – Makes 3 wireless sensors: Strips Guard window and door sensor, Strips Comfort temperature and lighting sensor, and Strips Drip water leak detection sensor. These sensors are so thin you can put them just about anywhere and they have custom-designed batteries intended to last 10 years.  Aeotec Nano Dimmer Aeotec – Aeotec makes quite a few smart home products and sensors. For example, their Nano Dimmer or Nano Switch enables you to convert your home’s existing dimmers, switches and power outlets into Z-Wave compatible ones by installing the Aeotec devices invisibly behind them.  Fibaro Swipe Fibaro – Fibaro also makes a wide range of smart home products and sensors including some similar to Aeotec’s Nano Dimmer and Nano Switch. We were especially intrigued by Fibaro’s Swipe product though. You can keep it hidden or display it as a picture frame. Control smart home devices by a simple swipe or by a combination of moves. The high resolution sensor interprets even complex commands.  As a certified Z-Wave installer, we would be happy to install your Z-Wave products for you.  Samsung “The Frame TV” – For art and photography enthusiasts, this TV is an unbelievable way to display your own work – or collections you purchase from Samsung. It’s a TV when it’s on and art when it’s off. By detecting the ambient light in the room, the Brightness Sensor automatically balances the screen’s brightness and color tone for a natural illumination. So whether it’s day or night, you can see your art in the way it was meant to be seen. For information on installing any of these products, call AvidWorks Technology at (800) 701-9021 or send email to info@avidworkstechnology.com.
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 Moving to a new home can be overwhelming enough without having to worry about what to do with all your smart home devices. You’ll likely want to leave some of them behind if they will increase the value of the home you are selling – or if it’s just not worth the effort to remove them (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller or smart custom-fit window blinds).
For those smart home devices you choose to take with you, we're ready to help. AvidWorks Technology has experience with both installing and de-installing smart home devices. So, if you are planning a move, and have smart thermostats, cameras, a video doorbell, smoke alarms, locks, light switches, a garage door controller, etc., that you would like de-installed, send email to info@avidworkstechnology.com or call (800) 701-9021. The Ring Floodlight Cam saves the day (or night)! On Friday night, the President & Founder of AvidWorks Technology was alerted to a drunk driver at his property in Atlanta, Georgia. The Ring Floodlight Cam captured video of a car driving across his backyard lawn, into his front yard, and crashing into and damaging a wall on his property. Thanks to a Ring alert on his smartphone, he was able to follow up with police remotely from California. The driver of the car was immediately arrested for a DUI, property damage, and a hit and run accident. We can help you capture events like this on video. Let us install your smart cameras today! Send email to info@avidworkstechnology.com or call (800) 701-9021.  The Nest Hello Doorbell’s wide angle lens lets you see a full 160°, which is wider than the human eye’s field of view. So, you may be less limited by your existing doorbell’s location than you think. We install quite a few doorbells that are on a 90° angle from the front door and they work just fine in this location. Also, the Nest Hello includes a 15° wedge in the box that our technician can install on the back plate, which allows the camera to be tilted toward a walkway to give you a better view if your doorbell isn’t in an ideal spot. This drawing depicts the top view of the Nest Hello Doorbell with the wedge behind it.  Here is the view captured from a Nest Hello Doorbell recently installed on a 90° angle from the front door by AvidWorks Technology. As you can see, our customers have a great view of their front walkway, an area where any packages would be left for them near the front door, part of their driveway, and even cars parked in front of their house. They originally thought they’d need to move the doorbell for the best view, but found that was not necessary due to the Nest Hello’s wide angle lens. We can install a Nest Hello Doorbell for you! Contact AvidWorks Technology by sending email to info@avidworkstechnology.com or call us at (800) 701-9021.
 AvidWorks Technology recently celebrated a major milestone: We reached 500 five-star reviews on the Nest website. That's more than any other Nest Pro in the U.S.! We are dedicated to making our customers happy and hope that 500 five-star reviews means we’ve succeeded.
Thank you so much to all our customers who have enthusiastically supported us and written so many great reviews over the last two years. It’s been a pleasure to serve you. We truly appreciate your business. Check out our Gallery to see examples of our work and let us know if there’s a smart home project we can assist you with. AvidWorks performs high quality installations with a strong focus on craftsmanship. You can reach us by emailing info@avidworkstechnology.com or calling (800) 701-9021.  This week, we installed 16 temporary Lorex POE cameras for a customer. He's very happy with the installation, which will enable him to keep an eye on his construction project over the coming months. The cameras also serve as a deterrent to potential vandals and burglars. If there should be a problem on the property, he can provide video footage to the police. Eventually, we’ll move the cameras to permanent locations on his property.
If you have need for a temporary camera solution such as this, send email to info@avidworkstechnology.com or call us at (800) 701-9021. We look forward to assisting you with a temporary camera solution.  One of our technicians recently did some troubleshooting of a customer’s Nest Protect smoke/CO2 alarms and determined that, unfortunately, they’d all been ruined because they weren’t protected from the dust and debris of a remodeling project in the home. Dust buildup on the outside or inside of a Nest Protect can stop its sensors from working properly. (The Nest Protect has 6 different sensors: Split-spectrum, carbon monoxide, heat, humidity, occupancy, and ambient light.)
In addition, a Nest Protect's sensors can be damaged by common cleaning chemicals, paint, or too much water. So, be sure to take steps to protect your Nest Protects when needed and to clean them periodically as well. Here are some tips:
To clean the outside of a Nest Protect: Wipe with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. To clean the smoke chamber inside: Take the Nest Protect off the wall or ceiling and follow the steps detailed on Nest’s website that correspond to the model you have. (On Nest's website, click on Nest Protect, scroll down, and choose the model you have - 1st gen Nest Protect or 2nd gen Nest Protect.) For installation or troubleshooting of Nest Protects, please contact AvidWorks Technology at info@avidworkstechnology.com or by calling (800) 701-9021.  Every year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, manufacturers put their latest technologies on display. We attended in hopes of finding some cool smart home products we couldn’t live without.
 Bitdefender BOX An absolute necessity rather than a frivolity, Bitdefender BOX 2 is a smart home cybersecurity hub that protects an unlimited number of your internet-connected devices from malware, stolen passwords, identity theft, spying, etc. It helps manage all the devices in your home and includes parental controls to monitor your kids’ online activities and manage screen time. (We purchased Bitdefender for ourselves during the show!)  Netgear Add-on Orbi Outdoor Satellite We liked the Orbi Outdoor Satellite (RBS50Y) add-on product because it enables users to extend their WiFi up to an extra 2,500 square feet in their backyards. Many of our customers need stronger WiFi signals in order to connect outdoor security cameras and this product can deliver. According to Netgear, the Orbi Outdoor Satellite is the only weather-resistant outdoor WiFi mesh system available. It requires Orbi Router (RBR50, RBR40, RBR20 or SRR60) or can be used with an existing Orbi WiFi System.  Lutron RA2 Select Lighting System Light switches may not be as exciting as other smart home products, but the lighting “scenes” enabled by smart light switches are a wonderful convenience. We liked Lutron’s RA2 Select product line because it’s ideal for larger houses, allowing up to 100 devices (vs. just 50 devices with Lutron’s Caséta Wireless system) and RF coverage for up to 5,000 sq. ft. of space (vs. just 2,500 sq. ft. with Lutron’s Caséta Wireless system). For even more RF coverage, you can purchase repeaters for an additional 2,500 sq. ft. of coverage per repeater or graduate to Lutron’s RadioRA 2 product line. (Lutron's Pico Scene Keypads shown in photo.)  GarageSmart MyLifter For anyone needing more garage storage space, this is one possible smart home solution. GarageSmart’s MyLifter is designed to lift bikes, a kayak or canoe, a storage platform, car roof rack, etc., enabling you to keep them off the garage floor. Additional products that can be attached to the GarageSmart track such as a spotlight, speaker, extension cord, fan, parking assist/camera laser, air hose, and battery backup are coming soon. Also, coming soon is a voice module so devices can be controlled with Amazon Alexa. For installation assistance for these products (or any smart home products), contact AvidWorks Technology at info@avidworkstechnology.com or by calling (800) 701-9021.  Daylight Saving Time ended on November 5th, but that doesn’t mean you now have to arrive home to a dark house. You can use smart home technology to create a “Coming Home” scene that will light up your house automatically as you approach. There are 3 primary ways to achieve smart home lighting:
Smart light switches have an advantage over the other two options since a single switch can control multiple lights – and lights requiring special bulbs are not an issue. Also, smart lightbulbs require physical switches to remain in the “on” position, and switches inevitably get turned off. There are many options for controlling your smart lighting, such as:
Creating a “scene” with your lighting is like setting up an automatic to-do list for the lights in your home. A “Coming Home” scene can include turning on outdoor and porch lights as well as interior lights in your entry way, kitchen, and living room.
You can create many other types of scenes as well, such as a Morning scene (turn lights on), Night scene (turn lights off), Party or Movie scene (lower the lights to create the right ambiance), or a Vacation scene (have indoor or outdoor lights turn on and off to mimic your daily lighting behaviors and discourage burglars). If you’re interested in some assistance with adding smart lighting to your property, call AvidWorks Technology at (800) 701-9021 or send email to lights@avidworkstechnology.com to learn more about our installation services.  Moving into a new home is a time-consuming, stressful endeavor. In addition to all the cleaning and unpacking, it seems like there are a million details to attend to before you feel settled in. We’ve put together a top 10 list of things to be sure and do – and included lots of home automation suggestions for you!
Contact AvidWorks Technology for details about the installation of smart home devices. Send email to info@avidworkstechnology.com or call (800) 701-9021 to learn more.
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