The holidays can be a joyful time spent with family and dear friends, but are also fraught with headaches and concerns. Did you pack enough diversions to keep the kids happy in the car or on the flight? Will your travel be delayed by weather? How will your special Thanksgiving dish hold up during the trip? Will your irascible uncle hold a symposium on his current pet peeve during dinner, making that new in-law cringe?

With your smart home holding down the home front, you have one less thing to worry about. Here are just a few ideas to help you configure your smart home so it will keep making your life easier even while you are away.

With homeowners’ growing reliance on smart home automation technology, it’s easy to forget just how new the modern industry really is. Certainly, many ground-breaking technologies and products debuted before 2010, but most people think of the innovations of just the past decade. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Simply put, geofencing is the process of using the location of a device to trigger an action or sequence of events. Let’s explore!

The world of smart home automation continues to boom with new products being introduced seemingly daily and companies positioning themselves to try to leap ahead of the competition with innovative systems and business structures. Here we discuss a couple of the more notable recent developments.

Every day brings more media coverage about the options multiplying in the booming smart home automation arena. Many renters think they are excluded from enjoying the comfort, convenience and security that these systems bring. We’ve rounded up some great ideas that renters can use to integrate smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices in their homes…without running afoul of their leases. 

And, if you own rental property, these devices will add value for your tenants without the expense of a fully integrated system.

Smart home automation devices are becoming one of the main features of luxury living. After all, who wouldn’t want garage doors that magically open as you approach your home; lights that know when you go to bed and turn themselves off; a thermostat that optimizes itself to save you money; or a refrigerator that lets you know the milk is sour before you take a sip?

Ah. Relaxing in your pool or spa at the end of the day, feeling the refreshing water wash your worldly cares away while you sip a glass of sparkling wine and enjoy the evening light.

Well, anyway, that's the dream you had when you installed your pool.

Real estate pros agree: adding smart home automation increases your home's curb appeal and property value.

Diagnosing networking problems is often difficult.  If your computer is slow, it could be something related to hardware or software. If your smartphone or tablet is slow, it could also be related to the device itself or the software it’s running. 

Perhaps a website you’re accessing is slow for a period, and it’s not any of your devices.  If you’re trying to watch a Netflix movie on your TV, is the quality something less than HD (high definition)?  Perhaps your internet signal slowed down temporarily.  There’s always the possibility that it’s not your signal or any device. 

Your network installation may be the culprit in a multitude of connectivity sins.  And in Manhattan, we often live in buildings with tens or hundreds of other networks, which can create issues with crowded airwaves. How do we figure out if our problems are network related? 

We’ll cover some ways to narrow it down.  Just keep reading. 

Going around turning lights on and off can be tedious.  Perhaps it’s a first world problem, but here in Manhattan, with all the tall buildings densely packed together, light is essential, whether natural or manmade. 

You want your New York City home to have the right amount of light. Chances are you have invested in extra lighting for your place – perhaps lighting in built-ins that artfully draws attention to your first book collection, sconces adding soft light to your dining room, and LED spot lighting for your carefully curated artwork. 

You want to be able to control all that lighting easily, and not be reaching everywhere for switches to turn things on and off.  With a home lighting control system, you’ll have lots of choices for doing that.  Read on to learn more.

You love the idea of your window treatments going up or down by themselves.  You may want the clean cordless look of shades that don’t have those cords making you wonder which direction you pull. 

You might be wondering if automated shades can help you save energy – and money.  Perhaps they can help you do your part to preserve the planet. 

But you have questions.  Don’t we all?  We’ve put together some questions here about motorized shades that we often get from our clients.  And since we’re professionals, we’ve got answers.  Read on to find out more. 

As a designer or architect, you look at many details to ensure a home meets the homebuyer’s desires.  Room sizes, floor plans, electrical plans, and a myriad of other things are key to delivering the overall environment the client desires.

Smart home technology requires design considerations too, and they can affect construction as well as finish out planning.  Incorporating an integration professional early in the design process can ensure that smart Home technology blends in seamlessly, and is not something that feels tacked on or an afterthought.

Let’s look at some areas to consider when designing your smart home design. 

Are you looking for ways to incorporate smart home automation into your Manhattan living space, without sacrificing your home’s design and décor?

Luckily, you’ll never have to. With smart systems like Savant, you can guarantee you’ll get a combined flair and functionality with your products.

We dive into the top smart technologies you can incorporate into any room of your home, and watch as they blend perfectly with the rest of your interiors.

Read on to learn more about these stylish, smart features!

Did you make a resolution for the New Year? If you haven’t yet, we’ve got a suggestion: be more environmentally friendly.

There’s a reason why we chose this resolution. Unlike a resolution to go to the gym more often, you can achieve this goal with very little effort! Yes, smart technology can do the work for you, bringing energy-efficiency to your New York home automatically.

Curious? Let’s dig into the ways that upgrading to a home lighting control system can help reduce your carbon footprint.

If you have a residence in Manhattan, you already know the most significant benefits that come with living in the city that never sleeps.

You’re never too far from the action – whether it’s eating at the hottest restaurant or seeing the newest Broadway show. There’s always something happening in New York City.

Chances are, if you’re living in Manhattan, your residence also has a spectacular view of the city’s skyline or even the East or Hudson Rivers.

This begs the question: Are you making the most of your unit’s view?

If you don’t know the answer to that question, we have a solution: Switch out your regular blinds for motorized window treatments. 

What, exactly, can motorized shades do for your Manhattan residence? Below, we share three reasons why it’s a worthy addition to your property.