Automating your home's lights has been one of the biggest home technology trends in recent years. There are always new launches for individual products or whole house lighting systems designed to make it easier to operate and customize your home lighting. From automated window treatments to dimmers, learn what technology you need to light your home for safety, convenience and energy efficiency.
Now, if you have not read Part 1, we urge you to do so....These are some awesome tips to help prevent thefts and break-ins, and we want to make sure you have them all!
Tip 6: Stay Vigilant
While it may seem like a symptom of paranoia, keep your identity and any travel plans on the down low. For instance, only put your street address on your mailbox. Give away your last name, and someone could find your phone number, work place and other stats with a few mouse clicks. Before you jet off to a nice vacation, try not to openly talk about it in public because a sinister stranger could be taking note.
Today at iSS, we have a big moment to annouce.....this is our 100th blog entry! We love writing about all the things that inspire us, and hope you enjoy reading our entries. Now is our chance to enjoy what YOU have to write.
Below is our FaceBook page link. We would love for you to write and tell us what your favorite blog was, what would you like to see us write next, or simply write us a review of your last experience with iSS. We look forward to reading all of your entries!
In our previous blog we provided some 'winter tips' to prevent frozen pipes. If you haven't read it, please do....it is suppose to be a chilly Valentine's weekend and next week! Now, these tips may not be 'winter tip' related, but they are some GREAT tips to help prevent thefts and break-ins to your home.
This past Monday, February 2 was Groundhog Day. Our furry little friend saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter for us. Now as we all know living in East Tennessee our weather changes almost every minute. Sunshine to snow/rain and back to sunshine; East Tennesee weather can be very unpredictable. Well at iSS we thought we would take a moment to gather some great tips to get us all through these last six weeks of Winter. Our first tip(s) to get us through are some that we have discussed before, but are great reminders to any homeowner.
With tempatures changing, you never know when we could get a record low. It is as important as ever to prevent your home from frozen pipes. When water freezes in pipes, it expands causing the pipe to burst. Then you have a major situation on your hands as the water thaws and flows freely into your home. So we have come up with 5 quick tips to help prevent frozen pipes.
- Check where your pipes are. You want to make sure they are not exposed to cold air and if they are, they need to be insulated. Pipe sleeves provide much needed insulation for pipes in drafty areas.
- Leave a steady stream of water dripping in a kitchen or bathroom sink. It does not have to be a ton of water, but just enough to keep things moving. The cost of leaving a sink dripping is far less than the mess of a flooded house.
- Leave cabinet doors open to allow warm inside air to circulate around pipes. Keep garage doors closed to ensure pipes are not exposed to freezing temperatures.
- Do not drastically adjust your thermostat throughout the day and night. By maintaining a steady temperature, you reduce your chances of a frozen pipe.
- Know where your water cut off valves are located. If you do not have one inside your home, then make sure you know where the water main is outside. If you have a leak, your No. 1 priority is shutting off the water.
Check back in for the next tips that will get us through these last weeks of Winter!
iSS seeks excellent candidates interested in becoming part of our growing team. We are currently looking for installation technicians.
Are you a creative and organized professional looking to join a great team? Do you know the ins and outs of security, CCTV, home theater, and home automation? If so, then we want you.
We are eager to hire individuals who are both quick and proficient workers. Strong work ethic is imperative, so you have to love what you do. This is a full-time position.
We prefer you to email resumes to
If you are interested in a career as an installer, please submit your resume. We'd love to talk to you.
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Spending time with family and loved ones is what Christmas is all about. You may have to travel this holiday season and leave the comfort and security of your own home, but with a whole home automation system you do not have to worry about a thing.
The Christmas Season is in full swing, and I am sure many of you have already gotten out all of your Christmas decorations and lights.
If you are going to spend the time putting up outdoor lights during this holiday season, you hope others will be able to see and enjoy them. There is nothing more frustrating than investing the time and energy to put up holiday lights and then forgetting to turn them on after it gets dark. Home automation light sensors and timers ensure your hard work will not go unnoticed.
It is that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas straight ahead. This Thanksgiving you may have your family and friends over for dinner or you might be joining someone else at their table. No matter what your Thanksgiving Day plans are, it is nice to have an extra helping hand around the house on such a chaotic day. A home automation system can make it easy to take care of your home while you are focused on good times, good food, and being thankful for what you have.
When it comes to protecting our families, we all want to have our bases covered. Knowing how to react ahead of time to any situation is the best way to remain safe. With home security and automation, you can truly protect your family from any situation that may arise.
Last week we blogged about what screen and projectors would look best in certain home entertainment areas. This week we would like to take a look at what audio systems would be best in those home entertainment areas, too.
In our previous blog, we discussed how a home theater is a great addition to any home and can bring the family together. There are so many possibilities you could do with a home theater. So this week we want to discuss some great screens and projectors that can complement different areas within the home and provide amazing home entertainment.
Home automation can take movie watching to an entirely different level by integrating your home automation system and a/v system to create a seamless home theater experience. Whether you have a specific room for the home movie theater or just a great living room with cozy couches, we can bring the grand cinema experience to you!
In our CEDIA Recap, part 1 we took a look at Sony, Epson, Dolby, Screen Innovations, and Sonance latest and greatest new products. Now in part 2 we have more coverage of what we liked from CEDIA 2014, and our next top three are below:
1. QNap Turbo NAS:
QNAP’s Turbo NAS is designed for storing and protecting your most cherished memories. QNAP is the ideal centralized storage ‘hub’ for making your files available on various devices at home or on the go. It is a great home multimedia entertainment device. You can browse photos, play music and videos on DLNA compatible devices and easily share them with family and friends. The Turbo NAS also helps to secure your files and gives you control to who you want to have access to those cherished memories. Also, with myQNAPcloud, you can connect much easier to the Turbo NAS without limitation of location. The Turbo NAS easily enriches your home entertainment and content sharing. Also, what is great with QNAP is that they have integrated with Control4 to provide you with the ultimate connected home experience. Check out this video from CEDIA that demonstrates what QNAP and Control4 can do for you:
2. Control4 OS 2.6 Software update:
Control4’s OS 2.6 software update features elegant user interface enhancements, provides instant integration, and delivers compelling Control4 experiences throughout smart homes. This update brings enhanced music experience, intuitive pool and spa control, and extensive new features for added comfort and peace of mind in your home. OS 2.6 software makes it much easier for Control4 dealers to integrate hundreds of third-party products. As an end user this may not be the coolest thing on our list, but it is awesome for us which in turn makes it great for you! We can now provide you with seamless effort and efficiency for all of your Control4 systems.
CEDIA is one of the largest electronics expos in the country, and was hosted this year in Denver, Colorado. Over 500,000 square feet of the most exciting technologies to date, which is why we had to break our CEDIA 2014 recap into two parts!
Below are our first top five picks of what we liked from CEDIA.
1. Epson PowerLite ProCinema LS10000 projector:
This projector delivers a revolutionary 4k Enhancement Technology with incredible sharpness, clarity, and detail. At the heart of the THX certified projector is a laser light engine and a 3LCD Reflective chip array to ensure accurate performance. The projector also offers full HD 1080p in 2D and 3D giving you a stunning viewing experience. This home theater projector is made for the ultimate movie theater experience.
2. Sony W and X Series 4K Ultra HD TV’s :
A lot of businesses these days are beginning to discover the many uses of digital display technology. A video wall is a great way to get a particular message across - whether for advertising, selling or information display – chances are you want a solution that does a lot of the foot work for you. These high impact displays can certainly pack a visual punch, but equally, they serve as an effective business tool, and can strengthen a range of operations within your business.
Security and peace of mind are usually what tops the list for homeowners looking to invest in a home security system. Smart door locks are one of the most beneficial aspects of security and even home automation. With just one touch you can lock and unlock your doors from anywhere, have a ‘goodnight’ button, and let the right guests into your home at the right time.
Smart door locks provide you with convenience. They can help you make sure your doors are locked or unlocked with access from your phone or tablet. They can also help you go key-free. Compatible door locks include keypads or touch screens where you can enter your own unique access code. So no need to carry those keys or try to remember where you placed them, enter your code and welcome home! You could also set your lights to come on immediately when your door opens. Smart door locks can also help you lock your doors from the bed and sleep securely with a touch of one ‘Goodnight’ button.
Also, smart door locks can help you let the right people into your home. For example, you have some family coming from out of town; you can give them their own personal code that works when you are expecting them. You can even get a text alert when they arrive. Another instance is you may have someone coming to work on or clean your home, you could do the same thing and give them their own code and even set an allotted amount of time for their code to work. You don’t have to worry anymore if they try to come back at a later date and time to try to break into your home. Their code will not work.
Another great thing about smart door locks is you can keep tabs on who is coming and going in your home. You can view door lock history and look at each specific code. For example, if you have children, especially teenagers, you could get an alert to know when they come home from school or if they came home on time from curfew.
We can help you pick the best lock for your needs and can provide insight on additional features and benefits. You’ll love the safety, convenience and peace of mind a smart lock can deliver. Let us know how we can help you.
Last month we talked about Commercial Automation and how it can help enhance the atmosphere and organization of any restaurant or sports bar. Well this month we would like to touch on Commercial Security and how it can help improve the security of ANY business establishment.
The basics of commercial security should first and foremost be an adequate alarm system. As a business owner we are here to fit your needs. You could have the simplest security system with just a few alarms and motion detectors or the most enhanced system with cameras and a key code entry system. Whatever you need, we are here to provide you with security and peace of mind for your business.
For example, we suggest that the best security system for any commercial property would be a sufficient alarm system along with key codes for employees and visitors. You could manage employee and visitor access of the establishment; such as where only management should have access. Also, with cameras in and around the business, you can remotely log into the video feeds from anywhere on your smart phone or tablet to check on the property.
Lastly, exterior lighting is another step in providing security to any business property. For instance, exterior lighting goes a long way to provide security for your business, but also the safety of you and your employees. By using motion sensors and light timers, they can offer more visibility in multiple directions and stop a potential burglar when lights suddenly flip on if they are snooping around. Also, a great tip is to put lights and sensors out of reach so that they will not be tampered with by a potential burglar or even an animal.
We always suggest what fits your needs, but more importantly we provide you with better life solutions. Let us know if we can help you in providing security to your business establishment, we are just a call away.
VOLS first game of the season is just a few days away, and I am sure quite a few of y’all are already getting everything ready to throw a great tailgating party. So we want to help you in making the first kick-off of this season one to remember, and we have an awesome list of techy gadgets to make that happen.
The game is definitely number one when it comes to tailgating. The Hitch-N-View and the TailGater go hand in hand to create a great tailgating atmosphere. The Hitch-N-View is a TV stand that mounts onto your trailer hitch; and the TailGater is a portable antenna and receiver from DISH Network that can go anywhere. Not only watch one game, but catch up on all the games going on that day! Don’t be surprised if your tailgating set-up becomes the most popular one.
We have all heard the term DIY. Many DIY projects can be fun, creative, and a good way to show off a new hobby. Then you have those other DIY projects that are major fails! Trust me, I have had those a time or two. One DIY project that I have never understood why anyone would attempt to do is Home Security.
