control4

Direct flight traffic with the careful swipe of your finger using Air Traffic Controller

There are certain games that were meant for a touch screen; games in which buttons would be superfluous. Air Traffic Controller 4.0 XL Lite for iOS is one such game. While there will certainly be comparisons to other (one in particular) games in this niche, Air Traffic Controller manages to find its own way with a number of unique features, engaging gameplay elements, and challenges. The interface is simple enough, the menu bare-bones, and the Lite version has a number of ads, but the game itself is solid and while you won't have access to all 50 levels, … Read more

Sony and Control4 bring home automation to the masses (hands-on)

Most "smart home" automation systems require a significant investment in additional equipment in order to smarten up your otherwise not-so-smart gear.

Sony and Control4 want to simplify the buying process, and bring home automation to a much wider audience, by integrating a full Control4 "brain" into Sony's new ES line of receivers. … Read more

Cisco ties knot with Control4 for smart home

Cisco Systems has invested in Control4 and intends to use Control4's home automation software in large deals with utilities and cities.

The deal, announced today, calls for Cisco to sell Control4 products, such as its home energy management dashboard, under the Cisco brand and to create closer ties between the two companies' products. Cisco invested an undisclosed amount but was the lead investor in a recent round of private funding in Salt Lake City-based Control4.

Control4's software is like an operating system for connected devices in a home, including consumer electronics, home appliances, lights, and thermostats, said company … Read more

Control4 powers into home energy with grid deals

Control4 spread further into energy on Wednesday, announcing deals with Silver Spring Networks and utility AEP around its home energy management system.

The home automation company said that Silver Spring Networks, which provides a networking card for smart meters and business software for utilities, will resell Control4's products. Through its deal with Control4, Silver Spring Networks said it can now offer potential utility customers a consumer-facing energy dashboard and home networking system.

With the Control4 Energy Management System 100, consumers can get up-to-the-minute information on electricity usage and program wireless thermostats and other connected devices.

Silver Spring said it … Read more

Control4 pitches app store for energy display

In an effort to sell its home energy systems, Control4 is taking a page out of the iPhone playbook by designing a sleek device with a dedicated app store.

The home automation company on Monday is announcing at the DistribuTech utility conference that it has developed a Flash-based software developers kit for its EMS 100 home energy management display and the Advantage software that runs on it. The hope is that utilities or energy retailers in deregulated markets, notably Texas, will create customized applications to help consumers cut electricity bills.

The EMS 100 is a small touch-screen display that provides … Read more

Control4 readies networked home energy system

LAS VEGAS--Control4's foray into home energy management was prompted by requests from utilities seeking a company with experience in home networking, according to CEO Will West.

The company, which does home automation software, at CES showed its Energy Management System (EMS) 100, a combination of a Zigbee-enabled thermostat and touch-screen energy controller for viewing home energy data and accessing other applications. The package is set for completion April.

Utilities approached the company because it already has a retail channel to help customers install home media networks and because Control4's technology can expanded with new features over several years, … Read more

Certified green home gets high-tech touches

NARRAGANSET, R.I.--Homeowner Kim Hageman wanted to "go green" at home without giving up any digital comforts.

Three weeks ago, the public relations and marketing executive, her husband, and their two children moved into a house built from the ground up to be both low energy and high tech. It is the first home to get the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes certification in the state of Rhode Island.

It's far more energy efficient than most because the building is tightly insulated and uses a ground-source heat pump, also called geothermal, for … Read more

Control4 to supply monitors in smart-grid project

Control4 Energy Systems, one of a growing number of home energy display providers, said Tuesday it will supply energy monitors in a planned smart-grid project in rural Texas.

The home energy monitor--a 5-inch-wide monitor that resembles a car GPS unit--will display electricity usage in real time and provide consumers the ability to program a thermostat, according to Will Holford, the public affairs manager at Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

The system works by using Zigbee wireless networking within the home to connect the monitor to the thermostat, which communicates with the utility via a smart meter. Other providers in the project, which … Read more

Control4 adds energy monitoring to home network

Home-area network company Control4 wants you to control your energy consumption and home entertainment from the same box.

The Salt Lake City-based company on Wednesday said that it has raised $17.3 million to fund its expansion into energy monitoring and displays. The company plans to introduce its "energy controller," a thermostat that can connect to smart meters, early next year.

One of the investors is the venture arm of Best Buy, which indicated earlier this week that it is looking at offering products for managing climate-control systems in stores.

Control4 is best known for its products for … Read more

Rest easy with Hidetools Child Control

Even though we were disappointed by its brief 14-day trial period, we found this monitoring tool to be top-notch for blocking specific Internet access from children.

Right away, we were impressed by Hidetools Child Control's well-designed user interface. It's both professionally designed and very easy to navigate. Large command buttons represent different blocking options, such as Block Programs, Block Web sites, and Block Windows. Under the Block Programs option, it's easy to choose from a list of default applications. We were also able to manually add others to the list. Sure enough, all of the applications were … Read more