The Fall Issue
Shorter days, brighter nights
What's new in home technology this season, plus a Halloween idea your trick-or-treaters will remember.
Hi neighbor,
October around here means the humidity finally lets up a little, the sun sets before dinner, and the porch becomes the center of the neighborhood for one night of the year.
A few weeks ago the home technology industry held its big annual show, CEDIA Expo. I went through the announcements and pulled out what I think is actually worth your time. Some of it is practical, some is just fun, and one of the best ideas happens to be perfect for Halloween.
Shawn Lawless
Flawless Technology
Halloween
Give the porch a little theater
If your home has color-capable lighting, Halloween is the one night it gets to show off. That house at the top of this page is the idea: one "Trick-or-Treat" scene that runs the whole evening on its own. Here's roughly what it looks like:
Scene: Trick-or-Treat
- About 6:40 on Halloween here. Landscape lights fade up to a deep amber, and the path lights glow orange down the walkway.
- Porch and front windows shift to a slow purple-and-orange pulse. Front shades lower halfway, so it's dramatic from the street but private inside.
- Each ring flickers the porch lights and plays a creaky-door sound through the outdoor speakers. The doorbell camera records every costume.
- Lights fade back to normal, which is the universal sign for "we're out of candy."
Next day it's back to normal, and the scene waits for next year.
Heading to a party instead?
An "Away" scene turns lights on and off in a natural pattern and keeps cameras watching, so the house doesn't sit dark on the busiest foot-traffic night of the year.
Scary movie on the lanai
Screen Innovations just released KAOS 360, an outdoor projection screen made for patios and pool decks. A screen, a projector, and outdoor speakers turn the backyard into a drive-in for the whole street.
Outdoor Lighting
Lutron finally moved outside
The outdoor news that caught my eye most was VIA, a new landscape lighting system from Coastal Source built on Lutron's lighting technology. Your yard, pool and lanai lights can be controlled alongside your indoor lights, in warm white or full color. That's how the Halloween scene works, and it's how the same yard goes red and green in December.
The fixtures are solid brass and built for salt air, humidity and Florida sun. If you're on the water, that matters more than any feature on the spec sheet.
Inside the Home
Light that keeps up with the season
Clocks fall back on November 1, and we lose another hour of evening light. A properly set up lighting system follows the actual sunrise and sunset for your address, so your lights shift with the season and you never reset a timer.
Lutron also introduced Orluna, a new collection of downlights and accent lights that tune from warm candlelight to crisp daylight. Slide below to see the difference in the same room.
Windows
For wide glass and low sun
Fall sun sits lower in the sky, which means more glare straight into living rooms in the late afternoon. Coupled shades link several shades across a wide slider so they move together as one. Give it a try:
- Lutron Palladiom Drapery looks like a classic drapery rod and opens with a tap. It won this year's top award for drapery hardware.
- Dual shades put a sheer and a blackout in the same window: soft light at 4 p.m., full dark at bedtime.
Holiday Hosting
Before the guests arrive
Thanksgiving and the holidays are close behind. A few of this year's ideas that make a full house easier.
A TV that belongs in the room
Sony's new BRAVIA 9 II comes in sizes up to 115 inches and uses a new LED design Sony says produces its best color yet. For rooms where a big black screen would spoil the look, frame-style TVs display art until it's time to watch.
Talk to the house
Josh.ai's new software lets you describe what you want, like "dinner party in the dining room," and it builds the scene for you. Sonos speakers can now dim Lutron lights and lower shades by voice, too.
A shower that's ready when you are
Kohler's Anthem+ digital shower now connects to Control4. Your morning routine can warm the shower, turn on the bathroom lights and start your playlist with one button. Nice on the first chilly morning of the year.
Worth Knowing
The quiet part: power
Hurricane season runs through November 30, and fall storms still bring lightning and outages. Power was the theme of this year's show for good reason: a lot of "my system is acting up" calls trace back to surges and dirty power, not the equipment.
Surge protection, battery backup for your network and cameras, and remote monitoring cost far less than replacing a TV or losing your security system mid-storm. Not sure what's protecting yours? Ask us and we'll take a look.