Nerds On Call: Smart Home Automation

March 5, 2013 - PRLog -- As criminals become more sophisticated in their abilities to attack our homes with technology, we need our home security to be smarter too.  While traditional house alarms are fine for basic security, Smart Home automation systems integrate with video and online monitoring.  Check up on your house live on your computer or mobile device, or have footage stored in the cloud so you can catch perpetrators “on tape.”  Here are some security components of the Smart Home products NERDS like.

Wireless IP cameras can be installed inside and outside your home and offer high-quality, digital surveillance. Instead of wondering what caused your back door to trigger, for example, you can see your “wonder dog” force the door open with your own eyes, catching him “red-pawed,” as it so happens.  Exterior motion sensors can alert you whenever a car or person walks up your driveway.  Even set up your garage door controller so you can check it (and close it) using your Smartphone if you can’t remember closing it when you left the house.

Insteon (www.insteon.net) can provide you these capabilities, in addition to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that email or text you when triggered and motion sensors ranging up to 3000 feet.  It’s designed to be self-installed, so you can personalize it to fit your family’s needs with a multitude of devices that integrate into the core monitoring hub, letting you decide if you prefer basic door and window monitoring or Fort Knox lockdown.

Because all their devices communicate through radio frequencies in addition to the existing power lines, you always have a back-up should one system fail.  Each device repeats the signal it receives from the other three times, thus amplifying the information being conveyed and substantially increasing its range.  As an added security feature, every device has a unique ID which prevents hackers from controlling your home.

Lowe’s also has a universal home monitoring service called Iris (www.lowes.com/iris).  Their basic security program starts at around $175 and you install it yourself by plugging the base unit into your WiFi router and setting up the point-of-entry sensors.  Monitor the system on any Internet-connected device, laptop, desktop computer and even your Smartphone.

The system has motion sensors and window and door contacts that can be tailored to your home’s specific needs.  When one is triggered, you receive a text, email, or phone call to alert you of the problem.  Install cameras inside your home and use your Smartphone to record video when you need it.

Iris Modes allow you to set multiple devices with one click.  Away for the day: touch one button and your motion sensors and alarm are turned on while lights are turned off.  Home for the night: motion sensors are toggled off so you don’t inadvertently set off your alarm by going to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Build advanced functions using “Magic Rules.”  For example, if a motion detector is triggered you can set your cameras to automatically begin recording video.  Because you monitor it yourself, you are free of the monthly fees that alarm companies charge, unless you want to use their Premium monitoring services ($10/month), which include saving recorded videos to the web and the ability to notify more people of alarm triggers.

AT&T’s Digital Life, coming to most metropolitan areas in March 2013, promises to provide home security with 24-hour home monitoring for break-ins, fire alarms and medical emergencies, and it’s paired with video monitoring both inside and outside your home.  It’ll be IP-based (meaning you can monitor it over the Internet), and includes motion detectors, wirelessly-controlled cameras, security keypads and window and door sensors, integrating them with other home automations.  No word yet on pricing for equipment, installation or monitoring.

Something to consider:  While many look to DIY home security systems as a way to avoid paying monthly fees for equipment leasing or monitoring, it’s important to note the drawbacks to going solo – just you and your gadgets.  When you’re out of town and one of your windows is broken at 3am, it’s up to you to call the cops.  Unless you have a Smartphone with great reception, you won’t always be in range of a WiFi signal to check your video feeds.  Finally, keep in mind that equipment does age over time and home security isn’t a “set it and forget it” proposition.  You will need to maintain your system regularly, checking sensors to ensure they’re working properly.

About Nerds On Call:
Established in a spare room in Redding, Calif., in March 2004, Nerds On Call offers on-site computer and laptop repair services to consumers and businesses. Nerds On Call provides trouble-shooting for PCs and Macs, home and office networks, printers, iPods® and MP3 players, handheld devices and cell phones, home theaters and game systems, and virtually every other form of digital entertainment. In 2009, 2010, & 2011 the company was named to Inc. magazine’s list of 5000 fastest growing private companies. With15 locations across California, Oregon, Washington, & Arizona Nerds On Call serves more than 40,000 satisfied customers per year. For more information, visit www.callnerds.com or call 1-800-919-NERD.
About The Author:
Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, an on-site computer and laptop repair service (http://www.callnerds.com/) for consumers and businesses. Andrea is the writer of two weekly columns, Computer Nerds On Call a nationally syndicated column for Scripps-Howard News Service, and Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She regularly appears on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, and CNN on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, Good Morning Arizona and MORE Good Day Portland, offering viewers easy tips on technology, Internet lifestyle, and gadgets. Andrea recently has begun working with Demand Media to produce content for eHow.com and has written a book for them Smartphone 101: Integrating Your iPhone Into a Windows World.
Andrea is available for Q & A’s, expert tech quotes and will appear on your show, call today! See Andrea in action at www.callnerds.com/andrea.