TED GOSLIN, CONTENT MANAGER

(Re)defining the Smart Home

11/30/2020

More robust networks, expanded use of AI and voice control, and maximizing streaming quality are among the current smart home priorities.

Consumers are now comfortable using smart devices in every aspect of their professional and personal lives, especially in their homes. Industry reports note the smart home market is booming. Analyst firm Markets and Markets estimates steady growth, from $76.6 billion in 2018 to $151.4 billion by 2024 — an annual increase of 12 percent. Home purchases are also made with potential connectivity as a bargaining point, with some recent surveys indicating many smart home users would be more likely to purchase a home that already had connected technology.

As a result, more consumers are either initiating smart home projects or significantly stepping up their current capabilities. This creates new opportunities for integrators and installers to work with clients on a deeper level to offer expertise, suggest a new idea, or generate more revenue by recommending add-on items for a home system.

For 2020 and beyond, the closely watched trends include increasing technology standardization, broadening use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and faster and more efficient networking technologies, especially 5G and Wi-Fi 6.

The Importance of Speed and Bandwidth
Today’s homes have networking requirements like those of business environments, making them best served by enterprise-grade networking equipment, including the use of high-grade cabling capable of handling high-speed data transfer without dropout. This level of networking system can prioritize Wi-Fi traffic to ensure the songs streaming throughout a house won’t be interrupted when someone downloads a video. As more smart devices are added, a high-quality networking system can be reconfigured with new prioritization parameters.

Wireless standards such as Z-Wave, Zigbee, or Bluetooth are embraced by many consumers, but each has forced consumers to deal with issues regarding device interoperability and efficient network traffic flow. New standards such as 5G or enhanced wireless technologies like Wi-Fi 6 can mean more reliable and faster networks as well as better access to data.
5G would enable better compatibility among devices and reduce delays with wire-free use of more devices on a network at one time with low power consumption.

Wi-Fi 6 is the next wireless standard experts are betting on to streamline smart home networks. Previously referred to as 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6 combines speed with the ability to manage network congestion and, arguably more important, direct and prioritize user traffic by managing requests for bandwidth by different people in a household using different connected devices.

Control Options Galore
Already more devices in the smart (or connected) home employ some form of machine learning or natural language processing. This trend will likely continue throughout the next decade, coupled with the rise of technologies using artificial intelligence like Alexa, Siri, or Josh.ai to control home devices for either entertainment, security, lighting, or maintenance. Billed as “sophisticated AI for the luxury home,” Josh.ai uses artificial intelligence to customize the smart home, allowing access to smart home devices from any physical device in your home, be it a laptop or tablet. It will also never sell data for marketing or third-party advertisements.

Voice control has become an integral part of every smart home and in the world of home control, just as in the world of music, it’s good to have options. That’s why many manufacturers, including Yamaha, work with leading providers of home control systems, including Control4, RTI, URC, ELAN, Josh.ai, Crestron, and others. Being able to choose from a variety of control systems to mate with a multi-room audio system allows clients to weave in an assortment of smart devices. Plus, it ensures a level of comfort and convenience essential for any household.

Watch Anything, Anywhere
Consumers now have myriad options for watching their favorite movies and television shows, streaming on-demand content using services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, or Hulu. This diversity is great, but each service differs in audio and video quality and settings. The installer who knows how to explain this to customers and help them optimize home equipment accordingly will be the hero.

As an example, the default audio playback for Netflix is 2-channel stereo. To enable 5.1-channel surround sound for compatible content, go to the “Audio & Subtitles” menu during playback and select that option. 5.1-channel surround sound is available with a compatible AV receiver or soundbar that automatically optimizes Dolby-encoded content. (Most Yamaha AV receivers and soundbars have this capability.) Dolby Atmos is available with a Premium membership only, and, for optimal sound quality, HDMI cables are required for both Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos.

There are similar instructions for other services, and they can be found in the customer support sections of their web sites.

Wireless Multi-Room Audio
Multi-room audio remains a smart home staple, and a great way to integrate an audio system in a smart home is by using wireless technology that seamlessly connects multiple devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Music can stream everywhere throughout a house without latency, which means that every speaker, no matter where it’s located, plays the song perfectly in sync. Every command sent to the whole-house system — whether by a mobile app, remote control, or voice-enabled device — will reach its destination fast and reliably

Even as more consumers take on the role of DIYer, the smart home arena will continue to expand and grow more complex, making the trusted and knowledgeable custom installer a vital link in the chain.

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Mobile Electronics Article NOVEMBER ISSUE FEATURE: REAL WORLD RETAIL - TRUE GRIT

7/10/2015

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11-16-2017, Mobile Electronics -- It was the middle of winter. The temperature was 10 degrees below zero. Two men were outside in a dirt parking lot, working on a remote start install with a blanket draped across the door to keep out the snow. An electric heater was pumping warmth into their makeshift cave to offer the only sliver of comfort they'd get on this cold, cold day. The two men had no experience with remote starters, their only guide being a printed installation manual. Nineteen years later, those two men—owner Ben Larson and his brother John—would see their store, Sound Connection, Inc., become Mobile Electronics Retailer of the Year, Store Chain.

"The moral of the story is that every day I come to work, I'm kind of amazed that we've made it this far. It really did start from absolutely nothing. We had no prior experience in car audio or business and we just fumbled our way through it," Larson said. "If anybody ever wanted to start a business and was worried they didn't have enough money or knowledge, I can tell them otherwise. All you really need is grit."

Since 1995, Ben Larson has been in business as a retailer, but his journey really began when he moved to Minnesota with his parents at age five, witnessing their journey as small business owners. "My parents were in retail for as long as I can remember. They had a little tchotchke store called Soup and Save. They sold tools and trinkets," Larson said. "One day I saw an ad for amps and speakers in a catalog they used to order. I tried to put amps and speakers into my car. I had no idea what I was doing. I jig-sawed a doghouse for a speaker box and it looked like a beaver chewed through it. It was awful. Then I started reading articles in a car audio magazine and a friend asked me to do one for him. With each install, I got a little bit better. So I thought there might be a market for this and opened my first store."
With only 300 square feet, no cash register, no accounting system and no install bay, Larson knew he had a long way to go, but pressed on regardless. "I bought $1,000 worth of product from M&M. I kept growing the business, read every car audio magazine and did as much research as I possibly could. In 1998, I brought my little brother on. He had just graduated high school," he said. "That was my life. I ate, slept and breathed car audio forever and just kept getting better and better. I invested every penny I had and it grew from there."

Today, the two-store chain, which has locations in Waite Park and Brainerd, Minn., is doing better than ever, having just moved to Waite Park earlier this year from a location in St. Joe. The move was caused by a leasing issue, but the company is all the better for it.

"Business is great right now. We ended up buying a building, completely remodeled it, and moved in less than 60 days. Now we own a building in a very busy part of town. Our other store is in another fantastic part of town in Brainerd. We're working on building our second building," Larson said. "Business has been consistently up since 2010 when we joined M.E.S.A. and started doing Black Friday events. We're looking to expand to a third store and are getting into different revenue streams like window tinting, PDF and truck accessories."

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Mobile Electronics Blog:March Madness and the Pyramid of Success

8/8/2014

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Given the popularity of college basketball and its annual tournament known as “March Madness,” I thought it appropriate to discuss the concept of a tournament and its affect on the human psyche. But first, here’s a seemingly unrelated book reference:
I recently finished reading the second book in a series called “The Reckoners”. The first book in the series, “Steelheart,” follows a group of freedom fighters attempting to rid the world of super-powered overlords and the book’s namesake antagonist, a Superman-esque villain that is impervious to all weapons. These powerful beings, called Epics, once mere ordinary people, were corrupted when a powerful atmospheric event turned them into Epics. But due to their powers, every one of them was corrupted. As they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I know what you’re thinking. What the hell does any of this have to do with “March Madness?” Good question.
Legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, was known for many things. He was the first person in history to be named to the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. He was given the nickname, “Wizard of Westwood,” an appropriate title given his record of winning 10 NCAA titles during his last 12 seasons, with seven of the 10 coming in consecutive years. He was also incredibly humble, making no more than $35,000 a year—$151,918 in today’s dollars—and never asking for a raise.
Despite all of those accolades, Wooden is perhaps best known for his inspirational wisdom, stemming from his “Pyramid of Success” model. The model was aimed at giving players the tools to be successful in both basketball and life, inspiring players like Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—both former UCLA players—to become future NBA greats.
There’s a point to all of this, I promise.
As you can see in the attached image, the pyramid is built with a list of carefully selected elements, consisting of virtues like loyalty, cooperation, initiative, self-control and team spirit, among others. These virtues all add up to the top section of the pyramid: competitive greatness.
For the 12-volt entrepreneur, this concept should be familiar considering that to be successful in any endeavor, one must be well-prepared to best the competition, or at least put up a good fight. Perhaps the biggest part of being accomplished is how to deal with success without it going to your head. In his book, “Wooden on Leadership,” Wooden said, “You must monitor confidence because it can easily turn into arrogance which then can lead to the mistaken and destructive belief that previous achievement will be repeated without the same hard effort that brought it about in the first place.”
This leads me to “The Reckoners” book reference from earlier. It’s easy to let success go to your head. You can have the appearance of success by gaining fame, professional respect and money, but that doesn’t mean you are achieving it in the best way possible to gain inner peace and self-respect. If you sacrifice any of the elements that make up the pyramid in exchange for the easy way, you will lose sight of yourself as a person and become a self-absorbed, arrogant bore on his way to “the bench.”
Much like the playoff brackets in the NCAA “March Madness” tournament, the pyramid requires patience and determination so that all steps are executed properly. It’s like building a sound system in an RV; it’s a large endeavor that requires planning, long hours and lots of equipment placed carefully in the vehicle. If any step is skipped, the whole thing could be a colossal waste of time and require even more hours to fix all of the errors.
More often than not the teams that win the championships in basketball are those that follow the pyramid, or any other healthy leadership paradigm from their coach. Those that fail are like “Steelheart”; they take their natural, genetic talent and squander it without tapping into their true potential. If you don’t believe me, just read the words of the man himself:
“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

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Reality Check: Learn the truth behind 'House'

5/6/2009

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http://clear365.typepad.com/clear_365_blogs/2009/07/reality-check-house.html

It was a mystery that couldn't be solved. Teams of doctors had examined the patient in every possible way to identify his illness, but so far, nothing. Then, there he was: Hobbling through the hospital on his trusty walking cane, the one man who could piece together this medical puzzle ... even if he was a jerk.
On Fox's hit series, 'House', Hugh Laurie plays Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant, problem-solving diagnostician with a specialty in infectious diseases and a taste for insulting both his colleagues and patients with brutally honest, narcissistic (but hilarious) quips. Now wrapping up its fifth season, 'House' has succeeded for numerous reasons. Not the least of these is its skillful and realistic depiction of modern medicine, for which the show relies on real medical professionals as on-set advisors and writers.
Among these advisors is Dr. David Foster, a full-time staff writer and consultant who holds a doctorate in medicine from Harvard Medical School and previously worked as a physician at Boston's Beth Israel Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health. (When he first started on 'House,' Foster actually commuted from the East Coast to L.A. during production weeks so he could assist with the series as well as continue his full-time work at an inner-city health center in Boston.)
Today, Foster's team -- which also includes writers without medical backgrounds -- is responsible for coming up with plausible mysteries for Dr. House to solve. That can be a challenge in this post-'ER'age, when TV viewers demand realism from their medical shows, Foster said in an interview with Canwest News Service. "Fortunately, there's an endless number of ways the human body can break down," he said. "It's great for us; it's not so great for humanity."
Still, there are critics who believe some of the medical puzzles on 'House' could never occur in real life.
"There's always somebody who's going to say, 'That would never happen," Foster said. "But what they really mean to say is, 'I've never seen that,' or, 'This never happened to me' -- which may well be true. If you want to say that, you can say that. But that's not our show."
One critic is Scott Morrison, M.D., a family-practice physician who in his spare time hosts the TV and comics website, Polite Dissent. Writing for the general public -- not just docs -- on his site, Morrison analyzes the storylines of science-based TV shows and comics, meticulously rating and explaining their truth-fiction accuracy points.
As far as 'House,' is concerned, Morrison says via email that the show's "medical mysteries/diagnoses are all fairly accurate, just extremely, extremely unlikely. The writers will take an obscure disease, and then find its most obscure symptoms and presentation."
A good example of this, he says, is an episode revolving around visceral leishmaniasis, a parasidic disease similar to malaria. "Where the writers tend to play loose with reality is the doctors' choices of tests and treatments," Morrison explains. "Visceral leishmaniasis can affect many internal organs, but other signs and symptoms would appear before it became as severe as it did in the show."
Though he hasn't encountered quite as many medical mysteries as the acerbic TV doc, Morrison says one particular case of his came pretty close to an episode of 'House.'
"My most memorable mystery was a patient who was diagnosed with aplastic anemia; all his blood counts -- red, white, platelet -- were incredibly low," Morrison says. "He came in complaining of bruising, but had no other symptoms. He was active and had played a two-hour game of basketball the night before without difficulty. [Then] blood tests were run and showed that he had a life-threatening anemia and neutropenia. I had to hunt him down at his daughter's high-school graduation to get him to the hospital ASAP."
In Morrison's view, the most accurate part of 'House' is its depiction of clinic scenes. "Those are pretty true to life," he says.
And the least accurate?
"When they deal with blood-typing," Morrison says. "They always seem to screw that up."

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ARTICLES

(Re)defining the Smart Home

More robust networks, expanded use of AI and voice control, and maximizing streaming quality are among the current smart home priorities.

Mobile Electronics Article NOVEMBER ISSUE FEATURE: REAL WORLD RETAIL - TRUE GRIT

Mobile Electronics Blog:March Madness and the Pyramid of Success

READ OVER 4500 TIMES

Reality Check: Learn the truth behind 'House'