Savant, a leading home control & automation company, announced today that it is making an app available for the Apple smart watch – called, logically enough, the Savant App on Apple Watch. Since Savant is one of the only home automation companies to base their control systems on the Apple operating system, it only makes sense that they would be one of the first in the tech business to offer an Apple Watch app.
Tech Trends
Tesla’s Musk Not Only Wants to Power Your Car, but Your Home Too
Residential & Commercial Energy Storage is a Fast Growing New Market
Two separate announcements this week add significant momentum to a rapidly growing market we first told you about three years ago – the residential energy storage market. Now, two new announcements – one from Toshiba in Japan, and the other from home-grown Tesla, dramatically reveal the increasing interest in this all-new market for residential energy storage devices.
See more on what Tesla’s Elon Musk and Toshiba are working on… [Read more…] about Tesla’s Musk Not Only Wants to Power Your Car, but Your Home Too
At Tidal – A Wave of Layoffs & New CEO
Tidal, the music streaming service recently purchased by rap star Jay Z and more than a dozen of his closest music superstar friends, is already feeling the impact of its new ownership. Moving quickly, Jay Z and his team has taken several steps including dismissing the existing CEO Andy Chen and what the company says is a “handful” of other executives from the service.
See more on this rapid and surprising move… [Read more…] about At Tidal – A Wave of Layoffs & New CEO
Showing the Power of Software – Latest TiO Update Expands Capabilities
We have been reporting on TiO and its various predecessor permutations (Colorado vNet, 3vNet, ACTP) for some time now. TiO, which stands for Turn it On, is an interesting hybrid of software and hardware enabling an incredibly flexible home automation system that strikes a balance between easy operation, system capabilities, user experience (UX) and powerful performance.
TiO is app driven and also has a proprietary system software solution . And now the company shows us the power of a strong system software foundation with an “update” that dramatically expands the systems capabilities.
See more on how this upgrade expands the TiO capabilities… [Read more…] about Showing the Power of Software – Latest TiO Update Expands Capabilities
Apple’s Smartwatch: A Magnum Opus? Or A Major Oh-Oh?
Smarmy smugness notwithstanding, Apple executives must be getting at least a little nervous. As we recently reported, their launch of the new Apple Watch saw a response that was tepid at best. As the press expressed a healthy dose of skepticism, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted with a touch of irony how the press has been wrong on most of the company’s launches of many products that went on to dominate their markets. So…talk to the hand.
But is this time – with this product – going to be different for Apple?… [Read more…] about Apple’s Smartwatch: A Magnum Opus? Or A Major Oh-Oh?
HDMI Forum Announces Release of HDMI 2.0a Spec
With many just getting their arms wrapped around the new HDMI 2.0 specification, we now learn that the HDMI Forum – parent of HDMI Licensing, LLC – has released a new HDMI 2.0a specification. This new spec update is said to add support for high dynamic range (HDR) transmissions.
See more on this new HDMI 2.0a spec… [Read more…] about HDMI Forum Announces Release of HDMI 2.0a Spec
IBM to Invest $3 Billion to Launch ‘Internet of Things’ Unit
Momentum Building in Emerging IoT Market
International Business Machines Corp. – the company better known as IBM – announced this week that it will invest a cool $3 billion dollars (yes, that’s billion with a ‘b’) to launch a new division focused on the now rapidly emerging “Internet of Things” (IoT) market. IBM hopes to convince customers it is the expert they need when it comes to “gathering and making sense of the surge in real-time data” according to a Reuters report.
See more on why we feel this story is significant… [Read more…] about IBM to Invest $3 Billion to Launch ‘Internet of Things’ Unit
Think Apple’s Watch is Doomed to Fail? Better Think Again
Apple, Inc. announced the coming availability of the Watch, its first major product in years, at a presentation earlier this month. Since that announcement, we’ve been struck by the lack of enthusiasm for the product amongst members of the TECH press. In conversations with colleagues, we heard many predict that the Watch is doomed to failure, in part because of this tepid response.
Now, results from a new survey suggests TECH wonks may be wrong… [Read more…] about Think Apple’s Watch is Doomed to Fail? Better Think Again
New Research Says by 2020 Almost 50% of All U.S. Homes Will Have 4K TVs
New research from Strategy Analytics predicts that shipments of 4K Ultra HDTV are about to take off thanks to new lower prices and homeowners’ growing need to replace aging flat-panel sets. In fact, they predict that almost one out of every two homes in America will have 4K Ultra HDTV in the next five years. The U.S. market will lead the world in 4K adoption.
See more on this interesting new 4K forecast… [Read more…] about New Research Says by 2020 Almost 50% of All U.S. Homes Will Have 4K TVs
Planar to Show Unique Transparent OLED Technology at ISE2015
Planar Systems, Inc. announced today that it will show a new transparent OLED technology this month at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2015 this month. Calling themselves “a pioneer in this next wave of transparent display” Planar will show what looks to be an impressive 55″ prototype display with stunning OLED image on a transparent screen.