“Influential” is a title given to something or someone who has an impact on the actions of another person or thing. We all know, whether it’s good or bad, celebrities are influential people. How about their homes? These are a few of the most influential smart homes owned by celebrities. Houses like the one pictured will make people re-think using a control system in their own home or business. These mansions are tailored to wealthy homeowners, but any building can be turned into a smart home, even for those with a budget.
The beautiful home above is in Colorado and owned by none other than Oprah Winfrey. It features an in-home theater, a jacuzzi room, a guest house and more. The billionaire also has smart home automation set up with remote-controlled systems throughout her household, such as being able to water her plants while she’s away. Not to mention her “smart” driveway, with a heated ground during the colder months to keep it clear of ice and snow buildup, as well as notification sensors that tell her when people arrive at her home even when she’s on vacation. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, uses the luxury of having a smart home to a different extent. He has an electronic butler installation within his house. The voice automation is named “Jarvis,” after Iron Man’s own AI butler. He’s run through an app wired to listen and respond to typescript or speech. Unlike Siri and Alexa, “Jarvis” is used to control everything in the home from locks, lighting, entries, audio-visual sound systems, temperature, and he’s even able to perform meal preparation. A mansion like Bill Gates’ can’t go unnoticed in this category. Even his pool is equipped with an underwater sound system. There’s nothing like being able to listen to music under water, right? Touch screen tablets in every room allow his guests to control music, lights, and temperature in their own space. However, his home automation goes even farther, guests are given devices that connect them to all smart home controls throughout the entire mansion. Actress Sofia Vergara knew exactly what she wanted out of her Smart Home and got it. She’s able to relax and enjoy as her automation systems manage all security, appliances, and any entertainment within her home. She’s also planning on moving up the scale by adding an in-home robot much like Zuckerberg’s J.A.R.V.I.S. to do things around the house. By the looks of it, she’ll have that installation done as well. Feeling influenced? Everyone deserves to stay connected, safe, and valued. Whether it’s a sound system, security, lighting, temperature control, all the above or more, look into smart home installation and see what you would want out of it. How could it help you? If money is an issue, remember that depending on what or how much you want done, you don't have to be a billionaire to put some smarts into a structure. We Are More specializes in automation installments and would be happy to assist any home or business with an interest in this leading technology. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Sound Systems For Home TheatersWho else likes to boost their audio-visual experience with surround sound? In the average home theater, there are usually no more than seven speakers and no less than four. Along with those speakers, every booming sound system has a subwoofer. Each speaker has a separate task, which I’ll explain below. aside from the subwoofer, there is a center channel speaker, a speaker to the left and one to the right, these would be your front speakers, then you have the surround speakers. The subwoofer is a loudspeaker component designed to reproduce very low bass frequencies. It's what makes vibrations during the intense scenes in a movie. Whenever there is an explosion, an earthquake, or something of the sort in any film, a subwoofer is the reason you can feel the room shaking. The low rumbling you hear and feel is a result of the sub. It’s not only the bass in the room but also the base for the rest of the sound system. Front left and right speakers are used to get a sound that travels the width of an amount of space. If you were sitting in a home theater, these are the speakers that would normally be facing the audience on opposite sides of the room (hence one on the left and one on the right). These speakers move sounds from one side of the room to the other by accommodating the center channel speaker to put you in the action on your screen. No one likes watching a movie where the sound is lagging behind the lips moving on a movie. Yet, you know exactly what I’m talking about. A center channel speaker is important-- aren’t they all? -- because they’re the reason that what you see on screen matches the sound you hear. It’s the speaker that spills all dialogue and gives out majority of special effect sounds throughout films.
Surround sound speakers do exactly what their name says. They give you surround sound. These speakers have different placement based off personal desires but typically they are behind the audience; either placed on the ground, up on a table/desk of some kind, or up on a wall. Surround sound speakers are like the toppings on your favorite ice cream sundae. They complete the set up. These speakers give off the sound that submerges the audience in whatever is on their screen. They lock everything in place. You don’t need to have an actual theater in your home to have a home theater system set up. These speakers come in many sizes and can be adjusted to make any sized room feel and sound like an actual theater room. systems like this are great to set up just for listening to music as well. Just as an extra tip, if you’re one of the few who don’t know, you will also need a surround sound Receiver aka an AV Receiver. A receiver is the heart of a home theater system. The way a human heart pumps blood in and out of itself and then throughout the human body, a receiver pumps input and output frequencies of sound throughout the speakers. So go try it out! Call We Are More if you need help with installations or if you need to purchase any speakers; fair warning though-- we will only offer you the best of the best. No copyright infringement is intended. Are Smart Buildings Saving The Planet?Shockingly, there are a lot of people who don’t know how detrimental power plant emissions are. Smart Homes and Smart Businesses play a big part in helping to reduce that waste. According to encyclopedia.com, power plant emissions are from the “combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil. These emissions include sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, and hazardous air pollutants,” which are all harmful to the environment.
What happens when the release of burned coal, damaging oils, and fossil fuels enter the atmosphere? Simply put, air pollution. Since air pollution is made up of chemicals, it damages the earth. National Geographic lets us know that these chemicals are deteriorative to the human body, harmful to animals as well as plants and can even damage buildings. Reducing these chemicals protects the air and decreases unnatural heat in the atmosphere. How do we reduce these chemicals? Reduce energy use. When people think of smart buildings, they may also think that those buildings are using more energy than a regular building, but that’s not true. On top of smart buildings having the capability of controlling exactly how much energy they use, they can also use eco friendly building materials, LED lighting, solar panels, household water conversion, wind turbines, harness geothermal energy, sustainable insulation, energy efficient appliances, water re-use, rainwater harvesting to enhance the savings. In result, these buildings are recognized for reducing the use of power plants. The bigger the building the more energy being used, and the more critical it is for building to switch over to smart technology. As an example, when hotels become “smart-hotels” they help save the earth in a bigger way because they usually take up more energy than a single bedroom home. In hotels, guests can partake in environmental resolutions too. There is always a “one touch green button” that guests can press to engage with the hotel’s ecological goals. We Are More uses a control system called Control4 Automation to regulate energy use for their installation of smart buildings. Just being able to “set thermostats accordingly” or control audio-visual systems from wherever you are reduces energy waste. Business buildings with automated lights, TVs, sound systems, etc. can also make “closing time” quick and easy by shutting down everything at once. Improved energy management should be a “must” for everyone. Efficient energy use not only benefits your wallet but also the Earth. The less energy being used by utilizing better energy control through smart buildings, the less chemicals being released into the air, the healthier our planet will be. Thank you, to anyone who owns, manages, or works in a smart building. You are helping to save the environment with technology whether you know it or not. No copyright infringement is intended. The Top 5 Speaker Brands For Home TheatersAccording to We Are More's lead electrical contractor, Ola Shaw, there are only three. Triad, Sonos, and Bose-- "those are really the only ones I recommend." Why? They all have the same things in common which are contrary to other speakers; quality, longevity, they're all easy to install, they enhance the audio, they don't mess up the visual of your theater (hidden easily) and they're easy to use. When paired with Control4, a home automation system, any of these speakers take home theater to another level.
Triad speakers have a rich sound and come in a wide range of sizes. They're recognized for giving out the "most beautiful sound you will ever see." Trippy right? Besides their great sound, they also are subject to customization. A quote I took away from the Triad speakers website states, "Beauty is in the eye. The ear. And even the soul. It is sound you don't just hear, but feel. Sound that inspires and moves you. Sound you love." A good motto for all three of these speaker brands. Along with bold sound, Sonos speakers also have a wide range of sizes. Not to mention the number of wireless options. Specifically for home theater, they cater to users with their different varieties of surround sound sets. If you aren't looking for a set, they sell all pieces separately as well. The basis of Bose speakers have always been their values, innovations, and achievements. The three things they continue to hold on to and produce! Bose is continually raising the bar for all their speakers, pushing forward in every way to always make sure their costumes have the best of the best. When walking around an art museum, people pay attention to detail; colors, materials, and even types of brush strokes. Artists focus on each detail, they need them all to work together for the piece as a whole. The same goes for a home theater. Quality speakers are what make home theaters come to life. It's not enough to just have a huge tv in a dim room. What about those crazy action scenes in movies, or that intense music, or angelic walks by the lake, being able to hear every bird chirp, every whisper, crashing wave, and last breath. Hearing those sounds can put viewers in real time with the movie. Top notch surround sound is a must for the full impact of any film. No copyright infringement is intended. |
Our AuthorSamara Towers does We Are More's PR & Marketing which includes writing our blogs! She was born and raised in Hawaii and graduated from Corban University with a Bachelors Degree in Creative Writing. She produces content to give our audience more insight and opinions on technical solutions big and small. Archives
January 2023
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