IoT, Smart Home, Home Automation and Home Technology Blog
Customised are proud to have installed 100's of Google Nest thermostats over the years. Make this #EarthDay the last one that you have without a smart learning thermostat controlling your heating and hot water.
The Nest Thermostat learns the temperature you like, then programs itself. It uses built-in sensors to confirm no one's home and it knows how long it takes to heat your home. App and voice controlled.
Get in touch, we're your local Nest Pro.
We’d like to introduce one of our new packages, the Google Nest Smart Home. It's a packaged installation service featuring all the well known Google Nest smart home products, professionally installed and working nicely together on a single interface on App, smartphone, tablet, touch screens and with voice control.
The first thing we do with any home that we are installing technology in is we install a good WiFi system. This is the backbone of any smart home system. Our Google Nest Smart Home package includes the Google Nest WiFi system, with 3 WiFi mesh access points. This blankets the home in WiFi, gives you a great App for controlling the WiFi system for parental control, scheduling, speed tests, internet access, easy to change passwords, easy to check who is online etc. The system manages your home WiFi system in a way you have never been able to before.
Once the WiFi is set up then we can add some cameras. The Nest Hello Doorbell replaces your existing dumb doorbell. It has a full HD camera, motion detection and facial recognition camera at the front door. We will supply and fully install the Nest Hello Doorbell, including setting it up on your smartphone and tablet, so you get those all important alerts and notifications from the doorbell.
Also outside, we are going to install an outdoor camera, the Google Nest Outdoor Cam. This will go at the rear of the property to provide coverage of the rear of the property. We will supply, fully install and set up the camera, connecting it to the Google Nest app.
The Google Nest Smart Home package includes two Google Nest Hub 7in touch screens, so you don’t always have to view the cameras on your tablet or smartphone. You will be able to view the back door camera, the front door camera, but also ask for other things like news, weather, travel updates, view videos on YouTube, Netflix, listen to music etc on the Google Nest Hub. We will supply, install and fully set up two Google Nest hubs, one upstairs and one downstairs.
Google Chromecast added to your Living Room TV will add a streaming services to your TV, including iPlayer, Netflix, Google Play Store, YouTube etc, but you will also be able to ask your Google assistant to show you the front or back door camera on your big screen TV.
The Google Nest Smart Home package also takes control of the heating in your home. The existing thermostat will be replaced with a Google Nest Learning Thermostat in a Stainless Steel finish. It controls all the radiators and the hot water; it also works perfectly with a Combination boiler. We will show you how to use it and help you get the most out of the heating controls with home and away mode and the Eco modes that it has built in.
And then finally, to add some further protection to the home we are adding two Nest Protect carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. These will replace the existing smoke detectors, one upstairs and one downstairs. These will be hard wired into the existing mains wiring.
The Google Nest Smart Home package will be All Set Up on the Google app, so you will have one single interface for seeing your cameras, doorbell, smoke detector status, thermostats, hot water scheduling, and all the features of the Google Nest Smart Home. A nice, single interface for the home, professionally installed by the Customised Tech Team.
This package, including supply, installation, set up with a homeowner handover so you get the most from your Google Nest Smart Home is £2,200. Drop us a message or give us a call on 01508 528964 if you would like to book a demo of our Google Smart Home at our Experience Centre, or to book a free survey.
Wishing all our clients, suppliers, colleagues, friends and neighbours a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Where has 2019 gone?! It’s been an incredibly busy year for Customised, so the Tech Team is looking forward to a well earned break over the festive period. We will be closing the office on Friday 20th December, re-opening Monday 6th January. If you need technical assistance during this period please email demo@customised.uk.com; this email address will be checked daily.
Kris and our friend JJ Canon of The Digital Delight in Houston, TX, look forward to the tech trends we might see in 2020 in their latest episode of the Digital Ramble.
If you’ve not heard the Digital Ramble podcast before, Kris & J make talking about smart home technology exciting & informative. They share their technology experiences they have encountered and provided for their unique clientele needs. With over 30 years of combined experience designing, installing and managing technology for their client’s, these guys have a story for everything. Tune in to The Digital Ramble Show’s weekly socialcast and engage with us about what tech you have been incorporating or considering. You can reach us directly at digitalrambleshow@gmail.com. Follow, Share & Like!
Facebook: @thedigitalramble
Instagram: digital_ramble
YouTube: Digital Ramble
Support The Digital Ramble Show: https://www.patreon.com/thedigitalramble
The custom electronics industry is rolling into town, the smart home circus is about to put up its Big Top! Two years in San Diego ushered in Do It For Me business model discussions, the establishment of voice control of professionally installed technology and of course the new owners of the CEDIA Expo. Denver, Colorado is this years host city and over the next 5 days we will see the home tech future mapped out by the biggest brands and brightest minds in the industry.
2019 is as good as done, CEDIA Expo brings you face to face with 2020 and 2021 products, so what’s going to be hot stuff this year?
The Practical Smart Home
Water, smoke, odours and intruders are all unwanted in the home and the sensory superpowers of a home get more intelligent every year. Artificial intelligence and machine learning is now driving the new range of sensors soon to become a standard fit in millions of homes. Look out in the aisles for automated water valves, cameras equipped with facial recognition and sensors monitoring air quality good and bad.
One to Watch - Hero Labs
The 5G Home
Faster connectivity to our homes from the internet service providers means our internal home networks need to be built to handle these speeds and able to deliver them reliably around the home. The home network is becoming too much for the homeowner and the need for a pro to take the hassle away is on the rise. Pay attention to network solutions with long term in mind and get the training you need to be a local home network specialist.
One to Watch - Access Networks
Smart Home as a Standard
This has been coming since 2015, right? It’s never quite hit the price point for the masses but the new decade ahead is going to see affordability with smart home tech arrive in style. New construction is embracing the connected home and a standard fit from new means you don’t need to be buying all those upgrades you did in your last home. New home builders are ditching the dumb and giving buyers what they want.
One to Watch - Design + Connection Tours
The Digital Ramble will be broadcasting throughout the week of Expo. You can be a part of the show, drop us a message, we’d love to have you join us on air.
Kris and JJ
#wearetdr
#cediaexpo
Customised will be exhibiting at this years Cambridge Home & Garden Show and we cannot wait!
The Cambridge Home + Garden Show is Cambridge’s first event dedicated to the best in home and garden design. The event features a packed exhibition hall, talks and workshops from experts, a pop up café as well as free professional design advice. You’ll be sure to leave with everything you need to create your dream home.
Want to transform your home but don’t know where to start? Come and browse the exhibition hall. The Show will have loads of exhibitors showcasing unique and inspirational interior and garden products for all budgets and tastes. Whether you’re looking to revamp your kitchen, splash out on new homewares or landscape your garden, you’ll find an exhibitor for your project.
We will of course be showcasing some awesome Smart Home Technology products which will make your lives more convenient, easy and in the long run, cheaper too! Including lighting, blind control and much more!
The first event took place on 9th September 2017 and due to it's huge success will now be expanded to a two day event over the weekend of 30th – 31st March 2019. You can book your free tickets by clicking here. You can also find out more about the event here.
We hope you can make it!
This week, Customised will be putting a 10% discount on all Sonos speakers and Lutron RA2 Select products, including blinds & lighting. The sale, which will be on between Wednesday 13th and Friday 15th of February 2019, is a Customised Valentine’s special.
Fall in love with Sonos and fill your home with amazing sound - Stream your favourite music everywhere, change the volume seamlessly, wake up to your favourite radio star, enjoy the latest beats as you relax in the garden or experience out of this world sound quality when it’s movie night. All possible with Sonos.
Sonos is the home sound system that delivers all your sound to every room, with warm, full-bodied audio that's crystal clear at any volume. Sonos fills your home with music by combining incredible sound and rock solid wireless performance in a smart system that's easy to set up, control, and expand.
Set the scene with Lutron - Personalised smart lighting and blind control for any home. Added convenience, more comfort and more reliability. Staying in touch with your home, even when you’re not there. Includes a free downloadable Lutron App which lets you monitor and adjust lights and blinds on your smart device from wherever you are.
T&C’S: Discount applies to our professionally installed Sonos and Lutron services. Please redeem the code by messaging, calling, emailing or visiting Customised and quote the code shown below. Installation services are limited to certain areas of the UK, get in touch to confirm your location qualifies and for further information. Orders must be placed between 13th and 15th February and a deposit payment will secure the discount.
Discount code for Sonos: LOVESONOS
Discount code for Lutron: LOVELUTRON
Well…what are you waiting for? Get saving on some fantastic Smart Home products!
Yesterday evening, the Customised Tech Team exhibited at a Barclays Eagle Labs 'Your Home Of The Future' event.
It was a great night with many people in attendance, all had a genuine interest in how Technology is making Smart Homes better each year and how living smart makes our lives much more easier on a daily basis. It’s always nice to see so many people realise that Smart Home Technology is becoming more and more important because its only going to keep growing - the Smart Home is the future. When talking to people last night, quite a few said to me “i’m worried about being left behind” and that’s something we hear often. As a company that specialises in Smart Home Technology, we completely understand some of the concerns people have regarding the evolution of Tech in the home. If you have concerns then you will be hesitant to use it and that’s something we want to change. We can not reiterate enough that Smart Home Technology is actually much more easier to use than most people think and the benefits will be both exceptionally good and rewarding.
The biggest thing that Smart Home tech gives us is ease every single day, alongside saving energy, being safer and making our homes more fun to live in. If you are someone who wants to add Smart Home gadgets to your property but maybe doesn’t fully understand how it works and what it’s purposes are, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Customised professionally provide and fully install the Technology, as well as offering a Free Smart Home Survey so we know exactly what you would like and what we would need to do in order to give you best possible living experience using Smart Home Technology.
We recently published another blog on why you should go smart with Customised in 2019, you can read that by clicking here.
A big thank you to Barclays Eagle Labs and the University Of East Anglia for having us last night.
Header Image - Barclays Eagle Labs
We are excited to reveal that we will have the new Sonos Amp on display at our Home Tech Experience Centre in Loddon very soon.
The Amp released in the states towards the end of last year, but it will soon be available for people in the UK. It will be the versatile amplifier for powering all of your entertainment - enjoy high-fidelity performance with 125 Watts per channel, power your shelf, floor-standing, in-wall, and in-ceiling speakers, stream everything you love with the Sonos app including Apple AirPlay and also connect your TV to create the ultimate entertainment system!
As well as the features mentioned above, the Sonos Amp will allow you to do many other things too.
Control Amp with the Sonos app, AirPlay, or your favourite music service's app.
A streamlined set of ports at the back of Amp make setup simple and keep your cords organised. The threaded connections for left and right channels are standard diameter so you can remove them and use your own banana plugs.
Use any standard HDMI cable and the Optical Audio Adapter to connect Amp to your TV’s optical audio output if your TV doesn't have an HDMI ARC port.
Add stereo or surround sound to your TV for shows, movies, and games.
Power your outdoor speakers and easily expand your home sound system to the backyard.
More details about our Sonos Amp display event, including dates and times, will be announced in due course. The Sonos One, Play 1, Playbase and Sub will also be on show alongside our 4K TV. We hope you will be able to join us!
