Smart cities: the coming future of sustainable living - Green Living 4 Live

As digital technologies get more and more integrated into our way of life, these smart cities offer a peek into the near future of sustainable living. Vincent Callebaut of Callebaut Architects has created smart towers that could be the future of glitzy city of Paris. The proposal, titled 2050 paris smart city, showcases eight different… Read more »

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Smart cities: the coming future of sustainable living

As digital technologies get more and more integrated into our way of life, these smart cities offer a peek into the near future of sustainable living.

See on Scoop.it – Smart Home

Smart cities: the coming future of sustainable living - Green Living 4 Live

The Internet of Things: Heading Towards a Smart Planet - Infographic

Infographic about IoT

On the Internet, no one knows you’re a toaster.” That might be what people say when the Internet of Things (IoT) — aka, Internet of Everything (IoE) — has widespread use, instead of just the 10 billions 

More about at Pinterest

ZigBee Alliance Leads the Way To Smarter, More Efficient Homes, Buildings and Lighting Systems

"The ZigBee Alliance is helping to move energy harvesting from specialized industrial and building automation applications to a significantly broader range of new consumer and commercial markets that make use of the global 2.4 GHz frequency band," said Mark Walters, Vice President of Strategic Development, ZigBee Alliance. "In addition to updating Light + Building attendees on our collaboration with the EnOcean Alliance to significantly expand global energy harvesting opportunities, we will also share the latest news about the growing momentum behind our ZigBee 3.0 solution."

These and other products from Bega, Centralite, Feibit and Legrand will also be part of a device interoperability display produced by Alliance member DSR Corporation's IoTicity portfolio of services and products. DSR's ZigBee-based stack, cloud and mobile apps, utilities and tools provide a complete solution set for ZigBee-certified applications development.

The ZigBee Alliance, a non-profit association of companies creating, maintaining and delivering open, global standards for the low-power wireless Internet of Things (IoT), today announced it will be joined by 60 member companies at the Light + Building 2016 conference. In both the ZigBee Alliance booth (Hall 9.0, Booth C89) and their own presence throughout the conference, ZigBee Alliance members will be showcasing a broad range of interoperable solutions for home and building automation and lighting. The ZigBee Alliance will also highlight its ZigBee 3.0 solution that unifies the IoT through standardization and interoperability at all layers of the network, and will soon bring the most widely deployed energy-harvesting technology to the 2.4 GHz global consumer frequency band through a collaboration with the EnOcean Alliance.

Featured products within the ZigBee Alliance booth will include:

Murata: Murata will show its latest modules based on ZigBee-based technology that enable wireless smart lighting systems to provide comfort and energy savings. They'll also present the Murata mini-gateway (SHGC200), one of the smallest gateway systems in the world for home and smart building automation, running embedded Linux with WLAN, Ethernet and ZigBee Alliance standards capabilities.

Jiuzhou Greeble: Greeble will show affordable and reliable ZigBee-based lighting products designed for consumers, and demonstrate how they work in a smart home application.
MMB Networks: MMB will showcase its family of ZigBee-based hardware, including wireless modules, bridges, gateways, and lighting-specific solutions, all powered by MMB's RapidConnect interoperability software. RapidConnect is an embedded application that simplifies product development, dramatically reduces time-to-market, and gives IoT devices robust, real-world networking with interoperability across major commercial, lighting and connected home platforms.

Philips: Philips Lighting will demonstrate its ZigBee Light Link certified interoperable connected lighting solutions by means of the Hue personal wireless lighting system.
In addition, they will show universal dimmers, dual-channel switch actuators and window blind controllers-- all equipped with built-in metering and fully supporting ZigBee Green Power in a mixed setup with third-party ZigBee-based products. In support of the ZigBee Alliance and EnOcean Alliance liaison, ubisys will demonstrate EnOcean's energy-harvesting switches controlling ubisys ZigBee devices.

GreenPeak Technologies: The company will show its GP651 IoT connectivity solution designed specifically for LED lighting technologies. The inexpensive, small-footprint solution supports LED lights with up to 4 color channels, across a range of different wireless IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee Alliance connectivity protocols.

Digi International: The company will show its newly updated ZigBee through-hole module, award-winning XBee ® ZigBee Cloud Kit, and newly released XBee ZigBee Mesh Kit.

EnerBee: The company's ground-breaking micro generator uses the power of motion to eliminate batteries in consumer and industrial smart objects. EnerBee aims to commercialize its first product at the end of 2016-- a wireless and battery-less dimmer for the mainstream market that uses ZigBee 3.0 technology and can be implemented with a wide range of smart light bulbs and solutions.

Because existing ZigBee Home Automation and ZigBee Light Link standards for smart homes and buildings are forward compatible with ZigBee 3.0, there are already several hundred certified devices that are immediately part of the ZigBee 3.0 ecosystem. Many of these will be on display from Light + Building.

The ZigBee Alliance, a non-profit association of companies creating, maintaining and delivering open, global standards for the low-power wireless Internet of Things (IoT), today announced it will be joined by 60 member companies at the Light + Building 2016 conference. In both the ZigBee Alliance booth (Hall 9.0, Booth C89) and their own presence throughout the conference, ZigBee Alliance members will be showcasing a broad range of interoperable solutions for home and building automation and lighting. The ZigBee Alliance will also highlight its ZigBee 3.0 solution that unifies the IoT through standardization and interoperability at all layers of the network, and will soon bring the most widely deployed energy-harvesting technology to the 2.4 GHz global consumer frequency band through a collaboration with the EnOcean Alliance.

In support of the ZigBee Alliance and EnOcean Alliance liaison, ubisys will demonstrate EnOcean's energy-harvesting switches controlling ubisys ZigBee devices.

Read more at Wireless Design & Development.

a Smart Home [Infograph]

An infograph about #SmartHome Endless possibilities! More about at Pinterest

Nest introduces family accounts and a new way to track your activity

"Family Accounts let up to 10 people access the Nest products in your home using the Nest app with their own Nest Accounts. It's easy to add and remove people from your Family Account. Now the whole family can control the Nest Thermostat, get notifications from Nest Protect, see what's happening at home with Nest Cam, and get their own copy of the monthly Home Report", Nest announces.

One drawback with the system was the way Nest's app works. And that's something Nest has set out to solve by introducing Family Accounts if you have a family then controlling things could be a problem.

Nest, a company now owned by Google's parent Alphabet, makes products that home automation enthusiasts sometimes drool overtop. What began with a thermostat has expanded somewhat to include such things as smoke detectors.

"Family Accounts let up to 10 people access the Nest products in your home using the Nest app with their own Nest Accounts. Now the whole family can control the Nest Thermostat, get notifications from Nest Protect, see what's happening at home with Nest Cam, and get their own copy of the monthly Home Report", Nest announces.

The company is also adding a Home/Away feature so that it knows if someone is present. If someone is home the heat may go up.

As for Home/Away, it uses more than just geofencing, which can be inaccurate- it can assume you're home when you're down the block at a friend's house. Nest "uses learning algorithms and activity sensors built into Nest products".

All of this is available now, you just need to download and install the latest update to the Nest app.

Read complete at BetaNews.com

Global Connected Home Security System Market to Grow 48.06% - Key Vendors are Comcast...

The global connected home security system market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 48.06 % during the period of time 2016-2020.
Connected home security market innovations such as reduced hardware costs, advances in wireless standards, smartphone penetration, enhanced bandwidth, and...
Global Connected Home Security System Market to Grow 48.06% - Key Vendors are Comcast...

Home Automation - the near future of Home Technological innovation?

Within a few seconds I can choose a well which playlist or choose the tracks for a new one if I want to listen to music. I can access online subscription services or radio stations.

I don't have to worry about regular tasks such as the above, the electronic systems do it all for me. All of this home automation technology exists now.

Technology should be an enabler. It should not be there for itself, but to make the lives of its users easier and more convenient. In the home, the rapid and ongoing advances in home automation are expanding the possibilities.

When I leave for work another single dedicated button press turns all of the lights off, all of the media off, the alarm on and beeps for confirmation as I slam the door. I know that if some incident should occur while I am out of the house I will get a text message alerting me to the fact.

Home Automation can include:

• Home Theatre/ Home Cinema Systems
• While House advanced lighting control
• Energy management systems for heating and cooling
• Security systems and alarms
• Multi Room Audio, Video and AV Distribution
• Curtains

Almost any item that needs electrical power.

With the ubiquity of web connectivity, you can now monitor and manage your home systems from anywhere - ideal for holiday homes or even remote outbuildings.

All of this home automation technology exists now. As these advanced home automation systems increase in power and flexibility and ease of use, they can actually become more complex to specify, design and install. While the individual items of home technology equipment can be fairly straightforward to set up and use, getting equipment from multiple vendors to operate together can be tricky. For any form of home automation to be effective, it has to be easy to control, either using traditional remote controls, web-based systems, smartphone apps or wall mounted control panels.

As these advanced home automation systems increase in power and flexibility and ease of use, they can actually become more complex to specify, design and install. This is where a professional home automation installer can help. By working with you and focusing on your needs, your home can be made to suit your lifestyle, not the other way round.

In the home, the rapid and ongoing advances in home automation are expanding the possibilities.

While the individual items of home technology equipment can be fairly straightforward to set up and use, getting equipment from multiple vendors to operate together can be tricky. For any form of home automation to be effective, it has to be easy to control, either using traditional remote controls, web-based systems, smartphone apps or wall mounted control panels.

Source: ArticleCity.com

Geofencing: A Home Automation Latest thing via ElectronicHouse

Technology enables smart home devices to operate automatically based on your spot outside of the home.
Here’s a typical scenario: When all family members and their phones have traveled out of the designated geofence area (which might simply be your home), the geofence can set the alarm,...
Geofencing: A Home Automation Latest thing via ElectronicHouse

Into a House having real Home Automation

You’ve heard these home technology terms over the last few years but unless you’ve actually lived in a smart home it’s difficult to conceptualize exactly what they mean. I’m going to tell you what home automation means to me, as I’ve lived in a true smart home for...
Into a House having real Home Automation

Energy Efficient Lighting Approach to get a Smart Home

We currently are in a place and time where everyone is important for the amount of energy they consume. Sustainability has hence become a global concern, and a major attention has shifted towards energy efficient solutions. This is not just good for humanity as a whole, but you would also directly enjoy a reduction in your energy bills.

LED Bulbs

LED bulbs operate at an efficiency rate of up to 90 %. Many other bulbs offer efficiency of just 20 % and waste the rest of the 80 % of energy by converting it into heat. LED's can be found in many forms including G9 light bulbs and hence can be used in a number of different situations.

Halogen Bulbs

Halogen bulbs are quite well known to be energy saving light bulbs. There is a separate category of these bulbs known as energy saving halogen bulbs, which are fine-tuned to cut down your energy expenses.

Daylight Bulbs

Many other bulbs offer efficiency of just 20 % and waste the rest of the 80 % of energy by converting it into heat. Halogen bulbs are quite well known to be energy saving light bulbs. There is a separate category of these bulbs known as energy saving halogen bulbs, which are fine-tuned to cut down your energy expenses. By switching over to energy saving halogen bulbs you could enjoy a staggering 40 % of savings on your energy bills. These bulbs produce a "whiter" light when compared to the yellow hues given off by incandescent bulbs.

To compensate for this lack of light, you could use daylight G9 light bulbs. These bulbs produce a "whiter" light when compared to the yellow hues given off by incandescent bulbs. Those work spaces of visual artists have a great need for daylight bulbs as it would enable the artists to view all colors as they would under normal light.

Check our products related with smart lights

Why Smart Cities, Businesses, and Homes Will Transform Your Life

Our world now moves so fast that we seldom stop to see just how far we have come in just a few years.

Why Smart Cities, Businesses, and Homes Will Transform Your Life

Samsung announces development with SmartThings for Windows Phone

Windows Phone has its fans, but they sometimes, perhaps most times, feel left out of things. That includes the latest fad, the Internet of Things. Controlling devices in your home can be easily done without moving off the couch, but, for the most part, you better have an Android or iOS device at...
Samsung announces development with SmartThings for Windows Phone

Smart Home Entertainment

They have very specific products that will allow you to integrate lighting, home theater, home energy efficiency, window drapes, occupancy sensors and home security integration. Occupancy sensors, outside lighting, home entertainment and temperature control/energy monitoring gives you everything...
Smart Home Entertainment

Amazon's Echo Dot allows you use Alexa inside any speaker

The Echo Dot goes on sale today for $89.99. There’s also an oddity about how you can order it: you can’t buy the Echo on Amazon.com. That means unless you already have an Echo or a Fire TV, you can’t buy one.
Today the company unveiled Echo Dot, which is basically an Echo...
Amazon's Echo Dot allows you use Alexa inside any speaker

Smart Buildings are simply generating Smart Cities

In order for a city to provide access to its intelligence behind the knowledge and become a Smart City, the development of the Intelligence System that connects the central nervous system to a brain is required-- enter smart buildings.

The focus on Big Data and your city's behavior towards its data's management is a critical element towards being a truly Smart City. The building blocks to effectively and efficiently use city data will ultimately reside in a city's ability to repurpose its existing documents and data associated with the Built Environment, which is the authenticated digital DNA of all cities. Without proper digital DNA structure and management, the connectivity from your city's nervous system to the brain will be problematic, inhibiting performance and the evolution of your city to a Smart City.

Each city has its own cardiovascular system (traffic, mass transit), skeletal system (infrastructure), digestive and respiratory systems (energy, waste) and even a primitive nervous system (telecommunications). In order for a city to provide access to its intelligence behind the knowledge and become a Smart City, the development of the Intelligence System that connects the central nervous system to a brain is required-- enter smart buildings.

The issue is not if the city has the proper data to become a Smart City, the issue is how. The job of today's cities IT department is not to just secure people from getting into a city's system, but how to manage the glut and control of data that will be trying to get out. The cities that solve this issue will be on the correct path to being a Smart City.

The focus on Big Data and your city's behavior towards its data's management is a critical element towards being a truly Smart City. A smarter, efficient city that would encompass aspects of intelligent transportation, security, energy management, CO2 emissions, and sustainability is contingent on the implementation of a Big Data strategic plan to enable decision makers and authorities to perform their jobs. In response, some cities have taken an Open Data approach to assist in making its data available to the general public, which has spawned an emerging market for the development and sale of "Apps" to enable this Open Data to come alive and provide value to a user.

A Smart City and the Smart Buildings therein are not a marketing campaign, slick sales technique nor an amusing political catch phrase. It is a series of solutions to an urgent and serious situation the world faces today. Smart Cities are emerging as a civic action due to a "perfect storm" of the convergence of market conditions, technology innovation, social wants, government needs and the migration to urban environments that has accelerated on a global scale which dwarfs any previous mass movement of people in history.
One striking example is found in a report by McKinsey & Co. in 2009 that stated 350 million people in China would move to cities throughout China by 2025. Existing Chinese cities, already overpopulated and struggling to maintain public services, are bracing for this onslaught of humanity by preparing, planning and implementing large scale urban projects, designed to transform from industrial urban environments to Smart Cities with smart buildings.

At the core, Smart City solutions, both small and large, have an opportunity to assist in creating an environment for people to prosper in a welcoming, inclusive and open manner. A Smart City's success will only be measured by how well its inhabitant's quality of life improves.

A path to enabling your city's digital DNA comes from the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the data captured by Smart Buildings. BIM and Smart Buildings provide the digital DNA that when put into the context of a district, neighborhood and city , provides a city relevant, authenticated data.

"Smart Cities" is a term for a series of solutions to the problems that come along with the mass movement of people to urban environments i.e.: the lack of resources, infrastructure, public safety, transportation and so on. At the core of smart cities are Smart Buildings that does not only increase tenant safety and satisfaction, energy and operational efficiency, but also act as a smart city server, providing digital DNA of a neighborhood, district, city and other relevant and authenticated data.

BIM and Smart Buildings provide the digital DNA that when put into the context of a city, neighborhood and district , provides a city relevant, authenticated data.

The building blocks to effectively and efficiently use city data will ultimately reside in a city's ability to purpose its existing documents and data associated with the Built Environment, which is the authenticated digital DNA of all cities. Without proper digital DNA structure and management, the connectivity from your city's nervous system to the brain will be problematic, inhibiting performance and the evolution of your city to a Smart City.

When this individual building data is connected to the City Network, potentially through an Open Data policy, interesting things begin to happen. The captured AEC data that a city already possesses becomes the digital DNA of Smart Cities.

Smart City definition frameworks are being designed and marketed by academics, companies, urban associations and the media, as well as the use of technologies like smart buildings. Through this cacophony of frameworks, a foundation has emerged that help define areas of Smart City interest, action and measures. These same frameworks provide the definition of 10 Smart City elements:

• Infrastructure.
• Transportation.
• Green Buildings.
• Energy.
• Waste.
• Education.
• Healthcare.
• Public Safety.
• Water.
• Citizen Services.

The interesting thing about Smart City initiatives is the closely integrated way that seemingly disparate elements work together. As cities begin their transformative process into Smart Cities, it helps to consider the manner in which cities will need to address the social, economic, engineering and environmental challenges. And this manner will center on Knowledge.

Streaming Media in Home Automation

The Security Home Automated System is also capable of controlling every piece of electronic equipment inside your home. It can control you entertainment system, your lights, your home security system and even your coffee maker. With this benefit, you can control every part of your home at the...
Streaming Media in Home Automation

Smart Home Appliances

There are appliances that will network directly with your home wireless network without the need for fancy technologies or "bridges" like the Z-Wave bridges, or special gateways for communication. Using one app like Revolv and another like the LG ThinQ will let you keep track of your whole home system pretty easily and monitor energy usage, system settings and home security without compromising cost or convenience. The last thing anyone wants to do is have an extreme number of apps, logins buttons to find to control their Smart Home.

The important thing to remember with these major brand appliances is that they work via your WiFi connection in the house and NOT through the z-wave technology your outlets, lights, sinks, doors and security might communicate via. This just makes networking them into one larger smart home a little bit more difficult, but in no way impossible to do.

Using one app like Revolv and another like the LG ThinQ will let you keep track of your whole home system pretty easily and monitor energy usage, system settings and home security without compromising cost or convenience. The last thing anyone wants to do is have an extreme number of apps, logins buttons to find to control their Smart Home.

There are appliances that will network directly with your home wireless network without the need for fancy technologies or "bridges" like the Z-Wave bridges, or special gateways for communication. Smart TVs have been around for a while, using either a wi-fi or hardwired connection to communicate with Apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Hulu etc. Same thing for game consoles, the PS3 and PS4, XBox and Wii all will connect to the internet and stream movies, music and TV shows for you.

Fridges can now keep track of their temperatures, the items in them, their power and door alarms, and if necessary they can send you an email alert or "nudge" to remind you that they need attention. GE has an oven that will network and allow you to preheat it, change temperature and set cook times through an app should the need arise while Whirlpool has a washer and dryer set that can be monitored, started or stopped remotely. LG Even has a fridge that keeps track of expiration dates, helps write a grocery list and can network with it's same brand oven to get it cooking or preheated temperatures right for that brand new recipe you always wanted to try.

Samsung, Whirlpool and several competitors have recently released "Smart Appliances." These appliances monitor their own power usage, cycles and temperatures while sending your phone or tablet updates and information about what they are doing or the attention they need.

How Smart Homes make lifestyle less complicated

Because of the convenience and security that it offers, Smart homes are getting to be increasingly popular. The lights automatically dim when you want to watch the house or a movie automatically plays your favorite music when you want to just relax at home. Converting your home into this kind of...
How Smart Homes make lifestyle less complicated

Home Automation: The Multiple Advantages

Before installing home automation in your home and enterprise, you need to do a thorough research. If your priority is to automate the appliances and lights, you can go for the automation process accordingly. If you are concentrating on safety and security as the most important part of your...
Home Automation: The Multiple Advantages

Making your home green smart with wind power

These days it’s entirely possible for people to utilize wind power turning them at home green smart places.
In terms of using wind power for a home, one essential component is the turbine. The propeller style turbine looks very similar to an airplane propeller and generally has three...
Making your home green smart with wind power

Home Automation System, know the advanced features

The widely popular latest home automation system is being installed in many homes for the safety purpose. In order to accomplish your mundane activities such as switching on/off lights, electronic devices, such as music system, TV, coffee maker, etc. you can simply rely on home automation...
Home Automation System, know the advanced features

Managing Home Automation products

Newer ways to manage your home automation systems are soon appearing in markets. There are some leading providers of home automation systems in the US who are making use of networking technology to manage and reduce consumption of energy.

They have introduced a new integrated circuit, which...
Managing Home Automation products

Use Smart Home Devices to make your home safe and comfortable

You definitely need to install a couple of smart home devices in your home if you are trying to make your home more comfortable and safer. While there are a large variety of devices on today’s market, there are many factors that must be considered, when investing in them. Below you will...
Use Smart Home Devices to make your home safe and comfortable

Home Appliances: Best Complement

In this present time, people can not spend a single day without using electric and home appliances. Home appliances make life comfortable, leisurely and easy too.
Things to remember before buying Home Appliances:
When anyone is going to purchase a home appliances for his or her home, he or she...
Home Appliances: Best Complement

Smart Locks to manage Access and Biometric systems

A biometric get right of entry to manage can be used in numerous forms of facilities. Office buildings and residences have expanded tiers of safety through using biometric structures. On more than one event, security, limited regions, has been circumvented through the usage of traditional locks, which give no resistance to the strategies that criminals use nowadays. A tendency is use Smart Locks.

Software biometric lock, keep the information of many customers, which is ideal in homes in which every member of the family is authorized to open the gadget, or in businesses which has a huge body of workers. Locks biometric systems are versatile due to the fact they permit them to open from outside and inside. Biometric locks and biometric structures in standard have come to assist, for creation of security mechanisms greater extra and dependable cozy too...

Read complete at Smart Locks to manage Access and Biometric systems