May is Electronic Home Improvement & Home Automation month and Smarthome is celebrating with a variety of events and specials throughout the month.
Improving your home involves more than installing a granite countertop or updating your landscaping. Electronic home improvement is far simpler and more cost-effective than construction or appliance replacement, but it can add substantial value to your home. Automate your lighting with simple, affordable, and easy-to-install products. Take advantage of existing wiring to install whole-house audio, surveillance systems, or security. Not sure what you want to do or how to do it? This month, you'll have access to a variety of ideas to help make your home a "smart home".
You may live in a smart home but just how intelligent is your dwelling? Enter the Smarthome's "Home Control Contest" to show the coolest and most original solutions to make your home and life more convenient, safe and fun. Whether it’s home automation, security, lighting, surveillance or a whole home entertainment system, show us what you got!
Include a list of products used to automate your home; at least 1 INSTEON-Compatible product must be included. We will accept both Video & Written Solution Entries. Winners will be chosen from the pool of applicants by a panel of Smarthome judges.
** You must fill in a written solution or the URL for your video solution
How To Enter
There are two ways to submit your solution: shoot a short video or send us a written solution. You may submit both a video and a write up, but it is not required. Enter any time between May 1 and June 15, 2007. Winners will be announced July 15th.
1. Video Submission:
Your video should be uploaded to a preferred video hosting service. We recommend either YouTube or Google Video. Please use the tag "Smarthome.com" when uploading.
After your video is uploaded, complete the entry form above. Make sure to include the URL address from the video hosting service to your video.
Video Guidelines:
Make sure the video is no longer than 3 minutes long
Recommended frame size is 320x240
Video must contain the following
Short introduction (verbal or visual) of the solution
Introduce the products (at least one INSTEON-Compatible product) you used for the solution
Show the how and the what of your solution
Click here for an example of what we are looking for.
Your written solution should include an introduction of your solution along with a list of products (at least one INSTEON-Compatible product) needed to make it all happen. Finally describe either the step-by-step instructions on how to recreate the solution or the details on what the solution actually does. The solution cannot exceed 500 words. Click here to see an example of what we are looking for.
Terms and Conditions:
No purchase necessary to enter or win. Only U.S. submissions accepted. Void where prohibited.
Limit one entry per household. All entries must be received by Smarthome between May 1, 2007 and June 15, 2007. All entries must be received no later then 5:00 p.m. PST on June 15, 2007. Winners will be announced on July 15, 2007, and will be contacted via email. All entries will be judged based upon originality as well as the degree to which you've made your home convenient, safe and fun.
The winners will receive a gift certificate for the amounts listed above. Smarthome reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal value subject to product available. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission to use winner's name, photographs, and video, and permission to release any statements or remarks made about winning the prize for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation. The winners will be featured on the Smarthome website as well as other promotional materials such as e-mail campaigns and PR.
The contest is open to legal residents of the USA, ages 18 and over. Smarthome employees are not eligible to win. Smarthome is not responsible for lost, late, damaged, misdirected or illegible Entry Forms, computer or software failures, or unsuccessful attempts to notify the winners. All federal, state and local taxes will be the sole responsibility of the prizewinners.
Enter promo code EHIHABX (for your LampLinc) or code EHIHABX2 (for your ApplianceLinc) at checkout to receive your Free Gift
Green Tip 7:Energy-efficient and easy to install,solar yard lights are set-it-and-forget-it products. Without the need to plug it into a power outlet, you simply take it out of the box, stick it into the ground, and never worry about it again.
Tip 1: Save money and energy (up to 75%) by swapping your existing incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights.
Tip 2: Drastically reduce your bill by installing an affordable and environmentally friendly solar pool heater that channels the energy of the sun to heat your pool.
Tip 3: Save up to 60% savings on your energy bill by installing a timer to control your pool pump. Instead of running the pump 6-8 hours a day, run the pump for 3 hours per day for short cycles during the day to prevent debris from collecting and keep the pool clean all day.
Tip 4: You often do not need the full brightness of lights in a room. Install an INSTEON-compatible dimmer switch to preset brightness levels 80% in most rooms to save energy and money on your utility bill.
Tip 5: With a programmable thermostat, you can save can save nearly $150 on your yearly energy bills by setting the temperature to a comfortable level when you’re at home and off when you are not.
Tip 6: Cut lighting costs by as much as 50%, using motion sensors that automatically turn off lights when a room is left unoccupied for a long period of time - perfect for garages, hallways and bathrooms.
Tip 7: Energy-efficient and easy to install, solar yard lights are set-it-and-forget-it products. Without the need to plug it into a power outlet, you simply take it out of the box, stick it into the ground, and never worry about it again.
Tip 8: Save water without sacrificing a great shower with the Oxygenics Showerhead.
Tip 9: Using INSTEON home automation technology, program timers to close your window drapes to block out the heat of the sun when the temperature in your house gets too hot.
Tip 10: Turn all the lights off in the house with a touch of a button with an INSTEON home automation network in your home. You will never forget to turn lights off in the house when you go to bed again or leave for work.
After over five years of R&D and testing, SmartLabs introduced a new home automation (HA) network technology called INSTEON, combining powerline and radio frequency communications to give you the most reliable control of your entire home. Shipping its first INSTEON-compatible product on May 19th, 2005, INSTEON has grown by leaps and bounds with over 1,000 developers to date adding innovative and practical products and solutions to the INSTEON world. Major developers include: Sylvania, BestBuy for Business, First Alert, CompUSA Digital Living, and ELK.
Over the last two years, SmartLabs has garnered a plethora of accolades for its INSTEON technology, including:
CES Innovations Awards for Design and Engineering in 2005
Electronic House Product of the Year in 2006
AEA High Tech Award for Innovative Technology of the Year in 2006
Frost & Sullivan Emerging Technology Award in 2006
CES Innovations Awards for Design and Engineering in 2007
Along with developers in the INSTEON Alliance, SmartLabs continues its quest to provide easy, reliable and affordable ways to control your home. In just two short years, a myriad of INSTEON-compatible devices are available today, including:
Home Ventilation Solutions (Broan-Nutone) - Coming Soon!
Software & Advanced Automation
INSTEON Technology has taken the home automation industry by storm with virtually every HA solution on the market today supporting INSTEON, including: Homeseer, HAL, Girder, LifeWare, Indigo, HomeLogic, mControl, Superna and Cortexa.
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Tip 3: Save up to 60% savings on your energy bill by installing a 
