Integrating Smart Speakers and Smart Home Security

Are you arriving late to the smart speaker device craze? That’s okay, because these home management devices are still popular and can do more than they could when they first hit the scene. So if your household is just now getting its first Alexa, Google Home or Amazon Echo and you already have a home security system powered by smart home technology, you’ll be able to do even more with your new device than your friends who got theirs last year. Sometimes, it does pay to wait out a trend. Here’s what integrating your smart speakers and home security system can do.

Make Home Simpler and Safer

Your smart speakers are great for playing music on command, checking the weather or finding out what time the movie is playing. But what about activating your alarm? Let’s say your security system is disarmed and you need to turn it on for the night – only problem is, you don’t feel like getting out of bed to do it. That’s no problem if your smart speaker is at your bedside. Just give it a voice command to arm the alarm and turn off the lamp. Now, you can relax more securely for the night.

Throw a Better Party for Friends

Last year, your friends used their smart speakers to do party tricks (and show off a little, of course). But this year, your party will be even better because your Alexa, Echo or Google Home is connected to your security system with smart home technology.

Need things to feel more cozy as the night gets colder? Command your smart speaker to turn up the heat and turn down the lights; it will communicate with your connected security system to make both happen immediately. It makes hosting the party easier, your guests are impressed, and the ambiance is exactly the way you want it without you lifting a finger.

Find Out More 

If you already own a security system powered by smart home technology, you can get even more benefits by integrating it with your smart speaker device. For more information on connecting your home security systems to your Alexa, Echo or Google Home, contact All Action Alarm. We’ll be happy to answer your questions about this and other home automation technologies. 

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Smart Security Cameras for Home Security Newcomers

If you’re a homeowner with a lot on your plate, the desire to know what’s going on at home while you were away was previously a pipe dream. But now, it’s possible thanks to smart security cameras. Long Island homeowners can now integrate these powerful cameras with the home security system – and when they do, finding out what’s going on at home is as simple as taking out a smartphone, opening up the home security app, and getting an instant view into whatever is being recorded.  

Smart security cameras also give your home security system:

On Demand Viewing Capability  

When the smart security cameras are mounted in key places outside – such as above the front door – you can see when kids come home from school, when a visitor is arriving, or when the mail is being delivered. Just program the system to receive smartphone alerts when there’s motion being captured, and you’ll get an alert when it happens that you can view right away.

And, on demand viewing isn’t limited to the alerts; you can also get a window into your home whenever you want it, also with the convenience of your home security app. Place a camera in the living room to check on the kids after school, or to make sure the babysitter is staying on task. On demand viewing capability is one of the most valuable features smart security cameras offer today’s busy families.

More Advanced Customization

You may have smartphone notifications turned on, but you don’t necessarily want to receive them when you happen to be home. Luckily, it’s easy to turn them off with the customization features on your security system; one of the features is turning off video alerts when the security system is disarmed. There are many advanced options that can make your security system, including the smart cameras, your customizable home security ally.

Numerous Choices

Fortunately for homeowners, smart security cameras are not bound to a single solution. There are a variety of choices in sizes, models and price points. And, this wide selection doesn’t need to be intimidating if you have the right home security provider. For help with choosing smart security cameras, Long Island home security newcomers can contact All Action Alarm.

 About All Action Alarm

We have experience in the electronic security industry and experts in home automation technologies. If you are looking for ways to simplify your life, give us a call.

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The Smart Home Automation Primer

There are many misconceptions about what home automation is or isn’t. So many so in fact that it is often that some of the beliefs (though exaggerated) even make it into pop culture and the media.

Did you ever see the episode of Warehouse 13 where the fully automated house develops a crush on the main character and locks him in the house? Smart technologies are not that smart yet, so no worries. Home automation and smart technologies can do a lot of incredible things, though, and it is worth knowing how home automation can fit into your life.

This three-minute primer should help you consider its options and determine its applicability in your lifestyle.

What Exactly is Home Automation?

Home automation is installed technology that allows enabled devices to be interconnected and controlled remotely and scheduled according to need. The process allows coordinated control of the home environment for comfort, convenience, safety, and efficiency. Typically, it includes entertainment systems, lighting systems, climate control systems, video monitoring, security systems, and additional enabled devices and appliances.

Debunking the Myth of the Smart Home

One of the most common myths surrounding home automation is that it is so complex that it is not affordable. While many complex technologies go into home automation, these technologies have advanced so much that it makes home automation possible and affordable for every household.

What Are the Advantages of Home Automation?

The applications and uses for home automation are nearly endless and the benefits of home automation are many, and sometimes as unique as the family that uses them. Generally, the benefits can fall into the following categories.

Increased Safety with Mobile Apps

Home automation allows you to check in on your home remotely. Some systems allow you to interact and control the home security system from any smart device permitting you to arm or disarm the system and lock and unlock doors. Home automation systems connected to lighting and entertainment systems can also be controlled to replicate occupancy for added safety.

Energy Savings with Smart Thermostats

Home automation also has the added advantage of helping conserve energy, which translates into savings. For example, you can automate heating and cooling systems to run only when someone is home or to bring your home to a comfortable temperature just prior to your arrival. It allows you to turn off forgotten enabled appliances, or schedule them to run at off hours when the rates are lowest. All of these simple adjustments add up to big savings over time.

Added Convenience of Automation

There are only so many minutes in the day and since we can never get them back, we must use them wisely. Home automation can help in our quest for productivity and efficiency. By having your systems scheduled, you can eliminate certain tasks.

With the ability to tap into your systems remotely, you can crack down on time drainers such as answering the door a million times only to find it was a salesperson or driving all the way back home to be extra certain you turned off the coffee pot. Forget to turn on the home security system? No problem. Home automation can handle that.

About All Action Alarm

We have experience in the electronic security industry and experts in home automation technologies. If you are looking for ways to simplify your life, give us a call.

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Your First Smart Home: Security for Young Homeowners

Whether it’s college graduation, weddings or the moving season in general, summer is a time when young adults tend to make big life changes. Sometimes, those big steps include the plunge into first-time homeownership.

Many young homeowners are curious about the smart home movement, and the appeal goes far beyond technical allure. At the end of the day, intelligent young homeowners are like everyone else: They like technology that makes life simpler. At the same time, they also like the idea of having security systems that help them protect their first big investment – their homes. The good news is, they don’t have to choose between the two. For young homeowners on Long Island, NY, smart home technology can fill both roles: home automation and home security.

Smart Home Security is the Total Package

With a smart home security system, young homeowners can bundle equipment that:

  • Detects potential home intrusion threats. This happens by way of motion sensors, glass break detection and connected home security cameras, all of which is designed to work together. When a potential threat is detected, the homeowners can receive an alert on their smartphones.
  • Helps them enter their homes quickly and securely. Coming home after a night out is safer with keyless entry powered by smart locks that are connected to the security system. They can disarm the alarm, unlock the door and even turn on the inside lights from their phones as they pull into the driveway. This reduces time spent at the door.
  • Help trusted friends and family feel more welcome, by allowing them to have a temporary code for the security system. Overnight guests can come and go as needed without a key, and the homeowner controls when the code is activated and deactivated with a tap of the home security app.

With this technology installed, your first home can also be your first smart home.

For ambitious young professionals purchasing their first home, smart home security just makes sense. If you’re a young homeowner interested in learning more, contact All Action Alarm today. We would love to provide a free home security consultation.

About All Action Alarm

All Action Alarm has been a relationship-driven security company that provides superior customer service, quality installations and state-of-the-art monitoring – and now, our services include smart home upgrades. We are proud that one of the top security companies on Staten Island. 

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How to Update an Older Home to Meet Modern Needs

It is hard to beat the charm of older homes, and in many cases, the use of quality materials and craftsmanship. The unfortunate part about older homes is that they are not always the best fit for modern living. The spaces are used differently and differently proportioned, they may not be as energy efficient, or have any of the high-tech features you’d like. The good news is that it is far easier to make an older home modernly perfect with very little effort.

Improving the Layout

If you are a fan of an open floor plan, chances are good you’ll be knocking out some walls in an older home. Most typically, new owners to older homes will take down the walls that block the view from the kitchen to the dining and living rooms to give the home a more open and spacious feel.

Add Rooms

In most old homes, bedrooms were fewer but larger and have fewer bathrooms than a modern home. In some cases, adding actual square footage to add bedrooms and bathrooms is a great option. Another may be to reconfigure the space to accommodate an additional room and bathroom.

Improve Energy Efficiency

Older homes typically lack in energy efficiency because they have older HVAC systems, lack today’s better insulation, have older windows and doors that are not sealed, and older energy draining appliances. These problems are easy to fix by adding spray foam insulation to the walls and replacing doors, windows, and appliances. Once the space is upgraded, you can save even more by using home automation tools like a smart thermostat, smart lighting, and smart appliances to keep energy use (and your bills) down to a minimum.

Add Modern Conveniences and Safety Features

Once your home is configured just how you’d like, it is time to finalize layers of safety and convenience with home security and automation. Home automation and security features can give a home with yesteryear’s charm some modern shine. Secure your home with a smart garage door and smart locks and secure windows with glass break and motion sensors. Consider using smart lighting and smart security cameras both indoors and out. Use geofencing to have your retro castle treat you like royalty and respond to your proximity, turning off or on lighting, electronics, and appliances or locking or unlocking doors. Now you can say you are truly, at home.

All Action Alarm has been making sure Long Island residents feel safe at home since 1980.

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Crisis Averted. 5 Times You Were Glad You Had Smart Home Automation

In the general sense, we are always glad we have smart home security and home automation, It makes  life safer, and a lot more convenient. But have you ever thought about all those individual incidents that could have turned out a lot differently if not for your home automation system? Here are just a few of those heart-stopping moments.

The Kids Forgot The Key But You Are An Hour Away From Home

Your son called to tell you he can’t get into the house because he forgot his key, but you are an hour away. He will probably be safe hanging out in the backyard or at a friend’s house, but you would sure rather know he is safe at home. Smart locks solved the problem twice. He can either use a code to get in, or you can unlock the door remotely.

Did I Turn Off The Curling Iron?

You think you turned off the curling iron, but can’t quite remember. You hope you did, but not knowing is causing you some serious anxiety. If you didn’t, it could mean your home is in cinders in a matter of minutes. Thankfully, you can check the status of that and other problematic appliances on your smart home app and turn it off right from your device.

Are the Kids Behaving

They are old enough to need a little independence, but still need some serious supervision. They can’t get into much trouble in the two hours you are away, right? With home automation you know if the door opens alerting you to a sudden unsanctioned influx of occupancy. Sensors can also tell you if they are into off-limits areas. Still not sure? You can also check the smart camera feed and see what is really going on.

You Didn’t Lock the Door

The morning was rushed and you completely forgot to lock the doors and arm the home security system. With the vast majority of burglars gaining entrance through an unlocked door, you know your home is at risk. It is just one more moment you were glad you had smart home automation because all you had to do was open the smart home app on your phone and lock the doors and arm your system from the palm of your hand.

Mom Ignored the Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Your mom was home when the carbon monoxide detector went off. Since the gas is both colorless and odorless, she thought it was a false alarm. Since you got the alert you could call her and tell her to get out, and since you have 24/7 monitoring, help was on the way to ensure her health.
Yes, having a connected home really makes a difference. All action Alarm is a family owned business that has been protecting Long Island Homes and Businesses since 1980, and we have heard so many stories about how having a connected home has made a difference in our clients  lives. We work hard so you can simply enjoy life.

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The Smart Garage Door Is the Gatekeeper and More to Your Home

The moment when you finally get home after a long day and see the garage door open and make way to our personal slice of heaven is one of the best moments of the day. We aren’t thinking about our home security or smart garage door because we just don’t have to— it has been doing its job all day and we already know it.

The Smart Garage Door is Step One in Smart Security

It is easy to forget to close the garage door and leave our home completely vulnerable to burglary and intrusion. Since 70% of us use the garage as the primary entrance into the home, it sees a lot of action. It also provides plenty of room to leave it open and ample opportunity for thieves. This is why keeping the garage door secure is absolutely essential in keeping your home secure. Smart garage doors significantly enhance your security by eliminating the problem of the forgotten open doors and intrusion.

Know Who is Coming and Going

A smart garage door doesn’t just open and close. It provides intel, too. If the kids get home– you know it. If the dog walker comes to get the dogs using a unique code to get in, you know that too. You even know if someone tries to open it using a wrong code, you’ll get an alert letting you know. Then you can check security cameras and head off problems before they occur.

Smart Garage Doors Make Your Home More Responsive

The world is becoming increasingly connected.When your garage is connected to other smart devices and appliances through a central hub, it becomes a trigger for a whole lot of awesomeness. Using geofencing, the garage door detects your proximity and go on, triggers a response that welcomes you home. Lights go on, the temperature adjusts to your exact preference, doors unlock, and appliances turn on ready for your use. When you leave, it does it all in reverse!

Secure Savings, Too

When your garage door is part of a smart home, it helps you do more than secure the property. It also helps secure savings on energy consumption. The responsiveness means it can detect inactivity and proximity so when you leave, or forget to close the door, it initiates a response to close the door, turn off smart lights, electronics, and  connected appliances. It also triggers a response from the smart thermostat to appropriately adjust the temperature. Together, that adds up to real savings.

All Action Alarm is a family owned business that has been protecting Long Island and New York City homes and businesses since 1980.

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Smart Home Perks: Health Benefits of Smart Lighting

There are so many things to love about smart home technologies, like the convenience, energy savings and better security. Still, there is a huge benefit that often goes unacknowledged– the health benefits of smart lighting.

Lighting and Wellness

Smart lighting is fun and easy to have installed and integrated into a smart home system, but it can also play a huge role in wellness. The human body needs light. It also needs certain kinds, for certain durations and at certain times. Mess with that, and you mess with a lot of other things in your body. In fact, according to fascinating research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, overexposure to certain kinds of lighting, and exposure at the wrong time can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. It also plays an important role in memory and mental well-being.

We Fail To Factor in Light Exposure

Our bodies rarely get a break from light, it seems, but most of us never even notice. There is always a light on nearby. Fluorescent lighting, our televisions, computer screens, games, mobile devices, and even our phones all emit light. And all that light registers as a lot of noise to our brain and Circadian Rhythm which is responsible for regulating sleep and hormones necessary for good health.  

Top Health Benefits of Smart Lighting

Most people opt into smart lighting for the long-term energy savings they can provide, but having them can, ultimately, be very beneficial to your long-term health, too. Here are the top 6 health benefits of smart lighting.

  1. Reduces Incidents of Injury– getting Injured is a serious thing. For many people, even a few days off can have huge repercussions with finances. The CDC reports over 700,000 hospitalizations each year and 20% occur in low light conditions. Smart lighting helps avoid falls by allowing users to turn on lighting from wherever they are at from their smart phone, and when integrated into a smart home system, motion sensors can detect movement and light the way.
  2. Improved Circadian Rhythm–The Circadian Rhythm is a sensitive physiological process experienced by living things. If the process is disrupted, it causes sleep disruptions which in turn cause additional health problems. Smart lighting and color changing bulbs can help promote alertness with cool colors and promote the production of melatonin with warmer colored light which helps induce sleep.
  3. Better Sleep- Getting proper light, and limiting exposure during the evening hours helps the body get a better quality sleep. A more restful sleep contributes to improved memory and concentration as well as improved mental health.
  4. Induces Cortisol–Waking up to quality light helps your body produce Cortisol which is responsible for mental alertness. Using smart lighting to simulate dawn helps the formation of Cortisol.
  5. Reduction in Health Risks– The wrong kind of lighting at inopportune times works to suppress melatonin. Studies link melatonin suppression with depression, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
  6. Better Mental Health– Lighting has a huge impact on our emotions. Smart lighting is a tool that can be used to help fight depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and anxiety.

About Us

All Action Alarm is a family owned business that has been protecting Long Island and New York homes since 1980.

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Traditional vs Smart Video Doorbells. Its an Obvious Win.

Until very recently, traditional doorbells were all that was available so we had no reason compelling us to wonder if there could be a better way. With the advent of smart video doorbells, that all changed. Home automation technologies, from smart locks to smart thermostats, have revolutionized the way we do nearly everything and have now even empowered the doorbell.

There are Some Serious Disadvantages with Traditional Doorbells

Most people have not thought about the traditional doorbell in the context of either adding or detracting from our safety or convenience because there were just not any alternatives. Now, it is clear that the traditional doorbell has some disadvantages, and some of them put you at risk.

  • You have no way of knowing who is at the door, or why, unless you go to the door and open it.
  • There is no way to identify the person prior to getting close to the door.
  • Opening the door to strangers makes you, your family, and home vulnerable.
  • Not answering the door can tip off thieves you are not home.

Smart Doorbells are Different

Smart doorbells are like traditional ones in that they alert you to a visitor. That is where the similarities end, though. This is because the smart doorbell has additional features that make it even more useful. These features include a 1080p HD video camera, motion sensors, night vision,  and two-way audio. It can be connected to the home automation system and even accessed from your smartphone or another smart device from the smart app.

They Are Also Better

Since the front door is one of the most vulnerable points of access, it should be a focus of our security efforts in every way possible. The smart doorbell is the best way to enhance security and convenience at this important access point. Here are just a few of the many examples of its usefulness.

  • Motion sensors can alert you to outside activity even before the person is at the door.
  • You can address an unknown person without having to open the door to them.
  • Clear HD video images make sure you can easily identify any visitor without having to get close to the door.
  • Infrared equipped doorbell cameras let you clearly see any activity near the door even in the dark or low light.
  • You can uses the motion sensors to send alerts so you can check on package deliveries.
  • If there is motion detected when there shouldn’t be, you can record or take snapshots of the activity.
  • By accessing the doorbell camera and two-way audio you can answer the door and address the need without opening it.
  • You can answer the door remotely so you do not tip off thieves you are not home.
  • You can screen disruptions.

About All Action Alarm

All Action Alarm specializes in the tools that make your life safer and more convenient. Contact us today for a free consultation for your home or business.

 

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