by Adeptus CEO | Apr 16, 2014 | Apple, Audio
Carplay One of the newest features to be added to iOS is possibly the first time the Auto Audio industry has been addressed as a whole with direct effect by an outside company. Auto manufactures are including it in their new cars and aftermarket head unit manufacturers (Pioneer, Alpine) are already talking about firmware updates and new models. In the many years that I’ve been involved , professionally or casually, with car audio systems never has any single company expressed such command and control over it as a whole. Carplay was announced and I was ecstatic , slightly upset that it wouldn’t be available until the next years models but I could wait. Not more than a month from finding out about Carplay and already 2 Head unit manufactures are jumping on board. Pioneer is even offering it as a firmware update to existing 2014 head units. It looks like the heavy hitters are on board its only a matter of time until the other manufacturers jump on. It’s remarkable that a mobile graphic user interface is hijacking an entire industry with such deftness but then what would you expect from one of the most respected companies in the electronics industry. I for one am super stoked to get a new Carplay head unit and can’t wait to write a review of its obvious awesomeness – apple rave over. -Phil...
by Adeptus CEO | Apr 16, 2014 | Audio, Control System, Home Audio and Video, Integration, Smart Home, Video
A personal testament to my experience with these technologies – don’t take it personal I have read a lot of articles that talk about Smart Homes they often discuss Z-wave, Zigbee and Power Line Communication and the many devices available to the consumer. They have control valves and thermostats and pool lighting controllers and garage door openers and timers and just about everything you never cared about controlling available. The articles usually laud the differences between these technologies, I won’t because they don’t work. I have worked with Z-wave, Zigbee and PLC in many projects and I can tell you in general its slow and prone to failure. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not talking about clinical trials here I’m talking about real life in home day-to-day, week to week, month to month problems. I’ve had systems install flawlessly from go. I set it up program it and everything lights up. I’m happy. I’m actually surprised and super stoked I get to go home on time – this almost never happens. Annnndddd just as I’m about to do a full walk thru after cleaning up something just doesn’t quite catch on a command, one device is not responding in sequence or the volume suddenly seems like its touchy. I don’t immediately throw my hands up and rip it all out I assume it’s probably just a mistake or bad timing. But then it happens again and then something else that was flawless before suddenly crashes. I start to get that sick feeling that tells me I’m not going home and I’m going to be on the phone...
