Control4 just announced the 4Store, an online marketplace where customers can access applications that will extend the functionality and interconnectivity of Control4 smart homes and enable new levels of customization for homeowners.
4Store is the first app store designed specifically for the smart home and offers individual applications that can be integrated with multiple household devices. 4Store gives Control4 customers the option to download apps that serve a wide variety of functions - from Facebook to online dinner reservations to customizing Kwikset deadbolt locks to controlling energy usage with Eaton outlet monitors. Control4 customers already easily control lighting, temperature, music, entertainment and energy usage from a simple interface but now with 4Store apps, homeowners will be able to further customize their system to provide information and control functionality specific to their lifestyle.
"The introduction of the 4Store could have the same kind of impact on the smart home that the iTunes App Store has had on the smartphone," said Will West, CEO of Control4. "It provides a unique way for homeowners to personalize their control system so they get more enjoyment from their homes and more efficient use of all their devices and systems."
4Store applications fall into four general types: Enhanced Home Control, Information, Social & Entertainment, and User Interface Customization.
• Enhanced Home Control Apps - Many apps are designed specifically to enhance the control of third party devices that are installed in the house. Apps being shown at CES include:
o Pioneer - Set advanced receiver properties such as zone volume, inputs and easy tuner control.
o Eaton - Enable advanced power monitoring and on and off capabilities for outlets.
o Peak Software TED Energy Monitor for Control4 - Use The Energy Detective TED 5000 to monitor energy usage in your home, including real-time and historical usage and built-in rate structure support.
o CardAccess Home Tracker - Allows homeowners to monitor important aspects of the home like lighting and temperature, in a floor plan topology. Additionally, by tapping into Card Access motion detectors, homeowners can monitor occupancy of the house via the same floor plan.
o Kwikset - Easily manage your Kwikset ZigBee deadbolt by creating unique lock codes for temporary access or for individual family and friends, view status of locks and view history for any lock in your home.
• Information Apps - These apps provide information such as weather, news, blog readers and other RSS feeds.
• Social & Entertainment Apps - Access popular social networks and websites including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, OpenTable, and NetFlix or play games like Tetrad through your TV or touch screen.
• UI Customization - Specialty apps enable users to select a UI theme that changes the look and feel of their
Control4 system to match their décor or show favorite photos.
When any home is made "smart," owners dramatically increase efficiency by gaining the ability to connect and control multiple appliances from a single system. The introduction of the 4Store takes this connectivity one step further. Users can select any app that they find beneficial and then use that app to increase the functionality of their home, streamlining many of the day-to-day tasks that unnecessarily consume time and energy.
