Each May, CE Pro magazine’s annual CE Pro 100 list is released, and ACT is excited to be included among the country’s top integrators for the seventh year in a row! CE Pro magazine, the leading trade publication for custom electronics professionals, annually lists the highest revenue integrators in North America.

According to the magazine, the most significant trend this year is the emergence of bigger and bigger companies into the market coming from outside the industry. Examples of such companies include Nebraska Furniture Mart and Vector Security.

We believe an independent, local integrator has many benefits to offer clients. These include greater experience and industry training in designing and installing systems, product expertise and wider product offerings, interaction with the owners of the company and a familiarity with the local housing market.

At ACT, we enjoy designing and installing systems for our clients and we are grateful to all of our clients for our continued success.

Quarter ly Newslet ter late summer • 2013

C O N N E C T I O N S

ACT Achieves Prestigious CE Pro 100 Status for Seventh Year

ACT is on FacebookFor those of you on Facebook, ACT’s page is a great place to quickly and easily stay up-to-date on what’s happening at ACT and in the custom electronics world. ACT will post information on any sales or specials from manufacturers, useful industry-related news or articles, our own news and project photos. Please take a few minutes to visit our page, like us and offer suggestions about what you’d like to see there. We’re at www.facebook.com/ACTMass.

Apple®’s release of iOS 7 is a great reminder for ACT clients to keep their Savant Apps up-to-date.

iOS 7 is expected to elicit a lot of groans for a couple reasons. On top of it being a complete re-design and changing many of the basic functions on Apple mobile devices, it has no backward compatibility. This means that any Apps working on iOS 5 or 6 that weren’t specifically designed to work on iOS 7 will most likely not work with iOS 7. Many companies and Apps are issuing updates in preparation of iOS 7.

Please make sure you keep your Savant Apps up-to-date in preparation for the release of iOS 7.

Keep Savant Apps Updated to Avoid

Headaches

Take it Outsidecustom-built, weatherproof cabinets. These are made of wood treated to be outdoors and fit with weather-proof gaskets. The flat-screen comes out of the cabinet on a lift for viewing. This allows a television to be placed almost anywhere.

Lighting control, like audio, is another example of home electronics that almost always extend to the outdoors. Lighting control offers convenience, energy savings and added safety. By including outdoor lights on a lighting system, homeowners can control outdoor lighting from a single keypad inside the home, from a car or from any iOS device.

To really add that “wow factor,” lighting scenes can be programmed. For example, different brightness levels for outdoor areas can be pre-set and activated with the touch of a button. Lighting scenes can be set for when homeowners are at home, away, entertaining, watching their outdoor television or swimming at night. Pathway lighting can be activated with the touch of a button or using sensors. All outdoor lights can be set to flash in case of an emergency.

As with indoor electronics, easy control of outdoor electronics is essential. It’s so important for homeowners and guests to be able to easily use and control their systems. Electronics are meant to add enjoyment and

There are many types of specialty speakers for outdoor use, and homeowners who prefer discreet outside speakers have a lot of options. There are speakers that look like rocks, speakers that are also planters, speakers that are mostly buried and look similar to light fixtures, speakers designed to blend in with a home’s architecture and even underwater speakers. There are also subwoofers designed for outdoor use.

Another popular outdoor option is video. Many families ask about projectors and big screens for their yards to create a drive-in movie experience. Projectors are better for night viewing and don’t work well in bright light (have you ever been to a drive-in during the day?). For that reason, ACT usually recommends LCD or LED TVs, which give a good picture in bright light.

Whether on a giant screen or on a television, watching TV or a movie outside is just plain fun. There are televisions made for outdoor use, or, if the TV will be shielded from the elements, a regular TV can be used. Some ACT clients install flat-screens in pool houses, three season rooms or sheltered patios. For outdoor installations, ACT houses the components for the TV indoors to prolong the life of the equipment (receiver, cable box, DVD player, etc.).

ACT has also installed outdoor TVs in

Custom electronics are meant to enhance the time people spend in their homes, and this should definitely include outdoor spaces. Summers in New England can be short. Adding fun options like outdoor audio and video helps us Northerners get as much enjoyment as possible from our short season. If you add an outdoor heater to the mix, out-of-doors electronics can be enjoyed in early spring and late fall, too, extending the season.

The most common outdoor option is audio, which is understandable because everything is better with music! Most of ACT’s clients choose to include outdoor zones as part of their audio systems. This can be as simple as outdoor speakers for one area, like decks, patios, pools/spas and basketball or tennis courts. Installing outdoor speakers is relatively inexpensive, and people get a lot of enjoyment from listening to music or a ball game when they’re outside.

Outdoor audio can also be done on a larger scale. Some homeowners prefer to place many small speakers throughout their property, which brings audio to many different areas without the volume ever being too loud in any one spot. This type of installation provides consistent sound and volume throughout an entire property, which is wonderful for the homeowners as well as the neighbors.

Take it Outside

This outdoor dining area features a Seura Storm outdoor television. Seura’s Storm line of outdoor TVs is weatherproof and can handle temperatures from -30 F to 140 F. It’s engineered to protect against harsh outdoor conditions such as rain, snow, wind, insects and dust, and it offers a clear picture in any light.

Take it Outsideconvenience for homeowners, and this is definitely not the case if people can’t figure out how to turn on or control their systems.

For outdoor systems, there are weatherproof controllers that are handheld or can be mounted on walls. There are even remotes made to float around a pool. For electronics integrated with a control system, like Savant, any iOS device can be used as a controller. Some words of caution, though – if using an iPhone®, iPad® or iPod® touch as a controller, there needs to be a strong wireless signal outdoors and please, keep those devices away from the pool!

For homes on the ocean, special precautions may need to be taken to protect equipment from the salty air. When ACT feels it’s necessary, marine grade equipment is recommended. Also, in this part of country, if gear is going to be outside year-round, it must be enclosed and heated if it’s not made to be left outside.

Outdoor electronics are a great way for homeowners and guests to make the most of a home’s outdoor spaces. For more information or to discuss adding outdoor systems to your home, please call ACT at 781-741-5959.

Most people have experienced wireless networks that are less than reliable. Common problems with wireless networks include weak signal strength, lost signals, slow speeds and interference. When ACT installs wireless networks in our clients’ homes and businesses, we want to make sure they consistently work well.

ACT has been using products from Ruckus Wireless, and both ACT and our clients have been very happy with the results. With Ruckus, clients get seamless transition when roaming through a home/property without losing signal strength or losing the signal altogether. We are also finding Ruckus provides great coverage (a wider signal, faster speeds and less interference) in older buildings and metal and concrete buildings.

If you’re interested in installing or updating a wireless network, or would like more information about Ruckus, please call ACT at 781-741-5959.

ACT Offers Wireless Network

Solutions from Ruckus Wireless

If you would rather receive ACT Connections via e-mail, or if you would also like to receive an electronic edition, please sign up on our web site at www.actces.com/newsletter.htm. If you would like to receive the newsletter via e-mail only, please enter your name and address and type “electronic only” in the Address 1 field. Or just send an e-mail to lauren@actces.com that states your preference.

Take it OutsideIn the warm weather, your house can benefit from some sun protection too! Lower shades to keep the heat out and also protect your floors and furniture from the sun's damaging UV rays.

To help keep your home cooler, start replacing incandescent and other light bulbs with LEDs, which do not give off heat they way other bulbs do. 80-90 percent of the energy used to power an incandescent bulb is transformed into heat, as opposed to 30 percent for CFLs and just 20 percent for LEDs, both of which use much less electricity. When it's hot out, CFLs or LEDs generate less heat and reduce electricity for lighting, which also reduces workloads on air conditioners.

GREEN TIP

l a t e s u m m e r • 2 0 1 3Quarter ly Newslet ter

62 Ledgewood Place

Rockland, MA 02370

781.741.5959

C O N N E C T I O N S

© DeAngelis Studio

home theater • control systems • multi-room audio • lighting control • surveillance systems

62 Ledgewood Place, Rockland, MA 02370 • 781.741.595926 Falmouth Woods Road, N. Falmouth, MA 02556 • 508.563.2626

www.actces.com