Innovation Alley at CEDIA 2016 is where you can find “new manufacturers breaking into the industry” and where you will “discover new products and vendors that are bringing fresh innovation into the market.”
In my two Innovation Alley posts I introduced Remocam, PoE LED, Meural, and LIFX, Chromis Fiberoptics, Domotz Pro, Crystal Screens and GT Studio. Check out my Week 1 and Week 2 post. Here are five more companies to put on your CEDIA appointment calendar!
People Power Booth 4171
Founded in 2009, People Power “is an award-winning software company focused on humanizing the Internet of Things,” according to CEO and co-founder Gene Wang. “We don’t just connect things—we create solutions that matter to people using IoT services.”
People Power claims to be the only company with a “freemium” model for IoT. “Our Presence app and enterprise services allows end-users and manufacturers alike to start for free,” Wang explained, “and then upgrade to value-added services that generate consistent recurring revenue . People Power’s IoT Suite helps manufacturers to cloud-enable their own products affordably, from concept through commercial release.”
They put the “people” in their name because the company uses “ethnographic and other technologies to truly understand, test, and create people-centric services,” Wang described. “We have uniquely employed social and behavioral psychologist Ph.D.’s who help apply a 5-step design methodology in the design of our applications and services. We understand through this dedication to research what people want and how they expect it to work.”
As the “go-to conference for innovations in home technology,” People Power was drawn to CEDIA this year. In addition to launching its newest product in its Presence line, Wang will also be speaking on The Internet of Things & Smart Homes of the Future.
People Power invites you to stop by the booth to be among the first to demo its newest device and to enter a raffle to win one. Click here to learn more.
August Home
Booth 4169
“August Home is about Smart Home Access,” senior channel marketing manager Elisa Tran said. “We provide products and services that allow consumers to securely manage their front door from anywhere, right from their smartphone. At August Home, we believe that a smart home is a safe home.”
The August Smart Home Access Solution (August Smart Lock, August Doorbell Cam, and August Smart Keypad) looks to provide the best visibility and control over the home’s primary and most vulnerable point of entry: the front door. “Control access by issuing virtual keys or key codes for a specific dates and times,” Tran explained. “Monitor access through instant notifications when someone is at your door and when they unlock and lock the door. Review access with a 24/7 activity feed of all activity at the front door, including video clips of who entered and existed.”
Of course, smart door locks aren’t new to the CEDIA channel, so what makes August Home standout? “What makes these products unique is how they work together creating a complete system that provides total control over the front door,” Tran said. “ With your smartphone you can control access, monitor access and review who had access. Now your smartphone is a mobile command center for the front door.”
Founded in 2013, August Home is using CEDIA to announce that its line of smart security products will be available at ADI stores nationwide and that installers will now be able to purchase products at wholesale pricing through distribution. August Home invites you to visit its booth to learn how you can grow your business by making the August Smart Home Access Solution available to your clients. Click here to learn more.
Pixelgen Design Booth 4155
“Pixelgen Design promises—and delivers—pure 18G uncompressed UHD signal extension products at lengths up to 30 meters,” company president Jack MacDougall asserted. And as someone who spent 15 years in the industry, MacDougall understands integrators’ pains of using products that overpromise and underperform.
Built in-house from the ground up, Pixelgen Design’s family of HDMI extension methods are guaranteed to support all AV formats and functionality currently supported by the latest HDMI 2.0a specification.
“Not many hardware manufacturers are mentioning ‘18G’ and ‘HDMI extension’ in the same sentence; there simply aren’t many available options out there,” MacDougall explained. “Pixelgen Design is in a unique position because of our intense focus on one of the biggest ‘missing links’ in the market—robust 18G HDMI Extenders. With the release of PXLDRIVE, we are delivering the first active long reach THX Certified 4K Interconnect product to the industry.”
PXLDRIVE could be an installation lifesaver, as it is an external device designed to revive uncompressed HDMI signals up to the maximum UHD 18Gbps bitrate over new or pre-existing passive long-reach HDMI cables.
“It may sound like an over-simplification,” MacDougall remarked, “but our goal is to make all of our long-reach extension methods look like a 1m HDMI cable.”
Pixelgen Design will be showing off three methods of max bandwidth HDMI extension, from passive cables up to 5 meters to fiber up to 30 meters. “We are excited to introduce these products, but more excited to hear from the end installers/integrators themselves,” MacDougall explained. “CEDIA provides us with perfect opportunity to hear what’s going right (and wrong) in the field. It helps us listen for trends and hear first-hand about ways that we may be able to help in the future.” Click here to learn more.
AXIS Booth 4157
AXIS looks to throw some shade on CEDIA by debuting its new Gear motorized window shades.
“Gear is compatible with any window shade that has a beaded chain or cord loop control mechanism—including roller shades, vertical blinds, roman shades, curtains and much more,” chief strategy and business development officer Manu Menon stated. “Combined with its powerful motor, which can lift any shade regardless of size or weight, Gear is a one-size-fits-all solution.”
What makes AXIS different than other solutions is the company’s Chain Drive System. “All motorized shade solutions today, regardless of brand, are based on the same technology—tubular motors,” Menon explained. “These are essentially motors built into a cylindrical form factor, which then rotate to raise or lower the shade. It was first invented in the late 1960s, and since then not much has changed in terms of its basic form factor. Essentially, we are using a technology that’s been around since the world watched Neil Armstrong land on the moon—on black & white TVs no less!”
AXIS’ Chain Drive System “represents a radical new approach to motorization,” Menon offered. “Gear is specifically designed to motorize existing shades in just minutes and do so without the need to uninstall or modify the window shade in any fashion. We are also pricing Gear at $249 per unit—a fraction of competing solutions. Gear is the first cost-effective shading solution specifically designed for retrofit applications.”
Stop by AXIS booth and see Gear in action for yourself. “Simply put, it is unlike anything you’ve seen before!” Click here to learn more.
Aegis AV Cabinets (Formerly Titan AV Cabinet) Booth 4175
Company owner Michael Kelley explained that he attended CEDIA in 2015 and when he didn’t see anything like the product he had designed, he moved forward with development of the Zeus Professional Series AV-A Tower and the intent to launch at CEDIA 2016.
“In this market, you seem to get only two choices, a wooden box, or a metal one,” Kelley explained. “The Zeus is a hybrid between your conventional shelf-mounted tower and rack-mounted tower. It is integrated with network-grade surge protection for all of the components inside, keyless locking, filtered air cooling, RGBW LED lighting, and optional built-in home automation.”
As installers know, most homes being built give little thought to where the electronics will be located and housed, and often the integrator has to choose a suitable location for the equipment and wiring after the home has been finished. “This causes them to choose which pantry or linen closet to put the equipment in normally,” Kelley said, “and those spaces do not provide adequate cooling even with an exhaust fan, and dust collects inside the equipment. With Zeus the consumer can put their equipment anywhere around the house that they choose. The cabinet is a beautiful addition to the customer’s home, and is designed for perfect air flow through your equipment, and reduces dust.”
Zeus has also been designed and built with installers in mind. “Our company concept is designed to push the industry through them to help insure their success,” Kelley added. “Our product is designed to offer a turnkey solution for their customers, and with its removable back panel and 360 degree rotating base, integrators are able to access equipment easily.” Check out Zeus for yourself at Aegis AV Cabinets booth.
