Category Archives: BLOG

Blog: So, you got a new Apple Watch?

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The new Apple Watch Series 6 is amazing, and if you’re like me, you are checking your Blood o2 levels, heart rate, and performing Electro Cardiograms hourly.  But what can you do with the Alarm.com app?

The Alarm.com app for App Watch is elegant and easy to use.  The first screen has easy to touch menu system that shows off all the different aspects of your smart home that you currently have installed. For me scenes is at the top of the list, giving me access to the scenes I’ve created on my phone including home, away, sleep, opening and closing my garage, and my personal favorite: Movie Time.  With a single touch an entire series of actions cascades across my home: doors lock, lights turn off, and the security system arms.

Probably the coolest function of the Alarm.com app on Apple Watch app is the ability to view cameras on your wrist.  Get a live stream anywhere.  See the puppy, check on the kids, peep the driveway, or check for deer in the back yard.  Its easy, fast, and fun.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check on the cat…

Blog: Prevent Leaks from Becoming Lakes

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The flood detector (link to product page) is a smart way to protect your apartment, home, or business from leaks.
Water leaks can occur a number of ways, in a number of locations. Here’s just a few:
1- Water heater breaks
2- Freezing temperatures cause the water in your pipes to expand, which causes a pipe or fitting to break
3- A roof leaks during a rain or snow storm
4- a refrigerator with water filter or ice maker malfunctions
5- Pipes under a sink break
6- An adjoining neighbor has a leak that comes through your walls or ceiling

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BLOG: Coming Home to a Smart Apartment

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Coming home to a smart apartment is easiest with a smart door lock with either pushbutton or touchscreen interface. Never worry about carrying keys again with code based access that allows only those authorized to enter the apartment.  Codes can be granted for up to 242 unique users, and access can even be limited to specific days of the week or times of the day.

Make coming home even easier with Bluetooth Touchless Disarming. Pair your smartphone with the Qolsys #IQPanel, and when you leave, arm the system in “away mode.”  Your apartment and its contents will be safe and protected while you are gone. When you return, the #IQPanel instantly detects your phone as it gets in range (up to 60 feet away) will disarm the security system and unlock the front door. You simply walk inside!  It’s the easiest and most convenient way to return home without typing your codes, and with the encrypted, individually authenticated connection via Bluetooth it’s safe and secure.

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Blog: Smart apartments make life easy for tenants and property managers

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The term “smarthome” has become main stream, with devices all over the internet claiming to make life safer, smarter, and more convenient.  As adoption increases even the smallest apartments are looking for ways to be smart, safe, and energy efficient, and there’s no better solution than the Qolsys IQ Panel.  The IQ Panel is a 7 inch easy to use touchscreen looks great on the wall and provide easy access to control all the connected devices within an apartment. These include lights, locks, thermostat, security sensors, life safety sensors, cameras and more.

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Blog: Hands free is more than just convenient, it’s sanitary.

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Wherever you find yourself on the scale of sanitization, one thing is certain: There’s more cleaning than ever before. That’s why we love the Qolsys IQ Panel.  It includes a feature called “Bluetooth Disarming” which was originally designed for hands-free convenience, but in today’s new normal hands free is more than just convenient, it’s safer.  Simply pair a smartphone with the IQ Panel over Bluetooth and the system deactivates itself as soon as that phone gets in range.  In addition to disarming the security system, use smart home rules to unlock the front door, turn on lights, and resume thermostat schedules.  Now when you come home the only thing you’ll have to touch is the door handle.  Bluetooth Disarming TRULY makes less to sanitize.  

Imagine just getting home from the DMV.  To be safe, you tried not to touch anything, but there were some things you just couldn’t help, like the pen to sign the forms, the credit card machine to process the payment, the renewed license you got back from the person who verified your identity, and the paperwork and receipts you were handed at the end of your visit.  Any one of those items could have come in contact with something that could make you sick, and to be safe, you plan to wash your hands as soon as you get home.  As you approach the front door it unlocks automatically.  You touch the door handle but DON’T have to touch the keypad.  You step inside and lights turn on automatically, thermostat fires up and the security system is already disarmed.  The first thing you do after placing things on the counter is to wash hands, and then, just to be safe, perhaps sanitize the car door, the steering wheel, the controls in the car, and my door knob.  Its a lot of work, but knowing that the Qolsys IQ Panel lightened that load by making my lock, lights, and thermostat all hands free…. Its a good feeling… thanks technology!  (Alexa, buy more Clorox wipes….)  

IQ Panel 2 for Small Business

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I love that my Qolsys IQ Panel 2 sends me disarm photos each weekday morning as my staff gets into the office. Consider the intelligence/data that a business owner/manager receives from this kind of message:

1- did my employees arrive on time?

2- what sort of mood are they in?

3- are they alone, or did they bring a friend to work today?

I can get answers to all three of these questions within seconds, just by looking at the text message I receive each day… Can you?

INSTALLING THE IQ PANEL LIVE ON CAMERA

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Have you registered for our Live Install webinar yet?

We are really excited to something different for this webinar! You will get to watch me, Whitney White, Marketing & Education Manager and Jeremy McLerran, Director of Marketing for Qolsys open an IQ Security Kit, talk about each product from both a sales and technical aspect, and then install the kit into a home! We will be using the webcam to show you how simple it really is to install and how the IQ Security Kit is a great starter pack for you. I’m not an installation pro like most of you so you know you are getting a real look at what to expect for the installation!

The IQ Security Kit includes the 7″ all-in-one touchscreen IQ Panel, 4 IQ Mini D/W, an IQ Motion, IQ Doorbell and IQ Tilt.

We will be using the webcam (with no slide presentation) so be sure to be in a place where you can watch the action happen. At the conclusion of the webinar we will have a drawing for 3 winners to walk away with one of these IQ Security Kits so you know you won’t want to miss it!

Registration is limited so don’t wait! Register now!

STAY SAFE ON NEW YEARS

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Happy New Years! Make sure your IQ Panel is armed and secure while you go out and ring in the new year! Good luck writing your New Year’s Resolutions. Here are our Marketing and Education Manager, Whitney White’s resolutions:

  1. Lose 10 pounds (who wouldn’t want that).
  2. Add 3 new IQ Mini DW sensors to my Qolsys system.
  3. Spend more time with family.
  4. Add cameras to my Qolsys system to properly set up my front porch with the IQ Doorbell.
  5. Start a journal (I think I’ve made this resolution for a few years now)
  6. Get a door lock for my front door to fully optimize my Qolsys smarthome through the IQ Panel.

Happy New Years! Stay safe!

SAFETY SENSORS PROTECTING YOUR PRESENTS

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I am relieved to say that I just recently finished my Christmas shopping. But now having this hoard of presents tucked under our tree I’m more concerned about the safety of my home. Most days, our home is empty for the better part of the day due to work or other obligations and we aren’t there to protect from the Grinches of the world or even porch pirates – someone who steals packages off your door steps.

Being gone many days traveling or working, how do I make sure my home is secure? Luckily, our Qolsys system offers layers of security and monitoring. The first line of defense is being able to peek-in on my home while I’m away using my Image Sensors. Another layer is when someone rings my doorbell (perhaps to see if I am home or not), I get a message and image of who is at my door, fending off any porch pirates. So far, it’s only been UPS. But as a last layer of defense, I have my security devices. These range from the IQ Mini D/W sensors I have on my doors, my IQ Motion detector that will alert when there is movement in the house when there shouldn’t be, my Image Sensors and my IQ Glass that will sound the alarm if glass from my windows are broken in attempt to get into my home. Knowing that someone who might try to take Santa’s sack won’t make it very far in my home is a great reassurance while we are out or traveling in the next few weeks.