Yeah, that’s really it. Amazing, huh?

Our products in the home will include Life|ware software, 4 Life|point touch panels, a Life|controller automation controller and 2 Life|media 450 media servers. Visitors to the home will be able to see firsthand how easily Life|ware controls Lutron lighting, NuVo audio/video distribution, DSC security systems, Panasonic cameras and Pentair pool/spa systems from multiple access points including iPod Touch devices.

This is a unique honor and a great opportunity for EI and we’re proud that Life|ware automation software and hardware has been selected as the digital living solution that brings the 2009 New American Home to life.

Day One of the International Builder’s Show, and we can finally take the wraps off our new Life|ware Builder program.

I’m pretty excited about this. See, all the research and market analysis tells us that automation and electronics packages are ready to burst on the new home scene. Life|ware is the perfect product to manage these offerings. Because it’s hardware neutral, in many cases it can manage the systems Builders are already installing.

The Builder Program makes it easier for Builders to get started offering Digital Entertainment and Automation upgrade packages. We’ve spec’d out five different packages for five different types of budgets. If a builder doesn’t have an integration team in place, we’ll hook him up with a Life|ware Certified dealer to install the solutions.

It’s a win-win-win kind of thing. Builders can offer the packages the market has been seeking, installers can drive more business with more integrations, and customers can get kickin’ digital entertainment and automation systems for their new homes.

Good times.

• A lot of people
• A lot of commotion
• A lot of dust

Today we give you a sneak peek at the NextGen home being built in the West Parking lot (outdoor exhibits area) for IBS. The home opens with the show tomorrow morning.

The house features two stories of fully-automated goodness.

Below is the AV rack for the home. The blue unit next to it is a GAIA power supply.

Life|ware’s Brian Peterson works on the Life|ware configuration for the home. Yes – it’s easy enough to kick back while you do it.

I believe the lady below in the black trenchcoat is the interior decorator. She totally loves having to work around hundreds of dusty carpenters, painters, integrators and electricians.

Nobody knew who this guy, below, actually worked for. He might have just wandered in and taken a nap.

The picture below suggests to me that orange is the new bisque when it comes to interior wall colors:

This picture seriously reminds me of a portrait I recently painted and sold of my canary, Karl.

Karl.

How Do I find this Awesome House?

Going to the show? We’re right behind the convention center. Below, Life|ware’s Paul Wiest gives a virtual good times in front of the doors you use to go between the main IBS convention hall and the outdoor exhibits area:

Here’s the map, again:

Life|ware Booth

While the home is a great place to see Life|ware in action and in context, stop by the Life|ware booth for more hands-on time with the software and to talk to someone about getting serious with our Life|ware Builder program. Hourly in-depth demonstrations in the theater cover all aspects of selling and installing Life|ware based entertainment and automation solutions.

Below, Life|ware’s Josh Hodgson stands idly by, watching other people work. Nice job, Hodgson.

Before I close out today, let me tell you this. Although Butterbean was supposed to send in the pics from on-site, he apparently dished this duty to B-Fitz, who handled it admirably. Nice work, B-Fitz. If you need any help, I’d check with Hodgson. He doesn’t seem to be doing anything.

B-Fitz steps in for the reluctant Butterbean.

More from the show to come…

How huge? Close to 1900 exhibitors huge. 30-minute lines to get a hot dog at lunch huge.

Although we’ve done the show for three years now, products like Life|ware are generally the exception, rather than the norm, which strikes me as odd, since the builders are very eager to learn more about Life|ware and how they can offer it to their customers. This year’s show should see a few announcements that they will be very interested in.

What I like about this show, though, is that you also get to see cool products from waaaay outside our industry. Last year, I checked out this machine that spit out steel framing, which these six guys assembled into a prebuilt wall in about five minutes. That was pretty cool.

As was the unbreakable window glass. How’d they demo that? They gave you a baseball and let you fire away. They had a radar gun there too. I must admit, the unbreakable window stood up to my high heat – which clocked in at 59 MPH (Hey – that’s only 40 points away from The Show.)

Above: 2006 NextGen home at IBS

Where can you find Life|ware at this show?

You can check it out in a real living environment in the Next Gen home, which is located in the Outdoor Exhibits area in the West parking lot of the show. Two stories of Life|ware automated, latest and greatest building product goodness, it is.

We’re also in Booth #3959 on the show floor, where you can step in to the Life|ware Theater for all the 411 on how to make Life|ware a part of your portfolio.

I’m heading down to the show later this week, but my man Butterbean is already on the ground in Orlando with a camera, so hopefully we’ll have some pictures up soon.

Above: Butterbean