COLUMBUS – Hello, everybody. Nice seeing you again.

I’m writing this post with a heavy heart and am full of sincere apologies. I just learned today that the guy who got traded to Training for a scanner is not, in fact, going to make it to EHX.

Ullmer: Not going to EHX.

This might not seem like a big deal, but I promised you he’d be there and you could, like, go up to him and go “Hey, man. I heard you got traded to Training for a scanner,” and then watch his ears get red (it’s always good times), but today, I was like “When are you flying down for EHX?” and he was like “I’m not going to EHX” and I was like, “Why aren’t you going to EHX? I promised everyone on the Life|blog that you’d be there” and he was all like “You’ll have to get a cardboard cut out of me, then.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Columbus – Final week before we depart for Orlando for the next trade show, the Electronic House Expo.

I’m not saying people get stressed out around here the week before a trade show, but I do get a lot more comments like these around the office:

“Don’t start with me, Pete.”

“It’s not a good time, Pete.”

“Don’t you have something you need to be doing?”

Actually, I do. What I need to be doing is letting you all know about the big plans we have for EHX.

We’re building our big booth, with six rooms and a theater. Life|ware 2.0 for Windows Vista will be controlling 42 different subsystems in the booth alone. It’s awesome.

Read the rest of this entry »

ORLANDO – Hello, Everybody. Nice seeing you again.

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.

ORLANDO – Here is what it takes to build a two-story smart home, in a parking lot, in just a few days time:

• 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

ORLANDO – The International Builder Show is HUGE.

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.

Read the rest of this entry »