CEDIA 2014

Controlling an automation system with an iPhone/Android device is great, but can become a little more tricky as you move about in a large home. The way systems are typically programmed, a home/project is divided into rooms or areas, and then you need to select which room you are in to control it. As you walk around, however, you might find yourself needing to scroll through lists of rooms trying to find the right one to control. This can become a real issue in large homes with many room. Crestron’s new PinPoint proximity detection beacon will simply solve this problem, making sure that your device opens up ready to control the room you’re in!

Crestron’s new PinPoint beacon discretely plugs into a standard AC outlet and communicates via Bluetooth to nearby mobile devices, letting the Crestron App know what room a person is in and automatically displaying that when the app is opened.

“Imagine walking into the great room with your iPad® and the lighting control and audio sources and even volume control are at your fingertips for that room,” said Sean Goldstein, VP of Marketing at Crestron. “Move to the kitchen, and as you do the lighting scenes for the kitchen appear. PinPoint identifies your location and makes your home system smarter.”

PinPoint could even allow precise individual customization, letting family members choose their favorite music styles, for example, and having that music follow them as they move from room-to-room.

While exact pricing wasn’t given, Crestron told me they expect PinPoint to be affordable enough that customers would want to install one in each room of a home.