How Control4 Saved My Marriage
February 27, 2014
Before going any further, let me say (to my mother reading this blog post) that my marriage to my sweet wife has never been in danger or need of saving. Having said that, every marriage has those little annoyances that certainly don’t make things any easier (e.g. leaving socks around, hair in the sink, etc.).
One of those little challenges is when you leave the house on Valentine’s Day and you forgot to lock the door to the house. Suddenly, the babysitter, your children, and all of your prized possessions are at risk of being attacked by degenerates. If you don’t turn around and drive the 30 minutes back to the house, everything dear to you (except your wife by your side) will be gone. The only reason you haven’t turned around yet, and are getting an increasingly chilly stare from the passenger seat, is because if you do take the detour back to the house, your reservations will be lost and you will face a two-hour wait at the #1 restaurant in the city. Not a marriage threatening situation, but certainly one that will wreck your evening.
So how did Control4 save the day? With Bond like reflexes, I reached into my dress jacket pocket, pulled out my Android device and fired up the MyHome mobile app. Within seconds, I was automatically connected to my home over 4G service. I handed the phone to my wife, and with a quick tap of her finger, she locked the front door. The door lock icon on my screen confirmed it was locked and we received another confirmation when the sitter called , a bit startled that the door had just locked itself.
Add an IP “nanny cam” to the scenario and you can check in on the children within the same Control4 MyHome mobile app, or make sure the babysitter doesn’t have an unwelcome teenage visitor. Arm your alarm system, turn on some lights, and even turn off the Wii so the kids will go to bed on time (“Awwww, dad!!!). You get the idea.
And while Control4 didn’t necessarily save my marriage (it was as safe as ever), it did save my evening out.
One of those little challenges is when you leave the house on Valentine’s Day and you forgot to lock the door to the house. Suddenly, the babysitter, your children, and all of your prized possessions are at risk of being attacked by degenerates. If you don’t turn around and drive the 30 minutes back to the house, everything dear to you (except your wife by your side) will be gone. The only reason you haven’t turned around yet, and are getting an increasingly chilly stare from the passenger seat, is because if you do take the detour back to the house, your reservations will be lost and you will face a two-hour wait at the #1 restaurant in the city. Not a marriage threatening situation, but certainly one that will wreck your evening.
So how did Control4 save the day? With Bond like reflexes, I reached into my dress jacket pocket, pulled out my Android device and fired up the MyHome mobile app. Within seconds, I was automatically connected to my home over 4G service. I handed the phone to my wife, and with a quick tap of her finger, she locked the front door. The door lock icon on my screen confirmed it was locked and we received another confirmation when the sitter called , a bit startled that the door had just locked itself.
Add an IP “nanny cam” to the scenario and you can check in on the children within the same Control4 MyHome mobile app, or make sure the babysitter doesn’t have an unwelcome teenage visitor. Arm your alarm system, turn on some lights, and even turn off the Wii so the kids will go to bed on time (“Awwww, dad!!!). You get the idea.
And while Control4 didn’t necessarily save my marriage (it was as safe as ever), it did save my evening out.
