House Outfitted With $80,000 Worth of iPad Controlled Home-Automation [Video]

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Posted November 26, 2012 at 7:05pm by Shalom Levytam

Savan Kotecha, a songwriter and vocal producer for 'The X Factor', spent $80,000 to outfit his West Hollywood house with iPad controlled home-automation, reports the WSJ.

Competition among home-automation companies has become especially fierce over the past two or three years, as smartphones and tablets have advanced. Now, national companies like Crestron, RTI and Control4 and others make apps to run on Apple and Android operating systems. Nine in 10 homeowners who have installed this technology in their homes use mobile devices, according to the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, or Cedia. And Apple is the overwhelmingly dominant player. Among those who use smartphones and tablets in their homes, 87% use Apple devices. Savant Systems, another major player in the field, has made Apple the backbone of the hardware it installs and only makes technology to be controlled with the iPhone and iPad.

"It was totally worth it," said Mr. Kotecha who plans to install even more automation features to his home.

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JoshvanHulst - November 28, 2012 at 12:50am

It's worth it if you have nothing else more important to spend your billions on.

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Juha - November 27, 2012 at 1:17pm

And this is exactly what is wrong with the current home automation industry -- being able to switch lights/heating/AC/TV on/off from an iPad is not worth $80,000 -- it's probably not even worth $8,000 (but depends a bit if you live in an apartment or in a mansion).

nedrith - November 27, 2012 at 8:42am

Never did they say who made the technology. and the title isn't misleading, it doesn't say 80k worth of ipads or 80k worth of apple stuff or 80k of stuff made by anyone. it say 80k of home automation equipment is controlled by a iPad. which the linked article supports. Who made it isn't important, what's important is if I have home automation and have it controlled by stuff on the wall I have to get up and move to the wall. If by remote I can misplace it. Atleast with a iPad I'll have a reason to keep it near me unlike that remote which will probably be dropped off wherever I am when I'm done with it or that wall control which would need to be installed in ever single room and will probably be at a inconvenient location often especially if I move furniture.

Common Sense - November 26, 2012 at 9:55pm

Make some more money and you'll be at a point to not be so jealous.

that1mexguy - November 26, 2012 at 7:38pm

... and the home value will drop -$40k when the new iPads are out by early next year :)

Common Sense - November 26, 2012 at 9:54pm

The software is upgradeable so the house value won't drop. Also, to those of us with money, we don't look at personal upgrades as a waste to home value(s). It's an accepted risk to make ourselves happy.

that1mexguy - November 27, 2012 at 4:36am

All that money and NO common sense to get the joke lol .... Hint: it has NOTHING to do with the software brainiac! LoL