Home automation is the ultimate goal for a geeky homeowner, but it’s generally too expensive for most of us to even consider. The Savant Mac-based system is no exception, but it’s impressive in just how seamless it makes controlling your home via an iOS device.
The Savant system is designed to control all elements of your home, from the AV to the lighting to the air conditioning and even security cameras. It consists of a fairly impressive backend, some clever software that takes advantage of OS X and – most importantly – an app for iOS devices that lets you control the entire setup.
By using iOS devices to control the entire setup via a dedicated app, the Savant system is naturally intuitive to use. You can control all elements of your home setup within the home, and even access it remotely via a VPN. Depending on the individual setup chosen, you can mount an iPad (or iPad 2) into the wall as a dedicated controller, or opt to have docking solutions that can see the iPad or iPod (or iPhone) move around the house with you.
The only thing the system can’t do at the moment is stream content – like a Blu-ray or your TV – to the iOS controller itself, but apparently there will be an option for Airplay support coming later this year which should allow for content to be streamed to four different iOS devices simultaneously.
As each setup would depend on the home it was being installed into, pricing can vary wildly, from $10K to $1 million, while the iOS app itself is worth $10.
With Google announcing Android@home this week, it’s going to be interesting to see if the search giant’s foray into the home will have an impact on costs over the next few years, but while we wait, the Savant system is super slick and an incredible use of the iOS platform.
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