Home and auto

As costs decrease, true Jetsons-level home automation is gaining in popularity. In just one example, local retailer Kadair’s is offering complete installation of Savant, the new Apple-based system for remotely controlling everything from home audio and video to heating and air conditioning, lights and security systems.

The Savant system is designed to operate from any iOS device, such as the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. “If I want to watch cable TV,” says Jeremy S. Rasti, custom installation manager for the camera and electronics store, “I simply touch the icon, and the Savant host and controller send out all of the commands to my components that allow me to do that. Then the iPad becomes my Cable remote.”

Rasti says other items, such as Pandora radio, Apple TV or a Blu-ray player, will work in much the same way. “The system does all of the thinking for you.”

One thing the Savant system cannot do is run on other platforms, like Android or Blackberry, but that is to ensure speed. Single-room installation starts around $2,000. savantav.com