Most automatic garage door openers come with, and can communicate with, a set number of remote controls. Many people now carry multiple remote controls with them that open everything from the garage to the car. Then there is the problem of leaving the garage remote in one vehicle while out in another vehicle. Automatic remotes and door openers should simplify life, not add to the amount of stuff that needs to be kept up with. Technology hobbyists have found ways to use Bluetooth enabled cellular phones, such as Blackberries, to minimize the hassle of keeping track of garage door opener remotes. Now, the technology is on the way to becoming easily available to consumers at large.
It started years ago when technology hobbyists began hacking garage doors and openers to invent new ways of controlling the doors. Home automation enthusiasts created ways to monitor garage entries, not only to track whether the doors are open or closed, but the exact opening height within a couple inches. Sure, this had practical applications, but mostly they were doing it for the fun sake of because they could. Around the same time, technology hobbyists created ways to use cellular phones and computers to automate the opening of interior household doors. Again, practical and fun. Finally, in 2009, the tech company Unify4Life created and began mass production of technology that turns any Bluetooth enabled device into a garage door opener remote control. Unify4Life had already developed similar technology for the Blackberry line of smartphones. In 2009, Unify4Life had created and was selling applications to turn a smartphone into a remote control for everything in a person's life. Bluetooth enabled smartphones lend themselves well to this application because many of them feature touch screens that can be easily changed to mimic any kind of traditional remote control necessary.
Unify4Life does this with a combination of software applications for the phones, and hardware for the devices to be controlled. The hardware converts the devices' inputs so that they can accept input from the phones via wireless Bluetooth technology. At the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Unify4Life unveiled technology called Garage|Shadow, that allows a Blackberry phone to be programmed to operate an automatic garage door opener.
For about $40, this is a great addition to a garage entry system. Garage|Shadow works with most automatic door openers and is easily set up by a homeowner. Most people are better at keeping up with expensive smartphones than with door remotes and keys-- especially teenagers, so this new functional addition to garage entries certainly serves a practical purpose. Of course, just because Unify4Life is mass marketing the technology doesn't mean that technology and automation hobbyists will stop inventing new, creative additions to garage door openers.
Author Resource:-
Mesa Garage Doors has been setting the standard in garage door creation, installation, and service since 1989. Everybody at Mesa understands that purchasing a garage door is a decision that affects the aesthetic beauty and comfort of a home. Let Mesa help you design an entry that will welcome you home with warmth and style every time: http://mesagaragedoors.com
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