10 Things To Do In Arizona

We all know that the summer heat is starting to approach and before you know it we’ll be locked inside enjoying our Air Conditioning trying our hardest to not walk outside onto the face of the sun. So while you still can, get out and see some of the amazing things Arizona has to offer, let us worry about keeping your home safe.

Don’t forget, while you’re gone you can control your thermostat, check on the dogs with access to your cameras, unlock the door for your neighbor to let the dogs out, and make sure all your appliances are off, all with your phone and the Alarm.com

  1. The Grand Canyon

Yup, that was a pretty obvious one, but it’s one that has to make it on the list, I mean, we live in the “Grand Canyon State” so as an Arizonian you have to get out and see it at least once. There’s people from all over the world who fly here just to see it and we live within a day’s drive of it, it’s definitely something we all take for granted.

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What is it about the Grand Canyon that makes it so appealing for individuals and families? First, it’s the massive size of this gorge that was created over eons by rushing waters. Who knew that water had such an incredible ability to carve stone? Secondly, it’s simply breathtaking. Most of us think of rocks as being gray and rather dull, but the Grand Canyon bucks that trend brilliantly. You’ve never seen such a bounty of hues embedded in the rock face as you see when you stop by this national treasure. And finally, the Grand Canyon attracts plenty of wildlife. Who knows what kinds of creatures and birds you’ll see when you visit!

If you’re looking for the opportunity to commune with nature in a setting that’s unlike any other in the world, it’s time to get in your car or RV and head to the Grand Canyon. Already been there but having visitors from out of town come to stay as your guest for a while? Take them sightseeing, too. It’s a great excuse to spend time together in a place that’s on tons of people’s bucket lists.

  1. Oak Creek Canyon and Slide Rock State Park

One of the few places in Arizona where you can see the beautiful colors of fall. You can find gorgeous, scenic hiking trails and just spend the day hiking and enjoying nature. Also, while you’re there be sure to stop at Slide Rock. Slide Rock appeals to the inner kid in all of us, who doesn’t want to slide down a naturally made water slide?! It’s one of the more well known spots with Arizonians so be prepared for crowds. Luckily Slide Rock is between Sedona and Flagstaff, so if you decide you’re done a little early, you can always go get dinner in one of those two beautiful cities.slide-rock

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with planning an all-day excursion to Slide Rock State Park, rather than making it just a quick trip. Has it been a while since your last picnic? Ironically, picnics were, at one time, a favorite activity for couples and families. Why not restore this tradition and pack a basket or cooler with some munchies? Opt for fun items like specialty sandwiches, cold fried chicken and some homemade sweet treats to keep the energy high.

Don’t forget to bring plenty of refreshing beverages, too, as it can get hot quickly in Arizona! Oh, and a nice big blanket is always preferred to eating on the ground. Bonus points if you remember to bring a change of clothes —Slide Rock is exciting, but it necessitates dry clothing after a thrilling dip!

  1. Papago Park

The massive sandstone buttes of Papago Park are what really set it apart from other parks. The park has quite a few attractions, it houses the Tomb of Governor George Wiley Paul Hunt, who has an interesting history as well as an interesting name, Hunt set a national recored by being elected to the first, second, third, sixth, seventh, either and tenth term as Arizona’s governor. Aside from his tomb there’s the famous Hole in the Rock, an Exercise Course, Fishing Lagoons, a Baseball Facility, Golf Course and a Softball Complex.

You’ll find a variety of ways to get your exercise in at Papago Park, starting with easy, moderate or tougher hiking. Be sure you bring along a backpack filled with everything you need to stay quenched and safe as you traverse the multitude of Papago Park pathways. Who knows what you’ll find around the next bend.

Like all parks, it’s an ever-changing scene just waiting to be discovered. Go solo or bring a friend on your next adventure through this Phoenix area hotspot — and remember that it really can get hot there! Sunscreen is a must-have whether you’re “roughing it” for a few hours or a whole day.

  1. Cathedral Rock

As we mentioned above, there’s nothing like sticking true to the Arizonian roots of going for a hike. Cathedral Rock has three saddle points, once you hike out to each point the views are breathtaking. This is no beginners hike though, it’s a pretty steep hike, mind you it’s no Everest but it’s nothing to joke about, you’ll get your cardio in for the day.

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To prepare for this kind of activity, we suggest you start by examining your own abilities. If it’s tough for you to climb a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing, you may want to go to Cathedral Rock to take pictures, not to perform strenuous walking. However, if you are fairly confident in your abilities to safely get up and down rocking hills without worry, why not take on the Cathedral Rock challenge?

One suggestion is to be sure you hike with a friend or several buddies. It’s always a good idea to opt for a “safety first” attitude whenever you head out on a ramble. Besides, what could be a better way to make memories with friends or even colleagues? Climbing Cathedral Rock could be the best team-building activity your company ever experiences!

  1. Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon has recently been in the headlines all over the world, a photographer went on an expedition here and snapped the picture of a lifetime while exploring, that picture ended up selling for $6.5 Million. Who knows, maybe with your adventure you could get a picture worth $7 Million, just remember the company that gave you the idea! It’s definitely a day trip and an intense hike, but by far one of the coolest ones you can take in Arizona.

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Be advised that because the Antelope Canyon is part of and controlled by the Navajo Nation, the Canyon’s main entrance is gated and can only be accessed if you are on a guided tour. This isn’t a problem, though — plenty of tours happen on a regular basis.

Besides, it’s fun to travel through this water-created slot canyon with a group. Who knows what kind of conversation you’ll have, and from where your hiking companions hail. Antelope Canyon is known worldwide, so you might just hear a wealth of different languages spoken during your journey through these magnificent natural rock arches, which the Navajos believe have spiritual capabilities.

  1. Meteor Crater

This is the world’s best preserved meteorite impact site on Earth, it’s nearly one mile across and more than 550 feet deep. Meteor Crater also has an RV park so pack of the family, hop in the RV and spend a weekend there! There’s also a museum at the site with everything from space exploration exhibits to the actual remains of the meteorite that caused that massive crater.

New to the idea of heading out just to see the place a meteor hit? You might be wondering what makes it so exciting. Trust us. It’s pretty spectacular. It also brings home the reality of how big meteors are and how important they can be to the topography of a planet. Plus, if you’re into photography, you’ll love the photo ops around Meteor Crater. It’s truly unlike anything else you’re going to find in Arizona, and it has its own type of beauty.meteor-crater

Kids who love science will also appreciate a trip to Meteor Crater. Your youngster may even find it so compelling that it becomes the basis for a winning science fair or classroom project related to astronomy. You really never know what you’ll find until you head out the door and make a trip to Meteor Crater.

  1. Petrified Forest National Park.

Cool doesn’t even begin to describe Petrified Forest National Park! As soon as you get close, you’ll be blown away by the spectacular look and feel of this area. It seems like something straight out of a fantasy novel or movie, but it’s completely real and ready for you and your family to explore.

petrified-forest

The history to this park is too much to put into our blog post, but it’s definitely worth the trip to go visit and learn more about. The park is known for it’s fossils, more specifically it’s fossilized fallen trees from about 225 million years ago. Your budding paleontologist will appreciate taking their gear and spending time searching for fossilized remains. It’s possible they could unearth something millions of years old!

The park is amidst the Painted Desert so it’s a 2 for 1 deal when you visit this park. As you might suspect, the Painted Desert offers wondrous sights and views. You haven’t lived until you’ve been there at least once! The scenery alone is worth the trip, the added bonus is getting to read about it’s history and see what a trip it has had throughout the years on earth. Education and entertainment, plus a little heart-healthy hiking mixed together — what could be better?

  1. Desert Botanical Gardens

Learn about desert plants from around the world in an awesome controlled outdoor setting. The Gardens house more than 50,000 different desert plants all on display among 5 different themed trails. The trails demonstrate different topics such as desert living, plants and people of the Sonoran Desert, and desert wildflowers. While you’re there you can finish off the day with a meal at Gertrude’s restaurant or at the Patio Cafe.

Butterfly enthusiast at heart? You’ll adore a visit to the butterfly exhibit held every spring at the Desert Botanical Gardens. What you find out about these delightful, winged creatures may just change the way you look at them in your everyday life. Plus, you can discover what they love to eat so you can attract them to your own backyard!

The Desert Botanical Gardens is also terrific for those with or without a green thumb. Even if you have trouble landscaping on a minimal basis, you can appreciate the efforts the preservationists take in keeping this wonderfully natural place alive and brilliant. Bring your cameras, smiles and great attitude. It’s a trip that is definitely more adventure than anything else.

  1. Four Corners Monument

Can’t decide between visiting Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico or Utah? You don’t have to! Take a day trip and see four states and visit all four at the same time. This is one of the coolest experiences you and your family can have. When else would you be able to play a game of “Twister” in four states simultaneously? Or hopscotch from state to state in a matter of seconds? It’s totally fun and makes for great videos!

The marker was originally put into place in 1912. Who says that our ancestors didn’t have a great sense of what would make a wonderful tourist attraction? They knew that if they built the monument, people would flock to it — and they were right.

You’ll find a few small cafes but it’s very rare and remote seeing as it’s on Navajo land. So make sure you bring your necessities with you, there’s no running water, electricity or telephones at the monument. You’ll also want to make sure you have your sunscreen on hand. The sun is burning bright, and there isn’t a ton of shade in this fun place. A hat or even a parasol would be perfect for the adventure.

  1. Saguaro National Park

Arizona is home to the world’s largest cacti, called the saguaro. The saguaro is the symbol of the American west, and it’s an impressive one. A single saguaro cactus can reach heights of up to 70 feet, about as tall as six story building! Take a trip to the park which is just outside of Tucson, you can check out the visitor’s center and take in the museum exhibits, slide shows and the gift shop. You can hire tour guides as well to take a scenic hike with you around the park. The park is divided into two districts so there is plenty of park for you to see, especially if you’re an outdoors enthusiast.

saguaro-national-park

Remember that when you’re in the Saguaro National Park, the cacti are considered a protected species. It’s okay to take pictures of them, but avoid touching them or doing anything that might damage them. Besides, it’s always best to simply look at a cactus. Who wants to risk getting a porcupine-like sticker as a “prize” for curiosity?

What are you waiting for? Arizona isn’t playing a game of hide-and-seek. It’s right in front of you and ready to show you some unbelievable sights. Don’t worry about your house — Titan Alarm has you covered. Now get out there and play!

Learn More About Energy Management

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Temperature Sensors

smart-thermostat-remote-temp-sensors

Titan Alarm is taking the Smart Home Energy Management System to a new level, we are now rolling out the Alarm.com Smart Home Thermostat Temperature Sensors. With these sensors your Smart Thermostat will now be enabled to take smarter steps to maximize energy savings and the comfortability of your home.

With out new wireless Temperature Sensors, you can deliver precision comfort to all of the rooms that you spend most of your time, not just the hallway that your thermostat happens to live.

Follow these steps to really utilize the Temperature Sensors:

1: Install Sensors in High Traffic Rooms. 

Chances are that the room your thermostat lives in, isn’t the room that you spend the most time in. Even if you have your current thermostat installed in your living room, that doesn’t mean the thermostat knows the temperature in your bedroom.

The answer to this problem is to install a Temperature Sensor on the wall of each room that has a high area of traffic, like your kitchen, bedrooms, living room and dining room.

2: Adjust comfort to the room you’re in

Now that you have temperature sensors around the house, you can specify which sensor commands the thermostat.

For example, let’s say that it’s bedtime. Downstairs, where the thermostat sits, the temperature is a comfortable 72 degrees. Upstairs, though, it’s 76 degrees—too warm for a comfortable night.

Simply open your Alarm.com app and tell your smart thermostat to optimize the home’s temperature for the bedroom until your bedroom sensor registers 72.

3: Create a Schedule

Creating a schedule is actually pretty easy, and the nice thing is, you can have it follow your daily routine and make your house that much more comfortable as you go about your day.

In this example, the user is assigning different sensors to each of the thermostat modes in the Alarm.com application.

For energy savings during the day (Away), they use the thermostat. For evenings (Home), they use the living room sensor. At night (Sleep) the bedroom sensor takes over.

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4: Be sure to use your other thermostat features

Temperature Sensors are just one of the many ways of using your smart thermostat! Make sure you learn more about the system by contacting Titan Alarm today! Give us a call 602-680-4567

Learn More About Energy Management

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Beat The Heat

When you think “Smart Thermostat” do you think of saving money on your energy bill? Or do you think of a more comfortable house?

If you’re one of the people who think of both, well then congrats! You aren’t alone in your thinking! In fact, according to a recent Home Owners Survey, 93 percent of homeowners all think the way you do, and want both money savings and a more comfortable house!

So, why do most smart thermostats fail to deliver?

Most thermostats still monitor and control a house’s comfort and climate the old way, based on the temperature only in the room that the thermostat is installed in.

That technique works great if you want to have a comfortable living room or hall way, but not that well if your bedroom is upstairs where heat rises to.

 

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Luckily, with Titan Alarm, there is a thermostat that gives you the options of having comfort around your whole house 24/7. A nice and even balance of a great temperature that is customised to each area of your house!

The Alarm.com Smart Thermostat is one of the most cutting edge thermostats on the market. With it’s smarter build and technology put into it, the thermostat has access to monitor every room in your house that has remote temperature sensors!

To utilize this feature, simply install remote sensors in every room you want to be able to monitor and control, assign it in the application to your thermostat and enjoy the precision comfort that has been assigned and targeted to that room. You can now easily create schedules for the temperatures in the rooms throughout the day and it’s all thanks to your smart home with temperature sensors.

If you want to learn more about saving money or having a more comfortable house, give Titan Alarm a call today! 602-680-4567.

Learn More About Energy Management

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Saving Money with Energy Management

smart-thermostat-remote-temp-sensors

In Arizona, we all know that July and August can be some of the hottest times of year in this hot hot desert state. Which means expensive energy bills to keep your house cool and in a comfortable environment to live in.

Inside houses, the top floors of the house get extremely hot, which is caused by heat rising. When this happens it creates hot zones, which aren’t necessarily where your thermostat is positioned.

This then will make it harder to keep your house comfortable and cool throughout the day and in the summer heat.

Unfortunately most homeowners simply put their air conditioning units on full blast until the whole house feels cool, but that actually racks up the energy bills quite a bit and is extremely inefficient.

Titan Alarm powered by alarm.com delivers a new way to keep your house at a comfortable and cool temperature, and we can help provide precision comfortability to your whole house.

 

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1: Place Sensors in Main Rooms.

Temperature sensors that sync with your Titan Alarm system can and should be placed on the wall of high traffic and main use rooms in your house, that way it will give accurate readings sent back to your panel and thermostat to control the comfortability of the house.

For example: if you want your kitchen cooled down to 69 degrees, you can set the thermostat to target the kitchen and cool down your house until the sensor you have installed in the kitchen reads that the temperature is 69 degrees.

It’s worth the investment to have a temperature sensor in each other rooms in your house, that way you can have accurate readings of the temperature of the house as a whole.

Pro Tip: If you have young children and you make sure to put one in their bedroom or nursery, put it out of their reach.

 

 

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2: Create a Schedule

With the temperature sensors, you can now target individual rooms and their climate all from your smartphone and the Alarm.com app! You can now manually control targeted rooms but the easiest way to do it is all with a schedule!

Based off of your family’s routine, you can make a schedule that will target all of the different rooms in your house as your family uses them and changes their routine around the house as the day goes on.

A great example of how scheduling works can be something as perfect as follows: you can set your house’s schedule to change the climate of the house at around 9am when you take the kids to school and you head to work, and then around 5pm when you’re heading home you can have the house change climate again to fit what you want to come home to.

Pro Tip: Schedule your house to change when you’re going to be gone for most of the day.

 3: Balance Your Smart House  

 

With precision comfort it can help save money on your energy bill by delivering just the right amount of energy needed to keep your house at a comfortable temperature rather than blasting the air conditioning all summer long.

Some of the amazing features and add ons you can get for your Titan Alarm Smart Home Thermostat are as follows:

Auto-Setback: This feature monitors your doors and windows to make sure none of them are accidentally left open and you accidentally start heating or cooling the outside world. If anything is left open, your thermostat will alert you and it will automatically set your houses temperatures back as to minimize energy waste until the door or window left open is closed.

Geo-Services: Using your smartphone’s location, your thermostat and smart home panel will use your phone’s location to control the climate and comfortability of your house. By using your phone’s location your house will go into “savings” mode once you leave a certain radius. To learn more about Geo-Services CLICK HERE.

Extreme Temps: This feature gives you the possibility and options of setting your thermostat to change temperatures when the outside temperature gets too hot, so that your house won’t fry while you’re away on a hot Phoenix day.

If you want to learn more about using Energy Management and how it can integrate with your Titan Alarm Home Security System, give Titan a call today! 602-680-4567

Learn More About Energy Management

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

4 Ways to Control Your Home

Have you ever been away from home and need to have a package delivered or have someone check in on your house?

Now there’s an easier solution. With a Titan Alarm system we offer so many different smart home automation options for different problems. Every home and every situation is always going to be different, that’s why Titan Alarm offers customized solutions for you and your needs.

Here are some of the easiest ways to be able to interact and use the smart home automation system for your house.

Smartphone and Tablet

Titan Alarm is powered by Alarm.com and we utilize every aspect of this application, which syncs to your home security and home automation center in your home. The application is available for iOS and Android and turns your phone into a mobile command center for your house.

With the Alarm.com application it enables you to have instant notifications sent to your phone concerning your house and it’s home security and automation system. Titan Alarm enables you to completely control all spectrums of your home security and home automation system.

 

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Amazon Echo

This is one of the coolest releases in the past few years. Now with Amazon Echo and Alexa, your whole house can be controlled by your voice!

Want to turn on the lights while your arms are full of groceries? Just ask Alexa to turn on the lights!

You can use only your voice to control so many new and different aspects of your smart home automation and security system!

 

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Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV

If you’re watching TV when the door bell rings you can use your remote for either device to navigate quickly to the native Alarm.com application and see who’s at the door and check your other cameras around the house as well.

Both of these applications have been designed by Alarm.com to make viewing all your live feeds from your house painless. That way you have a larger screen to view more detail from the cameras rather than using a smaller smart phone screen to see everything. The tv applications allow up to four live feeds simultaneously to stream to your tv.

 

 

Smartwatch Apps

With the Alarm.com application for the Apple Watch, it allows awareness, control and visibility all at a quick glance of your wrist, which makes it an amazing part to integrate into your smart home system. With the taptic feedback responses programmed into the watch, it can let you know when something is happening with your smart home automation system.

 

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Learn More About Smart Home Technology

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Smarter Home Security

What is it that truly makes a home security system from Titan Alarm a “smarter” home security system?

There’s quite a few answers for that question, but one of the easiest answer, is because Titan Alarm is powered by Alarm.com.

Alarm.com has it’s own app, so it helps you manage and control your whole home in one easy to use application, but why should you opt for choosing Titan Alarm as your home security provider?

 

We are built smarter.

When a security system is triggered, it has to signal for help in emergency situations. This is where we are steps ahead of the competition, traditional systems use your cable and phone connection, but Titan Alarm uses reliable and dedicated cellular connections for their signals to transmit. That way it counters thieves who try to use wire cutters to cut your phone line, or if the power is out because of a storm. Titan Alarm has the best solution for your home, to keep it safe when you’re home or away and we always have cutting edge technology to boot.

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Smart, User Friendly Controls

Your traditional, wired, security systems are all controlled at the panel on your wall, with a security system from Titan Alarm, you have access to control your system with your phone, with a selection of smartwatches and now, with your own voice! You can now interact with your system no matter where you are, like checking who is at the door while your kids are home alone, or receiving notifications when your front door opens or closes.

Four Ways to Control Your Smart Home

Proactive Steps

Titan Alarm is constantly taking proactive steps to make sure you are protected in case of an emergency. If the Titan Alarm system is in use and installed properly, it can detect smoke, flooding and even carbon monoxide. For example, if there is a fire and the system senses smoke, it will be able to sound the alarms, contact the local authorities, turn off all the lights and shuts off your HVAC system, to prevent the fire from spreading even more. If the sensors detect a water leak or flooding, it can turn off your entire water system in your house to prevent even more flooding. These are just a few amazing steps that Titan Alarm takes in preventing emergencies and stopping the emergencies from spreading and getting worse.

 

It makes your whole house smart

Everywhere you go, all you hear about is people having “smart homes” with Titan Alarm, it then turns your whole house into a smart home and gives you unlimited options and ways to control your house. We can make so many different aspects of your house automated, a doorbell, video cameras, smart locks, lighting and even garage door openers! There are so many different options you can add to your Titan Alarm system.

Every option and device that we add to your home security system, is all controlled through the Alarm.com app!

 

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A smarter way to own it

Luckily this home automation system, doesn’t have to be installed by yourself! With Titan Alarm we have professional technicians that can come in and install your system to make sure it’s properly installed and working, that way you know it’s working when a crisis hits.

Want to learn more about a home automation system or pull the trigger and have it installed? Contact Titan Alarm today and give us a call! 602-680-4567.

 

Learn More About Smart Home Technology

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Home Automation with Voice Control

Imagine controlling your whole house, with the power of your voice. Things like the air conditioning or the kitchen lights, all controlled with a mere voice command. It’s now easily accessible for you and your house! With the pairing of alarm.com and Amazon Echo’s voice control Alexa, you can now control your smart home with voice commands!

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Here is how this amazing technology works:

Naming and Grouping Devices

When it comes time to start configuring all of your devices with the Amazon Echo, make sure to use this pro tip and try to group together similar items into one name, that way it’s even easier to control with your voice. For example, if you have multiple smart lights that are configured in your living room, group them all together, then name them something like “Living Room Lights” that way when you want to control the whole living room, you just tell Alexa, “Living Room Lights off” and your whole living room with turn off. Make sure to try and apply this in multiple rooms that way you have an easier time controlling your smart home.

When you have to name your group Amazon has a few times for truly utilizing Alexa’s full capabilities.

  • Make sure you use a different name for each group in your house.
  • Names that only have two or three syllables are the easiest for Alexa to recognize.
  • Use names that will be easy for you to remember and not take too long to say.
  • Set groups that will work together and not be effected by one another turning on or off.

Be sure to really think about how you will use your house’s lights and thermostats on the everyday basis, and then build the groups in your Alexa app to match your lifestyle and house.

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Say the Commands

Once you have set up and configured your smart devices in with Alexa and Amazon Echo, turning on or off your groups are as easy as saying the command out loud. The Amazon Echo and Alexa are command specific and not voice specific, so if anyone in the house says the correct phrasing then Alexa will follow through and either turn on or off the grouping paired with that command.

This set up obviously makes it extremely convenient to go and change out the settings without having to actually use a light switch or have to pull out your smartphone. Imagine how awesome that can be if you’re walking into a dark house with arms full of groceries and all you have to do is say out loud, “Alexa Kitchen Lights On” and your lights in your kitchen turn on, making it that much easier for you to bring your groceries in and see where you’re going in your house. We all know that walking into a dark house and stepping on Legos is the absolute worst.

If this home automation sounds like something you could use in your life, or you’ve just stepped on far too many legos, then give Titan Alarm a call today, we can get you set up with a custom solution just for your house and your needs and really make the smart home your best friend.

 

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Learn More About Home Automation

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Tech Gifts for Dad

With Father’s Day right around the corner, why not get Dad an awesome Tech Gift this year? Whether your Dad is into gardening, cooking, or exercise, there are tons of awesome home automation and tech gifts to help improve your Dad’s life!

Here are some of our favs over at Titan Alarm:

1. Amazon Echo

Echo

List Price: $179

Find it on Amazon

This little guy is a powerhouse when it comes to home automation, the Amazon Echo is one of the most recently integrated devices into the alarm.com family, so if you’re looking for a useful but fun gift, then look no further. When using the voice service, also known as Alexa, the Amazon Echo can do so much! It can read you audio books, check the weather, and even turn on and off your smart home’s lights through the integration of the alarm.com application.

 

 

2. Fitbit Charge HR

FitBit

List price: $149

Find it on Amazon

This FitBit is designed to track all of your activities, sleep, calorie intake and your weight, the FitBit Charge HR is the most advanced wearable device for those who love fitness. The small, but powerful wireless tracker uses your stats obtained throughout the day and the syncs it to your smartphone, that way Dad can keep track and monitor his progress throughout the day.

 

 

3. Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker

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List price: $115

Find it on Amazon

This is for those mornings where Dad just doesn’t want to get out of bed without a cup of coffee. With the Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker, Dad can have his coffee brewed and ready to go before he even steps out of bed. This coffee maker is attached via wifi and a smartphone application and is easily accessible, even through the morning grogginess. This awesome 10-cup coffee maker, even has the possibilities to send notifications, reminders and alerts to your Dad’s smartphone.

 

 

4. WORX Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower

WORX

List price: $999

Find it on Amazon

Let’s be honest, Dad probably has a few better things to do then spending his Saturday mowing the lawn, let Dad spend some time relaxing and pick up the WORX Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower. The lawn mower works off of a pre-programmed schedule, and can even run up to 7 days a week. This lawn mower is quiet and electric so you don’t have to worry about constantly refilling it on gasoline.

 

 

5. Tile

Tile

Find it on Amazon

Dad’s can be forgetful, especially when mom isn’t there to find his keys. So if this is the case, then the Tile is going to be the best gift you can get for him on this Father’s day. When Dad loses his keys all he has to do is access the app on his smartphone, and then choose to locate his keys, the Tile will then start chiming so Dad can find his keys. The nice thing is, Tile can easily attach to most devices, like keys, Dad’s wallet or even his smartphone. If Dad loses his smart phone, but has his keys or a device with a Tile on it, all he has to do is tap his Tile and the smartphone linked to the Tile will start ringing.

One of the best gifts for dad this year, that didn’t end up on the list, is a smart home automation system from Titan Alarm, if you’re really wanting to give dad a gift that is cutting edge in technology and is focused on home improvement, making your home safer, and making your whole house tech savvy, then contact Titan Alarm today, we’d love to get your dad the perfect smart home automation system today.

Learn More About Smart Home Technology

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.

Theft Deterrant

A perk to having a Titan Alarm home security system, is that you also get a complimentary lawn sign, saying your house is protected by Titan Alarm, a great benefit of that is that it can potentially scare off potential intruders into your house. Normally a burglar will look and see if they can find a house with easy entry and escapes, but having a security system does not allow them that luxury. Informing them that you have a security system with your yard sign can potentially thwart their hit on your house. Unfortunately a lot of people head to eBay and buy fake security signs for their yard, rather then paying and using a security system for their residence or business. In this blog, we’re going to fill you in on why you should never just buy a yard sign and actually install a security system from Titan Alarm.

Yardsign

 

The Risks of Using Fake Security Signs

Do you remember the age old saying. “you get what you pay for.”? By only buying a security sign, to install a fake security system, this will fully apply to you. The following risks are all things you’re going to come up against if you take the fake, cheap way out.

• Signs aren’t fully convincing. Using a fake security company sign that can display even legitimate companies, can still not make a burglar look away from your house. So having a security system installed will be your best deterrent.

• Easily outsmarted. Most thieves know how to use Google and will use it to their advantage, if you have an outdated or fake lawn sign, the thieves will most likely know.

• Nothing happens. Without a security system, once a thief breaks in, literally nothing happens. No alarms are triggered, the police are not dispatched, the thief has free reign to roam about picking up your valuables.

Faking a System.

Having a fake home security system, is as cheap, unwise and just stupid as you can get. There is nothing stopping a thief from breaking in, other then your hopes of trying to trick them with a fake yard sign or some non-monitored security cameras. The safest way for you to really protect your house or business, is to invest and have a proper security system professionally installed.

 

Install a home security system.

Not only does installing a real security system help boost your houses’s security, but the system can also help protect with other emergencies that may occur too. With a Titan Alarm Home Security System, you can arm your house to detect fires, flooding, power outages and even make sure that all of your doors are locked when you forget to lock them. With 24/7 monitoring, your house will be safe in our hands.

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Motion Detectors and Lights.

There’s nothing like a motion detecting light on the driveway to freak out a burglar. One of the best additions to a home security system is to install motion detectors and motion detecting lights. With the system from Titan Alarm, when there is motion detected on your premises, you can receive notifications straight to your smart phone and you’re able to monitoring what is happening. If your house or business is set to Armed and you’re away, our Central Station monitoring company will check in on your premises and make sure there is nothing happening.

Detectors

 

 

Window and Door Alarms.

These are some amazing thief deterrent, and can thwart most break ins. When you have these installed in different locations all of your house, if a burglar tries to break in through a window or door, it will trigger the alarm and alert local authorities to your house. It will also send you a notification as well to your smart phone, so you can check your security cameras to see what is actually happening in your house.

Smart Locks.

There are so many different kind of locks you can get for your doors now a days. From the classic master lock, to the more advanced smart locks that are accessible with your phone, we want to find the best fit for your needs. With smart locks, you can check and make sure all of your doors are locked, all from your smart phone. There is also a major benefit to the locks, you can get notifications anytime the locks are opened or closed, so if someone tries to get in to your house that shouldn’t be, you’ll receive a notification that someone is trying to access your front door. This also saves you from having to make spare keys and have those keys floating around in the world. With a smart lock from Titan Alarm, you can actually set different codes for different people who are coming and going in the house.

 

Looks are Everything.

Keeping your house active, even when you’re not there, with Titan Alarm you can set up timers to have lights turn on and off, as well as the tv. With these tricks installed you can hopefully keep burglars away, leading them to believe that you’re home and that your house isn’t one that they want to risk trying to break into.

What You Should Do.

The best advice we can give you to achieve a real peace of mind, is to install a real, customised, home security system for your house. With Titan Alarm we will have a security system specialist come out and evaluate your property and help you come up with a solution that is going to fit your every need. Give Titan the chance to set you up for a win, and keep your house, your loved ones, and your belongings safe. Call us today 602-680-4567.

Learn More About Theft Deterrant Systems

Updated by Titan Alarm on October 31, 2018.

Prevent Phoenix Bicycle Theft

Bicycle

Downtown Phoenix is such a great area to spend the weekends biking around going cafe to cafe and bar to bar. Which means your form of transportation, your bicycle, is important to enjoy the nice weekends out. Every year there are approximately 1.5 million bicycles stolen throughout the U.S. and that’s just the bikes that are reported stolen. Over 5000 bicycles were reported stolen in Phoenix last year alone. Check out this blog we’ve put together for you on how to prevent bicycle theft in Phoenix.

How To Prevent Bike Theft

In Phoenix, there is a local bicycle shop that took it upon themselves to create the Phoenix Stolen Bicycle Registry. Aside from that, there is also the National Bicycle Registry also known as the NBR. The NBR helps combat bicycle registration, and it’s so helpful that if a bicycle is stolen, it is nine times more likely to be found than if you hadn’t registered the bicycle. When you register the bicycle, it will then be entered into it’s database that your local and federal law agencies have access to. For $10 you can use the NBR’s services for 10 years, that’s $1 a year, which is a pretty cheap investment to add a layer of safety and protection for your bicycle. If your bicycle is unfortunately stolen and is registered with NBR and it isn’t recovered, the NBR will provide you a free 10-year registration for your next bicycle.

Buy a tamper-proof bicycle lock.

One of the strongest and most common bicycle locks you can get is a U-lock. The shape of the “U” makes it so that potential bike thieves are unable to pry it open and the steel cabling inside makes it almost impossible for them to cut. Bicycle U-locks are surprisingly affordable too, when you weight the cost of a lock to the cost of your bicycle, it’s completely worth the investment. Don’t know where to find a bicycle lock that fits your needs? Check out Amazon.

 

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Lock your bike to something secure and in a high traffic area.

Let’s be honest, you’re probably not really wanting to keep your bike for too long if you lock it in an alleyway away from the public eye or locked to a parking meter on the main streets. Lock your bike to a place that someone can’t lift it off of or easily break or cut whatever your bike is latched onto as well. A parking meter or street sign might seem secure but all it takes is for the thief to lift the bike higher than the sign or meter and off comes the bike and there goes the thief off with their new bicycle.

What To Do If Your Bike Is Stolen

While we are hoping that this is never your fate, there are many possible ways you can help recover your bicycle:

Contact the police.

If your bicycle is stolen make sure you file a police report as soon as possible, call the non-emergency phone number of your local police department and file a police report for your stolen bicycle. Make sure you follow up with the police a few times to see if there has been any progress made toward the recovery of your bicycle, or just to remind them to keep an eye out on the lookout for your unfortunately stolen bicycle.

 

Pawnshop

 

Alert local pawn shops.

Most pawn shops around Arizona actually run the serial number of your bicycle against police records and stolen bicycle records before they’ll buy a bicycle from you, so if your bicycle is stolen, there is a good chance a pawn shop can recover it as well, even if a pawn shop doesn’t run the serial number, make sure you visit the local pawn shops and ask around and alert the employees of your stolen bicycle.

Check Craigslist.

Would you be surprised if we said that not every criminal is the sharpest tool in the shed? A lot of criminals steal stuff and don’t know how to make money off of it so they go straight to Craigslist to try and sell the stolen loot. If you find your bicycle on craigslist or another online selling website, do not try to retrieve it yourself, contact the police immediately and inform them of the craigslist advertisement and they will recover your bicycle for you all while keeping you safe and away from the criminal.

In the meantime, your safety and well being is one of our biggest concerns here at Titan Alarm, we want to make sure your house or business is just as safe as your bike is, let us get you a customized solution for your needs. Give us a call today 602-680-4567!

Learn More About Home Video Surveillance

Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.