Tablets are having a profound impact on the automation channel, and control system vendors are finding that they must accept and cater to client demand to be able to control systems from tablets. But it's not just about the iPad anymore.

Although the Apple tablet remains the most popular option, and will likely continue to do so with the latest launch of the iPad 2, Android-based devices are quickly growing in popularity, and have seen plenty of positive buzz.

Given the growing interest in tablets of all kinds as part of a home automation experience, columns devoted to developments in the custom channel are giving more and more coverage to app controls.
Audio distribution and music playback still feature prominently as something that people want to do with their tablets. Automation and security vendor HAI's Hi-Fi 2 for iPhone and iPad is one great example of a new control app that facilitates this. It connects directly to HAI's Hi-Fi 2 and Music Gateway systems without requiring a home control system. That means an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch can be a simple interface for the audio system. Hi-Fi 2 features include Volume Source Control (VSC), which can display metadata such as artist name, song title, and more. Users can also jump through songs using the VSC, access tunes on the 500GB hard drive, and view shared network folders for song selection.

Autonomic Control's Mirage Media Controller for iPad controls the Mirage Media Server (MMS-5 and MMS-2) and Mirage Media Control System (MCS). It allows users to browse and control media libraries and supported streaming services from the tablet. MMC also ports metadata and album art, and users can access and play multiple iTunes and Windows Media libraries alongside Pandora and Sirius XM, as well as stream free radio stations from around the globe with RadioTime.

While it's not a controller, Audio brand McIntosh, perhaps the brand most synonymous with high end HiFi, has debuted its own iPad app for music listening. Featuring McIntosh's signature blue LED Watt Meters as a backdrop, the AP1 Audio Player iPhone/iPad App, provides most of the features of the existing iPod App, while adding a veneer of McIntosh luxury. Users can select tracks, artists, play lists and albums as well as control the volume of the music, with all controls fully customized and consistent with McIntosh styling and functionality.

These days, it seems like the app train never stops rolling. In the next instalment, we'll take a look at apps that allow users to stay connected to their house while they're away.

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