Upcoming Crestron App for Apple Watch Offers Functionality for 10 Features

Crestron’s app for the Apple Watch gives users access to 10 of their favorite or frequently used features of their control systems, Byron Wendling, product manager-touch screens & user interfaces, told us by email. Because the watch's user interface is so much smaller than that of a smartphone or tablet, the challenge is “not to try and translate everything you can do with the full app” when designing for the watch, said Wendling. Apple’s stated intent for the watch is “for very quick and focused interactions, so we developed our watch app very much in that spirit,” Wendling said. Examples of functions that a user might choose to control are turning on or off the front porch light, unlocking the door, turning music on or off and closing motorized shades, he said. Integrators program the watch for clients with Crestron’s Simpl programming language that uses Smart Graphics technology. Wendling wouldn’t pin down the date of availability, saying only it would be “soon.”