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Thursday, June 30, 2016
Smart Video Doorbell Features Advanced Video Streaming
A new video doorbell from Remocam will ensure that you’ll be able to clearly see what’s happening at the front door, thanks to its use of an HD camera and Wi-Fi technology. The integrated surveillance camera is particularly unique: It featuresan optical lens with a wide-angle lens instead of the commonly used fish-eye lens to display a crisper and more defined view of the front door. Wi-Fi enables you to access and answer the door by using a smartphone. The RemoBell, which will sell for $199 later this summer, only turns on when a visitor rings the bell or when motion is detected to maximize efficiency and extend battery life.
“The RemoBell is simple to set up and use, affordable, and perfectly blends in with your home,” says Paul Lee, Remocam co-founder. “Our app provides real-time access to your front door, with two-way communication that allows you to see and speak to your visitors using your smart phone. The product is a nice complement to our Remocam security camera, which provides HD live-streaming monitoring inside the home.”
Key Features
- Compatible with Android and iOS devices and features intuitive app
- Enjoy clear video feed with 720p HD video streaming
- Bank-level eprotects personal data.
- Advanced motion sensor detects body heat and alerts users when there is motion at the door
- See and answer calls day or night using the Infrared Night Vision
- Push notifications for rings and motion only when users want them
- Two-way audio lets homeowners speak and listen to visitors through the app
- Store videos to the cloud and access them from the app for $2.99 a month or $29 annually
- Utilize the Activity Log to watch recorded videos from answered rings, missed rings, motion, and answered rings
- Equipped with six easily replaceable batteries
The post Smart Video Doorbell Features Advanced Video Streaming appeared first on Electronic House.
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Savant System Carves Out Quality Time for Family of High-Tech Home
Busy households with kids and pets are prime candidates for home automation systems. Families simply need help managing their homes when schedules are hectic and quality family time is in short supply. The owners of this award-winning project of the Electronic House Homes of the Year contest were no exception, and called on Elite Media Solutions, of Wellesley Hills, Mass., to engineer and design a home system that could simplify their lifestyle in a way that would enable them to carve out more free time. Additionally, the homeowners wanted a system that would afford them greater peace of mind and home protection—especially for their children.
Smooth Communicator
Elite Media Solutions tied the home’s lights, thermostats, audio equipment, and surveillance cameras to a Savant home control platform, and loaded the Savant mobile app onto the owners’ iPads, some of which are mounted to the walls, and smartphones. Several scenes were created to minimize the amount of work it would normally take to close up and lock down the house for the night. Tapping a single button on the app, for example, triggers a housewide “All Off” command. Lights turn off, the thermostats adjust, the audio system turns deactivates, and the surveillance cameras maintain their vigil over the home and property. The app also enables the iPads and smartphones to function as intercoms. When the doorbell of the Mobotix door station is pressed, an image captured by the nearest surveillance cameras is passed to the app (as well as to the screen of any TV that’s on), and the owners can converse with the guest directly from the app. Similarly, if any family member hears a noise in the middle of the night, he or she can turn on all the outdoor lights via that Savant app.
Entertainment Goes to the Dogs
The technology incorporated into the house isn’t just about making the house more manageable and free time more accessible; it also makes living there more enjoyable. From the same control device that’s used to set the lights, thermostats, and security devices for bedtime and other routines, the family can access its music library and direct songs to any of several independent music zones. Each member of the family has the ability to listen to something different—important for a family whose members each have their own distinct taste in music.
Even the family dog, Murphy, is privy to the entertainment, and finds comfort in it when he’s home alone. Per the request of the family, Elite Media Solutions created a special setting in the Savant system, called “Away” that on command from a Savant app on their smartphones turns on specific lights throughout the house and activates a musical playlist for Murphy while they are gone. The lights and music pair up for family event, too, adjusting at the tap of a button for waking up, going to sleep and having dinner with guests.
Kid-Friendly Video Access
Also family friendly are the favorite station presets Elite Media Solutions put together for each member of the family. For example, when one of the kids turns on a TV (there are six total), she is presented on the screen of an iPad a list of favorite stations available in the Kids TV preset. The setup reduces time spent searching for a specific program as well as confusion on how to control such a robust entertainment system. Thanks to conscientious programming and installation of the Savant system and its connected subsystems, and a thorough understanding of its clients’ needs by Elite Media Solutions, juggling busy schedules and a sophisticated home has never been easier for the family who lives in this award-winning home.
The post Savant System Carves Out Quality Time for Family of High-Tech Home appeared first on Electronic House.
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Sonos Adds New User-Friendly Features to its Music System
Sonos has made a name for itself as offering one of the easiest to use and enjoy wireless whole-house music systems on the market. The company also never stops innovating, creating new products and technologies to keep its offerings relevant and fresh for music lovers. Now, Sonos has enhanced its music system through a significant software update. The new update will make getting to your music easier and faster and will improve the quality of the audio reproduction.
Here are some of the key highlights:
- Quick Control from iOS Lock Screen: See info about the track you’re listening to. Turn it up. Pause. Skip forward or back. All from your iPhone or iPad lock screen. No ‘unlock’ required.
- Richer Sound for Rhapsody and Napster: Rhapsody and Napster now stream at higher bitrates, which means more vibrantly detailed sound.
- Force Touch Nav: Got an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus? Use force touch and jump to any content in your Sonos app a lot faster than drilling down, screen by screen.
- Double Your Fun with Split View and Slide Over: You can now open other apps right alongside Sonos by using the iOS features Split View and Slide Over. Use Split View to check music blogs while building a playlist, or Slide Over to fire up some tunes then get back to your emails.
- Trueplay Tuning Simplified: We’ve simplified the tuning process to make it easier for Sonos owners to take full advantage of Trueplay. If you’ve already tuned your speaker with Trueplay and you haven’t moved it since, you won’t need to retune it after this update.
The post Sonos Adds New User-Friendly Features to its Music System appeared first on Electronic House.
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Smart Vanity Mirror Combines Brains and Beauty
The vanity mirror has finally received a much-needed makeover. A new line of Vanity Speakers from iHome fuses professional design and materials with state-of-the-art technology. While you primp you can listen to music or take phone calls through the high-quality speaker integrated in the base, while using the double-sided mirror with full color spectrum light to show every detail, regardless of setting.
The Vanity Speakers—available in a 9-inch model (the iCVBT7) and 6-inch model (either the white CVBT5W or the silver iCVBT5S) –come loaded Bluetooth technology for music streaming tunes. A full control panel on the base lets you adjust the volume, skips tracks, or answer and terminate phone calls. A USB charging port is ready to keep a mobile device fully charged. The iCVBT7 also offers a rechargeable battery, so it can run for up to four hours while unplugged. Both models also feature a power saving timer, which automatically shuts the light off when not in use.
“This vanity is the perfect addition to any makeup lover’s stash and is an ideal gift for the woman – or man – who has everything,” says Evan Stein, director of marketing for SDI Technologies. “This new line of high-quality vanity mirrors further cements iHome’s dedication to creating innovative and in-demand products that appeal to the consumer that craves a fully connected life.”
The suggested retail price is $149.99 for the iCVBT7 and $99.99 for the iCVBT5W and iCVBT5S. Both models are available at Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohls, and other retailers.
The post Smart Vanity Mirror Combines Brains and Beauty appeared first on Electronic House.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2016
CBS/Paramount Sets Phasers to Kill on Star Trek Fan-Fiction with New Guidelines
The Star Trek fan-fiction controversy that resulted in legal battles between CBS/Paramount and Axanar Productions may have concluded last week. CBS/Paramount have finally put forth its long-awaited guidelines intended to clarify acceptable fan-fiction so that it won’t get the creative Star Trek fan sued for copyright infringement. But in doing so, it may have launched Star Trek fan-fiction’s torpedo casket into space with a solemn salute. To be or not to be is the question which we ask about the future of Star Trek fanfilm.
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The Rec League: Lutron RadioRA® 2 System Plays Key Role in Family Fun
When you live in an apartment, you’re ordinarily stuck with the square-footage of which you’ve leased. Putting on an addition or tearing down walls simply isn’t in the cards, typically. For most apartment dwellers, the only way to potentially expand their living space is to lease an adjacent unit, and that’s just what the owners of this Aventura, Fla.-residence did, adding a newly vacant lower level apartment to existing two-level apartment—a project that was recently honored as an “Essence of Pleasance” winner of Lutron’s annual Excellence Awards program.
Atmospheric Conditions
A Wireless Wonder
Switches Swapped for Keypads
The design of the RadioRA 2 system also enabled the Maxicon installation crew to relocate all 18 dimmer switches in the rec room to one central location, a service pantry where they go completely unnoticed. The six keypads that took up residency in the new recreation room allow the owners to arrange the lighting levels perfectly with just a tap of a button, and are located in key entertainment areas—the home theater, kitchen, guest bedroom, domino table, outdoor swimming pool—and the sixth at the bottom of the stairs.
Selecting Smart Lighting For Every Room
Need ideas for some of your spaces? Download this guide for great tips on how to personalize specific areas of the home.
Get the Free GuideConsistency in the way in which Maxicon designed the keypads fostered a fast learning curve for the homeowners. They don’t even need to read the beautifully engraved buttons to know exactly what button will do. Explains Weinstein: The top button of every keypad turns on the lights in a certain area to predetermined intensity levels, and the bottom button turns off the lights in that area. Every keypad also includes a Relax button which dims the lights to a 50 percent intensity level. Lights in the home theater dim even more—to 10 percent—when the Movie button is engaged.
Photo Gallery: Click the photos below to go inside this home.
A Fusion of Lights, Music, and Shades
The keypads provide a quick, easy way to illuminate each area of the rec room perfectly; to give the homeowners even more control over the environment, Maxicon enabled the keypads to also serve as a mode of control for a Control4 audio distribution system and several Somfy motorized window shades. The Somfy shades had already been contracted prior to Maxicon’s involvement in the project, so integrating them took more engineering work than what would have been required had Lutron shades been installed. The integration of the Control4 audio distribution system was far easier, and feeds music from a Sonos media player to a pair of invisible Stealth Acoustics speakers that were installed in the ceiling in several locations. One button on each Lutron keypad was programmed by Maxicon to raise the shades up and down; another button sends the owners favorite Pandora station to the speakers in a certain area at a predetermined volume level. Or, if they want to play music throughout the entire space, a Party button on a keypad by the stairs does the trick.
Phones & Tablets Take Charge
While lighting sets the tone for the fun-filled, renovated rec room—and the Lutron RadioRA 2 system accomplishes this flawlessly, a Control4 home automation system handles other tasks and is the overriding control platform of the entire three levels of the apartment. In addition to the RadioRA 2 mobile app, the owners can access a Control4 mobile app to adjust thermostats, curate music from the Sonos system, and access real-time images captured by surveillance cameras positioned in the family room and basketball court–and also, engage Lutron RadioRA 2 lighting scenes. The entire home theater, comprising a Digital Projection Inc. video projector, 127-inch Vutec screen, Integra surround-sound receiver, and a combination of Adam Audio and Martin-Logan Vanquish speakers, is controlled through the Control4 app, too, where tap of a finger kick starts the equipment, closes the shades and dims the lights. It’s just another easy, quick way to create the perfect atmosphere for family recreation.
The post The Rec League: Lutron RadioRA® 2 System Plays Key Role in Family Fun appeared first on Electronic House.
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Virtual Reality’s New Role in Home Renovation
By Michael Cannell, Houzz
Architecture, in spite of its great power to enhance our lives, has its share of communication issues. Designers may present homeowners with drawings that they can’t grasp, or renderings that provide an incomplete sense of how to navigate a finished room. Terms like “fenestration,” “articulation” and “massing” rarely help matters. As a result, homeowners may write checks with only a murky sense of what their new rooms will look like. Architects, for their part, are no less wary of contractors’ miscues, and vice versa.
What if homeowners, architects and builders could walk through a new house before it’s built? What if they could see how the bedroom windows frame the view in the morning light, and appraise the sightlines from the kitchen island to the living room? How many unwelcome surprises could everyone avoid?
original photo on Houzz
Those are the questions behind the design field’s flirtation with virtual reality. “VR removes one big barrier: It allows people to understand what’s being built,” says Shane Scranton, co-founder and CEO of IrisVR, which has released a beta version of virtual reality software designed specifically for architects. It has a likely launch date this summer.
For years, architects have used SketchUp, Rhino and other software to create three-dimensional renderings viewed on a two-dimensional monitor. These renderings usually look upon a space from a fixed position, and the scale can be hard to interpret. Now, IrisVR software translates working design images into an immersive 3-D world experienced visually through goggle-like headsets such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Google Cardboard.
An Immersive, Dreamlike Experience
I donned headsets at the IrisVR office last month and walked through a computer-generated mock-up of a symphony hall. It was a dreamlike excursion, both lifelike and unreal. I swiveled my head left and right to travel across the stage. I navigated my way up the aisle, and about-faced to view the stage from the back of the auditorium. I had the kind of convincing sense of the room — what VR companies call “scale” and “presence” — that I would never get from a conventional rendering.
If I were building a home, I would want to experience its rooms in just this manner before committing myself to layout, materials or paint color. “VR creates a level of comfort,” says Ailyn Mendoza, director of architecture at IrisVR. “If you’re the client, you’re the boss. But you probably don’t have the skills to know what the architect or contractor is doing wrong.”
original photo on Houzz
VR headsets display “stereoscopic images,” which are pairs of images captured approximately eye-width apart. When viewed together, these image pairs replicate how our brain perceives depth, creating a crisp, single image with a 3-D effect.
original photo on Houzz
Architects, contractors and subcontractors can review one another’s work and efficiently identify problems before construction — even if the various players are working in different cities. And they can mark those problems by embedding notes in the virtual surroundings, as they would on paper: Please check the width of this counter. Can we move this sconce 2 feet to the right? The brick wall in this room should be painted China Blue, not Cabbage White.
“It’s the ultimate communication tool,” says Richard Embers, a principal of Pulse Design Group. “We can now put our clients in the space, and show all the furniture and lights. We can show it at different times of the day or night, so they see the shadows and lights. It’s so close to the final reality that change orders can be reduced.”
The new technology may be more expensive than the labor-intensive practices most design firms now rely on, but not by much. Designers adopting VR must invest at least $4,000 for the computer hardware and software, and another $600 or so for goggles. (A less immersive version of VR is available using cardboard goggles and a smartphone.) Inevitably, hours of work are required to build the virtual rooms.
These costs will, of course, pass along to clients. However, VR saves clients the expense of conventional renderings and models, which can be considerable. A photorealistic rendering of a residence costs at least $1,000, and a model can easily cost twice as much.
original photo on Houzz
Help for Builders and Buyers
Architects aren’t the only ones in the building industry testing VR. In April, a Seattle developer opened a showroom where prospective buyers can take a virtual tour of Luma, a 24-story condo building in the First Hill neighborhood.
The building isn’t due to be completed until June, but prospective tenants can already walk through one- and two-bedroom apartments, shown here, with views of Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound. They can check out the oak finishes and granite countertops, and visit a roof terrace and fireplace lounge.
“It allows people to get a better feel for the building and whether it’s a good fit for them,” says Stephen Fina, a partner in Red Propeller, a real estate marketing firm. Home goods stores may be on the verge of adopting VR too.
Will it Work for Everyone?
Let’s not assume that VR is ready to become a standard tool for design and remodeling. For one thing, it can make you temporarily queasy. The condition, known as “simulator sickness,” results when your brain registers motion, but your body is stationary. It is rare and lasts only a short time, but it’s common enough to put off some users.
Simulator sickness notwithstanding, this may be the year of VR, as a wave of new hardware leads to sharper, cheaper optics. The day may be coming when most architects design in VR, manipulating walls and window dimensions with goggles and gloves.
original photo on Houzz
In the meantime, there continues to be value in the traditional methods. VR may allow us to walk among the rooms, but for many architects today, there’s still no replacement for the old-fashioned two-dimensional drawings.
“I still want to see the house in elevation,” says Daniel Garber, a partner in Fergus Garber Young Architects, which began using VR last year. “I still want to see the house in plan.”
The post Virtual Reality’s New Role in Home Renovation appeared first on Electronic House.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Artison RCC Nano One Wireless Subwoofer Preview
Looking for a small wireless subwoofer to complete your small home theater? Artison touts the RCC Nano One as the world’s smallest high performance subwoofer and at $1000 it better perform. Measuring only 7.5” x 8” x 9” including feet and grilles, it certainly is small! Check out some of its features of this Mighty Mouse subwoofer that promises big performance that bellies its size.
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Virtual Reality’s New Role in Home Renovation
By Michael Cannell, Houzz
Architecture, in spite of its great power to enhance our lives, has its share of communication issues. Designers may present homeowners with drawings that they can’t grasp, or renderings that provide an incomplete sense of how to navigate a finished room. Terms like “fenestration,” “articulation” and “massing” rarely help matters. As a result, homeowners may write checks with only a murky sense of what their new rooms will look like. Architects, for their part, are no less wary of contractors’ miscues, and vice versa.
What if homeowners, architects and builders could walk through a new house before it’s built? What if they could see how the bedroom windows frame the view in the morning light, and appraise the sightlines from the kitchen island to the living room? How many unwelcome surprises could everyone avoid?
original photo on Houzz
Those are the questions behind the design field’s flirtation with virtual reality. “VR removes one big barrier: It allows people to understand what’s being built,” says Shane Scranton, co-founder and CEO of IrisVR, which has released a beta version of virtual reality software designed specifically for architects. It has a likely launch date this summer.
For years, architects have used SketchUp, Rhino and other software to create three-dimensional renderings viewed on a two-dimensional monitor. These renderings usually look upon a space from a fixed position, and the scale can be hard to interpret. Now, IrisVR software translates working design images into an immersive 3-D world experienced visually through goggle-like headsets such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Google Cardboard.
An Immersive, Dreamlike Experience
I donned headsets at the IrisVR office last month and walked through a computer-generated mock-up of a symphony hall. It was a dreamlike excursion, both lifelike and unreal. I swiveled my head left and right to travel across the stage. I navigated my way up the aisle, and about-faced to view the stage from the back of the auditorium. I had the kind of convincing sense of the room — what VR companies call “scale” and “presence” — that I would never get from a conventional rendering.
If I were building a home, I would want to experience its rooms in just this manner before committing myself to layout, materials or paint color. “VR creates a level of comfort,” says Ailyn Mendoza, director of architecture at IrisVR. “If you’re the client, you’re the boss. But you probably don’t have the skills to know what the architect or contractor is doing wrong.”
original photo on Houzz
VR headsets display “stereoscopic images,” which are pairs of images captured approximately eye-width apart. When viewed together, these image pairs replicate how our brain perceives depth, creating a crisp, single image with a 3-D effect.
original photo on Houzz
Architects, contractors and subcontractors can review one another’s work and efficiently identify problems before construction — even if the various players are working in different cities. And they can mark those problems by embedding notes in the virtual surroundings, as they would on paper: Please check the width of this counter. Can we move this sconce 2 feet to the right? The brick wall in this room should be painted China Blue, not Cabbage White.
“It’s the ultimate communication tool,” says Richard Embers, a principal of Pulse Design Group. “We can now put our clients in the space, and show all the furniture and lights. We can show it at different times of the day or night, so they see the shadows and lights. It’s so close to the final reality that change orders can be reduced.”
The new technology may be more expensive than the labor-intensive practices most design firms now rely on, but not by much. Designers adopting VR must invest at least $4,000 for the computer hardware and software, and another $600 or so for goggles. (A less immersive version of VR is available using cardboard goggles and a smartphone.) Inevitably, hours of work are required to build the virtual rooms.
These costs will, of course, pass along to clients. However, VR saves clients the expense of conventional renderings and models, which can be considerable. A photorealistic rendering of a residence costs at least $1,000, and a model can easily cost twice as much.
original photo on Houzz
Help for Builders and Buyers
Architects aren’t the only ones in the building industry testing VR. In April, a Seattle developer opened a showroom where prospective buyers can take a virtual tour of Luma, a 24-story condo building in the First Hill neighborhood.
The building isn’t due to be completed until June, but prospective tenants can already walk through one- and two-bedroom apartments, shown here, with views of Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound. They can check out the oak finishes and granite countertops, and visit a roof terrace and fireplace lounge.
“It allows people to get a better feel for the building and whether it’s a good fit for them,” says Stephen Fina, a partner in Red Propeller, a real estate marketing firm. Home goods stores may be on the verge of adopting VR too.
Will it Work for Everyone?
Let’s not assume that VR is ready to become a standard tool for design and remodeling. For one thing, it can make you temporarily queasy. The condition, known as “simulator sickness,” results when your brain registers motion, but your body is stationary. It is rare and lasts only a short time, but it’s common enough to put off some users.
Simulator sickness notwithstanding, this may be the year of VR, as a wave of new hardware leads to sharper, cheaper optics. The day may be coming when most architects design in VR, manipulating walls and window dimensions with goggles and gloves.
original photo on Houzz
In the meantime, there continues to be value in the traditional methods. VR may allow us to walk among the rooms, but for many architects today, there’s still no replacement for the old-fashioned two-dimensional drawings.
“I still want to see the house in elevation,” says Daniel Garber, a partner in Fergus Garber Young Architects, which began using VR last year. “I still want to see the house in plan.”
The post Virtual Reality’s New Role in Home Renovation appeared first on EH Network.
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Design Tips for Your Master Bedroom
When most people think of a bedroom, the first things that pop into their minds are a big bed, a cozy blanket, and lots of pillows. Obviously, you’ll want a comfortable place to sleep. However, choosing a bed and its accouterments is only one small part of creating the perfect space to relax. It’s time to think beyond the bed and add a little technology, for the bedroom of your dreams.
TV. To capitalize on the privacy and comfort a bedroom can afford, you’ll need a large, state-of-the-art TV. There are several 4K Ultra HD TV options that will deliver an eye-popping 3840 × 2160 resolution—even when those eyes are ready for the sandman. If you’re looking for a smaller size for this smaller space, consider going for an HDTV. While 4K is definitely the best of the best and it does come in smaller sizes, you may not get the effect you want in those smaller rooms. That means that a nice 1080p LED TV should do the trick and won’t be as expensive.
Whether you opt for 4K or 1080p, your bedroom TV should be a smart TV. Most newer TVs are smart TVs, so you can stream all sorts of movies, TV shows, music, and games straight to the TV, without an add-on box. If you’re opting to put an older TV into the bedroom, there are several add-on media players and streaming sticks, which can easily add smart TV features to any set with the appropriate port available.
Audio. Just because you’re horizontal doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t rock out. A whole-house audio system is the best way to bring music to the bedroom. This allows you to experience music, traffic, weather, and whatever else you like to, all by touching a keypad on the wall or even a button on your smartphone. This type of setup also means you can experience sound without having the components cluttering the dresser. That’s because a whole-house music system can access sources that are safety tucked into another part of the house.
Even if you don’t have a whole-house music system hardwired, there are a few ways to get music into the bedroom. The most obvious way is by using wireless speakers. While there are several stand-alone wireless speakers, a wireless whole-house music system can deliver web services and stored music all over the house. Typically, these systems have a main server or hub, which can feed speakers (also known as “clients”) that are sprinkled throughout the house.
If you want theater-type sound in this space, consider a soundbar. These one-box solutions have come a long way over the years. While having one speaker will never replace a full speaker complement, there are many soundbar options worth having in your home—especially in the bedroom. The soundbar is also easy to mount and many do come with a wireless subwoofer, which can boost the overall experience without being limited to a specific spot in the room.
- Like every other room in the house, you’re going to want web access in the bedroom. This is where you’ll binge-watch Netflix and stream one-hit wonders. It’s also the place where you’ll want access to electronic systems, such as shades, lighting, and even security. Unless you have all of your systems hardwired, you will need a good Wi-Fi connection in the bedroom. Since most people don’t install the router right outside of the bedroom, consider adding a Wi-Fi extender. For many, the bedroom is often an out-of-the-way space, so you’ll want to get the signal to that room—and want it to be good.
Lighting. Even if you don’t spend most of your time in the bedroom, this space still needs some type of lighting control for what might be the most relaxing time of the day. A system that can arrange more than a dozen individual lighting scenes might be a little over the top for sleeping spaces, but you’ll still want a system that can adjust the lights appropriately for reading, sleeping, clean up, romance, and possibly to light a path to the bathroom.
Whether you have a few smart bulbs or a full-blown home control system, it’s a good idea to keep a touchpanel, smartphone, or other type of controller on the nightstand in your bedroom. That way, you can adjust the lighting, as well as the thermostats, ceiling fans, security, and other connected subsystems, all before closing your eyes.
Motorized Shades. Some people have a lot of trouble waking up in the morning, especially when the bedroom blinds are keeping the room dark. Motorized blinds can be programmed to automatically open when your alarm goes off. If you don’t need to wake at a specific time, they can be synced with a smart home system that triggers the shades to open at sunrise (based on an astronomical clock). If you wake before the sun comes up, use your lighting control system to slowly bring the light level up to full brightness at a predetermined time.
Conversely, if you need the blinds closed when you’re getting dressed, you can program them to automatically give you privacy when you exit the shower. A professional integrator can come up with several ways to achieve this.
Control
Every piece of audio and video equipment seems to come with its own remote control. To minimize confusion and tabletop clutter, consider consolidating those devices and commands into a universal remote or a tablet. Just know that most remotes use infrared (IR) signals, so if you plan to tuck equipment inside a closet or cabinet, you may need to upgrade to a remote that operates using radio-frequency (RF) airwaves. Because RF signals travel through walls, floors, and furniture, you don’t need to point the remote directly at the equipment for the commands to be received. In fact, the remote can even work from underneath the blankets!
Many devices and universal remotes also have apps these days, so you can operate the same equipment using your trusty smartphone or tablet. Consider a universal app, so you can combine audio, video, lights, and other smart devices. Just make sure your corresponding equipment works with your portable’s platform.
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Smart Video Doorbell Features Advanced Video Streaming
A new video doorbell from Remocam will ensure that you’ll be able to clearly see what’s happening at the front door, thanks to its use of an HD camera and Wi-Fi technology. The integrated surveillance camera is particulary unique: It featuresan optical lens with a wide-angle lens instead of the commonly used fish-eye lens to display a crisper and more defined view of the front door. Wi-Fi enables you to access and answer the door by using a smartphone. The RemoBell, which will sell for $199 later this summer, only turns on when a visitor rings the bell or when motion is detected to maximize efficiency and extend battery life.
“The RemoBell is simple to set up and use, affordable, and perfectly blends in with your home,” says Paul Lee, Remocam co-founder. “Our app provides real-time access to your front door, with two-way communication that allows you to see and speak to your visitors using your smart phone. The product is a nice complement to our Remocam security camera, which provides HD live-streaming monitoring inside the home.”
Key Features
- Compatible with Android and iOS devices and features intuitive app
- Enjoy clear video feed with 720p HD video streaming
- Bank-level eprotects personal data.
- Advanced motion sensor detects body heat and alerts users when there is motion at the door
- See and answer calls day or night using the Infrared Night Vision
- Push notifications for rings and motion only when users want them
- Two-way audio lets homeowners speak and listen to visitors through the app
- Store videos to the cloud and access them from the app for $2.99 a month or $29 annually
- Utilize the Activity Log to watch recorded videos from answered rings, missed rings, motion, and answered rings
- Equipped with six easily replaceable
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Epson Launches New 4K Projectors
Epson has introduced two new premium video projectors, the Pro Cinema 6040UB and Pro Cinema 4040, the first in Epson’s line of projectors to feature 4K Enhancement Technologyand high dynamic range (HDR) support. These newly designed Pro Cinema projectors deliver up to 2,500 lumens of color brightness and 2,500 lumens of white brightness and an expansive color gamut to display the entire sRGB and DCI color spaces. The projectors are engineered with up to 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and display high dynamic range content, with eye-popping bright colors and Ultra Blacks for a fully immersive large-screen experience.
“With mesmerizing resolution, up to a million-to-one dynamic contrast ratio and a full range of premium cinema features, the new Pro Cinema projectors are nothing short of amazing,” says Rodrigo Catalan, senior product manager, Projectors, Epson America. “Moreover, the flagship Pro Cinema 6040UB offers a level of performance that challenges any 4K projector currently available on the market. Viewers will enjoy stunning quality 4K UHD movies whether delivered from a UHD Blu-ray disk or streaming services.”
Designed to deliver brilliant, color-rich performance, the Epson Pro Cinema projectors’ expansive color gamut is capable of displaying the full sRGB color space, even in the brightest mode, as well as the entire DCI color gamut – the digital cinema standard — in Digital Cinema Mode. Both projectors include an enhanced optical engiHine and a new, all-glass cinema lens engineered to deliver excellent sharpness and color uniformity with remarkable clarity across the entire screen. Installers and customers can also take advantage of the projectors’ powered lens position memory, which enables users to preset up to 10 positions for motorized zoom, focus and lens shift for both standard projection and wide cinema ratios. In addition, a wide lens shift range offers exceptional installation flexibility, with both projectors delivering a super-wide range of up to ± 96.3 percent on the vertical axis and ± 47 percent on the horizontal axis. The projectors also include a new, non-inverting optical engine design, which utilizes an additional high-quality relay lens for Epson’s best color field uniformity to date.
The Pro Cinema 6040UB meets the ISF Certification standard. It features independent image calibration tools, plus lockable memory modes that prevent mis-adjustments that may inadvertently happen following installation and calibration. Installers will benefit from other features, including the ability to electronically lock calibration settings. Additionally, Red and Green pixels can be turned off for making adjustments without using a special filter.
The Pro Cinema 6040UB ($3,999) and 4040 ($2,699) will be available in August through authorized CEDIA dealers.
The post Epson Launches New 4K Projectors appeared first on EH Network.
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Monday, June 27, 2016
FAQ: Does My AV Receiver Have Enough Power for Speakers?
This week's FAQ question deals with AV receiver power and if it's sufficient to drive a full home theater speaker system. We suggest taking our power rating quiz as a starting point and to consider purchasing an AV receiver with built in multi-channel preamp outputs in case you want to add external amplification down the road.
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FAQ: Does My AV Recevier Have Enough Power for Speakers?
This week's FAQ question deals with AV receiver power and if it's sufficient to drive a full home theater speaker system. We suggest taking our power rating quiz as a starting point and to consider purchasing an AV receiver with built in multi-channel preamp outputs in case you want to add external amplification down the road.
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Friday, June 24, 2016
Building A DIY Sealed Subwoofer
Are you a serious bassaholic on a tight budget? A DIY subwoofer might just be the fix you’re after. For not a lot of cash it’s possible to build a sub that can compete with the very best manufactured subwoofers on the market. In this article, we take you though a step by step procedure on how to build a high performance DIY subwoofer on the cheap. To see how to do it yourself read on.
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