HomeToys Industry Newsletter
Home Technology - Best of the Year
>>> Most Popular Articles of the last 12 months

Logitech Revue vs. Netgear Roku
Tom Abell
While Netflix has steadily built an empire from its streaming media, there have also been a number of hardware companies that have put together devices that “aggregate”, or combine, the plethora of channels (for lack of a better word) that exist beyond Netflix and that are available to anyone with a high-speed Internet connection. 

A Solution to LCD/LED TV Viewing Angle Issues
Ryan Hagberg - Sanus
Despite major advances in technology, viewing angle remains a serious challenge for LCD and LED TVs. This paper will examine research on LCD viewing angle issues and show how full-motion and tilting wall mounts can alleviate this issue and help consumers get the most out of their television investment.

Consumer Attitudes and the Benefits of Smart Grid Technologies
Oct 1 - Bill Ablondi, Parks Associates
Consumer attitudes about the benefits of smart grid technology are still in a formative stage. Most consumers are not aware of the term, much less the capabilities smart grid technologies will be bringing in the next few years

 

Backyard Movie Magic
Ooen Air Cinema
These new inflatable movie screens have theater-quality projection surfaces and are so easy to use it’s a no-brainer. They take about 30 seconds to inflate—secure them with the tethers and you’re good to go.

Invisible In-Wall Speakers
Steve Olszewski, Stealth Acoustics
Building upon proven custom carbon-fiber motor and cone woofer technologies, Stealth Acoustics has created a new invisible speaker line that enhances fidelity, high-frequency smoothness and bass performance over previous offerings, while streamlining installation practices.

 

Read More Articles in the Current eMagazine

 


Special Thanks to HAI for sponoring this Special Newsletter

>>> Most Popular Interviews of the last 12 months

What is ZigBee RF4CE?
May 10 - Cees Links, GreenPeak
Getting rid of the remote control clutter on the coffee table is a silent desire of many. But the real driving factor for acceptance of RF4CE in particular for operators is: the remote control is the key point of contact with the consumer, so what more can be done with it?

Digital to Analog Audio Conversion
Apr 14 - Paul McGowan, PS Audio
Computers use a binary counting method that allows them to work with very large numbers – and the size of this number depends on how many bits they have.  So all that happens is the analog music signal goes into a digital counting device and the musical energy is converted to numbers – bigger numbers for higher levels and smaller numbers for lower levels of music.

Outdoor Entertainment Systems
June 1 - Ryan Moodley, Pantel
The outdoor A/V market is definitely growing in 2011. We have already started to see an increase in sales with our dealers and distributors, almost twice as much sales as the year before. We are also seeing new building projects beginning to increase, which also drive up our commercial sales.

Read More Interviews in the Current eMagazine

 


Special Thanks to Luxul for sponoring this Special Newsletter

>>> Most Popular Product Reviews of the last 12 months

Amulet - Voice recognition and control applications within the Connected Home
Tom Abell
The Amulet Remote is another example of the increasing trend of interacting with your TV, Home Theater, and even Home, not just by giving commands…but by receiving answers in return as well.  Amulet is creating the sense of absolute control…by using our voices.

Square Connect SQ Blaster with SQ Remote App
Jim Bask, RemoteShoppe
This is a WiFi remote control solution available for the Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The SQ Blaster is unique from other solutions because it will also interact with Z-wave home control systems

Square Connect SQ Blaster with SQ Remote App - Part 2: Home Automation Functions
Jim Bask, Remote Shoppe
Now that other z-wave options like the Logitech Harmony 890, the Monster Central remotes and the UEI Nevo have all been discontinued the SQ Remote is an excellent way to protect the investment you’ve made into home automation - or get started at an affordable price.

Boxee Box Media Streamer
Apr 26 - Bob Hetherington
Out of the box, this is one of the simpler setup processes I've had --- bearing in mind that often what I get to test is not really ready for prime time. I'm running it on a wireless network for the test so all I had to do was plug it into a power strip and connect it to my home theater receiver using one of the many hdmi inputs available

Read More Product Reviews in the Current eMagazine


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Bob Hetherington bobh@hometoys.com 

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