HOMETOYS
How to Build the Ultimate Garage Door Monitor
One critical monitoring element for any home automation system is the garage door. There are many ways to do this including using your traditional...
Uncategorized, page 11
HOMETOYS
Cannon PC LX Series Media Center PC
As part of our Home Technology Demonstration for Small Spaces we decided that a Media Center PC would be the appropriate device to store and serve...
HOMETOYS
HDTV Untangled
You’ll also notice that the proportion of an HDTV signal is different. The 16:9 ratio provides a more cinematic experience than the standard 4:3...
HOMETOYS
Sonos Wireless Media Server
Introduction Once in a while a product comes along that is so innovative and well designed that it separates itself from the crowd. The Sonos Digital...
HOMETOYS
Systems for Small Spaces
Lets face it … most of us aren’t living in huge homes with multiple rooms and systems to fill with technology toys. Larger and larger numbers are...
HOMETOYS
Classic Home Toys: Super 8 Film
Depending on your experiences with Super 8mm film and cameras, the mention of this near extinct home movie format may conjure images of incredible...
HOMETOYS
How to Hide the Wires
It’s no secret that today’s audio/video consumer tends to look for products that will integrate well into the home décor. Speakers are becoming...
HOMETOYS
Media Centers for Home Automation
As a young boy I remember jumping out of bed and rushing to the couch on Saturday mornings to watch my favorite cartoon, The Jetsons. George Jetson...
HOMETOYS
PLC Touchpanels
A touchpanel is a video screen with software buttons that allows a homeowner to control audio, video, lights, drapes, and any other electrical...
HOMETOYS
Quality Cables
Over the past two decades it has become common knowledge that quality cabling is critically important to getting the most out of any sound system, be...
HOMETOYS
Finding a Niche in A/V Installations
At your next custom installation you may literally find your niche. You see, in some homes, a niche for the television and entertainment center is...
HOMETOYS
Getting Started in the Hobby of Audio
Step 1 — Know Your Objective For many people who get into this hobby or lifestyle, they don’t realize exactly what they’re getting into. Many times...
HOMETOYS
Optoma MovieTime DV10 Projector
The Optoma MovieTime home theater projector system – which the refer to as a Home Cinema projector – started shipping last month, and has, according...
HOMETOYS
The C3 Expo A PC Expo for the 21st Century
For over a decade computer and PC enthusiasts all over the globe flocked to the PC Expo in Jacob Javits Center. The expo featured booths and...
HOMETOYS
SOHO Storage Solutions
Offices and homes that just a few years ago had stand-alone electronic devices and one PC are now shifting toward hardware devices and computers with...
HOMETOYS
HomeToys Interview
Q1. What is ZigBee and why is it ideal for home applications? The ZigBee™ Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable...
HOMETOYS
HomeToys Interview
Internet Home Alliance is a cross-industry network of leading companies advancing the home technology market. A non-profit organization, the Alliance...
HOMETOYS
Dave Rye of X10
The roots of X10 sprang from a little engineering company in Scotland called Pico Electronics, Ltd. (Pico is now part of X10 Ltd.). Before the X10...
HOMETOYS
HomeToys Interview
Q1: Is DVI/HDMI/HDCP a connection for the future or on it’s way out … and if so what do you feel will replace it? DVI/HDMI/HDCP in my opinion is a...
MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS
HTI+ and CEDIA Exam Guide
Ron Gilster is the author of several best-selling books on networking, PC hardware and IT career certifications. He has worked in IT and computing...
HOMETOYS
HomeToys Interview
Q1: Is the licence fee an outdated method of financing? No, I don’t think so. If the BBC was funded in any other way, it would need to fill it’s...
HOMETOYS
HomeToys Interview
The OSGi™ Alliance was started in 1999 by an international group of manufacturers, software developers, service providers and utilities to develop...
HOMETOYS
Panasonic KX-TAW848
Panasonic has dominated the residential phone system business for about 20 years. Lately, they’ve had to compete not only with other phone system...
HOMETOYS
PLC Data Types
With any PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) system, you generally have many different types of data to process. For example keypad button inputs...