Do CE companies care about the Pre?
Posted by Dave in Hardware, Programming on October 11, 2009
Now that a list of over 100 top home automation applications are available for the iPhone, it has us wondering if CE companies will have the same interest in the Palm Pre? The ability to have multiple applications open at once is definitely a nice feature over the iPhone, but I have to admit as a Pre owner, the touchscreen, and overall speed and responsiveness is a bit disappointing when compared to an iPhone. In addition, the lack of a low cost counterpart like the iTouch is to the iPhone, means companies will be developing for only one device on one carrier. Although we’re sure there will be at least a few home brew applications that make their way to the app store, I doubt we’ll ever see even close to as many applications from big name companies as the iPhone in the near future.
Updating a DIY CableCARD PC from Windows 7 RCI to RTM via Upgrade
Posted by Dave in Announcements, DIY, Features, Hardware, Structured Wiring on October 9, 2009
This week I finally decided it was time to ditch the RC1 build of Windows 7 and move to the RTM build. I was a little hesitant because I was afraid all of my CableCARD recordings would not be watch-able because of DRM issues, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. As a backup plan, I did a manual backup via Windows Home Server. Read the rest of the story for screenshots of the process. Read the rest of this entry »
CE Pro offers intro to HDMI 1.4 via Webinar
Posted by Dave in Announcements on October 9, 2009
Mark your calendars everyone, CEPro is offering a free Webinar on October 28th at 2pm covering what you need to know about HDMI 1.4 from a installers perspective. Topics include HDMI Ethernet Channel, Audio Return Channel, 4K, new connectors, and 3D over HDMI. The only catch, which isn’t a big one, is that you have to agree to be on their mailing list. They also request that you submit any potential questions you would like covered at the time of registration. Should be interesting.
D-Link introduces DIR-685 Router, One asks, if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make any sound?
Posted by Dave in Hardware, Networking, Structured Wiring on October 9, 2009
CE Companies just love turning out new “All-in-One” devices and this one is no exception. I have to admit right from the start, I think this one is just way overdone and pointless. The latest addition from D-Link serves as a four port Gigabit router, 802.11 G and & N access point, NAS, and contains a 3.2″ LCD screen that can be used as a photo frame. Now I will admit, the idea it can accept up to a 1TB 2.5″ drive is pretty cool, but a photo frame? That’s pushing it. Let’s think about this. Do you really want your photo frame to have 4 Cat 5 cables coming out the back, and only have a 3″ screen? MSRP is $239 and can be ordered directly through D-Link’s site or other retailers. Hey, at least when I open my structured wiring cabinet a few times a year I will be reminded of that summer vacation on the beach.
I’m not the only one with a bad looking rack!
Posted by Dave in Structured Wiring on October 8, 2009
I thought it was funny to see this article come back up on the main page of CE Pro, especially since I just started my series on cleaning up my own rack. I have to be honest, I don’t feel quite as bad as I did about my own after I viewed some of these pics. Hopefully the “after” pictures will keep me motivated throughout my project.
*Image courtesy of CE Pro
Wiring a rack, Part 1: The equipment and the problem
One of the biggest things that plagues a lot of us is keeping our wiring neat and tidy, especially once you start to have a large system. When I started wiring my rack, I had the best intensions, and it actually looked pretty good. Fast forward 2 years and it’s a different story. With various pieces of equipment being replaced or relocated, its become quite a mess. In this series I will document my entire process of getting it “show ready”. Each segment will be detailed through photos and a list of equipment I used. I will admit, I will be getting some help from Sean Martel of Martel Automation throughout the process. Click the read link to follow the rest of Part 1.
Tripp-Lite offers a tidy solution for your structured wiring panel UPS
Posted by Dave in Hardware, Structured Wiring on October 8, 2009
This is in no way new news, but it is something that may be overlooked by many, and could possibly clean up your structured wiring panel. Everyone has an ac outlet in their structured wiring can, but there is one fatal flaw, no battery backup. The power goes out, you loose your router, sitches, and in my case phone . Sure you can use a standard UPS, but that usually means either having to take the cabinet door off because the UPS is too deep for it to close, or keeping the door cracked so you can run the power cords down to the UPS sitting on the floor. Last year Tripp-Lite introduced the AV550SC UPS designed to solve this exact problem. The UPS fits neatly into your panel, includes 4 AC outlets and surge suppression for coaxial, phone and network. The UPS outputs 550VA/300 watts, weighs a mere 8 lbs and only takes up 8.5″x7″. It all comes at a reasonable price too. The unit has an MSRP of $230, but we have found street prices to be considerably lower. Like I said, it’s not new, but definitely worth taking a look.
Smarthome adds SerialLinc for RS-232 Control over Insteon Network
Posted by Dave in DIY, Hardware, Programming on October 6, 2009
We have to hand it to SmartLabs and their Insteon products, they just keep pumping out new ideas. Recently the SerialLinc was introduced for 2 way control of RS-232 devices on your Insteon network. The device requires the user to create .csv files containing a listing of their serial commands, and use the SerialLinc Downloader software to load the commands onto the device. Once complete, you can unhook your computer and address each serial command as you would any other Insteon device. The manufacturer does warn that users should have “intimate knowledge of working with serial command protocols.” If anyone tries one of these out, we’d love to hear how it works out for you.
Marmitek EasyTouch panel gives touchscreen look for X-10 control
Holy Blast from the Past Batman! X-10! While this is the technology that first got me into home automation, I haven’t thought about it in years. While newer PLC technologies like UPB and Insteon are great, I think X-10’s days are past. But…..If you are still using any of their devices, Marmitek has introduced the EasyTouch control panel. While it may look like a touchscreen from the pic, it’s actually not. Instead, the backgrounds are generated by you printing your favorite image on photo paper and inserting behind the scree face. No pwer to the location you want the panel to hang? No problem, the unit runs on AAA batteries! Pricing starts at 179 GBP ($286 USD). So get out your double sided tape and stick this baby to the wall, then call your friends over to brag about your new “touchscreen” lighting control system!
Russound to Acquire Colorado vNet
Posted by Dave in Announcements, Hardware, Multiroom Audio (MRA) on October 5, 2009
Russound has just announced their plan to acquire Colorado vNet, which we reported earlier this week was “Closed for Restructuring”. The terms of the deal have not been made public, but Colorado vNet will retain its name and still be based in Colorado. The deal is targeted to be complete by October 31st. I’m happy to see this come through for them. As I mentioned before, I thought it was a pretty cool product line. It will be interesting to see if any of Colorado vNet’s IP distribution technology will make it into the Russound product line, who recently introduced their power line based “Collage” system.