Photo credit: Pfeiffer Customs

Thinner. Smarter. More Efficient. These are a few adjectives that represent the future of home electronics, and home improvement as well. The undeniable reality is that homeowners do not want to sell (or buy) homes at present. Instead they are opting for upgrades and home improvement projects that serve at least one of two purposes: to increase the value of their home when the market rebounds, and to make living there more comfortable in the meantime.

Electronics — with their growing intelligence, affordability, and home integration potential — are expected to make up a sizable portion of home expenditures over the next few years. The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) sees several reasons for continued growth of home electronics.

Efficiency

Going Green has become both environmentally and economically contagious. Here in the digital age we use more power-sucking devices than ever; meanwhile energy prices are rising and the environment is struggling. Therefore manufacturers of everything from dishwashers to DVD players are cutting down on size and energy consumption. Homeowners understand that paying a bit more now for a green product will save money over the life of that product; now electronics manufacturers do, too.

The CEDIA report also points to solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as a substantial piece of the electronics pie. The growing affordability of solar electric systems is motivating homeowners to take this green and energy independent route. Not only that, but PV systems greatly increase home value. (more…)

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Photo Credit: theopie

You have a brand new home theater system with high-def sound, the only problem is you want it to be heard and not seen. To fix that dilemma, here are some of the ways to avoid the clutter and cables of a high-def sound system.

Invest in a wireless home theater system. Sony introduced the BRAVIA Theater System in 2008. This home entertainment unit comes with five surround sound speakers and is compatible with Blu-ray disc players and Playstation 3 consoles. The unique sound system provides quality high-def audio, despite being roughly the size of a golf ball. Or you could buy a set of wireless speakers and hook them up to the flat screen. They can be installed up high near the ceiling or left to stand alone.

If the system is already in place and you just want to hide the wiring, flatwire is adhesive tape that sticks to ceilings and walls. This tape is specifically designed to hide speaker wires. It works best to attach the wiring and then paint the tape and wires to match the walls. (more…)

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Invented in 1831, the doorbell has become a mainstay in the modern home, even rendering the age-old door knocker largely obsolete. Yet despite widespread implementation, the doorbell remains an ironically unsung hero to home alert mechanisms. In fact, most people go years, even decades, without giving their doorbell a second thought.

Photo Credit: Neosnaps

While that fact is on one hand a testament to the simplicity and longevity of the wired doorbell, it is also evidence that many homeowners are missing out on the doorbell designs of the 21st Century. I have disconnected, connected, wired, and rewired a few doorbells over the years and can attest to their archaic nature and overall size — many dwarfing the modern stereo speakers in the next room.

Even if the doorbell is far from a lot of minds, it is a top priority for doorbell designers and manufacturers who are working to reinvent the doorbell for the modern home. Gone is the need for wires — wireless doorbells use radio waves to send signals to a receiver — and you can even purchase plug-in models these days.

Regardless of wires or sockets, every doorbell is a system consisting of two pieces: the chime, which mounts somewhere on the interior of the home, and the actual doorbell, which mounts on the exterior at roughly doorknob height. With those two components as a base, today’s manufacturers have gone far in re-envisioning the doorbell for the new millennium. Following are 12 examples of how that is being done: (more…)

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