Connected Home

Crestron delivers ARRA-compliant solutions

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Crestron has reaffirmed its ability to play a key role in qualifying projects for ARRA funding.

RTI appoints new distributor in Australia and New Zealand

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) today announced that it has partnered with RTi Systems to establish a new distribution channel for the company's professional-grade, integrator-friendly control solutions in Australia and New Zealand.

How to set up a universal remote

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +1100

If you want your customers to get the most out of a modern day remote you need to maintain simplicity though a “layout convention”, says Justin Kern.

Samsung takes the red carpet to a new dimension

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Samsung Electronics has hosted the first ever view of Hollywood’s red carpet arrivals at the Oscars, live in 3D to guests at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

Hybrid TV restructures company

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Hybrid Television Services (ANZ) has restructured the business to support the expansion of services, which will take Hybrid TV from being purely a TiVo licensee to a Video on Demand and interactive service provider in its own right.

MatrixStream launches next generation IPTV cloud services in Australia

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

MatrixStream has partnered with an Australian fiber video service provider (VSP) to launch Australia’s first high def IPTV managed cloud service over the internet.

iPad available in Australia in late April

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Apple has announced all models (both Wi-Fi and 3G) of its revolutionary iPad will be available in Australia in late April.

ZigBee Home Automation and ZigBee Remote Control now publicly available

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, residential, commercial and consumer electronics applications, has announced two of its popular standards, ZigBee Home Automation and ZigBee Remote Control, are now available for public download.

New CEDIA Expo 2010 website goes live

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

The website for the 2010 Asia Pacific CEDIA Expo has gone live, allowing you an early glimpse at who and what will be on display.

What is energy management?

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +1100

In the midst of the climate change debate, society in general has grown increasingly aware of the need to conserve energy as much as possible in all aspects of their lives.

Why is surge protection important?

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +1100

Even the most basic custom installations are not exempt from problems related to power and power quality. Fridges, air-conditioners or something as simple as turning a switch can all have an effect.

Surge protection: Surviving a strike

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1100

Power and power quality can cause a range of problems for even the most basic custom installations.

Things are getting sticky

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000

The time has arrived for home automation specialists to recognise their legal duty to the environment and consumers. First off, they must get to grips with the issue of labelling home entertainment products.

National battery recycling charges ahead

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

In the lead up to World Environment Day SITA Environmental Solutions is charging up battery recycling in Australia with the national launch of its Battery Recycling program.

Smart Wiring™ and CEDIA join on accreditation

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

The Smart Wired® Consortium and CEDIA have agreed to recognise each other’s qualifications.

Facts and figures: The 'green' factor

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Green IT is a big issue in the corporate world, but what about in the home? Graeme Philipson looks at the parallels.

Going green benefits your bottom line and the planet

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Contemporary Research believes in creating products that are beneficial to the planet as well as to the bottom line, according to president Scott Hetzler.

Smart meter FAQs

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +1100

Below are a series of the most commonly asked questions about smart meters:

Powerline-enabled multi-room audio

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +1100

NuVo Technologies chief technology officer Rick Kukulies reports on the advantages of powerline communication technology and its role in whole-home audio distribution.

Microchip implant... the future of security?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Technology is constantly advancing due to the work of trailblazing technicians. Former Linux Australia president Jonathan Oxer talks to Paul Skelton about his automation project, which didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Ness' new training centre

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +1000

In its new demonstration, training and conference centre Ness offers installers a great opportunity to show what an integrated security system can do.

With biometrics YOU are the key

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Doors are obviously opened by hand, but have you ever unlocked it with your eye or by telling it to open? Biometrics makes possible all this and more.

Removing the key component

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +1100

New wireless electronic access control technology has been launched to complement existing perimeter systems, offering a realistic option for internal doors.

Camera technology under surveillance

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000

In response to market demand, developments in security camera technology focus on ease of installation and the need for greater detail. Angela Tufvesson reports.

Axis strengthens its outdoor camera offerings

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Axis Communications is strengthening its outdoor camera offerings by releasing a number of outdoor-ready products this spring and summer.

Smart cabling for CCTV

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Forget about coax, Cat 5 cabling for closed-circuit television makes good sense and should be the preferred method for all installations. Sonny Lee explains how to achieve long-range CCTV.

Cable management in everyday furniture

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +1100

Proper cable management can make a simple installation look impressive or a high-end system look cheap. Here is some furniture that brings a touch of class to your AV.

Network storage - A place for everything

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Industry analysts predict the network storage sector will grow more than 300% in the next five years. So how will the industry cope?

The cooking guide

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +1100

Nintendo’s new interactive guide takes the hassle out of cooking. It helps you decide the style of the dish, ingredients, calorie content, cooking method – and even which utensils to use.

Gaming consoles as media centres

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +1100

As the average age of the Australian gamer passes 28, games consoles are starting to play a bigger role in home theatre installations.

Gaming and dedicated games rooms

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +1100

Computer gaming has become a social activity for families and over 18s. Custom installers are responding by including gaming in home entertainment systems.

Memory Box wins 'Best Start-Up' at the National iAwards

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000

An unknown South Australian company with a ground breaking online backup solution has wowed the judges and won the Microsoft BizSpark Start-Up Company iAward at the National iAwards.

ReQuest adopts Gracenotes

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Media servers from ReQuest will now implement Gracenote’s MusicID and VideoID technology, tapping a comprehensive database of music and video information.

Media centre legalese

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Media centres are becoming an essential part of any home automation project. But it’s important that installers are aware of the potential legal issues.

A complete guide to lighting control

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1100

From an aesthetic and lifestyle perspective, lighting control allows the homeowner to present their residence in the best possible light, to create a feeling to suit any occasion.

Dimming LEDs

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +1000

Turning down the lights might seem fairly basic but there are some important considerations in choosing a system.

Presence sensing

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +1100

Dynalite managing director John Gunton calls for the illumination automation industry to rethink the way it does business, particularly presence sensing.

The science behind LEDs

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1100

Dimming LEDs is all a matter of the ‘duty cycle’ and tricking the human eye, writes Harry Simidis.

LED market forecast to exceed $33 billion by 2013

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Demand and usage of light-emitting diodes is booming, in direct contrast to the bearish global economy and the resulting contraction in many product categories.

Wireless light switches

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 +1000

A new range of wireless light switches eliminate the need and expense of copper wiring between the switch and the bulb.

Lighting control project management

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Systems contractors looking to incorporate lighting control in their portfolio need to do some research. Harry Simidis outlines some of the main points.

Philips Dynalite welcomes first UK Dimension dealer

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +1000

After launching its new Dimension dealer accreditation and training framework earlier this year, Philips Dynalite is pleased to welcome the first UK member of this elite group, Lancashire and Oxfordshire-based Morban Ltd.

Lighting scenes

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Lighting is an important part of the truly automated home. Harry Simidis explains the importance of lighting scenes and what they can add to an installation.

LED technology - Chapter 1: What’s new, what’s next?

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +1000

Ever since blue LEDs appeared in the 1990’s, a cascade of development and system evolution has advanced solid state lighting to become a viable and prosperous technology foundation.

OLED TV technology in residential lighting

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +1100

With next generation HDTV displays looming, lighting manufacturers are racing to turn the technology from OLED TVs into the next generation of light bulbs.

LEDs and OLEDs: What's the difference?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +1100

With next generation HDTV displays looming, lighting manufacturers are racing to turn the technology from OLED TVs into the next generation of light bulbs.

Philips Dynalite to show off integration at ISE 2010

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +1100

Leading lighting control and automation group, Philips Dynalite, will demonstrate its integration expertise at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2010 exhibition.

Big screen 3D comes to Sharp in May

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

3D viewing has captured the public’s imagination with record attendances to movie cinemas around the country to view the latest 3D Hollywood blockbusters.

Building your home's value through smart wiring

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:11:23 +1100

Over the past few years, the connected home market has seen rapid growth, but we still don't know a lot about the real estate value of high-tech installations.

Right across the country developers and builders turn to all sorts of home intelligence to stand out in a competitive market and attract premium prices for their properties. But just exactly how valuable is technology in the property equation and what effect is the smart home having on the real estate market overall?

The $50,000 challenge

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1100

What is the best $50,000 investment - a home cinema, a pool, or a boat?