Home Improvement
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For the past several years, there has been an all-out-war between the Zigbee and Z-Wave standards/protocols to become the market leaders in home automation technologies. Both have hundreds of products supporting each standard, with many supporting both, but BuLogics may provide Z-Wave with a missing Zigbee feature to level the playing field.
The Neato XV-11 is a newer high-tech entry into a product category entirely dominated by Roomba for the past several years. Rather than randomly vacuuming an area, this "smarter" robotic vacuum actually maps out your room and furniture, and then chooses an efficient path for cleaning the area.
Wayne-Dalton, a leading manufacturer of garade doors for new home manufacturers, is also leading the charge for Z-wave home automation technology by delivering Pro-Drive garage door solutions to new homes across the US, and offering a vast array of z-wave controllers and modules to extend those systems.
In a greener more energy-conscious political enviroment, the Black and Decker EM100B Power Monitor is one of the hottest new home improvement gadgets of 2008, introduced just in time for the holidays, this device provides real-time data on how much electricity your home is using, predicts your end-of-month electricity bill, plus it can isolate the cost of appliances and fixtures.
The holy grail for most tech enthusiasts is home automation, the ability to control one's environment from anywhere in the home seamlessly and easily. The promise of this technology lies in the Z-wave communications standard adopted by more than 100 companies, including Intermatic, who makes the Home Settings lines of home automation products.
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TECH2 LAKE HOUSE
UPDATE - The exterior of the Technology Lake House is complete and we are now working on interior finishing and electronics. Last year, San Francisco's Channel 7 ABC News ran a special video report on the construction progress of the Technology Lake House, and we expect them back for a follow-up soon. Click HERE for a DLINK Live Video Feed with pan and zoom features (userid=user, no password, daylight hours only).
Ron Rosberg's current project home, the Technology Lake House, is currently under construction on the shores of Clearlake in Northern California. Even though the house is a wireless demo house, we have installed more than seven miles of wires in the walls for dozens of flat panel TVs, speakers, control panels, and sophisticated lighting. So far, more than a dozen technology and fixture manufacturers have agreed to sponsor this project, which has been simmering in Ron's head since he attended the first CES show in New York in 1967. The 7,500 square foot project (plus three existing rustic cabin guest houses) is being built on a five-acre Honeymoon Cove resort with 500 feet of beach directly across from Konocti Harbor Resort. This summer retreat will host technology gatherings annually, inviting Western states home builders, contractors, and technology consultants for a live open house showcasing the latest in home technologies. There is room to park plenty of boats, so plan on coming up for some lake fun after the project is complete. For more info, send email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 707-995-2683. To see the latest photos, visit Ron's Flickr gallery.
We are currently looking for products to evaluate in these areas:
- Home automation: lighting, security, and entertainment
- A/V technology for the 500 SF home theater media demo room
Who are the Gadget Gurus?
Gadget Gurus technology reviews are heard and read by millions of people across the United States, including more than a dozen print publications, dozens of tier-one radio stations, on third-party websites, and more than ever, online at our own website.
NEWS: This year, you will see a number of exciting announcements from Gadget Gurus, including podcasts, our syndicated "Gadgets-in-a-Minute" broadcasts, and our ever-expanding "Best Of" lists. Also, you will be seeing our portfolio of magazine "gadget pages" growing into a number of vertical markets.
