Imagine the ultimate game room. Is it the one portrayed in the movieÂ: BigÂ: with Tom Hanks? Maybe it’s a Dave & Busters sports bar in your living room. For me, it’s Tony Stark’s basement in Iron Man. With today’s technology and collaboration between home systems integrators and interior designers, game rooms are no longer just a big-screen TV and a pool table.Â: They have evolved, as have the architecture and technology that go into them. And they serve a vital purpose for families, entertainers, and even collectors.
Get the GuideArchives for May 2015
Consumer Electronics Association Mark of Excellence Winner
There are many so-called hidden A/V installations in which the gear is camouflaged, disguised, or otherwise concealed. Of course, the true identities of these systems are often given away by the distracting speaker grille or odd wall wart. Not so for this remarkable residence—the 2014 Tech Home Builder CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) Mark of Excellence Award Winner for Multiroom A/V Project. It makes good on its claim of invisible electronics integration. In this upscale, 6,500-square-foot, 13-room condo at a South Florida Ritz Carlton, an impressive music, movie, lighting, and shade system goes largely undetected.
Get the GuideHow to Create an Outdoor Movie Theater
Home Theater Goes Outside
Sitting inside in a home theater while it is snowing outside feels wonderful but, when the nights are warm, why not take the theater outside with you? Thanks to a wide variety of portable screens and projectors available, coupled with the pervasiveness of wireless technology, it’s easier than ever to pull together a fantastic outdoor theater.
Get the GuideThe Right Way to Add Speakers to Your Backyard
Now that the snow has melted, the ground has thawed, and the days are growing longer, you’re probably turning your thoughts to warm spring weather and spending more time outside. What could be a better accompaniment to your outdoor chores or a gathering of friends than music? Before you drag your speakers to the nearest window and crank up the volume, there are ways to add tunes to your outdoor entertainment areas that are much more elegant and better sounding.
Get the GuideA Pound of Ham and a Home Automation System
When Insteon, the Irvine, Calif.-based developer of hundreds of automation and control products, announced recently that it would be selling many of its smart home devices at Meijer, I couldn’t help but think about deli meat. At the time, I needed a pound of shaved honey ham to make sandwiches for my kids’ school lunches. Oh, and we were also almost out of coffee. Then there were the track spikes my son needed for his running shoes and a birthday card for my brother. Meijer, which moved into my neck of the woods a few years ago, has become a convenient spot to pick up miscellaneous items, including groceries, on the fly.
Get the Guide7 Ways to Improve Your Home Lighting Control with Smart Home Automation
One feature of your house that shouldn’t be overlooked when you have a smart automation system is home lighting control. A home lighting control system can be installed and programmed by a professional, or you can use a wireless DIY lighting system that you install and set up yourself. If you can’t decide between a […]
Get the GuideAiaiai Lets You Make Ultimate Audiophile Headphones with TMA-2 Modular
These modular audiophile headphones allow for 360 different portable possibilities.
These modular audiophile headphones allow for 360 different portable possibilities.
Get the GuidePhilips Hue Go Puts Smart Lighting Wherever You Want It
The latest smart lighting product puts Philips Hue features into a portable package.
The latest smart lighting product puts Philips Hue features into a portable package.
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