Occupying roughly 1,000 square feet and loaded with the caliber of equipment you’d expect to see at a high-end commercial gym facility, this workout space lacks nothing when it comes to exercise gear. “When this homeowner does something, he does it to the hilt,” says E.J. Feulner, a home systems integrator at the Philadelphia offices […]
Get the GuideArchives for January 2016
Home Gym Hides A/V Horsepower
A touch of a button reveals a 65-inch mirror TV and amazing audio.
Tucked into the lower level of an 8,000-square-foot smart home in San Antonio, Texas, is a dream gym designed for both health and tech buffs. The 420-square-foot room is fully equipped with four workout machines and a weight lifting station, making a trip to a public gym unnecessary. The right wall is surfaced with floor-to-ceiling […]
Get the GuideThe Home Gym
Joining a gym takes dedication, commitment, and a good chunk of time when you factor in packing your bag, driving there and back, showering, and so forth. Plus, you’ll need to pay for a membership that can lock you in for a year or more. Then there’s the privacy issue: If you’re not in shape […]
Get the GuideGetting Professional Help
The hows and whys of hiring a professional integrator to automate your home.
Home automation systems come in two basic flavors: those that can be installed by handy homeowners and those designed to be installed by professional home systems integrators. Choosing whether to handle the project yourself or to hire someone is a big decision. Each approach has its merits, but usually you’ll reap the greatest rewards by […]
Get the GuideWhat The?!?!: Matrix Switcher
Editor’s note: This department is dedicated to the understanding of lesser-known and –appreciated home technologies. You may have never heard of them, and if you have, you might have felt nonplussed by their mysterious nomenclatures. Still, these convoluted components, products, and systems can play a huge role in the comfort, convenience, safety, and entertainment value […]
Get the GuideEH Quick Bits
Keypad Couture It used to be cool to access and control a music system from a smartphone. Okay, maybe it’s still cool, but based on recent developments by some leading manufacturers of whole-house audio systems, it looks like we’re going back to the old days of control—when a wall-mounted keypad turned on and tuned in. […]
Get the GuideEH Breakthrough: Take a “Smart” Seat
You’ve likely experienced home theater seats that shake, rattle, and roll in sync with the movie action; there are chairs equipped with motors that adjust to your perfect comfort settings; and you may have even run across furnishings featuring illuminated cup holders, nifty storage bins, and charging stations for your mobile devices. What you probably […]
Get the GuideEditor’s Note: Smart Home Stress Relief
It’s the height of the holiday season as I wrap up our January 2016 edition of Electronic House. Both the holidays and the production of a magazine deliver ample doses of stress—that is, until I hit the floor, the bike, or the weights at my favorite local gym. It’s there that my mind goes blank, […]
Get the GuideHigh-End Audio … On Display
Architectural loudspeakers enhance the aesthetics of a historic NYC residence.
The tug of war between design and performance is no more pronounced than in the world of high-performance audio. However, the stereotype of the stereo—a set of oversized black boxes and a nest of boa constrictor cables, is only a stereotype, at least when implemented by a design-minded home systems integrator. Dave Lalin, owner of […]
Get the GuideHands-On Review: Blink Wireless Home Security Camera
We take a peek at these pint-sized, truly wireless home security cameras.
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