Home automation (HA) is a critical part of how we interact with the devices in our home. Whether that’s the lights, or the TV. When it comes to the TV, though the magic happens via our Logitech Harmony Hub ability to be controlled locally via HA-Bridge. It would appear that Logitech doesn’t like this however, and has removed the ability […]
Read more
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Arlo has entered the smart doorbell market – seems like a natural place for them to go given the rest of the lineup. What is surprising, is the $80 hardware cost, and the “free” 7 day rolling recording feature. Even if you want to up the storage and/or camera count, it’s still a […]
Read more
FYI – SVS is hosting an event over at Abt in Glenview (north suburb of Chicago). This is pretty close to where we live now, so if anyone is interested in going ping me. I’m not sure I can make it yet, but it’s quite possible that I can carve out some time. SVS and Abt Electronics bring immersive, heart-pounding […]
Read more
Hardware accelerated transcoding is an awesome thing. It, for example, makes it possible to host a full featured Plex server on the NVIDIA Shield. Now that love is available to FreeBSD users as well – great for watching your content on whatever device/location is convenient for you. Looking for enhanced streaming performance on FreeBSD? Well, now ya got it. To […]
Read more
I am a sucker for “smart” kit, especially something that looks well thought out. The igloohome Bluetooth Smart Padlock looks like one of these. Obviously, power is a challenge for a smart padlock, so the “Up to 1 year” of life from a CR2, isn’t bad. More importantly there are “jump” contacts, just in case it gives up. One concern […]
Read more
All wireless headphones are gaining popularity, and with good reason. Removing the wire between the drivers is more aesthetically pleasing, as well as reducing opportunities for snagging. So it’s great to hear that the proven audio performance of Scottish audio brand RHA is about to enter the market – with their TrueConnect earbuds. They are IPX5 rated, and offer five […]
Read more
Today must be wireless kit announcement day over at SVS. First we got the speakers, and now we have the SoundBase. This $500 stereo amplifier is intended to smarten up a set of existing speakers with the DTS Play-Fi platform (i.e. many streaming services + local DLNA server support). So you can ditch the HTPC + amp (or similar) for […]
Read more
I had a chance to listen to an early version of the SVS Prime Wireless speaker at CES, and was very impressed with the clarity and centering imaging of the pair in stereo config. Sounding good isn’t the only trick these wireless speakers have on offer however, as they also provide the good stuff available from the DTS Play-Fi platform. […]
Read more
If you’ve been shopping 4K UHD projectors, you know that there isn’t really much out there in the “affordable” range. So Epson’s new $2,000 Home Cinema 4010 “PRO-UHD” projector massively shifts the playing field here. Of course there are a couple caveats that come with the price tag; mainly the lack of Dolby Vision HDR support, and that this isn’t […]
Read more
First off, this review is way outside of what we usually cover here, but I was so impressed with the results of a recent upgrade for my bike that I couldn’t help myself. So, having warned you – let’s dig in. While planning a full group set upgrade for my 2015 Trek Domane, I discovered that Trek does their own […]
Read more