Household -- Engadget

Infection alert: Insignia 10.4-inch photo frame kindly bundled with trojan

by Ryan Block, posted Jan 17th 2008 at 11:46AM

We haven't exactly gotten a torrent of email complaints from angry Best Buy customers, but for anyone wondering why the $230 Insignia 10.4-inch photo frame got pulled from shelves last week, here's your answer: they were manufactured, like devices sometimes are, with a supposedly "old and easily removed" trojan. Funny, though, that the internal memo we got has Best Buy dragging its feet, intending to send a letter to potentially infected customers only "once a solution has been tested and confirmed." Here's a solution: recall the frames and send everyone some anti-virus software and a free appointment with the Geek Squad, instead of letting sites like ours break the news that Best Buy isn't moving fast to fix its digital security mishaps. The memo is posted after the break.

Continue reading Infection alert: Insignia 10.4-inch photo frame kindly bundled with trojan

Fire alarm bell repurposed for waking the dead

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 16th 2008 at 8:23AM

For those who could easily sleep through a tornado (or similar), there are a plethora of alarm clocks out there designed to wake even you up. Still, there's nothing like crafting a suitable alternative yourself, and the folks over at Hacked Gadgets decided to exemplify overkill in their latest concoction. 'Course, a "fire alarm bell alarm clock" is pretty self-explanatory, and while it certainly doesn't come through as loud over YouTube as we're sure it is in person, there's still ample reason to click through and peek the video yourself.

[Thanks, Alan]

Continue reading Fire alarm bell repurposed for waking the dead

LG SteamWasher: now with allergen-reducing powers

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 15th 2008 at 10:03AM

Yeah, the SteamWasher has already found its way into a-many abodes, but LG is making said device attractive to even more individuals by adding a dose of allergen-reducing magic. Hailed as the "first washing machine proven to reduce allergens," the new units can be spotted by the unique Allergiene laundry cycle, which acts to reduce dust mites and pet dander (just to name a couple) on fabrics by some 95-percent. If you're not exactly keen on just taking LG's word for it, the machine is also certified asthma and allergy friendly by the AAFA, so yeah, there's that. Those anxious to stop sneezing every time they dress can grab one in a myriad finishes for $1,399 to $2,699, and once you've dropped that, why not pick up the matching SteamDryer for an extra $1,199 to $2,699?

Home thermostats: Big Brother's next target?

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 13th 2008 at 11:53AM

It's not like we haven't heard of a higher power invading one's home before, but apparently, a proposal set to be considered at month's end could allow the state of California to "require that residents install remotely monitored temperature controls in their homes next year." The Programmable Communication Thermostat (PCT) would feature a "non-removable" FM receiver which could be controlled by Big Brother in "times of emergency" to drop load in order for "utilities to meet their supplies [when] the integrity of the grid is being jeopardized." Of course, we are hearing that adjustments would only be made ±4 degrees, but we aren't so keen on one thing leading to another, if you catch our drift.

[Via Digg, image courtesy of Drexel, thanks yoshi]

Actiontec's zControl home automation gateways get official

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 10th 2008 at 8:43AM

Seeking to "change the way people manage their household electronics," Actiontec is getting set to unleash an outpouring of zControl products. We'd briefly heard about the firm's standalone unit that connects to the home router a few months back, but here at CES even more details are starting to flow. Apparently, Actiontec will be pushing out an entire series of Z-Wave-based wares "designed to centrally manage household electronics such as lights, security cameras, thermostats, motion detectors, garage door openers, motorized shades and automatic sprinklers through the home network." Furthermore, zControl will give owners the ability to dictate connected items remotely, and while we've no room to mention every piece of the forthcoming lineup, you should know that the zControl Starter Kit -- which includes a zControl unit, one indoor camera with motion detector, one lighting control module, and a remote control -- will be available next month for $399. Hit the read link for lots, lots more.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

IntelliCorder 0 Door Camcorder System is a really expensive peephole

by Christopher Grant, posted Jan 9th 2008 at 8:45PM

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

The IntelliCorder 0 Door Camcorder System which replaces your perfectly functional (and affordable!) door peephole with a $150 battery powered camera and 1-1/2-inch screen.

... get the hell away from my house before I call the cops.

CFL + motion detector = Motionbulb

by Christopher Grant, posted Jan 9th 2008 at 5:15PM

There's not much to say about the Motionbulb that can't be extrapolated from the above image and the product's name: it's a CFL bulb with a built-in motion detector capable of, uh ... detecting motion from up to 25 feet. Walk into a room, light goes on; leave the room, light goes off. 'Nuff said. They say the $20 bulb will last five years, which means it should still be around when those inefficient incandescents go the way of our favorite robo-dog in 2012.

Hands-on with Control4 home automation

by Barb Dybwad, posted Jan 9th 2008 at 1:28PM

One day we'll all be taking home automation for granted when every new house on the market includes built-in support for controlling our fireplaces via our watch phones, but until that glorious future arrives the home automation noob has a dizzying array of choices to contend with. We checked out what Control4 has to offer in the way of centralized command over your media, home theater, lights, security system and temperature and found fairly clean, easy to use interfaces coupled with an array of choices for central control and storage depending on the scope of your needs, all compliant with the lovably-named ZigBee wireless standard. Hit the gallery for an overview of Control4 devices and configurations including their Home Controller HC-300 we heard about earlier this year.

Gallery: Hands-on with Control4 home automation

Heineken and Krups bringing BeerTender to the States

by Paul Miller, posted Jan 9th 2008 at 7:06AM

Heineken and Krups have been peddling their LCD-equipped keg / fridge in Europe for a little while now, but the companies are going to give it a shot in the States and see if those American go for this whole "cold beer" thing. The unit is built to hold a 5-liter Heineken keg and keep it tasting fresh and cold for about 30 days. The LCD indicates temperature and lets you know when beer is running low. You can buy it in March from Williams-Sonoma and everywhere in April for $400.

OpenFrame: 'The iPhone of home phones'

by Christopher Grant, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 9:46PM

With data integration in mobile handsets, it's no wonder home telephones haven't been able to keep up. But what happens when you're using a service like Verizon's FiOS and all of a sudden that boring handset has broadband data piped right into it? One example could be OpenFrame – a new home phone envisioned by John Sculley, former Apple CEO – that maybe-a-little resembles Apple's iPhone. The various devices are built on Freescale MX31 processors "with two 600-MHz ARM11 chips doing the heavy lifting" for features like streaming video, music, web surfing, and more. According to the manufacturer's chief executive, the heavily subsidized phones could be shipping out in four or five months straight from the carriers (no retail presence here). Though the phone was built specifically for services like FiOS, they're not yet saying if it's coming to FiOS. Why so shy, fellas?

Video: iRobi helper robot appears at CES

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 7:28PM

Yujin's iRobi has been available in South Korea for some time, but Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont was able to track down the household helper bot here at CES. For those unfamiliar with this bugger, it was designed to aid in a myriad ways around the house and even give the elderly means to live alone. Click on through to hear how the iRobi could soon be guarding homes and beaming out vitals to physicians here in America -- if Yujin scores a US distributor, that is.

Continue reading Video: iRobi helper robot appears at CES

Super Soaker inventor looking to double solar efficiency

by Christopher Grant, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 4:20PM

Did you know the inventor of the Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson, is a nuclear engineer with more than 100 patents in his green-lined pockets? Really, you didn't? Well, now that you're all caught up with Basic Gadgetology 101, we'll fill you in what he's been up to lately. Johnson has developed a new solar technology called the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Conversion System (JTEC for the acronym-inclined), which is "like a conventional heat engine." A closed box system takes heat as an input, creates pressure from heat differential, which generates electricity by forcing ions through a micron-thick ceramic membrane. The big news: this system purports to be as efficient as 60%, versus the 30% efficiency achieved through normal photovoltaic panels. While Johnson's invention may prove itself to be a game changer in the quest for cheap and renewable electricity, we don't think it'll be nearly as fun as using pressurized air to blast water at your pals. Now, maybe if he made a solar-powered water cannon ...

Sonic Impact's BM101 speaker panel resides beneath your mattress

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 3:42PM

We've seen our fair share of extravagant beds, but Sonic Impact isn't out to sell you new furniture. Rather, it's hoping that music lovers will warm to its BM101 speaker panel, which is reportedly designed to slip between the mattress and box spring and allow tunes to "emanate" from your bed. Each panel in the setup is two- x four-feet, and if boasts are to be believed, cranking the volume actually can get your bed a-bumpin'. Currently, a price has yet to be determined (word on the street pegs it between $200 and $400) for the Spring-bound device, but honestly, we won't be at all surprised to find this thing in our own beds during the next trip to Vegas.

Audiovox reveals Digital Message Centers: perfect for refrigerators

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 7th 2008 at 4:25PM

Yeah, it's true -- we've got a soft spot for quirky refrigerator magnets, so we're inclined to take favor with Audiovox's Digital Message Centers. As you can see above, the fridge-mountable units enable users to display photos for family to see, and folks can even record audio or video messages (on the DPF711K only) for others via the integrated camera / microphone. As if that wasn't snazzy enough, you can even tag messages to a calender for playback on specific dates, and we'd imagine the content would look fairly decent on the 7-inch 480 x 234 display. Think your kitchen's ready for it? You can grab the video-capable DPF711K for $199.99 or the audio-only DPF710K for $40 less.

Video: Herman Miller's C2 Climate Control keeps it fresh at CES

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2008 at 11:53PM

For those still on the fence about dropping some serious dough on the C2 climate controller, maybe a video of the little bugger in action will make the decision that much easier. You know the drill -- all the freshness you can handle is waiting just after the jump.

Continue reading Video: Herman Miller's C2 Climate Control keeps it fresh at CES