Smart Home News

Video game environment becoming an entertainment hub


The three titans of video gaming -- Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony -- increasingly are looking to offer consoles that not only play games, but also function as entertainment hubs.

Optus taunts Telstra on broadband costs

OPTUS says it will revamp its entire east coast high-speed broadband  network for one tenth of the price it cost Telstra to do just one city.

Blu-ray may dominate over-the-top home Web services


Blu-ray players could supplant gaming consoles as the leader in over-the-top home Web services, according to Diffusion Group. The number of homes with broadband-capable televisions is expected to increase to 360 million by 2014 -- up from 128 million today.

CE industry primed for strong sales rebound


Big growth in consumer electronics is expected this year thanks to increasing demand for LCD TVs, set-top boxes and appliances.

As Devices Pull More Data, Patience May Be Required

Even as carriers struggle to meet the demands on their networks, they are encouraging the use of more sophisticated devices that hog bandwidth.

HDTV gaining big ground with American consumers


By 2013, industry watchers expect, three out of four U.S. households will be watching television on HD sets.

California's CE energy-restriction regulations catch on


Massachusetts, New York, Washington and Wisconsin are following California's lead by proposing laws that would put a limit on energy used by CE devices, including TVs. None of the proposals has been approved by any of the state legislatures.

Samsung enters the 3-D TV game in a big way


Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday it had started mass production of screens for 3D LED TVs and 3D LCD TVs.

Doubling up projectors a good workaround for home cinema


As anamorphic home-cinema systems take root, installers and users are still challenged by some technology obstacles, and one good workaround is the use of a two-projector approach as it doesn't create video processing or lens distortion.

Solar cell powers wireless phones like sun nourishes plants


Solar-energy technology will soon debut in a wide array of consumer-electronics devices, such as mobile phones and e-readers.

Tablet anticipation turns to Google Chrome


Google is following Apple's iPad announcement with early mock-ups of its own tablet device, which reportedly would run Chrome and emphasize a Web-based interface.