Smart Home News

CE firms will introduce an upgraded breed of cable
A consortium that includes consumer-electronics companies Samsung, Sony and LG has released specifications for a breed of cable that can carry computer data, video and audio signals and electricity.

Millions of 3-D TV sets will ship in 2010
Nearly 6 million 3-D TVs will be shipped this year, according to projections by IMS Research.

Do people really want to automate their homes?
While security systems have become somewhat common, other aspects of home automation have not.

Online ID fraud losses explode
One in 10 Australian internet users have lost money to online identify fraud over the past year with losses totaling $1.286 billion.

Eco-friendly building will concentrate on sustainability solutions
A multimillion-dollar teaching and research building at Griffith University in Australia will be emission-free and self-powering when it is finished in 2012.

U.S. Green Building Market to Hit $173.5 Billion by 2015
U.S. green building market value will balloon from $71.1 billion now to $173 billion by 2015. Commercial green building is expected to grow by 18.1% annually during the same time period from $35.6 billion to $81.8 billion.

NBN Co ready to roll with test sites
CONSTRUCTION of the first five Australian mainland sites to be connected to the $43 billion national broadband network is expected to begin this month.

Skype Puts Video Calls on Your TV
Skype now offers webcams that enable you to make video calls on a Net-connected TV.

Sony boosts 3D home entertainment range
Sony has announced a pair of Blu-ray players and a trio of Blu-ray home theatre systems, each with 3D capability.

The Swype Revolution?
Motorola's Droid X is one of the first phones to have Swype built in, giving users a completely new way to enter text on their phones. But is it really better than typing?

New devices can make life easier
Technology and automation can help create a house that is able to adapt to life's changes - whether caused by changing family composition or the changing abilities of family members

Installing Your Own Home Security System
A new breed of home security systems promises to be simple enough to install without any professional help, cutting the cost of traditional alarm systems.

Aussie online retail growth to soar
Australia's online retail industry is set to grow 40 per cent by 2012, PayPal Australia has said.

Utilities look inside the home to fuel the grid
As utilities seek out future energy sources on the grid, tapping thousands of home water heaters is becoming an increasingly attractive choice over building new power plants.