Smart Home News

Asia ready to buy more CE gadgets
Asian consumers seem to be more tech-ready than the rest of the world, with DisplaySearch reporting that sales of LCD TVs in Japan and China will be up 36% and 35% this year.

Improving the home-based video experience
Looking to simulate a movie-theater experience in the living room via the Internet, Widevine has announced that its video-optimization platform now will support Dolby Digital Plus surround-sound audio. Separately, YouTube is making moves to improve the quality of its video as more people are tapping into the service via their television sets.

Home automation controllers move outside the box
Home automation remotes have been pricey, but the Apple iPad is changing the customization industry.

The myth of the green building premium
It's widely believed that building green adds 10% or more to the cost of new projects, but analysts say that?s not true and studies suggest that going green brings negligible costs or a premium of as low as a 1% to 2%.

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

Tech industry is poised for a financial rebound
Technology stocks are poised for a rebound given consumer demand for mobile devices such as Apple's iPad and laptops and as businesses move to upgrade systems.

Intel?s energy-management solutions for the home
Chipmaker Intel has developed a home energy-management system, a Home Dashboard energy monitor and a Smart TV technology -- all of which could eventually work in unison as a single system to maximize energy efficiency in the home.

Apple TV to retool as Web video heavyweight
Apple is getting ready to update its TV interface--to iOS 4--and bring it into the race for living room dominance, setting up a head-to-head battle with Google TV.

Intelligent technologies hold key to greener buildings
A debate is a brewing in green-building circles as architects, engineers and designers consider what it means to incorporate intelligent-building elements into sustainable, ?green? structure

Dice-shaped home is new face of green building
A dice-shaped home could be the future of green building, according to British design shop Sybarite.

Samsung advances Web TV and software development
Samsung Electronics says it's investigating building a TV powered by Google's Android but is more interested in developing a set that would feature its own OS and application store for TV.

Design Flaw in iPhone 4, Testers Say
Consumer Reports said it would not recommend the iPhone 4 because a hardware flaw in its antenna sometimes resulted in dropped calls.