News Archive
Thu 23 March 2006
Shotgun-proof but not Finger-proof Wall Safe
This safe is protected by bullet-proof stainless steel capable of withstanding fire from a 140-gauge shotgun. Access is gained by a biometric sensor which can store up to six different fingerprint scans. Within the actual vault there is also secret compartment for those exceptionally valuable items. For $479 this isn’t considered expensive for the caliber of security it provides.
Related article: Moat & Drawbridge
Thu 23 March 2006
Make way house-robots, here comes the ‘Automower’ garden-robot!
Summer’s just around the corner and if you’re lucky enough to have some lawn worth cutting but have better things to do than tend to it periodically, here is the answer to your horticultural conundrum. The Automower from Electrolux zips around the garden on its own keeping your lawn looking tip-top. Simply use the perimeter wire to barricade flower beds, ponds and swimming pools and let the automower do the rest.
Not only is the Automower a labour-saving device but it’s also good for your grass. It only cuts the top of the grass and the clippings are small enough to be allowed to fall back into the lawn, providing a natural source of compost during the summer. The only draw back of this ‘robot-wars’ lawnmower is that it won’t cut nice tidy neat lines and for around £1,500 how many times could you get the gardener round for that much money, who will preen the rest of the garden for you?
For more on home automation see What can be controlled with Home-Automation?
Thu 23 March 2006
Smoke Alarm of the future, straight from the Jetsons
…well actually Jenson, Jacob Jenson, the Danish designer responsible for the styling of Bang & Olufsen’s classic products.This ‘intelligent’ optical smoke alarm not only looks serious about fire prevention, it IS serious about fire prevention. The microprocessor inside does a daily sensitivity check to avoid false alarms and the red button allows you to reduce sensitivity for ten minutes to avoid setting off the alarm for times like when someone has turned the toaster timer to ‘9’ for a joke. I also personally think that burglars may mistake the smoke alarm for a mine, an overlooked marketing opportunity perhaps? Or maybe not.
For more on home security see Moat & Drawbridge
Wed 22 March 2006
B & O's 180 grand Bundle Package
Bang & Olufsen’s ‘extra value meal’ includes:
• 1 x 50-inch BeoVision 4 plasma screen, • 1 x 100-inch retractable projection screen, • 1 x central BeoLab 7-2 loudspeaker • 2 x BeoLab 5 loudspeakers • 1 x BeoSound 9000 audio system
The home entertainment studio is currently showcased at their Merchant City store in Glasgow and for £180,000 a designer, architect, electrician and Bang & Olufsen consultant will recreate the entire suite in your home, complete with armadillo effect walls, the Danish coffee table and retractable ceiling projector. It’s kinda like buying a fitted kitchen but for your lounge. Three people have been ‘supersizing’ their entertainments room and B&O expect another nine to follow suit within the year.
Related article:
10 Custom Install v. ‘Off-the-shelf’ home entertainment systems
