| Home
Toys Editorial - February 2000 - [HTI Home Page] |
HomeTech Hot Products Continuously Updated [Click Message To Learn More] |
Whew
... we survived the turn of the century. Mind you I did turn a year older in the
process and I notice my beard getting a touch grayer. I suppose those huge
amounts of cash that were spent on Y2K will now be allocated to the longevity of
life and we'll all live to see Y3K come and go ... now that's a scary thought
... another 100 years of looking at the same face in the mirror every morning!
It seems to be time to partner up in this industry of late. A quick look at the announcements from CES etc. (click here for the news page) reveals the following:
- Invensys has taken a minority stake in Peracom
- Domosys Corporation signs agreement with Cornes & Co. for exclusive representation in Japan
- Lucent Technologies today announced it will begin immediately to market the HomeStar® Wiring System, through ADT Security Services, Inc.,
- GE Industrial Systems, SMART LLC Sign Integrated Home Control Agreement
- Sun Microsystems, GTE and Cisco Systems Create "Connected FamilySM" Internet-Enabled Products and Technologies
- Sun Microsystems and Cisco Systems Form Alliance to Develop Open Architecture for Internet Home Gateway
- Home Director, Inc. and Spencer Trask Intellectual Capital Company today announced that the former IBM Home Networking Solutions unit has been launched as an independent company
|
I'm also very excited about the SmartGear product line from Smart Corp (GESmart). $50 CEBus wall switches and modules that don't require an external controller to set up scene lighting. Let the competition begin :-)
This issue features some terrific articles ... thanks to a bunch of great people. Ido Bar-Tana's comparison of X-10 controllers is something that will be of long lasting value to those embracing home automation in their homes. Serge Mathieu's 2 articles about PLC are a must read to better understand the technological advantages and challenges of using the powerline as a control medium. Steve Totolo's 2nd article about Residential Wiring is another must read for new home builders and renovators. And there is much more including Interviews with Ben Manny and Denis Kehlmann covering the HomeRF and Siemens new roll.
Special thanks to Tim Higgins for sharing his review of the S3/Diamond HomeFree Phoneline - 10Mbps Home Networking card. I hope to have more from Tim in the future.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue. In April (next issue) I'd like to revisit some of the issues and new thinking about Structured Cabling. If possible I will re-interview many of the industry experts and find out what has changed and become a priority in recent months. Do you have some insight about this or any other relevant topic? Send your articles, letters etc. to me at bobh@hometoys.com .
As always I ask that if you like HomeToys and what we provide for you ... the best way to show it is to support our advertisers and sponsors. Click those banners ... check out these Hot Products and take a Gadget Tour.
Enjoy!
