The latest home technology,
More and more people are choosing to adorn their home with fun and aesthetically pleasing technology, such as home cinema, multi-room hi-fi and mood lighting, all of which can be controlled from one touch screen panel. For people with substantial budgets, Malcolm Stewart - co-founder of AV specialist Kensington Home Technology (www.k-ht.co.uk) - recommends a dedicated home cinema room, starting with a projector by Digital Projection. Stewart says: “They have very bright projectors that are easily configurable and give cinema quality imagery.” For the screen Stewart recommends a slightly curved version by Supernova, which ensures there is no distortion in the viewable area, when used in conjunction with an anamorphic lens. He would also build the screen into a stand-alone speaker system, called Aerial Acoustics System 1, which conceals the speakers behind fabric that can be chosen to match the decor of the room. A Kaleidescape media server, Denon Blu-Ray player, ADA video processing and amplification system and a Crestron touchpad controller, complete the ideal home tech ‘spec’.
Importantly – and somewhat surprisingly – it is possible to enjoy all of this luxurious home technology while still doing your bit for the planet. Stewart explains: “We can install an energy reading meter into peoples’ homes and monitor usage in every room, as well as for each individual appliance. Therefore, we can track energy usage by - for example but not limited to - hot tubs, underfloor heating, oil burners, windows, lighting and home cinemas. After a one month period, we can assess current energy usage against current energy prices and subsequently recommend the best course of action, to keep energy bills at a minimum.”
Another increasingly popular . . . and essential . . . solution in the home, is to install security doors for all main entrances, particularly on the ground floor. The latest national crime figures showed domestic burglaries are up by 3% in the past year; in fact every 37 seconds, a property in the United Kingdom is subject to forced entry, with the vast majority (some surveys indicate approximately 80%) of these forced entries being directly through a main door.
Importantly – and somewhat surprisingly – it is possible to enjoy all of this luxurious home technology while still doing your bit for the planet. Stewart explains: “We can install an energy reading meter into peoples’ homes and monitor usage in every room, as well as for each individual appliance. Therefore, we can track energy usage by - for example but not limited to - hot tubs, underfloor heating, oil burners, windows, lighting and home cinemas. After a one month period, we can assess current energy usage against current energy prices and subsequently recommend the best course of action, to keep energy bills at a minimum.”
Another increasingly popular . . . and essential . . . solution in the home, is to install security doors for all main entrances, particularly on the ground floor. The latest national crime figures showed domestic burglaries are up by 3% in the past year; in fact every 37 seconds, a property in the United Kingdom is subject to forced entry, with the vast majority (some surveys indicate approximately 80%) of these forced entries being directly through a main door.
Although increasing numbers of home owners are installing alarm systems in their dwellings and some of these are very sophisticated, it is surprising that much stronger and burglar-resistant security doors are not a higher priority for home owners - and indeed developers and house builders - to increase the physical security of properties. The most beautifully designed, high performance, steel core security doors are made by Italian manufacturer Torterolo & Re (http://www.torteroloere.it/english/index.html), which are available here in the UK from Kensington Home Technology.