Powerline technology is the great unknown wonder of the digital home. Powerline technology allows you to create a network using the existing mains electrical wiring in your home or office. Its more efficient than laying down metres of ethernet cable round the house and faster and more reliable than wi-fi. Heres our review of the Devolo dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ powerline starter kit, and also advice on what speed powerline adaptor you need.

If a room has a spare power socket you can simply plug in a small powerline adaptor and from there connect whatever device you have (laptop, PC, smart TV, Sky+ box, Tivo, printer, games console, etc) to your internet connection via ethernet. It makes fancy features such as catch-up TV as simple as channel hopping.

iPlayer downloads taking too long or breaking up over wi-fi? Connect your player or set-top box via ethernet powerline and its like plugging it straight into your router.

The real joy is the simplicity of the whole thing. A starter kit like the 130 Devolo dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ includes two HomePlug adaptors. You connect one via ethernet to your router and plug in to a nearby power socket. You take the other one to the room you require a fast internet connection in, and plug that into another power socket. You can then link that adaptor to your nearby device (TV, etc) by ethernet cable or wi-fi.

Bingo. Job done. Thats it.

You can buy additional compatible adaptors (around 85) and add one in every room if you want. Garden shed connected to the same power lines as your home? Get fast broadband speeds there, too.

The Devolo dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ adaptor features three ethernet LAN ports so you can connect TV, set-top box and games console, for example, via just the one unit. It works with Macs and Windows PCs.

Devolo gets extra points for including an integrated electrical socket in the adaptor so you can still use the host socket for other power connections. You could even connect a power strip to it.

The Devolo dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ comes with management and monitoring software on a CD but none of it is required to get going straight away. It's pretty much a case of take it out of the box and plug it in for immediate gratification.

Original post:
Devolo dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ Starter Kit review

Article posted: 6/6/2014 4:22 PM

Q. We are in the process of trying to sell our home and are concerned about the various improvements we have done over the years without obtaining building permits. For example, last year we hired a handyman to install a new furnace, before that we installed new kitchen cabinets, and seven years ago we removed the bathroom window so that we could install a new shower. Will these be an issue when we sell the home?

A. When you sell your home, you will need to disclose the lack of permits to the buyers. Some buyers may accept these conditions as-is. Others may insist that you obtain as-built permits as a condition of the sale. And some may be unwilling to buy a home that has had unpermitted work. One option is to obtain as-built permits before selling your home. This will enable you to eliminate issues that require disclosure. Here is how that approach would apply to the three issues that you listed.

Hiring an unlicensed person to install your furnace was not a good idea. There are too many ways to install a furnace incorrectly, and some of these could jeopardize the fire safety of your home or could allow combustion exhaust to vent into the building. Furnaces should always be installed by qualified professionals, and permits should be obtained so that the building inspector can verify proper installation.

Kitchen cabinets are usually not subject to permit requirements, unless the work involves alterations to the plumbing or electrical wiring.

Installation of a new shower definitely requires a permit because it involves plumbing work. Additionally, if the bathroom window was eliminated, a mechanical exhaust fan should have been installed to provide ventilation to the exterior.

A good way to approach this situation is to hire a home inspector to determine whether the work that was done is acceptable or if repairs and upgrades are warranted. The home inspection report can also be used to supplement your disclosure statement to the people who buy your home.

Q. In one of your columns, you advised that a drain pan be installed under a water heater, with a drainpipe to the exterior of the building. This was to prevent water damage inside the building, in the event of leakage. In our condo complex, all of the water heaters are installed inside the building, at a location where a drain pipe would have to extend upward to get to the exterior. What can we do in this situation to comply with your recommendation?

A. Ordinarily, the discharge pipe from a water heater relief valve is run horizontally or downhill, which enables drainage to the exterior. In your building, a mechanical drain pump will be needed to enable proper drainage. This is a simple device that can be placed in the drain pan that is under the water heater. Water in the drain pan will lift the float that activates the drain pump. A discharge hose from this pump can be routed to the exterior or to a drainpipe somewhere inside the building.

To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at http://www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.

Originally posted here:
Sellers worried about lack of permits

GigaFast launches brand new HomePlug AV2 (gigabit-class) MIMO PLC series and introduces a new high definition PLC-based home monitoring system

Press release [Friday 6 June 2014]

GigaFast Ethernet, an OEM/ODM manufacturer of HomePlug powerline (PLC) technology equipment, has launched a series of HomePlug AV2 MIMO PLC Ethernet Bridges during Computex. HomePlug PLC technology is an innovative solution that turns the electrical outlets into wired network connections by simply plugging a pair of these bridges into sockets without pulling any extra cables. No extra wires means saving time and money on installation cost and cable material cost. The addition of MIMO technology to PLC utilizes the third ground wire to create multiple paths for data communication, providing an increase in home coverage.

The launch of GigaFast's HomePlug AV2 MIMO Ethernet Bridges is a major step forward in the next generation of multimedia networking. GigaFast's HomePlug AV2 MIMO Ethernet Bridges provide better performance, higher quality networking over existing home wiring, and additional coverage compared to their predecessors. At the same time, HomePlug AV2 MIMO Ethernet Bridges are completely interoperable with HomePlug AV, HomePlug Green PHY, and IEEE 1901 certified devices.

GigaFast's HomePlug AV2 MIMO Ethernet Bridges is designed to future proof PLC deployment for tomorrow's high demand for reliable and fast network performance needed in next generation digital entertainment and broadband access. GigaFast's HomePlug AV2 Ethernet Bridges provides gigabit-class speed to every electrical outlet, making each outlet ideal for HDTV, IPTV, multi-room HD DVR, online gaming, HD/3D video, HD audio, smart grid utilities management, home monitoring, and other home networking applications demanding ultra-fast network speed. GigaFast's HomePlug AV2 MIMO Ethernet Bridges can also stream multiple HD video and audio programs on the PLC network simultaneously and can be be connected anywhere throughout the home. Currently, GigaFast has 4 Homeplug AV2 Ethernet Bridges. The most notable one is the small AV2 Pass Through Bridge (PS959-EP65), which is the smallest and fastest bridge of its kind with a built-in noise filtering AC socket for another device needing power to be plugged into this socket without taking up another wall socket space. There will be many more GigaFast HomePlug AV2 MIMO devices being launched in the next couple of months.

Also showcasing at Computex is GigaFast's HomePlug HD AV Home Monitoring System: IP Camera with Night Vision (PC11). This home monitoring system is extremely easy to setup since this system is sending signal through existing home electrical wires, eliminating pulling long cables throughout the house. Users can monitor their home anytime from anywhere in the world with iOS/Android devices. Unlike most home monitoring systems, this system does not have website configuration or long serial numbers to enter. The entire setup takes only three easy steps: Simply plug in the camera, download the app for either iOS or Android devices, and scan the QR code for pairing. This system has a built-in microSD slot to save recorded videos and the recorded videos can be viewed anywhere with an iOS or Android device without any subscription fee. The camera has infrared night vision for little to no light environment and has email notification for motion detecting. This camera also has 2-way digital audio for listening from and speaking to the surrounding from the mobile device.

This camera system can be used as day to day home or small office security surveillance. Another usage for this camera system is for baby safety monitoring. Parents can monitor their baby sleeping inside the crib or monitor the nanny while the parents are away using their mobile devices.

GigaFast prides itself in designing and manufacturing the highest quality of HomePlug PLC products and being the first ones out with the newest PLC technology. That also goes the same when it comes to our casing designs. This camera system's casing is the smallest one of its kind on the market and the camera and the camera securing stand designs are unconventional to other home monitoring systems. It has a clean and streamline egg-shape design that is aesthetically pleasing when placed in different areas inside a home. The casing for the camera was inspired by the concept of an egg resting gently inside a nest. The egg nest functions as a camera stand that a securely hold the camera in place with the desired camera angle.

For more information on GigaFast PLC products, please visit http://www.gigafast.com or visit GigaFast's Computex booth at D0309a, Hall 1, 1F.

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GigaFast launches brand new HomePlug AV2 (gigabit-class) MIMO PLC series and introduces a new high definition PLC ...

Belkin CEO Chet Pipkin stands next to a WeMo cube at the 2014 Collision Conference in Las Vegas. Donna Tam/CNET

For Belkin founder Chet Pipkin, the company that began in his parents' Hawthorne, Calif., garage wants to go back home.

After building Belkin into a consumer-electronics brand with more than 1,200 employees and a product line that includes everything from Wi-Fi routers and iPad keyboard cases to power adapters over the past 31 years, Pipkin has seen the future. And his vision has him looking back to his humble garage roots as inspiration for the company's next big push: the smart home.

Pipkin, an easy-going, 53-year-old Southern California resident, has already wired his home. It tells the father of seven when his kids leave the house based on their Wi-Fi signal, lets his wife boil water for tea without getting out of bed in the morning, and tracks the use of all kinds of electronics, from an Xbox to lighting fixtures, through a smartphone app.

"I just love it," he said about the ability to open and close his garage door even when he's not home. "If there's a delivery person, I can see them through the camera and I can talk to them. I can open the garage door to let them in and then close the garage door after."

That's the kind of new thinking behind Belkin's home automation line WeMo, which is the company's biggest effort yet to tap into the rapidly burgeoning smart-home market. ABI Research estimates that the connected home market was worth $9.2 billion in 2013, and will grow to $15.1 billion in five years.

That market of opportunity has drawn tech titans including Google, which ponied up $3.2 billion for smart home thermometer maker Nest in January, and Apple, which earlier this week unveiled its HomeKit smart home platform baked into its iOS 8 mobile operating system for the iPhone and iPad.

C. West McDonald / CNET

Belkin already sells switches and motion sensors -- small devices that let people transform an appliance into a smart device -- and a high-definition, Wi-Fi-connected camera for monitoring and communicating. But new products are in the works. In January, the company showed off LED lights, a smart slow cooker and a do-it-yourself maker kit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Last month, Belkin demonstrated WeMo Echo Technology hardware for monitoring water and electricity usage homes.

Belkin expects to make the LED lightbulbs available in September, while the CrockPot and Maker may go on sale as early as August. The water and electricity products, though, may take another year or two.

Link:
Belkin goes all in on the home of the future

Hey buddy, dont you know this is America?

If youre not sure, then hop in an American-made car and drive down to Brent Greers house in Bradenton, Florida.

The Bradenton Herald has the back story: Greer painted his family home into a gigantic American flag in response to the city filing nine code enforcement violations, including the condition of the houses old coat of paint. What was especially galling to Greer was that the violations came on the heels of an anonymous complaint. The city threatened to fine Greer $250 per day until the violations were addressed.

From the Herald:

There you go: Whats the First Amendment for, if not to take this nations enduring symbol of freedom and use it for spite?

Of course, since you have free speech, too, you could call Greer out for getting the flags canton (star field) wrong, or not adding all 13 stripes. He may be the most American American today, but theres always room for improvement.

Original post:
Angry Guy Paints Gigantic American Flag on Home to Defend His Right to Faulty Wiring, Trash

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