Smart but affordable
The term Smart Home can conjure up the image of a top premiership footballer and his current WAG blasting music and movies throughout their country pile, whilst operating their lighting, heating and even their curtains at the push of a button. That’s just one end of Smart Home technology spectrum, however visitors to the T3 Smart Home Show at the NEC from March 22 – 25 can see an array of products to suit every pocket. Here are some of the products which can be snapped up at the show which wont break the bank.UNDER £100
The BT Home Monitoring solution is a self-install security system which allows you to monitor your home when you are away, as well as automatically notifying you of alerts by telephone, SMS text message and email. Winner of the 2003 British Security Excellence Awards for Best Innovation, the BT Home Monitor kit is available for around £85 and available from Intamac Systems
UNDER £200
2techvisuals has a digital picture frame for £150 which enables you to create your very own digital art gallery. The stylish picture frame will play all your digital images and movies on a bright screen: Relive your wedding, holiday or family get-together
UNDER £500
Around Sound has the Bose Sound dock for £245. Designed to have any Apple i-Pod plugged into it and give great sound in one room. For people with TV screens but no sound system, and a desire for a clutter-free option they have the Bose Cini-mate speaker system for £490. This plugs directly into the TV and provides amazing cinema like sound from only two speakers and a hide away bass unit.
UNDER £1000
Bose 321 and 321GS single room solution offers a surround sound home theatre system from two speakers and hide away base. This is the World’s Best Selling Home entertainment system and is available from Around Sound from £700
Digital Plumbers can supply a home automation system for around £900, giving you music, movies and wireless access to your PC throughout your home.
Plug in any audio source - ipods, TV’s music phones, laptops, DVD / CD players - and play through Futuros’ Amp Lamp, available from £900. The Amp Lamp fuses together high quality audio and lighting into a radical yet unobtrusive design statement.
Simply Sonos Digital Music System has been dubbed iPod for the home
It allows you to wirelessly play different music in different rooms or the same music in multiple rooms. Best of all it is controlled from a wireless colour-screen, handheld device that does not require infra-red line of sight and so is free to go where you go. A starter system for two zones of music is £949.
UNDER £2000
Provide sound for multi room entertainment systems use Amina speakers which can be inserted into a wall, then plastered and painted over – no need for messy wires and unsightly speakers. Using this latest innovation in sound technology, Amina flat panel loudspeakers are designed to sit within the wall’s plaster and create the illusion that music is coming from your walls. A pair of these unique speakers cost £1600 and can be used to create music in any room you choose
You want the latest home cinema equipment, but don’t want a screen dominating the room? Picture House (www.plasmafireplace.co.uk) has designed a plasma TV fireplace. The plasma TV is completely hidden inside a stylish fireplace with a fully working fire which outputs 2kW of heat. All you do is press the remote and the TV screen automatically lifts into view – when you’ve finished watching TV, simply press it again and the screen magically disappears. Their Award-winning Beachcomber is available for £2,000
BLOW THE BUDGET
Budget not an issue? Then you may want to speak to one of ten custom installers at the show who can make your dream a reality…….as you drive home use your mobile phone to open the gates to your drive, unlock the front door, turn on the lights, put the kettle, dishwasher and washing machine on. You may also wish to close your curtains, turn up the heating and turn on the oven so dinner is almost ready. Or if you’ve had a bad day, perhaps you’d prefer to run a bath to your desired temperature and depth and have your electric blanket warming your bed. Then chill with your multi-room home entertainment systems – allowing access to your entire music and film collection from any zone in your home at the touch of a button.
That’s just a taste of some of the technology available at The T3 Smart Home on at the NEC from 22 – 25 March. There will also be six free seminars per day where visitors can learn how to integrate technology, entertainment and automation into their home. Visitors will also gain free access into the co-located National Homebuilding & Renovating Show which brings together over 500 national and regional exhibitors, new products, new services and all the latest innovations in the self-build and renovation market. There will be a series of Masterclasses including four relating to smart home technology including How to have a smart home without being too clever by half!, Home Automation, Mood Lighting and Multi-room Audio.
For tickets to The T3 Smart Home Show, you can call the ticket hotline 0870 730 0964, or visit smarthomeshow.co.uk. Tickets are £8.00 in advance, or £12.00 on the door. The show will be open daily from 10am to 5pm on 22 – 25 March 2007.
