• engadget

    Control4's HC-1000: home control processor for the demanding

    By Darren Murph September 3rd, 2007

    Rest assured, the vast majority of us would be well served by Control4's HC-300, but for those with more home automation applications than they care to count, the HC-1000 may be the only man for the job. Reportedly, this beast will tout speeds "in the gigahertz range," and acts more as "a supplement to Control4's suite of control systems and interfaces" than a pure controller. You'll find no ZigBee here, but a USB and Ethernet port supposedly enable the box to run Director automation software and allow the "rest of the house to do what it needs to do." Additionally, the device will offer up 250GB of internal storage with room for expansion, and just in case you're leaning towards indulging yourself, the purported $3,000 pricetag may make you reconsider.

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  • engadget

    Hands-on with the Philips WAC3500D Streamium home stereo

    By Joshua Topolsky September 1st, 2007

    We're refraining from screaming, "This is WAC!" at the sight of this, but we're not holding back on the photos. We happened across Philips' WiFi-sporting home stereo while we were making our way through the company's luxurious booth (complete with sit-down restaurant and everything), and we thought we'd stop and smell the musical-roses... er, yeah. Not much to write home about here, save for (of course) the built in networking capabilities, though we've got to say the design is a no muss, no fuss affair, which is just fine as far as we're concerned. Take a look at the gallery and form your own opinion.%Gallery-6713%

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  • engadget

    HD video: Roomba 560 vs Discovery

    By Ryan Block August 22nd, 2007

    Anyone at all interested in home robots -- especially those too lazy to vacuum their own floors -- will want to see just how well iRobot's new Roomba 560 fares against its predecessor, the Discovery. Well, we've pitted the two against one another in noise, speed, cable management, docking, and, of course, ability to destroy one another. Embedded player after the break.P.S. -Forgive our shabby carpet, the dudes who rented the place before us took really sucky care of the joint.[MP4] Download in 720p HD (139MB)[MP4] Download in wide VGA (40MB)[AVI] Download in 720p HD (139MB)[AVI] Download in wide VGA (40MB)

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  • engadget

    iRobot Roomba 560 hands-on

    By Ryan Block August 22nd, 2007

    We've been fooling around with a new Roomba 560 of our very own and we can say with some certainty iRobot's really improved on its product. Unfortunately, that isn't saying a whole lot; while we've always loved the Roomba for what it is, we've never been too impressed with the job it does. Still, the built-in scheduler is just such a welcome addition, and the robot is much quieter and generally feels far better built than its predecessor. The fact that the internals are better sealed is also a huge bonus, since we've long found ourselves cleaning our Roomba's innards out nearly as much as its vacuum bin. Jury's still out on the Lighthouses -- it's a decent idea, definitely, but we'd really prefer if the robot actually started trying to learn where things (and its own position in real space) are instead of just using battery-operated stations to tell it which rooms it's already visited. But hey, baby robot steps, right? Photo gallery below.%Gallery-6211%

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  • engadget

    NTT's HC-1000 puts you in control of home security

    By Darren Murph August 8th, 2007

    Here in America, we don't take our home security systems lightly, but for those in Japan, it appears that they haven't resorted to installing sensor-triggered weapons in their windows just yet. The HC-1000 camera can be controlled via the internet or a FOMA mobile, and allows users to take a peek at what's going on without actually being on the premises. The device sports a three-megapixel CMOS sensor, Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g, 2x digital zoom, and a QVGA video mode to boot. Additionally, a "defense support" system can enable the piercing siren to let loose a wail, and the built-in microphone / speaker can even open up two-way communication between you and your home-wrecker (or faraway relative). The HC-1000 itself will run you a modest ¥29,400 ($247), but those looking to totally lock down their dwelling can spend up to ¥141,750 ($1,191) for an elaborate whole home system.[Via CScout, thanks Mike]

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