I live in an area full of “not in my backyard” prudes who force me to have less than great cell service because they think cell towers are going to lower their property values. While the tower is about a mile away, it’s uphill, and there are lots of trees between us, which, depending on more »

After a long period of experimentation, it looks like quantum dots may be ready to start making their way into some television prototypes. Mashable has a new piece up about work done by Nanosys and 3M to bring the technology into prime time in cellular phones and television screens: What are quantum dots, anyway? They are light-emitting nanoparticles. more »

Bandwidth caps have been a hot topic in recent years. With transfers capped at under 100GB in some parts of North America, having a provider that understands your need for speed and lots of it is really valuable. So when Houkounochi (a pseudonym) got a call from Verizon asking what he possibly could be doing more »

TV makers have been trying for years to get OLED moving. The high-quality display technology is self-illuminating, fast, and bright, with superior contrasts and no motion issues — truly the best that LED and plasma displays have to offer, all wrapped up in one screen technology. Unfortunately, despite some promising new solutions, OLED TVs remain more »

Salamander Designs is bringing its line of custom A/V furniture, seating, and accessories to InfoComm in June. Touted as a “design-your-own” concept from the ground up, the new line allows customers to step out of the confines of mass-produced racks, stands, and credenzas to create something truly tailored to their own individual environments. Literally every aspect more »

The mains outlet hasn’t changed much in 100 years. With the exception of adding grounding, the outlets are pretty much the same that your great-granddaddy encountered. A new Kickstarter project for a neat new outlet — called the Inlet — seeks to transform your outlets into safer, greener, and more attractive hubs in your household. Here more »

Thanks to a grant from NASA, Captain Pickard’s “Tea, Earl Grey, Hot” command might soon be a reality. NASA has given $120,000 to Systems & Materials Research Corporation to begin research on a 3D food printer that can create a variety of edibles from common materials. The device would take proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and flavoring and layer more »

Seymour-Screen Excellence has introduced a new 4K-ready, acoustically transparent, dual aspect-ratio motorized MFR screen for advanced home theater applications. From the press release: The foundation of the MFR is SSE’s exclusive Enlightor-4K woven-fabric acoustically transparent film screen surface.  This .98 gain surface is both ISF-certified for color purity and is the only acoustically transparent screen that has no more »

On Controls is a new home automation company with a sort of in-between take on home automation. By that, I mean it’s still a custom-installed system, but with a vastly simplified approach that eliminates much of the hardware usually involved with advanced home control. By replacing the centralized control hubs with network-attached mini controllers that more »

Sony’s new “Mastered in 4K” Blu-rays have proven to be a bit of a mixed bag. While movies that needed new masters or could benefit from new restoration technologies have certainly improved over their original Blu-ray issues, newer movies in the lineup are pretty much a wash with their lower bitrate counterparts. However, there is more »