Cool Tech For Around The House

[ITEMNO530]

I was just thinking about how my wireless internet connection sucks, and I remember seeing a commercial or something for networking through power sockets. You know, plug an adapter into the electrical outlet on your wall,then connect it to your modem or router, then plug another one somewhere else in the house to your computer. I thought about getting that, but then read that the two adapters have to be on the same circuit, which is cool, but the modem and wireless router are upstairs on a totally different circuit.

Anyway, I just want to see if anyone else knows of or has any col tech in their home, you know, self rising/heating toilet seats, lights that operate off vocal command, card locks on doors instead of keys (like hotels), rotating storage (like in Wall-E). Basically, any cool tech that can be used in home. Pics would be cool, or links. Nothing nasty now. Spam? Nah, chata!

*RIP MR*
2003-2010(?)

[rob.northcott]

I'm using power line networking for one of my PCs. The house has granite walls and the wireless doesn't reach that corner of the house reliably. As long as they're on sockets that are from the same main fuse box and meter, it should work. One of mine is in a downstairs room and the other end is in a room over the garage, which is actually from a second fuse box spurred off the main box. It works fine. You'll probably have separate ring circuits for each floor of the house, but all connected to the same bus in the main box.

Electrical spike/surge filters can cause problems, so it's best if the power networking thingys are plugged straight into a wall socket. They work completely transparently as if they are a wired cable (I've got two machines hardwired to the router/switch and another one conected via the power plugs, no problems at all).

The less expensive ones like mine are 85mbps I think, which is plenty fast enough for my application (it's just my telly/pvr machine), but you can get faster ones.

Of course, it's way cheaper to run a cable through the house, but nothing like as convenient.

Rob

[BillyTheMountain]

Should I buy a NEtflix machine to watch DVDs on my TV?

Someone suggested I do it with a PS3 or something, but it will definitely only be movies, not games.

My computer is on a different floor from my TV. will I have to run wires up the stairway from my computer to my TV?

[justtysen]

Originally Posted by BillyTheMountain

Should I buy a NEtflix machine to watch DVDs on my TV?

Someone suggested I do it with a PS3 or something, but it will definitely only be movies, not games.

My computer is on a different floor from my TV. will I have to run wires up the stairway from my computer to my TV?

Do you mean DVD's or the "Watch Instantly" movies streamed from the Netflix website? There aren't that many options for streaming so I wouldn't get a machine just to do that.

[johnfoss]

From what I've read (years ago), power line networking works, but it depends on the "quality" of the current in your home's powerlines. Many things can cause interference or poor signal quality. Probably stuff like hair dryers or power tools could slow down your signals. Power line networking is uncommon, but definitely not new.

We have keyless entry (with ID badge) where I work, but not at home. At home we have a Japanese toilet seat with heat, and bidet and "wash" heated water streams. The seat isn't self-lifting, but it goes down nice and slow, so you can never drop it. Very nice. For rotating storage, I used to have a garage like that for my toy cars, but that was back in the 70s. Battery powered. They have full-sized garages like that in Japan.

My most recent piece of "nice" technology is my Western Digital MyBook World Edition backup/storage NAS drive. It's a pair of 1TB drives in a single enclosure, in RAID 0 configuration, which means two copies of everything. I run Time Machine to back up both of our Macs, and have space left over for the stuff that no longer fits on my (large) internal hard drive. And it all runs over the network, with no wires to either computer! It plugs into the router. And, unlike my old Buffalo TeraStation, it works.

[ITEMNO530]

Originally Posted by BillyTheMountain

Should I buy a NEtflix machine to watch DVDs on my TV?

Someone suggested I do it with a PS3 or something, but it will definitely only be movies, not games.

My computer is on a different floor from my TV. will I have to run wires up the stairway from my computer to my TV?

you mean that Netflix box thing so you can watch movies instantly. I wouldn't get it. If you have a PS3 and it's connected you your internet then just get the Netflix DVD and voila. The DVD is free as long as you have Netflix. An the good news for me is that they just made one for the Wii. what what!

[maestro8]

I have special wiring in my walls that makes the lights flicker whenever a truck or bus drives by my house. Dunno why the previous owner installed that wiring, or what good it does. Maybe he was deaf?

I had the same wiring in my garage but it would make the garage door open or close randomly. Had to remove that.

I've also got a furry four-legged pooping machine that fumigates my house once a day. The timer's broken, though, sometimes the fumigation happens when I'm home... then I have to open all the windows to get the fumes out.

[Chrashing]

Originally Posted by maestro8

I've also got a furry four-legged pooping machine that fumigates my house once a day. The timer's broken, though, sometimes the fumigation happens when I'm home... then I have to open all the windows to get the fumes out.

hahahaha We used to have one of those.

[Safey]

I have a wireless connection that works

[Robuni]

Ive got a ton of doors that open when I twist the knob and push, lol
Ive got a wireless network setup and my ipod can be a mouse for both my computers

[unisteve]

I have a light hanging from my cieling and a desk lamp.

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally Posted by justtysen

Do you mean DVD's or the "Watch Instantly" movies streamed from the Netflix website? There aren't that many options for streaming so I wouldn't get a machine just to do that.

netflix has MANY streaming movies FREE for subscribers.

Originally Posted by ITEMNO530

you mean that Netflix box thing so you can watch movies instantly. I wouldn't get it. If you have a PS3 and it's connected you your internet then just get the Netflix DVD and voila. The DVD is free as long as you have Netflix. An the good news for me is that they just made one for the Wii. what what!

I meant Instant Movies, streaming. I think people watch them on their TV, not their computer, but I'm not sure how the movies get into the Netflix box.

The TV is on a different floor from the computer.

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally Posted by unisteve

I have a light hanging from my cieling and a desk lamp.

Do you have indoor plumbing?

Metal shoes on your horse?

[BillyTheMountain]

I can stream millions of movies for $7/month, by hooking up a Roku box, BlueRay DVD player, X-Box or PS3 to the internet and my TV.

Problem solved!

[MrBoogiejuice]

Originally Posted by BillyTheMountain

netflix has MANY streaming movies FREE for subscribers.


I meant Instant Movies, streaming. I think people watch them on their TV, not their computer, but I'm not sure how the movies get into the Netflix box.

It be dark majik I tell ye... Daaaaaaaaaark.

Originally Posted by BillyTheMountain

The TV is on a different floor from the computer.

Split screen technology.

Dope!