Here's a cool "house," created by inventor Van Bo Le-Mentzel. Called the "One SQM House," it measures exactly one square meter in area, fittingly. We'll do the conversion for you: that's 10.7 square feet. Yeah, not exactly a house by today's standards. No kitchen. No...
Here's a cool new App. Inspired by a finding that half of British homeowners admit that they forget to ask the right questions when a contractor comes to do work, TradeMark makes it easier for those questions to be asked. Yes, this is an App for Brits. But's that not...
Among Builder's 10 Lifestyle Trends to watch for in 2012, look for community gardens, multigenerational housing and working from the home. You should also note the rise of the DIYer as well as "living smaller." The former might be partially attributed to the rise in...
Up here in the Burlington, VT area, we aren't exactly on the cutting edge of things like fashion (GQ recently named it one of the 40 Worst-Dressed Cities) or urban sprawl (for this we are thankful), but we are getting our Smart Grid on. Back in June a vote was passed...
CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric LLC, an electric transmission and distribution subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, recently released the survey results of a 500-participant smart meter pilot program that took place in the Houston area starting last fall. According...
Here's an interesting -- albeit brief -- HomeToys review of the iPad as a Home Controller in a smart home scenario. I have not hopped on the iPad train yet, but if I do, I know I'll be looking for ways to wring every last bit of use out of it. A home...
I'm embarrassed to admit that I've only just watched my first episode of the Ben Heck Show, an element14-sponsored show in which the host -- born Benjamin J. Heckendorn -- turns average household products and technology into convenient solutions. The most recent...
Ok, this is one of those little inventions that has you smacking your head and asking, "Why didn't I think of that?" The Curl Stop is a boomerang-shaped, adhesive-backed plastic product that attaches to the underside of your rugs to keep them from curling up. And...
What do you do when the washing machine quits? Make a service call, try to describe the problem, fall short on technical vocab and end the call in frustration. Sound familiar? Well, not anymore. Kenmore recently announced a new bit of technology in their appliances...
First it was going from those old mercury thermostats to programmable thermostats. The next step? Wireless HVAC control. If we're to maximize our heating and cooling savings in the home (and take a load off the power grid), wireless HVAC control could just be the way...
