Home Entertainment Systems
Tech and entertainment around the home
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October 6th, 2008Security
I reported the WowWee Robot Guard a short time ago and now the first reviews are coming in from Engadget. And they are quite impressed by it. The setup seems to be easy and does it’s duties well. And although it looks like it may be one of your kids new remote cars, it isn’t a toy. Positioned well for the upcoming holiday season, they ease fears that this thing is a piece of junk or doesn’t work very well. So if this is something you really want then it looks like it’s safe to buy one.
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September 22nd, 2008Security
So you want a home alarm system, but you aren’t too keen on paying thousands for it, or do you want spend weeks building it yourself. Well, I’ve done some research and have come across some links that you may find helpful:Dave over at DoItYourself.com has a nice starting guide for those interested in getting that home burglar alarm up and running. He gives the basics on what you need to get started like:
- Control Keypad
- Phone Jack
- Transformer
- Battery
- Bells or Alarm
- Window and Door Sensor
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September 21st, 2008Security
Rovio WowWee
Forget your web cam that can’t do anything but stay in one place, this robot guard dog can move around your home while you are away, checking out your home for trouble, while being controlled by any remote device capable of browsing the internet. Audio and and photos can be emailed to you, or you can see what the bot sees through streaming video. And if that’s not enough you can talk to subjects the bot sees.
I’m not too sure what effect this would have on a dog if you had one, but I assume it would freak him out pretty bad.
The DIY Alarm Forum is also a great way to get some research done on the topic. Although the forum is rather post devoid, there is still some helpful information on there.
For around $700 you can buy a whole home alarm system kit by Honeywell, with everything you pretty much need to get that alarm system up and running. According to the site the product receives a Product 3/9, so you might want to be careful with that one. And at DIYAlarms, you can find just about any component you need, as well as demonstration videos. Overstock actually has a nicely reviewed DIY alarm system for under $200.
And for a DIY Alarm System in under 3 minutes, check out Zedomax. It has everything you need with step by step instructions, as well as video. Check out the link at the end for making your own motion detector.
Feel free to leave any DIY links I have missed in the comments.