By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Many of us dream of adding a bathroom fit for a luxury hotel, or creating a backyard that looks more like a resort. But chances are you may have to spend your money on upgrades that arent nearly as glamorous.

In this weeks Angies list report, Jim Donovan looks at several home improvement projects you cant ignore.

Robyn Meslin was not happy when she learned she needed to repair the wiring in her new home.

The basement was pretty much a nightmare. So there were open electrical boxes down there, switches that didnt turn on and off, anything that we could figure out, explained Meslin.

Unfortunately, there are projects that have to be done around your house that you are never going to talk to other people about updating wiring, replacing your roof these are the kind of things that are required to keep your house in good condition, but they are not fun and exciting, but if you dont do these things its really going to hinder the value of your home and its resale value, said Angies List founder, Angie Hicks.

They may not be exciting, but here are few projects you should never avoid, like repairing your foundation. You may not be eager to repair that slow-growing crack up the wall, but foundation issues cant be ignored. Have it checked out before its too late.

Another important project is removing mold failure to get rid of it can cause health problems. Make sure to hire a remediation company that pinpoints the source of the mold.

And of course, dont forget your electrical wiring. Rewiring a home or modernizing an aging electrical system is not cheap, but it is much safer.

You cant brag out it. Hey, I got a new electrical panel! Ooh! Its more fun to pick out drapes or decide on colors or say, Lets put hardwood floors throughout the house, but really if it all burns down whats the point? said Meslin.

Excerpt from:
Angies List: Necessary Home Improvements

For some people, its too early to plan mass consumerization of the Internet of Things. Developers are contentedly tinkering with Arduinos and clip cables, demonstrating cool one-off applications. We know that home automation can save energy, keep the elderly and disabled independent, and make life better for a lot of people. But no one seems sure how to realize this goal, outside of security systems and a few high-end items for luxury markets (like the Nest devices, now being integrated into Googles grand plan).

But what if the willful creation of a mass consumer market could make the technology even better? Perhaps the Internet of Things needs a consumer focus to achieve its potential. This view was illuminated for me through a couple recent talks with Mike Harris, CEO of the home automation software platform Zonoff.

Harris doubts that individual device manufacturers can crack the home market. First of all, they have trouble reaching their potential customers and establishing trust. Second, they arent attuned enough to customer needs, which include devices you can drop on a stone floor without breaking and services you can bring up by pressing a single button.

Most importantly, they are not manufacturing devices that play well together but the whole premise of smart homes is that the lights, thermostats, phones, TVs, etc., easily interoperate. Furthermore, the Internet of Things is really a cloud service; few applications can get much done just using the devices themselves and no single manufacturer can provide a comprehensive solution that all devices will talk to.

So, Harris sees three major types of companies driving the Internet of Things in the home:

Harris thinks the laurels will go to large, well-established companies that take the time to choose high-quality devices, educate consumers, and enforce interoperability. This may be less fun than wiring up your bicycle to glow in the dark, but it can ultimately bring many benefits.

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Business models that make the Internet of Things feasible

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Firefighters closed the southbound lanes of Aurora Avenue North in Seattle because of a house fire in the Queen Anne neighborhood.

The fire at the home in the 2100 block of Aurora Avenue North started at 8:35 a.m. Monday.

Many of the rooms were boarded up, which made it difficult for firefighters to put out the flames.

The southbound lanes of Aurora were closed for more than an hour, backing up traffic for blocks.

Inside the home, firefighters found a grow operation of some kind with a lot of heat lamps and electrical wiring.

Seattle fire said the flames were caused by overheated electrical wiring.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Damage to the home is estimated to be $30,000.

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House fire on Aurora Avenue causes traffic jam

Good morning folks, today I showed the smartest heat and cooling control technology for your home. Its from Nest.com, recently acquired by Google for its smartly designed home eco-systems.

Before we get into the Nest Learning Thermostat, which I have been trying out for the past six weeks, Albertans are now first in Canada to get a free Nest thermostat, valued at $249. Its for new subscribers only, who sign up for a five year Comfort and Control Dual plan (electricity and gas) from Direct Energy. http://www.directenergy.com/nest

The Nest Learning Thermostat can be set manually or detect an empty home in Auto Away Mode

For those who have not heard of the Nest, it is everything it claims and more. I have been using two Nests for my two furnaces on a two story home with completed basement.

The Nest Learning Thermostat goes beyond traditional thermostats which basically turn your heat on or off to required pre-set temperatures, some even smart enough to schedule many settings over a week.

Nest learns from your heating and cooling behaviour needs at home. The initial learning period after installation is one week, but it constantly learns new habits when you adjust settings along the way.

It remembers new settings you make and when. Nest has near and far sensors to detect warm body movement across the room, up to 50 feet away. It takes note if you get up every morning at 7 am and walk to the bathroom for your morning shower, or head to the kitchen for breakfast, or go to bed. You can fine tune a heating schedule too, to suit your needs.

I found for example, that if I go to bed earlier than usual, and lower the temperature early, it will indicate the temperature will stay low until 7 am, remembering my wakeup patterns. Impressive.

The experience gets better with its wireless connection on your Wifi home network. Updates happen on their own and you can use free iPhone, iPad and Android apps to monitor your home heat settings from afar. Like dropping the temperature, from your car, if you left home unexpectedly for dinner and a movie and raising it on the way home. Or turning the fan on to freshen the house air before you return.

The Nest App for iOS and Android controls last minute heating preferences away from home

Excerpt from:
Nest Learning Thermostat knows when you are away from home and when you return

Hes filled his home with so many antiques and decorations a champagne chiller from the Queen Mary, a silver bowl from the Titanic, his 20 trademark Christmas trees that hes lost count of some of it.

Like the number of porcelain rabbits that seem to keep multiplying in his third-floor apartment.

And hes hosted so many private parties and fundraisers that hes lost count of some of those, too.

But Jack Saltzman has kept records on all of the history hes collected from Lincolns most prominent people, and places.

A pair of empire couches and an 84-year-old record player Smoke Gets in Your Eyes still on the turntable from the Woods home on Sheridan Boulevard.

The chandelier from the family that opened Golds downtown department store.

A towering china cabinet from Bennett Martins home on South Street.

Silver service for 150, with a pair of serpentine-front cabinets, from the DuTeau home.

The mahogany coffee table that served as the governors desk before Frank Morrison ordered its legs sawed short.

All of the furniture from the Presidential Suite in the old Cornhusker Hotel.

Read more from the original source:
Back where it belongs: Collector sends a piece of history home

Wavetek JDSU CLI-1750 CATV Cable Meter
http://www.aaatesters.com/CLI_Series-Wavetek_JDSU_CLI-1750_CATV_Cable_Meter.html The Acterna CLI-1750, used in conjunction with the Model LST-1700 Signal Tra...

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Posted: Friday, April 4, 2014 10:59 pm

Faulty wiring blamed for house fire in Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD A fire started in a Chesterfield County home from a light switch with a faulty electrical wire, according to Chesterfield firefighters.

On Friday, authorities released the cause of the Thursday night fire that spread into the walls of an apartment in the 6300 block of Jefferson Davis Highway.

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Faulty wiring blamed for house fire in Chesterfield

Wireless technology is one of the most significant contributors towards widespread adoption of smart home technology, lowering the barriers and costs involved in connecting just a room or an entire home. Instead of paying for a custom install, devices can connect to each other and to home networks over WiFi, NFC or radio waves to name a few options. That means no drilling, no wiring and little technological know-how required for a homeowner to establish a smart solution.

Wireless speakers are among the most popular connected devices for the home, and theyre also some of the most beautiful. As the market matures, expected to reach $13.75 billion by 2018, companies like Philips, Sonos and Samsung are differentiating their products through design. But such differentiation tactics can be employed by startups as well.

Portland, Oregon-based BlueshiftPDX is one startup looking to pave a path to success by designing a better battery for wireless speakers. Its Helium speaker charges in only five minutes, thanks to its supercapacitor. This energy storage capability allows the speaker to charge quickly, and then play at full volume for six hours, Blueshift claims, lasting about 500,000 charge cycles.

Turning to crowdfunding, Blueshift has already exceeded its $35,000 campaign goal. Today we hear from Blueshift founder and head designer Sam Beck, who began by building bike speakers. Here Beck details the reasons his team chose CrowdSupply over Kickstarter, the importance of open source tools in startup communities, and his speaker design process.

Why CrowdSupply over Kickstarter?

Sam Beck, Blueshift founder

Theyre local, so I was able to meet with them in person, and I got a great deal of support from them. They helped with public relations and marketing more than what I wouldve been able to do on my own.

.

For Blueshift, whats the role of open source?

Its been really helpful so far, probably five or six electrical engineers have looked at the project and offered feedback. I have a couple guys helping with final round for revisions before our speaker goes out to production. Its been amazing to see how willing people are to help out.

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What we did right was something different and honest. Blueshift founder on wireless speaker design

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga.

Sandy Springs police say what officers initially thought might be a meth lab behind a home, was in fact a moonshine operation.

Police told Channel 2s Mike Petchenik they were called to a home on Windsor Parkway this week after the property owner discovered the unusual setup.

There was a pressure cooker, copper wiring, said Sgt. Ron Momon.Upon further verification it was determined to be a moonshining operation.

Momon said police believe whomever was distilling the homemade cider was making about a gallon of it a week.

Its actually a felony in the state of Georgia, he said. At this point we dont have any evidence, any leads. Only thing we have is the cooking operation.

Neighbors told Petchenik that they were surprised to hear about the found firewater.

I think its fantastic, said Guy Tucker.The mountains have come down to the city and its great to blend the two.

Neighbor Jack Byrd said he was disappointed to hear police had destroyed the distillery.

No samples? he asked. The whole neighborhood could have gotten happy.

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Police discover moonshine operation behind Sandy Springs home