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5 Necessities for the Digital Home

As I sit here and think about what I should discuss first, I forgot all about the things you will need to begin the task of creating your very own digital home. So, with that in mind, take a peek at this list of five necessities you will need to begin your quest.

1. Electricity. Seems a bit obvious doesn't it? Sorry, it's a long list.

2. A Home or dwelling place. OK, so maybe this is a cheap one, but trust me, The Digital Home will do you no good unless you have a home, apartment, basement, … Read more

Welcome to the Digital Home

Let me guess: right now you are sitting in a chair reading this on your vivid LCD monitor while a computer is roaring underneath your feet. Within twenty feet an HDTV is standing by just waiting to be turned on. In your pocket is a digital music player, and your home theater system is ready to go whenever you flip that HDTV on. Right next to your monitor is your brand-new digital camera, and downstairs is that great new touchscreen remote you've been researching for the past couple of weeks. When you want to watch some movies, you flip … Read more

Windows Home Server RC1

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a public beta release candidate for Windows Home Server, the home-networking software that Bill Gates first showed off at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January.

The application for the release candidate requires filling out a simple survey that was only 10 questions for me. The beta-testing program has apparently been quite popular, so I'm not sure how much longer the application process will be open. According to the program information for Windows Home Server RC on the Microsoft Connect site, the "(b)road Public Beta RC is setup to track all of the people … Read more

Microsoft nears Home Server release

Microsoft's Home Server software is one step closer to reality.

The software maker on Tuesday released a near-final "release candidate" version of Windows Home Server, a custom version of its Windows Server 2003 operating system. A final version is expected to come out later this year. Microsoft is pitching the software as an option for multi-PC households to manage burgeoning collections of media files.

Chairman Bill Gates announced plans for the product at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, saying that HP would build a product based on the software. At last month's Windows Hardware Engineering … Read more

Solar power to go

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Buying a solar panel should be like purchasing a refrigerator or hot tub, according to ReadySolar.

It should be a home product that comes ready to install in one box with simplified instructions so nearly anyone can install it. Hence the company's so-called "Solar in a Box" product it's pitching here at Launch: Silicon Valley.

ReadySolar makes a modular, prefabricated solar-panel box. The aim is to bring down the cost of solar installation and components, according to Meredith McClintock, the company's founder and president. The company does that by building a proprietary … Read more

Aluminum foil lamps: Lighter, brighter, cooler

Researchers at the University of Illinois got a bright idea. They developed a form of lighting that's more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. And it's lighter and thinner than current fluorescent lights, which require a ballast and glass tubes. The diagram above shows how the researchers' aluminum foil-based "microcavity" plasma system works to produce light.

The researchers say their lighting system would look like a luminous, flat screen that could hang on walls in residential and commercial locations. The technology would even allow for curved and flexible versions of the lights, which could fit a wide … Read more

Slide show roundup: Transformers, Eclipse AVN2210p, and Windows Home Server

We look at cool, modern Transformers toys; a GPS device that does so much, it required four CNET editors to test it; a preview build of Microsoft's Windows Home Server; and two slim phones comprise this photo roundup.

Photos: Transformers Transformers hits the big screen this July 4, and that means there's a whole lot of merchandising going on. Among the hordes of Transformers toys is Hasbro's Real Gear Transformers, a series of toy electronics that turn into robots. Remember Soundwave, the Transformer that became a tape deck? Well, this is the next generation of Transformers. And … Read more

'Makeshifters' contest offers $17,000 home theater makeover

Is your home theater in dire need of an upgrade? Well, Denon Electronics and Boston Acoustics have teamed up to give you a chance at a $17,000 home theater makeover.

'The Makeshifters' contest will allow consumers to upload videos and pictures explaining to the world why they need a new home theater. All user-submitted content is then voted upon (beginning June 8), then one grand prize winner will get to enjoy the following:

Yet-to-be-named high-performance flat-screen TV Denon AVR987 receiver and DVD757 disc player Boston Acoustics P430 speakers with XB6 subwoofer and Bravo II surround speakers Denon AH-D2000 headphones … Read more

Deal of the day: Dell Dimension C521 for $499

We don't usually post a computer as a Deal of the day, since packages can vary so much. But if you choose the no-frills, no-extras, no-peripherals bundle from Dell, you can have an entirely decent home system for $499--down from the everyday price of $729. A 19" LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse and 56K PCI modem are included, and for more money you can add speakers, increase memory or bump up other capabilities.

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3600+ Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium Monitor: 19" Samsung 920NW widescreen LCD monitor Memory: 1GB dual channel DDR2 … Read more

Block off some time to build a 'Tetris' bookshelf

If you really love Tetris, you're bound to have a lot of books about Tetris. You've also probably got a DVD archive of your greatest Tetris performances. It just goes with the territory.

Odds are, if you've got that many books and DVDs about Tetris, you might as well go all-out and display them on a Tetris-themed bookshelf/DVD organizer.

Courtesy of the handiwork of Instructable user odecom5, the online DIY showcase Instructables has step-by-step instructions on how to build your own Tetris bookshelf/DVD rack.

This isn't some half-hearted production, either. All five of the … Read more