MAVROMATIC » Electronics

Arlington Wire Bushings – Pass Low-Voltage Cable Through Walls

Danny Mavromatis — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:47 +0000

Have you ever had the need to punch through some sheetrock to pass through a few network cables? The problem is, you drill the hole then the craft paper begins to rip and the gypsum crumbles as you pull the cables through. Arlington has a solution for this problem. The Wire Bushings come in 3 hole sizes ranging from 1.125″ to .500″. They are paintable and available now from your low-voltage suppliers!

– Arlington – Wire Bushings

Iomega eGo – The Rugged and Good Looking Portable Hard Drive!

Danny Mavromatis — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:45:23 +0000

Looking for a rugged, yet stylish portable hard drive that packs plenty of storage (250GB to 500GB)? The Iomega eGo line of drives is your answer! These poly-coated (not plastic like other portable drives) aluminum casing with matte silver trim are not only good looking but also can take a beating! Yup, shaken, rattled or rolled the eGo will still Go! It features “Drop Guard technology” which can handle drops from up to 51 inches (40% above the industry average) to more than 7 feet (or twice the industry average!). The Iomega eGo 500mb drive is Mavromatic’s new portable hard drive of choice!

IOMEGA - eGo BlackBelt Portable Hard Drive
AMAZON.COM – Iomega eGo USB 2.0 500GB BlackBelt Portable Hard Drive

Energy Inc’s TED 5000 : Whole House Power Monitor

Danny Mavromatis — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:41:25 +0000

Energy Inc. has introduced their next generation of whole house energy monitoring, the TED 5000 Series. The system provides all the benefits of the TED 1000 (more here and here and here) series along with a new look and improved functionality. Featuring a sleek handheld display unit and the brand new Gateway component which allows you to view the data directly from a web browser without the need of the display unit. The Gateway component will also allow for easy integration into home automation systems or interfaces like Myro:Home!

I will have a full video review of this product so stay tuned!

Zeo Personal Sleep Coach

Danny Mavromatis — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:17:26 +0000

Since having a baby both my wife and I feel like we don’t get the quality of sleep we once used to — go figure. Wonder if the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach can fix that. Here’s how the Zeo works… you wear the the headband to sleep, the headband sends the data wirelessly to the display unit. Then you can monitor your sleep patterns on the unit or for further analysis you can transfer the data via SD card to your computer and using the software provided you can look at graphs and history in greater detail.

Zeo Personal Sleep Coach costs $399 which includes the headband with SoftWave™ sensor pad and the Zeo bedside display w/SmartWake. The package also includes 6-months of sleep coaching. You can order it at Zeo’s website and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pioneer DVJ-1000 Turntables & SVM-1000 Mixer

Danny Mavromatis — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:28:18 +0000

I’ve been known to DJ, more of a Wedding Singer DJ than Club DJ, however, when I saw Pioneer’s new DVJ gear (Digital Video Jockey?) I was throughly impressed. This $14k system ($3k for each DVJ-1000 “turntable” and $8k for the SVM-1000 Mixer) allows you to mix DVD content, even Live Camera feeds in real-time. Just when I thought iPod killed DJ’s, this system totally changes the game! The mixer supports up to 4 av channels and the touchscreen gives you the instant power to manipulate, effect, move the video/audio.

Kevin Pereira from Attack of The Show talked to DJ Davey Dave from Pioneer Electronics to show them how to mix and manipulate video, sound and music… you’ll get this once you see the video of the system in action!

Read more: “Pioneer DVJ-1000 Turntables & SVM-1000 Mixer Review – G4tv.com”

Top 5 Graduation Gift Ideas For 2009

Danny Mavromatis — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:51:30 +0000

It’s graduation time and you know how much we love picking gadgets and gift ideas here are Mavromatic! This year is a bit different as peoples wallets are a bit tighter so we’ve kept the gift prices under $150.

#5 - Garmin Forerunner 50 Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor

Just because your child is going to college doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stay active and fit. Encourage them to stay in shape by getting them a Garmin Forerunner 50 sports watch with Heart Rate Monitor. This little gadget transmits workout data to their computer so they can analyze, store, and share the information. Plus, you can add Garmin’s foot pod (not included) to track their speed, distance, and calories burned. You can’t put a price on health and $54 won’t put a hole in your wallet.

#4 – Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White)

A Flip video camcorder is a great gift idea since it allows your child to record a special video message everyday that they can then email directly to you. The idea is great, but will they actually do that? Heck for $60, it’s worth the gamble. Plus, if they never end up sending you a video message, they can still use it to capture their memories for their own viewing enjoyment.

#3 - Blue Microphones Eyeball – USB Webcam with Microphone

This USB Webcam and Microphone combo is a perfect gift to stay in touch with your loved one while they are away at college. The microphone will allow you to hear their voice in the purest way possible and the high-resolution camera will allow you to see in detail if they have been out late partying. Blue is known for their quality microphones and this combo unit is no exception. Sure, most notebook computers come with built-in cameras and microphones, however, I have not seen a built-in camera/mic combo as good at this. The Blue Microphone Eyeball will only set you back $85 and works with both Mac and PC.

#2 - Canon PowerShot A480 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD

A good inexpensive camera comes in handy to any college student and the Canon PowerShot A480 10MP not only fits the fill, but, it also fits in the pocket. This highly-rated camera snaps up great shots without all the frills and gimmicks of higher priced cameras. Comes in Silver, Black, Blue and Red and only costs $114!

#1 – Sony DPF-D70 7-inch Digital Photo Frame

Your child will be going away for college but that doesn’t mean they need to forget about you. So take some photos of the family and their roots and load it up onto this beautiful Sony DPF-D70 7-inch Digital Photo Frame. Don’t forget to add some messages like “Don’t forget to call us tonight” or “Maybe you should stay home tonight” to keep your child grounded. The frame comes in Black and Red and costs $99.99.

OLIMEX PIC-WEB – Compact Webserver For Your Projects

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:47:31 +0000

I’ve been testing an Olimex PIC-WEB Ethernet Web PIC Development Board for a bit now and this little board comes in handy for projects that need quick web access. The PIC-WEB offers a very small but powerful webserver based on the PIC 18F452. The development board has everything you need to serve web pages with 1 megabit storage on board! I also have an Arduino with an eShield which I will be testing next!

Available from SparkFun Eletronics.

Russound RNET Touchpoint TCH1 – Control Via iPhone/Touch

Danny Mavromatis — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:08:50 +0000

If you have a Russound RNET capable (Russound CAA66, CAM6.6, CAV6.6, MCA-C5 or ACA-E5 multiroom controller) whole house audio system and would like to add control via your iPhone or iPod Touch, then you need the new Touchpoint TCH1.

“Russound’s RNET Touchpoint allows for direct access and remote control of a multiroom audio system from an Apple iPhone™ or iPod touch®. The Touchpoint provides two-way Radio Frequency remote control of any zone in a Russound RNET enabled multiroom audio system with two-way metadata feedback.”

The unit retails for $599 and can be purchased through your authorized Russound installer/dealer. If you don’t have a dealer, Mavromedia is an authorized Russound dealer.

Kindle DX: Amazon’s 9.7″ eBook Reader (Pre-Ordered)

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:47:29 +0000

Now that’s what I’m talking about! A full 8 1/2″ x 11″ eInk display with Native PDF Reader!

Here are the full details:

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Carry Your Library: Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents
Beautiful Large Display: 9.7″ diagonal e-ink screen reads like real paper; boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images
Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages
Built-In PDF Reader: Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go
Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle DX, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, no annual contracts, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
Books In Under 60 Seconds: You get free wireless delivery of books in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
Long Battery Life: Read for days without recharging
Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book’s rights holder made the feature unavailable
Big Selection, Low Prices: Over 275,000 books; New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are only $9.99, unless marked otherwise
More Than Books: U.S. and international newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, magazines including The New Yorker and Time, plus popular blogs, all auto-delivered wirelessly

I just placed my pre-order… once I get it, I’ll post a full review!

LINK: Kindle DX: Amazon’s 9.7″ Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

ESPN’s Technology Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:14:42 +0000

Be sure to check out ESPN’s Gift Guide for even more great gift ideas. Today’s focus is Technology and I’ve expanded on my top five gadgets of the year with five more items!