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WWDC and E3: The Tech Toys of the (Near) Future

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With the wake of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) coming to a calm, we have highlighted the biggest and most-anticipated tech toys of 2013:

 

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iOS 7. Arguably the biggest announcement of the year in consumer technology is Apple’s complete design overhaul of its widely used mobile operating system by the company’s lead designer Jony Ive. The system, in its Beta 1 release available only for registered Apple developers, features a multi-dimensional layered complex with a neon-and-pastel color scheme, and the addition of a new type of home screen animation that uses the phone’s accelerometer to adjust the wallpaper in a parallactic way.

 

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Apple OS X Mavericks. The first non-wildcat related release of Apple’s OS X operating system line is set to come out this fall and features performance improvements to make Apple products run faster and easier. Many of OS X Maverick’s additions have been taken from iOS: from Finder tab browsing that makes looking for local files seem like browsing the Internet on Safari, file tagging and a native Maps app, to automatic iBooks synchronization and an iCloud Keychain that stores and encrypts logins, passwords and other personal information on Apple’s iCloud system. And for Apple-exclusive households, Apple TV and any Mac’s Mission Control now interact seamlessly, which allows for you to drag windows from your Mac and onto your Apple TV for easier sharing on a big screen.

 

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iTunes Radio. Apple’s answer to Pandora’s popular, free music-streaming service comes in the form of iTunes Radio. Built directly into the iTunes App of any Apple device, iTunes Radio offers artist-based radio with iCloud syncing of a user’s preferred radio stations across all iDevices. And, if you love the song enough, the app features a “Buy Song” link straight from iTunes. It’s free, with advertisements, for all iDevice owners, or without advertisements if you’re a current iTunes Match subscriber.

 

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Xbox One. Microsoft’s new (and controversial) release of its popular gaming system made ripples across the gaming community when it was announced that it would require Internet connection and limited used game trades to one per game. The new Kinect bundle allows gamers to turn on the Xbox One via a simple voice command.

 

 

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Sony PS4. Dubbed an “evil-looking Wii” by some bloggers, Sony’s new PS4 has a slightly bigger footprint than its predecessors, but is jampacked with more features such as Sony’s Video and Music Unlimited Service, which has a catalog of over 150,000 movies and 20 million songs. As Sony’s first new console release in seven years, the PS4 features an x86 processor, an 8-core combined CPU/GPU, 8 GB of unified GDDR5 memory as well as a local 500GB HDD.

 
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Vizio Unveils 80-inch Razor LED Smart TV

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Vizio has unveiled their largest TV to date, the Ultra-Thin Razor 80-inch LED Smart TV. The TV boasts the Smart TV features you have come to expect from Vizio, the Internet Apps Plus platform which includes popular apps like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, M-GO, VUDU, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora and Facebook. vizio_80_inch_razor_300

Vizio’s new 80-inch HDTV falls in line with the company’s M-Series collection by including an ultra-thin bezel partnered with an edge-to-edge display and features Vizio’s Smart Dimming technology to convey deeper black and brighter whites, all in full HD 1080p and a 240Hz refresh rate.

At this size, the 80-inch TV would be a great accompaniment to the new Home Theater you have been thinking about, or that Media Room you have been wanting to have installed for you and the family.

Contact us so we can discuss the right solution for your home entertainment project.
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Private IMAX Theatre? Check!

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IMAX, the gold standard for the ultimate movie going experience, has unveiled the “IMAX Private Theatre.” The offering is geared to ultra-high-net-worth consumers as the starting base price is set around $2 million.

“We have been exploring this for quite a while,” says Rob Lister, chief business development officer at IMAX. “This expands the IMAX brand outside of commercial theaters and gives people that same ‘feel-like-you’re-part-of-the-movie’ experience.” (More…)
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Rumble on the Rails

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The 2013 Beat the Streets Gala is coming to Grand Central Terminal Vanderbilt Hall

When I’m not working on EDG business, I run the nonprofit Pearl River Wrestling Association. With PRWA I maintain the website, video the matches, and most recently, created a Media Guide and Short Film for our Awards banquet. This past summer I rebuilt the HS wrestling room and added state-of-the-art technology and training equipment. My goal with PRWA is to get the local community excited about wrestling and invigorate the program. If you’re a wrestling parent, or wrestled in high school or college (and I know a few of my clients were All Americans in college), you immediately know what this sport can do for student athletes. (More…)
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Is Netflix the next HBO?

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When you’re already the largest American provider of on-demand Internet streaming media, what do you do to secure your #1 spot? If you’re Netflix, then stepping into HBO territory may be your best bet. (More…)
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Streaming Music Services

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The first thing Justin Sharkey, marketing manager at Electronics Design Group, does when he gets to work is press a green icon on his MacBook that pulls up an app that contains about 20 million songs. (More…)
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Nest Learning Thermostat

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Nest Learning Thermostat learns a family’s schedule, preferences and is controllable from everywhere.

What do you get when you take three of Apple’s best engineers and ask them to make something for your house? You get the Nest Learning Thermostat. (More…)
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Electronics Design Group Wins 3 Mark of Excellence Awards

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Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) February 18, 2013 - Electronics Design Group, Inc. (EDG), an Electronic Systems Integrator headquartered in Piscataway, NJ, was the recipient of three CEA TechHome Mark of Excellence Awards: Home Theater/Media Room Project of the Year, Ultimate Home of the Year, andUniversal Design Project of the Year. The Mark of Excellence System Integrator Awards Program recognizes the best in custom integration and installed technology ranging from security, energy management, tele-wellness and home theater. EDG has been awarded previously for Best Theater of the Year, Innovation Award, Ultimate Home of the Year and Luxury Home of the Year. This marks the 54th time that EDG has been nationally recognized for it’s technical prowess. (More…)
Sony Demos 4K TV

Feast Your Eyes on the New 4K Televisions

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A new revolution has begun and it’s 4K.

Imagine swinging through the high rises of Manhattan with Andrew Garfield’s Spider Man––you can see every detail, from the ridges in his suit to the musculature of his spider bite-induced superhuman body. This true-to-life experience can be made possible with the latest in consumer TV technology: the 4K Ultra High-Definition display. (More…)
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CES 2013 – Back from the future: 8 gadgets that will furnish the modern home

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8 Gadgets from CES 2013.

This year’s International Consumer Electronics Show boasted some truly revolutionary products that, until less than a few years ago, seemed more fit to be in a sci-fi movie than in your own living room. Here are some of the best of CES 2013, coming soon to a home near you.
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Electronics Design Group Wins Twice At CEDIA 2012

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Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) September 14, 2012

Electronics Design Group, Inc, an Electronic Systems Integrator (ESC) headquartered in Piscataway NJ, was the recipient of two national awards; Best Home Theater, and Best Special project at the annual CEDIA (Custom Design & Installation Association) Awards competition. Called the “Electronic Lifestyle” awards, which honors the best projects completed by CEDIA electronic systems contractors members in the past year, featured winners in such categories as Best Integrated Home, Best Media Room, Best Hidden Installation, Best Home Theater, and Best Special Project. The Award winners were determined by a panel of expert judges that included fellow ESCs, architects, and interior designers. Submitted projects are awarded for innovation, creativity, and technological design. (More…)
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Crestron introduces airConnect

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At CEDIA Crestron unveiled their new NFC initiative called airConnect. NFC is short for near field communication which is the ability for cellphones or similar devices to communicate with one another without the need for the two devices to physically touch. This gives the two devices the ability to exchange data and information. (More…)