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.

The VERY BEST example is Beat The Streets, a program that uses the sport of Wrestling to make a difference in kids lives. The NYC chapter does a yearly fundraiser and I wanted to spread the word about this fantastic nonprofit that serves over 2,500 student athletes a year! Watch the Rumble on the Rails Video here.

I hope you’ll consider supporting Beat The Streets. If you are interested in sponsoring a table click here, or for tickets to both the matches and awards gala click here. If you have any questions, please contact Beat the Streets at 212-777-5702 or via email at gala@beat-the-streets.org.

If you didn’t wrestle or don’t know much about the sport please read my poem below.

Wrestling is truly a sport that changes lives.

With kind regards,

Bob Gullo
732.713.6100

Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal

Awards Gala at Bryant Park Grill
89 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

I Love Wrestling

By Bob Gullo

Unlike the many other high school sports that our student athletes participate in; from golf, track, tennis, soccer, baseball, or basketball there are many opportunities recreationally, competitively or even professionally to continue to pursue those sports for a lifetime.

But, for the large majority of High School Seniors, there last Varsity Wrestling Match will be the last time they put on those wrestling shoes and strap on the headgear.

But they will be a Wrestler Forever.

Wrestling transcends the sport itself. One thing I know, when I talk to anyone who wrestled, and it doesn’t matter if the last time they wrestled was 30 or 40 years ago, they talk about wrestling like it was yesterday. Not because they are “living in the past” or as Bruce Springsteen would say “Glory Days” but because Wrestling leaves a lasting impression. It’s that impression that teaches many lessons our athletes will never forget. Lessons and skills that will be used later in life in their chosen careers.

Wrestling isn’t just a sport to me, it’s a way of life, which exemplifies:

Your Character
Your Drive
Your Determination
Your Motivation
Your Desire to improve
Your Ability to get up, after you fail

Wrestling teaches responsibility
Wrestling teaches pride
Wrestling teaches self control
Wrestling teaches humility
Wrestling teaches you to be the “master of your destiny” no teammate can alter your outcome.

I will leave you with this quote from the wrestling legend and Olympian Dan Gable “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

Chief content officer Ted Sarandos explains that the company wants to churn out at least five original programs a year with a 5 percent slice of the $6 billion dollar content budget––with $300 million for five shows, Sarandos says the new goal of the company is “to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.”

Sticking to a daring business move made by the subscription-based movie and television show rental service back in March 2011, Netflix debuted their first hour-long political drama, House of Cards, last February. Prior to that, the company acquired two seasons of Lilyhammer and the fourth season of the critically acclaimed series, Arrested Development. Hemlock Grove, based on the horror/thriller novel by Brian McGreevy of the same name, will come out April 19. Orange Is the New Black, a 12-episode series based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, is due for release this summer.

Netflix’s competition is fierce. Other than HBO, Apple, Amazon, Sony and Microsoft are all testing the waters of Internet media streaming and are competing with each other in bidding for the syndicated content that Netflix has been licensed to stream for the last few years. But unlike other companies, Netflix has access to years and years of customer data on what its subscribers like to watch and how often––which makes content creation seem like Mad Libs.

Netflix’s big problem was subscriber retention. Once a customer had their serving of unlimited film and TV show streaming, they tend to cut off the service. “There are lots of people trying [Netflix] every year, yet most of them turn off,” says media analyst Richard Greenfield. “The best way to make its service stisckier is to create high-quality programming that people wan to access on a regular basis.”

Learning from its cable competitors HBO, Showtime and AMC, the rationale behind Netflix’s decision to invest $300 million into original programming in the next three years is to lure in new subscribers that might ultimately become addicted to one of their original series and thus feel the need to be subscribed to their services. Just like The Sopranos earned HBO 4 million subscribers, Netflix is trying to do the same with House of Cards, Hemlock Grove and Orange Is the New Black, among others.

“When we heard about a remake of House of Cards, our ears pricked up because of our own knowledge of the original,” says Sarandos. “Our data showed that there were a lot of people who watched it over the years. And certainly when you start layering in the pools of fans of David Fincher, Kevin Spacey, [and] of political thrillers—all of a sudden you’ve got a very large addressable market.”

Hulu, perhaps the company most similar to Netflix, has also chosen to invest in original programming. The service, which offers ad-supported on-demand streaming of TV shows and movies from NBC, Fox, ABC and TBS, has distributed 25 Hulu Original and Exclusive Series in less than two years. Partnering with Saturday Night Live’s head writer Seth Meyers and Emmy-winning producer and SNL alum Michael Shoemaker of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the company  plans to release their first animated Hulu Original Series, “The Awesomes” this summer.

The company, a joint venture of NBC, Fox and ABC, boasts only 3 million Hulu Plus subscribers and is available only in the US and Japan.

The streaming music service Spotify provides music from major and independent record labels, is only one of many options that stream music from the Internet.

“It’s great––I’m not limited to only the music that I have on my computer,” said Sharkey. “If I want to listen to something else, or look for new music, I can just go on Spotify’s catalog and stream away.”

The 6-year-old London-headquartered company allows users to search for specific songs or albums that they want to listen to and add them to personal playlists then stream them from their computers or iOS/Android/Windows devices, and even home entertainment systems.

“Spotify wants to be your number one source for online streaming of audio and video,” said Sharkey. “So I’ll probably end up using their service more often in the future.”

Pandora, Spotify’s biggest competitor, is another streaming music service that allows users to listen to music without having to download it. The big difference? Pandora is modeled after radio and users listen to music by choosing their preferred channels or artists. Then, depending on what the user “likes” or “dislikes,” Pandora populates the customized music channel with artists similar to the user’s preferences.

“Pandora’s great if you don’t like sitting down and creating playlists yourself,” said Sharkey. “They don’t have as much music as Spotify, only about 1 million songs, but how they choose the music based on your likes is pretty impressive.”

Other services like Spotify and Pandora include LastFM, Songza, Rhapsody, MOG, and Rdio, most of which allow you stream music to any iOS/Android device, as well as home entertainment systems like Sonos.

But if you’re only interested in streaming your personal library to any iOS device, then perhaps iTunes Match is the best choice. In iTunes Match, all the music that you buy in iTunes is automatically added to iCloud and since there are more than 26 million songs in the iTunes Store, chances are your music is already in iCloud. And for those songs that aren’t? They will be automatically uploaded to the cloud.

iTunes Match allows you to stream on any iOS device including Apple TV. Home entertainment systems like Sonos also allows you to stream the music you have in the cloud to the speakers in your house allowing you to enjoy your music in any room.

“What’s great about iTunes Match is that even if the original copy of the song was of a lower quality, the service will still stream out at 256-Kbps AAC, DRM-free,” said Sharkey.  “But if you have more than 25,000 songs that aren’t exclusively from iTunes, you might want another service.”

Whether you’re on-the-go or are just looking for new music, audio streaming services like Spotify and Pandora can make it so much more convenient for you to access the music you like, and discover new ones you might like.

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.

When Tony Fadell, the leader of the team who made the first iPod and the first iPhone, built his house, his goal was to create a “green” environment for him and his family. A few insulated walls, solar panels and sustainable construction materials later, all he needed was a thermostat that was as intuitive as the products he designed for Apple.

But the problem was, there was none.

So Fadell, with some help from a few of his colleagues from Silicon Valley, came up with a plan to create a thermostat that learns a family’s schedule, preferences, is controllable from everywhere and can can lower their heating and cooling bills up to 20 percent. And thus, the Nest Learning Thermostat was born.

“Our mission is to keep people comfortable in their homes while helping them save energy, and with the next-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, we’re able to spread that comfort and savings to even more homes,” Fadell said in a press conference announcing the 2nd-generation Nest Learning Thermostat.

The new thermostat, which is 20 percent thinner than the original, is compatible with 95 percent of low-voltage heating and cooling systems, and supports two-stage cooling, three-stage heating, emergency heat for heat pumps, as well as whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

There is a System Match feature in its software that activates custom features depending on the home’s system.

Dubbed “the iPod of thermostats” by some, Nest learns a household’s schedule and remembers it so that no one has to manually set and reset it at certain hours of the day. With Early-On, Nest will start heating or cooling early so it’ll be 72ºF when your alarm rings at 6:00 AM.

The Nest Learning Thermostat also has a feature called Auto-Away that allows the system to turn to an energy-saver Away temperature when no one is in the house. And no worries if you forget to set it to “Away” when you leave, nest can be controlled from any iPhone or Android product.

“It was unacceptable to me that the device that controls 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. hadn’t kept up with advancements in technology and design,” said Fadell. “Together with the team, Co-Founder Matt Rogers and I set out to reinvent the thermostat using advanced technologies, high-quality manufacturing processes and the thoughtful design elements the iPhone generation has come to expect. The resulting Nest Learning Thermostat is like no other thermostat on the market. We hope it will not only save money and energy, but that it will teach and inspire people to think more about how they can reduce home energy consumption.”

To learn more visit www.nest.com.

“I’m very proud of my team for their work on these two projects,” says Bob Gullo, President of EDG. “We came into both projects needing to take leadership roles and my team executed flawlessly.”

Modern Luxury, a two-story family home with a finished basement, won both Home Theater/Media Room Project of the Year and Ultimate Home of the Year. EDG maintained a leadership role in all aspects of the subsystems integrated into the project which included: audio, video, app driven control interfaces combined with integrated system profiles by Savant, HVAC, pool & spa, garage doors, interior lighting scene development and levels, exterior lighting development, security, surveillance, network infrastructure and network performance to support the “enterprise scale” needs of the home. The end result was lighting control with 82 keypads throughout the home, a 42-zone HVAC system, garage door control, security and surveillance control, 32 indoor and outdoor audio zones, gate control, 9 zones of video, which included HD cable, FiOS Blu Ray and a Vudu Movie Server. Housewide intercom is handled though the Savant PBX which allows IP handsets or iOS devices (iPhone®, iPad®) to make panel to panel or phone to panel intercom calls, two way conversations, and paging.

“Essentially we had to possess a high level of proficiency and knowledge of these systems to execute the project successfully,” says John Montgomery, Project Manager for Modern Luxury. “In many cases, the subsystem contractors had not integrated systems at such a high level. Effective project management backed with internal support from a staff with a collective range of experience of over 100 years really led the way for this project.”

Universal Design Project of the Year acknowledges a home that best utilizes technology to facilitate the principles of Universal Design within a home. For Hidden Entertainment, which took home that award, EDG took into consideration the client’s desire for a powerful media room that could get out of the way and allow for quality family bonding. Before EDG joined the project, the solution had been to use a special paint on the wall that could be used in place of a projector screen. Seeing the inelegance, EDG re-imagined the entire project by rotating the room and using the furniture already in the room. With the push of one button, the Control 4 system powered on the Digital Projection projector in the rear cabinet, and a 133” Da-Lite Pop-Up Screen rises from the top of a cabinet in the front of the room, with the audio emitting from behind acoustically transparent fabric. The client didn’t have to sacrifice anything and ended up with a powerful media room as well as a quiet space to spend quality time together.

About Electronics Design Group, Inc.
EDG is a pioneer in residential and business electronics technology. EDG is recognized by its peers, associations, related trade professionals and technology journals as one of the top system integrators in the country. Providing expertise for more than 25 years, EDG has been an award winning technology solutions provider of audio/video, conferencing systems, integrated multimedia presentation, luxury amenity space entertainment, cardio theater, screening rooms, home theater, lighting, shades, and automation control solutions. Founder Bob Gullo has served as President and Board Member of HTSA, Listed in CE Retailer’s “50 Most Virtual Influencers,” Dealer Scope’s List of “40 under 40,” CEDIA and CEA “Dealer of the Year,” CE Pro Magazine’s “Top 100 integrators,” Custom Retailers, “21 Big Guns,” and Lutron Electronics “Hall of Fame.” Gullo has been a member of CEDIA and for more than 20 years, and has been an influential advocate of education via the AIA/CES provider program, and CEDIA ROI programs, providing CEU courses for the Architectural and Design Community viahttp://www.edgonline.com/continuing-education/. EDG solutions can be found in the finest residential and commercial settings. EDG solutions continue to be sought after by most discriminating clients worldwide.

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.

Sony Demos the picture clarity from one of their models in their line of 4K TVs

Ranging from a 3,840×2,160 to a 4,096×2,160 resolution, a 4K screen contains no less than 8 million pixels––about four times as much as a 1080p display. Coupled with more advanced picture processing, 4K TVs make it possible for you to have that up-close-and-personal experience with your favorite superheroes, including Garfield’s Peter Parker, Angelina Jolie’s Salt and the celebrity-packed cast of Battle: Los Angeles.

“Part of the wow! factor of 4K TVs is the clarity and the sheer monstrosity that is the gigantic, high-contrast screen of a 4K TV,” said Paul Krasnodenski, senior engineer at Electronics Design Group based in Piscataway, NJ.

These eye-scorching Ultra HD displays are the next great leap in consumer electronics and companies like Sony, LG and Samsung are racing to put one in your living room.

Sony, who has the advantage of owning several films that can be remastered in 4K, offers a concierge service with the purchase of their 84”, $24,999.99 XBR-84X900 4K Ultra HD TV: free delivery and installation, in-home consultation and servicing, as well as a lease of a server containing 10 4K-remastered movies, including recent releases such as Spider Man, Salt, Battle: Los Angeles as well as classics like Taxi Driver and Bridge Over the River Kwai.

LG’s model includes passive 3D and 2D-to-3D conversion

LG, who pushed the release of their 4K TV to sometime in 2013, implemented a technology called Resolution Upscaler Plus that converts ‘standard’ high-definition content into content fit for a 4K resolution.

Samsung’s massive 85” S9, which is already out in Korea and some parts of Europe, sports the Precision Black Pro LCD panel, built-in 2.2 surround sound, and a quad-core CPU and is priced at a hefty $38,000.

“One thing they don’t tell you about 4K TVs is how amazing 3D looks on it,” Krasnodenski added. “On a normal, 1080p resolution TV, you lose some of the pixels to accommodate for the 3D. On a 4K, you can afford to lose some of the pixels, and on some models, even be able to watch things in 3D without the use of glasses.”

Samsumg has 85″ and 110″ versions of their 4K TVs

To aid a better viewing experience, Samsung also plans to manufacture a slightly curved model of their new TV in order to give panoramic images, such as nature scenes, a more life-like look.

“The more powerful processors, the faster refresh rates and better hardware make these 4K TVs better than any other TV out there. The future is here––so what are you waiting for?” Krasnodenski added.

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.

Ultra-HD TVs–Sony 4K TVs and the new 4K Standard
Gone are the days that having a top-of-the-line TV meant owning one that had a 1080p picture quality. What is perhaps the biggest topic of CES this year was the new 4K standard in home entertainment.

To give you a clue about the picture quality of these displays–a 4K TV has about 4,000 pixels on its screen horizontally, almost four times as much in comparison to the 1080 pixels on most HDTVs today.

The downside of the higher quality is the steep price–about $20-30,000 for Sony and LG versions, with Westinghouse boasting the priciest of the bunch at $299,999.99 for a 110″ 4K TV. The lack of readily available content to stream also poses a problem, as most films and TV shows are not shot by 4K cameras, or are currently mastered for 1080p.

Sony, who debuted their 4K TVs and projectors at last year’s show, previewed a new Ultra HD media player in order to alleviate the lack of super high definition content for such avant-garde displays.

Sony’s 4K media player supports content shot with 4K cameras and newer releases that were mastered in 4K during postproduction, such as Skyfall or The Amazing Spider-Man. Films and TV shows shot with analog film are also open to 4K remastering, as the quality of 4K is equivalent to a pristine copy of a 35mm film print.

Panasonic 20-inch 4K Windows 8 tablet
The engineers at Panasonic were not ones to stay in the shadows of 4K TVs. In their CES 2013 keynote, the company announced a new Windows 8-based tablet device rocking a 20-inch screen packed with a 4K resolution at 231ppi. Aimed at professional photographers for field use, the tablet is less than half an inch thick and comes with pen stylus input.

Slingbox My Media Service
Slingbox came out with a new perk for Slingbox 500 owners with their My Media service, which lets customers transfer photos and videos from any external hard drive and watch them directly on their TV screen.

SlingSync, one of the features of My Media, also doubles as cloud storage and allows Slingbox 500 customers to archive photos and videos onto another USB drive to create more space on their smartphone or digital camera. A SlingPlayer app on a smartphone allows automatic syncing whenever the smartphone is on the same local network.

My Media features will be delivered via firmware and software updates to both Slingbox 500 and SlingPlayer software for iOS and Android smartphones in the coming weeks.

Belkin AC1800 & AC750 Routers
Belkin, one of the trusted companies for home networks, announced two new routers that have the ability to prioritize data streams. The AC1800 and AC750 sports 802.11ac, IntelliStream technology that prioritizes video and gaming streams, and a MediaPlay app for pushing content to TVs. Both devices also feature Smart Start which allows for quick setup with a mobile device and USB ports for added connections.

The only difference between both products is the speed–the AC1800 can go up to 300Mbps on 2.4GHz and 1.3Gbps on 5GHz, while the AC750 goes up to 300Mbps on 2.4GHz and 433Mbps on 5GHz.

Amped Wireless 2013-era super range wifi
Get ready to get wifi everywhere you go–Amped Wireless, known for their super-wifi products, announced a few new products for their 2013 lineup: the RTA15, a high-power dual-band AC 700mW Wi-Fi router; the REA20, a high-power dual-band AC 700mW Wi-Fi range extender; the ACA1 high-power dual-band AC Wi-Fi USB adapter; and the SB2000, a high-power dual-band Wi-Fi signal booster for boosting Wi-Fi signals by replacing the antenna from existing certified dual-band Wi-Fi devices.

Nvidia Shield
Coming as a complete surprise to CES attendees, the new Nvidia Shield handheld console, powered by the company’s new Tegra 4 chip, took the conference by a storm. The device, fitted with a 720p display, is an Android gaming powerhouse that is set to shake the mobile gaming market.

Nvidia plans to skip establishing their own gaming ecosystem by harnessing the power of the Android Play Store. The presence of already well-known games, most of which include controller support via Bluetooth or wires, gives the Nvidia Shield an advantage neither the Sony nor Nintendo had with their mobile gaming systems. Since Androids account for 75% of smartphone shipments, there is no question that there will be a steady stream of potential Nvidia Shield buyers.

Samsung Wireless Speakers
Samsung continues their venture into the portable speaker system niche with the DA-F60. The DA-F60 uses the higher-quality apt-X codec for wireless streaming over Bluetooth, and features NFC for painless phone-to-speaker syncing.

Samsung also attempts to take a jab at Apple’s Airplay by offering “SoundShare,” a feature that allows the speaker to connect to Bluetooth-enabled TVs.

The Samsung T9000 Refrigerator

Think your touchscreen fridge is the end-all, be-all in high-tech home appliances? Think again. Samsung’s new T9000 model has a larger screen and an improved app selection, including EverNote integration for all your grocery list needs. It is expected to launch in spring 2013 for around $4000–just in time for Mother’s Day.

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.

Since inception, Electronics Design Group (EDG) has won a total of 51 national awards for its excellence in technical design and business acumen. No other ESC in the country has received accolades of this magnitude.

“EDG is among the finest technology integrators in our business and HTSA is extremely proud to have them as a member of our group. Their work speaks for itself in terms of quality, attention to detail and service levels that set today’s standards in customer satisfaction. I’ve known this team for over 20 years now and they continue to amaze me as to how unique and creative they are in deploying technology solutions for their customers” said Bob Hanna, Managing Director of Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA).

The first and most prestigious award for Best Special Project, is the world reknown 7 World Trade Center building in New York City. This 52-story, 1.7-million-square-foot building is 100% occupied, having attracted many midtown companies to the revitalized Lower Manhattan. It is New York’s first LEED-Gold certified office building. The 10th Floor Marketing and Event Center has two state of the art conference rooms, with Cisco Telepresence, motorized shading and preset lighting control. The floor space has built in sound, lighting and shading systems, and dozens of digital signage displays that provide an interactive experience of the past, present and future of the “New Lower Manhattan”. The centerpiece is the Scaled models of all 6 World Trade Center buildings using LED lighting integrated into the Lutron lighting system, with DMX control of 35 zones of lighting which illuminate various floors of the buildings, office locations, entrances, exits, nearby amenities, transportation routes, and cross streets nearest to their location. Five artistically arranged flat panels were installed to show various informational videos about the development plans. The 103” Panasonic Plasma TV mounted flush into the wall creates the stage for full scale, guided presentations. The systems are Controlled by Apple iPad®, powered with Savant Solutions Technology, which can call up VOD, (Video On Demand) clips and presentations, in addition to full command control of the complete environment. Tour guides and brokers appreciate the ease of use and familiarity of the iPad®. In addition, the Lutron Lighting Keypads, mounted in Trufig flush mount kits provide the visual elegance and add to the simplicity with preset control.

“7 WTC is a very special award, especially with the 11 year anniversary of this tragic event in our countries history. The space shows the past, present and future of what will truly be a magnificent new lower Manhattan. We are very proud of the technology used in the space, we pushed the envelope in every way, creating an experience like nothing our industry has ever seen. The guidelines we were presented during the consulting process was very clear; IT department approval, user friendliness, reliability, and the ability for easy end user content management without proprietary complexity, hello…..iTunes®”. This was an amazing, complex and time consuming project that we are very proud of” said Bob Gullo, EDG President.

The second award “Constellation Theater” the name which reflects the evening sky ceiling, won for Best Home Theater Technical Design in the ($92,300 – $126,000) category. The system, designed for ease of use with the Control4 OSD (On screen Display) and handheld remote makes operation simple and intuitive. The eye catching FOSI star sky ceiling, creates a spatial ambience. This home theater is surrounded by Acoustic Innovation Sound control panels, which provide acoustical attenuation of the 7.2 Channel Integra Amplifier/Processor. The video is powered by a LG BluRay player and an Epson ProCinema 9100 Projector, which is displayed onto an Elite PrimeVision AcousticPro screen 8’ foot wide sound transparent screen. The LCR channels play through the screen, the way a commercial cinema is designed. The B&W In-Wall 7 Channel Loudspeakers, easily play at reference volume levels, providing the realism of a premium commercial cinema. The 15 “Rocker Type” seats were used to conserve space and maximum seating volume.

About Electronics Design Group, Inc.
EDG is a pioneer in residential and business electronics technology. EDG is recognized by its peers, associations, related trade professionals and technology journals as one of the TOP systems integrators in the country. Providing expertise for more than 25 years, EDG has been an award winning technology solutions provider of audio/video, conferencing systems, integrated multimedia presentation, luxury amenity space entertainment, cardio theater, screening rooms, home theater, lighting, shade, and automation control solutions. Founder Bob Gullo has served as President and Board Member of HTSA, Listed in CE Retailer’s “50 Most Vital Influencers,” Dealer Scope’s List of “40 under 40,” CEDIA and CEA “Dealer of the Year,” CE Pro Magazine’s “Top 100 Integrators,” Custom Retailers, “21 Big Guns,” and Lutron Electronics “Hall of Fame.” Gullo has been a member of CEDIA for more than 20 years, and has been an influential advocate of education via the AIA/CES provider program, and CEDIA ROI programs, providing CEU courses for the Architectural and Design Community via http://www.edgonline.com/continuing-education/ . EDG solutions can be found in the finest residential and commercial settings. EDG solutions continue to be sought after by most discriminating clients worldwide.

Crestron’s airConnect allows you to change the settings of any device that is connected to your Crestron system. You will be able to change the temperature, lighting and shading of the room you are entering by simply waving your Android phone or Tablet in front of the airConnect sensor. This opens up a new world of posibilities to families who have very different ideas of what they feel comfort is. Mom can can have open shades, sunlight and low music while she reads while her son can walk in and easily darken up the room and turn up the bass as so he plays his video games.

By simply being in close proximity to the censor the room will transform to that however that person wants the room to be configured. This is just the start of a compete revolution in the way you can interact with your home control system. As of now you need to have your cellphone in close proximity of the sensor but as technology improves your system will know you just as you walk into the room and change the room to meet your custom settings.

Even though the Xbox 360 still has the same console name the system has received a notable upgrade with the addition of the Kinect. The Kinect is a long black box that is placed on top of, or in front of, your TV, much like the Wii Motion Censor, that adds movement and virtual reality to the platform. Games such as Madden and Star Wars have Motion and Voice add-ons that add extra functionality to games that have already been released. This is in addition to the hundreds of games specifically built to be used with the Kinect.

In addition to the new hardware component they have improved their Xbox live experience to be much more than just an online gaming platform. Not only can you download many full title games right to your hard drive but also you can watch live television (however you have to verify you are a cable subscriber).  Since the launch of the iPhone and iPad Apps the ecosystem of products have become one of the major factors when picking a device. Of the three gaming consoles the Xbox 360 has arguably cultivated the best App and online experience.  They are the only console to offer a full TV option as well as HBO Go, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, ESPN, Hulu Plus, Zune and Netflix.

The Nintendo Wii started a revolution that made both Sony (PlayStation 3) and Microsoft (Xbox 360) rush to copy what the Wii brought to the market. Deciding to not focus on HD, which both their competitors did, they launched a product with SD video quality but a remote that could detect movement. Even though the first generation of the console was a bit clunky Wii Bowling became a standard at parties and get together. However, over the past 4 years both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 added movement controls to their platforms while Nintendo only gradually improved their Wii Motion controller. The only upside for Nintendo is that with the lack of high quality graphics games were able to focus more on motion and create truly stunning proprietary games such as Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess that gamers lovers and can not play on any other platform.

The Nintendo Wii has not ventured far into the realm of online gaming and content. They offer a number of old school titles as well as Netflix and Hulu, which you can argue is all you really need for online streaming. However, The Nintendo Wii still remains mainly a game console, while the Xbox has become an entertainment box. Coming this holiday season Nintendo will be releasing a new console, called the Wii U, which will add HD and a second screen controller. While both the PlayStation and Xbox have been quiet about the release of a new console (though both are expected to in 2013) it’s clear that Nintendo needed to solve the problem of SD video quality.

Lastly is the PlayStation 3.  For a number of years the PlayStation was the number one gaming system you could buy. However, over the past few years it has fallen in ranks to both the Xbox, which is superior in online content, and the Wii, which is superior in proprietary games. Even though the PlayStation is a close third behind the Wii and Xbox 360 in unit sales it is the least unique of the three consoles. To fight the movement revolution they launched an addition controller called PlayStation Move, which added Wii controller like functionality.

Although the PlayStation is third in sales it combines functionality of both the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii which make it a formidable opponent for either. Even though it’s online marketplace is not as big as Xbox but it offers NFL Sunday Ticket, NHL Center Ice, MBL Gameday, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus as well as their own proprietary video streaming service called Video Unlimited. This is in addition to their Playstation Plus package, which is $49.99 a year that allows you to play streaming games. But the biggest asset to the PlayStation 3 is it is the only console that has a Blu-ray DVD player built in.

Whether it’s the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or the Nintendo Wii a modern day gaming console can be a huge addition to your entertainment center or home theater.  Each console has sold over 50 million units because all three offer something that is valuable while remaining very different from one another.