“We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.”—Carl Sagan
THERE’S a famous saying about the eyes being the windows to the soul, and if that is true, then windows must be the entry or access to the essence—or the soul—of every home.
Maybe that’s the reason my mom would spend hours when buying a new set of curtains and even longer when deciding which set of drapes she’d want to use next.
Seeing a fresh new set was always a pleasant surprise, as it gave our house a quick makeover of sorts. Unfortunately, washing them was another completely different story. I guess that’s why my dad eventually replaced it with window blinds.
A well-dressed window is more than just a decorating decision. It is, more important, a stylish way to add or block light, provide privacy and create the mood inside one’s home.
But I’ve never thought they’d come a time when you need to “power dress” windows, as well.
Yup. After the doors, it seems that windows are next ones to go high tech.
A few weeks ago I met with the Philippine partners of Hunter Douglas, one of the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality, innovative window treatments. They’ve been in the business since the 1940s, when Joe Hunter collaborated with Henry Sonnenberg toward the production of venetian blinds. They’ve done window dressings for the most luxurious homes and office buildings across the globe, not only to provide shade but also showcase the consumer’s lifestyle and self-expression.
This year Hunter Douglas gives new meaning to the term “power dressing” as they introduce their latest innovation, called the PowerView Motorization System. Its a pioneering concept that offers convenience, technology and seamless connectivity keeping balance between light control, energy efficiency and the art of window styling.
“Connectivity and integration is the trend now,” said James Sia, general manager for Hunter Douglas Window Covering Products and Licensing for Asia. “Worldwide, we see a growing trend in smart-home technology. There are décor-friendly gadgets, automated door locks, security systems, automated lighting systems, air conditioning with programmable thermostats and, now, programmable window coverings.”
With the PowerView Motorization System, window blinds and shades become smart and intuitive, adapting to your preferences for natural light or protecting your privacy. Aside from enhancing the elegance of any room in the house, your window treatments now move with your preset mood, style and natural-light requirements.
With just a click of a button on the stylish Pebble Remote Control, the Programmable Motorization System allows you to preset scenes and schedules as to how you want to enjoy your day. The shades rise automatically in the morning to greet the sunrise, slide down midway to protect you from direct sunlight at noon, and then slowly lower to close at sunset to provide the privacy you deserve for quiet family time or a tranquil night’s rest.
You can set your preference to have rooms operate independently, or work together in synchronization with the help of the two-way communication technology between Shades and Hub, or between
Hub and App for accurate positioning and control of your shades.
You can even control it remotely by downloading the PowerView app on your mobile device, which can even be a useful security feature to make it look like there is someone in your house at anytime of the day.
Stephen Sy, president of Focus Global Inc., Hunter Douglas’s exclusive licensee in the country, said they’re excited to bring this technology to discerning Filipino homeowners.
“With the PowerView Window System, the world’s most beautiful window treatments have evolved into the most intelligent window treatment, as well. It means you can have style, revolutionary functionality and technologically advanced products for your home and office at the same time. You can have it all without having to compromise.”
Heos BY DENON
BEYOND Innovations, one of the leading distributors of audio devices, is making another harmonious collaboration with iconic Japanese brand Denon as it introduces the Heos series to the Philippine market.
Known for providing advanced, state-of-the-art but cost-effective technologies for its consumers, the addition of Heos promises to bring consumers beautiful sound and, more important, make life with technology entertaining, effortless and convenient.
Heos is a wireless music system that allows you to control all your music effortlessly from anywhere in your home. All you need is one or more Heos speakers and the free app.
The free Heos app instantly gives you multiroom audio control, and it can be installed on as many phones and tablets as you like. Use your multiroom audio system to group several rooms together and play the same song—perfectly synchronized in party mode. Or, play a different song in every room when everyone wants to dance to their own tune.
More important, the Heos system allows you to play music from a huge selection of sources whether its from Internet radio or online music services or from your own smart devices, USBs, PCs and NAS.
There are currently four Heos speakers available. The Heos 1 provides custom dual drivers, including a wide range midwoofer and precision dome tweeter. Its the ideal wireless portable speaker for outdoor fun as the enclosure is sealed for humidity resistance, making it ideal for outdoor fun. Use it poolside or on the spa deck with confidence.
The Heos 3 is a dual driver design with two Class D amp channels and is is ideal for small- to medium-sized rooms.
The Heos 5 has two custom-designed tweeters, and two midwoofers powered by four Class D amp channels, along with a passive radiator. It gives absolutely amazing sound from a discreet and stylish powerhouse. It is ideal for medium to large rooms.
Finally, the Heos 7 features seven drivers, including two passive radiators, two custom tweeters and midwoofers and a large subwoofer powered by five dedicated Class D amplifiers. It is built with rich and genuine materials with a brushed metallic apex for a stylish, yet solid, build.
WATERPROOF MATE 10?
IF you’re a Huawei fan like me, you’re probably excited about the highly anticipated reveal of the Mate 10 on October 16 in Munich. But I don’t think we have to wait that long as several web sites have already uncovered huge amounts of information regarding Huawei’s upcoming flagship device.
According to the leaks, the Mate 10 features a gorgeous bezel-less design—one of the thinnest on a smartphone. The back features the Leica dual-camera setup and the rear fingerprint scanner (which I like). The rear cameras have 12-MP and 20-MP sensors, respectively, with both having an f/1.6 aperture.
It will also have a massive 4000-mAh battery with super charge, high-speed LTE connectivity of up to 1.2-Gbps, and IP67, rating which means it is splash proof.
The Mate 10 will be the first to use the Kirin 970 chip, Huawei’s first mobile artificial intelligence computing platform featuring a dedicated Neural Processing Unit. Compared to a quad-core Cortex-A73 CPU cluster, the Kirin 970’s new heterogeneous computing architecture delivers up to 25 times the performance with 50 times greater efficiency.
The smartphone will have several variants—the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10 Lite—and will be available in at least three color options: silver, blue and bronze/brown.
What do you think? Will the Mate 10 be the phone worth waiting for?
/ Tech Thoughts: “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”—Christian Lous Lange