Marmitek, specialists in the field of X-10 home automation, has introduced the CM15Pro computer interface, which along with the supplied ActiveHomePro software enables you to control and operate affordable home automation on your computer.

Marmitek brings comfort and safety to your home in an innovative manner, using the very latest techniques in the field of multimedia, video surveillance, home automation and security:

Once your settings are programmed in your computer, you can save them in the memory of the CM15Pro and it can be turned off:

• Your lighting and appliances are easily switched on and off with the CM15Pro and appropriate receivers.

The choice of settings is limited only by your imagination – random switching of your lighting, create a home movie theatre, control your exterior lighting, or have your coffee ready when you wake.
 
Using macros you can programme your preferred environment e.g. the main lighting in the living room only switches on when someone enters the room, its dark outside and the atmospheric lighting is off.
 
Furthermore the CM15Pro has more extended programming possibilities and a memory for about 1400 macros/timers, with which you can expand your home automation almost without limitation.

• The mutual compatibility of Marmitek products is one of the main benefits, allowing you to construct your own ideal system, adding the latest user options at any time in the future.

The recommended retail price for the pioneering CM15Pro (Computer module + ActiveHomePro Software) is £59.95 incl. VAT.

Web: http:// www.marmitek.com
 

LG Electronics, a global leader in consumer electronics is once again making a bold statement in the world of fashion, with a new cutting edge TV collection, enabling the home to stand out on the technology catwalk of 2008.

Anthony Yang, LG’s digital display product manager says, “This year we have accentuated our design credentials by paying even more attention to the collection’s look and feel:

The flagship model - The HD Ready 1080p LG6000 featured here, has a striking, slim silhouette and a unique red-coloured back; a round LED light aperture gives the set a soft red pulsating glow, making it the epitome of elegance.

Styling continues to run through the range, as its Hero Plasma model, the PG6000, incorporates a slim, elegant frameless design, which mimics the appearance of a pane of glass creating a sleek, sophisticated look.

LG is the first manufacturer to adopt a new invisible speaker system, specially tuned by audio legend Mr. Mark Levinson, on it’s LCD and plasma screens.

The unique system incorporates speaker actuators around the perimeter of the bezel, eliminating the need for traditional speaker drivers and associated grills; this not only allows for a sleek, finished look, but also offers a wider sweet spot by creating a virtual wall of sound.

The LG6000 is a CES 2008 Innovations Honouree.
The PG6000 was awarded a Best of Innovations video display honour at CES 2008.

Web: http://www.lge.co.uk

Tel: 0870 873 5454

Meridian Audio Ltd, is a British award winning, high-end home audio-video systems manufacturer - from loudspeakers, complete music centres to home cinema.

Meridian is about to hit the big time; until now, its status has been a closely guarded secret amongst enthusiasts and specialists, but this is all about to change.

The company is now being supported by Richemont, part of an investment consortium, which provides the perfect platform to further reveal Meridian’s attributes, to a discerning class of customers who need the highest possible level of performance at home.

From CD players to bespoke home theatre installations and complete systems to additional individual components, Meridian systems can deliver both exquisite style and exceptional performance.
For example, the Iconic speaker in our picture:

The Iconic Meridian DSP8000 Loudspeaker, is designed to reproduce sounds at up to full natural level, while providing all the resolution required via sources of up to 24bit and 192kHz.

Created to deliver outstanding performance for decades, capable of reproducing the sound of a Steinway - well known as the supreme challenge for an audio system.

The speaker retails at around £28,750 and a complete music centre is priced at around £150,000; however, they do offer systems of equal sound and style quality but more compact, at an affordable price.

Meridian is a multi-award winning company gaining much critical and industry acclaim as a world-leader in digital and analogue audio reproduction; winning 135 awards for 156 products/innovations to date, including the coveted British Design Council Award for Outstanding British Products three times.

Meridian systems and components are available at selected stockists of luxury hi-fi equipment across the UK.

Web: http://www.meridian-audio.com.

De’Longhi, a leader in design-led home and comfort products, is invoking the sleek and sophisticated glamour of the 1950s, with the launch of Icona, its new range of kettles and toasters.

Inspired by an era that saw a worldwide revolution in music, fashion, film and design, Icona captures the essence – as seen by Italy – of one of the most influential and exciting decades.

Available in five chic high gloss colours, to compliment any kitchen scheme, the Icona range includes Scarlet Red, Azure Blue, Onyx Black, Pearl White and Silver.

De’Longhi’s Icona range is on trend with the latest in kitchen design, with its patent finish and fashionable colours; its unique shape is an elegant take on the classic kettle and toaster designs, created by De’Longhi’s award winning designer, Dario De Prà.

The curved Icona kettle has many practical features such as 3Kw rapid boil with 3-level safety protection, cord storage, and a removable, washable scale filter.

In addition, the sleek toaster contains user-friendly features, such as a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning and an ‘extra lift’ position for easy removal of small slices.

Icona, is innovative, yet timeless and unforgettable; literally translated from the Italian word for ‘icon’, it will endure just like the iconic figures from 1950s film, fashion and music.
Icona kettle priced at £59.99, Icona toaster at £59.99; Silver is available now, colours available mid April.

Web: http://www.delonghi.co.uk

Tel: (0207) 479 0910

The need for safety on the Internet has never been so high - with most homes taking up the excellent offer of an always-on broadband connection, their exposure to the threats of the Internet are often overlooked.

Imagine being able to turn on your computer without any concerns or worries about the threats the Internet presents to you and your family.

GSEC1’s XGate truly identifies and blocks threats before they even reach your computer.

Main Features include:

• Auto-configuration: Simple and easy installation, designed explicitly for non-technical users.
• Secure Banking enables XGate 2.0 users to conduct their online banking, without having to worry about being taken to fraudulent bank websites, or their online banking login details being stolen.
• The system will warn you if it finds any attempts to take you to a fraudulent bank website.
• Chatroom monitoring enables you to monitor and control your children’s chat room conversations and accessing of objectional web pages; thus preventing them from becoming victims of online predators and bullies.
• Desktop Live View gives you a Closed Circuit TV style screen, where you can remotely supervise all your children’s desktops in your home network and protect them, if they are visiting inappropriate websites or chat rooms.
• XGate’s Spam plug-in for Microsoft Outlook has comprehensive filters and user control for classifying and declassifying spam from your mail client and stops annoying spam email from overrunning your inbox.
• Advanced Antivirus and Spyware protection ensures that threats are stopped right at the Gateway and your computers are protected at all times.

XGate retails for around £89.

Web: http://www.gsec1.com

Tel: (0870) 1644011

A neat, easy to use, one-stop route to a smart home is demonstrated on the Morban and Cytech stand at The Smart Home Show at the National Exhibition Centre, from 10th-13th April, 2008.

Cytech Europe, UK distributor of Comfort Intelligent Home System and its system integrator Morban Intelligent Living, combine to provide demonstrations for householders and developers that explain how an integrated home control system links voice prompted security, with all aspects of smart home technology in one simple system.

Intelligent control of equipment within the home helps cut the amount of energy used by heating, lighting, TV and audio, domestic appliances and may help reduce escalating energy bills.

Morban provide a single solution that can include whole house lighting and mood lighting design and control, audio/visual control with HD distribution, the use of a media server providing music and movies throughout the house, zone heating display and control, communications and home security.

Remote operation of the intelligent home systems can be by mobile phone, text message or remote computer.

Cytech’s Comfort system provides an integrated Intruder Alarm/Home Automation system with an interactive voice menu, dialler to eight different numbers and an answering machine; the Comfort door station rings the home phones or calls a mobile if no one is home.

The Comfort system can also answer the phone and when programmed, dial out to a care worker in case of emergency.

Web: http://www.morban.co.uk

Tel: (0870) 141 7042

The smart place to be this April is at the NEC in Birmingham - from 10th to 13th April 2008, where The Smart Home Show, (which is part of The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show), will be bringing together all the latest trends in smart home solutions.

Smart Home technology means controlling the home environment in a way that enhances the way you live; it makes life more enjoyable, more comfortable, easier and more secure.

Whether you are looking for a multi-room entertainment system, integrated lighting to control the mood of every room, state-of-the-art security to protect you and your family, or you just want to chill out watching a favourite movie from the comfort of your bath - The Smart Home Show will help you find the right solution.

There will be major brands to choose from, with leading industry experts on hand to share their knowledge; with practical demonstrations, advice clinics and a daily programme of free specialist seminars.

A visit to the Show could mean a home equipped for the 21st century is within your reach - don’t miss out!

Tickets are £10 in advance or £14 on the door.

For more information and tickets, visit:

Web: http://www.homebuildingshow.co.uk

Tel: (0871) 945 4547

Steinway & Sons, creators of the world’s finest pianos, and Peter Lyngdorf, Europe’s pre-eminent developer and manufacturer of high performance digital sound systems, have collaborated to produce the Model D Music System, the world’s best fully-integrated digital sound system.

A team of international designers, technicians and engineers led by Peter Lyngdorf, created the Steinway & Sons Model D Music System, which has taken over 2 years to develop and delivers an outstanding reproduction of music akin to a live symphony orchestra in concert.

The music system is the culmination of painstaking research and development in both electronics and in the acoustic performance of amplifiers and loudspeakers; all components being carefully selected and designed from the outset to complement each other perfectly:

• It incorporates the revolutionary Room Perfect™ technology, which enables the system to adapt to the acoustic characteristics of the listening environment, to ensure unsurpassed audio performance.
• The home entertainment system’s twin speakers are painstakingly crafted through more than 170 hours of precision machining, and the entire system takes approximately 7 weeks to assemble.
• The system has distinctive luxury design details, including the Steinway & Sons lacquering found on the world’s finest pianos.
• At the time of installation, a Steinway Lyngdorf service specialist will visit the customer’s site, to make the most of the RoomPerfect™ technology and “voice” the Model D System.
• This is done by mapping the acoustics of the given environment using a microphone. After the measurements have been uploaded, the system calculates a room correction that is applied to ensure perfect tonal balance and acoustics in any part of the listening space.

The Steinway Lyngdorf Model D Music System is priced at £75,000 +VAT, which includes installation and individual voicing, but not custom wiring and integration into other AV systems.

Web: http://www.steinwaylyngdorf.com

Lalique has introduced Tempting Crystal - a striking new Spring/Summer 2008 collection.

The collection features a mix of crystal masterpieces, including vases, bowls, figurines, lamps and candlesticks, all created in a remarkable combination of clear and black crystal.

Many of the pieces from the collection feature delicate brambles and thorn detail, enticing you to touch with their lengthy branches and sharp edges.

The tiger and panther figurines fit stunningly in the collection with their mysterious poses and black, hand painted enamel detail.

Featured here is the Thistle Vase with black enamel detail - £2,900 (Limited Edition – 999 pieces available).

Other collection examples include:

• Thorns Vase with black enamel detail - £1,455.
  Lizards Vase - £2,450 (Limited Edition – 888 pieces available).
  Brambles Vase - £1,099.
  Brambles Bowl - £750.
  Thorns Bowl - £375.
• Sitting Tiger with black enamel detail - £3,290.
• Large Thorns lamp –£1,545.
  Small Thorns lamp –£1,079.
  Large black thorn candleholder - £990.
  Medium black thorn candleholder - £650.

View the dazzling Lalique collection online:

Web: http://www.lalique.com

Tel: (0207) 245 9090

Neff the leading UK built in appliance specialist, has introduced the K3670X0, which is the company’s first wine cooler, specifically designed for building in to a standard kitchen furniture unit.

The new appliance features:

• A tinted UV protected glass door that prevents sunlight affecting the condition of the wine.
• The right-hinged door with an elegant steel handle is trimmed in stainless steel, to coordinate perfectly with other Neff built-in appliances.
• Inside the wine cooler, there are four wooden shelves with contoured bottle racks for vibration free storage, as well as a useful flat glass shelf for storing smaller bottles or food for parties; it has the capacity to store a total of up to 32 bottles of wine.
• The appliance measures 54cm wide and 87.4cm high and the interior boasts an anti-bacterial coating for germ protection; defrosting is automatic on this appliance.

The K3670X0 cleverly replicates the ideal storage conditions of a wine cellar within your kitchen, ensuring that the wine is always served at exactly the right temperature.

A recommended temperature guide is provided for each type of wine to be stored and an internal electronic temperature control, allows the selection of the correct temperature, between 6°C and14°C.

A SuperCool function quickly chills the interior compartment of the appliance - ideal if guests arrive unexpectedly.

The K3670X0 wine cooler - a ‘must-have’ item for wine connoisseurs is available now from Neff stockists nationwide, priced at around £1,000.

Web: http://www.neff.co.uk

Tel: (0870) 513 3090