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Eytan Vestin Appointed to Jewish National Fund Board 09/14/2011 | Leave a Comment
Eytan Vestin of Certified Connection was recently appointed to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) New England Board of Directors. The JNF, founded in 1901, is an organization involved in supporting Israel through education, community activism, and ecology. Over the past century, the organization has worked to educate people about Israel and the environment. It also is proud that it has planted 250 million trees, built more than 200 reservoirs and dams, developed more than 250,000 acres of land, and created more than 1,000 parks. All of these projects have helped more than 1,000 different communities.
Eytan is proud to be part of this organization and is excited to further its cause as a member of the board.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Lower Energy Costs and Increase the Value of Your Home by Making it More Energy Efficient 09/06/2011 | Leave a Comment
Everyone knows making cosmetic improvements to your home can increase the value of your home, whether it’s fresh landscaping, granite counter tops, or stainless steel appliances. These days, savvy homebuyers are also looking for more energy efficient homes.
A recent article on ECNmag.com, “Building Value with Energy-Saving Upgrades in Homes and Businesses,” discusses how “improving the energy performance of your home can make it more comfortable and attractive, increase its value, and help you save money on your energy bills.”
These days adding energy-saving components in your home, such as:
- Appliances
- Windows and doors
- Insulation
- Heating and cooling equipment
- Automated thermostats
can increase the value of your home and help attract more potential buyers.
According to the article, the Department of Energy recently announced a partnership with The Appraisal Foundation that will provide information about energy-efficiency and building performance information for commercial buildings. Through this partnership, appraisers will have access to the information they need to evaluate energy performance for building appraisals. It will help improve the availability of tools and data for appraisers so that they can accurately incorporate the value of energy-efficiency upgrades into a building’s appraisal.
Other additions that can help you save money on energy bills and potentially increase the value of your home are:
- Installing home lighting control or other home control systems to manage when home electronics are switched on and off.
- Installing energy monitors to monitor total energy consumption throughout the day, week, month, or year.
Check out the Energy Savers website for additional information on ways to save energy in your home, vehicle, or workplace.
This post is written in collaboration with our friends at Present Value LLC, a worldwide international appraisal and advisory company that provides a range of professional services such as Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraisals, Inventory Appraisals, Asset Verification Services, Business Valuations, and Real Estate Appraisals.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Additional Reading:
Easy Being Green: Get Out of Your Hybrid Car and Into Your Green Home
In Praise of Surge Protectors 08/31/2011 | Leave a Comment
You may have the most killer audio/video setup ever conceived by man. You may have the most cutting-edge tech for the sharpest picture, the clearest sound, and the most immersive video gaming experience of your life. If you do, congratulations.
But is it all protected?
Especially in light of the numerous power outages and problems that people are dealing with post Hurricane Irene, this is an important topic. Two of the most potentially catastrophic things that can happen to – and potentially destroy – your electronic entertainment components are an overload and a surge. An overload occurs when there are too many power-drawing components plugged into the same outlet and there isn’t enough juice. A surge is a spike in the electricity being sent to the components, and it can totally fry everything. Surges are often caused by lightning strikes or downed power lines. Please check out our previous post for more information on potential power disturbances.
Luckily, a power surge protector can help protect all your electronic equipment from these types of problems. A power surge protector is a block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable and allows multiple electrical devices to be plugged in. It has a built-in circuit breaker to protect your devices from surges and overloads. Most also have a self-contained power switch; this is handy if you need to power off all your components at once and don’t want to spend your whole day trying to unplug things; this also can help with energy draining vampire appliances.
But it’s important to keep in mind that not all power strips are the same. A $7.99 power strip is not going to provide the protection you need. You really need a power surge protector and they’re not all created equal. Some are designed for specific components, like computer equipment or home appliances.
Certified Connection offers solutions for home and business owners to limit or eliminate power quality disturbances.
- Audio-Video Solutions from APC
- Audio-Video Solutions from Panamax
- Home-office and small business solutions from APC
Make sure you’re protecting your investment. Contact us at Certified Connection and we’ll help you choose the right power surge protector for all your needs.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Additional Reading
Afraid of Vampires? You Should Be. Energy Draining Appliances Could be Costing You a Fortune
Home Entertainment Technology in Europe vs. the United States 08/22/2011 | Leave a Comment
During a recent trip to France, I saw something that surprised me and embarrassed me as an American in the home entertainment industry. In France, for the equivalent of $150 a month, cable subscribers get one box that offers a 100 mb Internet connection with a router and WiFi, a TV top box, HD DVR, a Blu-ray player, a VOD box, a high-end RF remote control, and unlimited phone access to most of the world. Customers can stream live HD TV to all WiFi-connected devices inside and out of the house, and the system has a simple and fast user interface. Can you imagine what a U.S. customer would pay for all that?
People in the United States think that we’re the best in the world when it comes to technology, but we’re deluding ourselves. In France, and in much of Europe, the technology is more advanced and clearly, the value is better. I think the secret is lack of government control. In France, its Federal Trade Commission controlled a lot in the technology sector, but as soon as it let go of the reins, technology companies started innovating, quality improved, and the customer benefited. The same thing needs to happen in the United States. There are too many restrictions on how home theater technology is used, and the government is restraining innovation. It’s time for our government to let go a little, and allow home theater companies to become more creative and usher in this type of technology, at a great value, in our country.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
To 3D or Not 3D? 07/11/2011 | Leave a Comment
Not so very long ago, the biggest advance in home entertainment was the flat-screen TV, which was a real game-changer when it came to picture quality – not to mention placement – of the TV in the average home. This was followed quickly by HDTV, which allowed consumers to see details they didn’t even know were there. And of course Blu-Ray, which made watching a movie on an HDTV an experience in fidelity.
Something of a newcomer to the home entertainment experience is 3D. Video companies and research firms have been stating recently that sales of 3D HDTVs continue to climb, but critics are quick to point out that numbers are logically going to climb as more and more HDTVs ship with built-in 3D capability.
But here’s the main question: Is 3D TV worth it?
Well, that depends. If you’re in the market for a new TV anyway and the one you’re looking at has 3D built in, it’s an easy decision. But if there’s a price bump between the standard model and the 3D model, you need to weigh the pros and cons.
One thing to consider is that not everyone’s eyes react well to 3D. In fact, unless you have 20/20 vision and perfect eye alignment, you’ll still be able to watch 3D, but you’ll never see the “Wow!” 3D about which so many TV manufacturers brag. Also, there’s the glasses. Hey, not everyone wants to wear glasses when they watch a movie.
But the most compelling argument against 3D is that it’s on the wane. A New York Times article states that 3D has become less and less popular since James Cameron’s Avatar, and that Hollywood studios are beginning to ask if the extra expense is even worth it. If the studios abandon the technology, there’s going to be an awfully limited catalog of 3D movies to enjoy on your 3D TV.
Still curious if 3D TV might be worth it for you? Give Certified Connection a call!
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Additional Reading
Think You’re Getting a Good Deal? Think Again
