All Articles Tagged Diy

Steve Crowe | 11/18 07:20 AM, 0 Comments

If you think you've cleaned up a bad install, think again. We've rounded up the worst electronics kludges from the good folks at There, I Fixed It and White Trash Repairs. You may have seen the websites on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Sure most, if not all, of these people would never think about hiring a CE pro, but it helps prove the value of an installer. In case you've missed our previous "Worst DIY Installs Ever" photo galleries, here are the links: Part 1 | Part 2… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 07/11 11:59 AM, 19 Comments

Note: The headline from a recent CE Pro email newsletter suggested that Apple is coming out with a home automation product. That is not necessarily the case. If Apple gets into the home automation business, among other things, it could expand its market capitalization, says UBS analyst Maynard Um. But professional installation would have to be a part of the equation. In a recent note to investors, Um urges Apple to look to new opportunities for growth, which in the past has been fueled by “taking a bite out of… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 06/27 08:17 AM, 0 Comments

Peter Rogers was a typical security dealer for about 15 years, working for some fairly large companies that sold, installed and monitored traditional systems, including GE Security (previously ITI). But when it was time to venture out on his own, Rogers took an unconventional path: DIY. Instead of hiring professional installers, buying trucks and investing in an infrastructure to manage a large number of installations and service calls, Rogers developed a business model in which consumers install security themselves. He and two partners founded Front Point Security, based in McLean,… View this story

Steve Crowe | 05/27 08:20 AM, 0 Comments

If you think you've cleaned up a bad install, think again. You haven't seen anything as bad as what you're about to witness. We've rounded up the worst electronics kludges from the good folks at There, I Fixed It and White Trash Repairs. You may have seen the websites on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Sure most, if not all, of these people would never think about hiring a CE pro, but it helps make you better understand the value of an installer. In case you've missed our previous… View this story

Steve Crowe | 04/15 08:23 AM, 0 Comments

If you think you've cleaned up a bad install, think again. You haven't seen anything as bad as what you're about to witness. We've rounded up the worst electronics setups from There, I Fixed It and White Trash Repairs. You may have seen these websites featured on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." In case you've missed our previous "Worst DIY Installs Ever" photo galleries, here are the links: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3. We're always looking for more, so if you see a bad install, snap… View this story

Rachel Cericola | 03/11 09:18 AM, 6 Comments

Most young people would be completely content using a Kinect to play video games. Not Mike. This 27-year-old decided that he needed to play the home automation game. Mike is a bit secretive about his setup, only saying that it's a custom system that he's developing. "The media software is a simple HTPC front-end I hacked together years ago (with occasional tweaks since then) to run my home theater," Mike says on his YouTube page. The system in the video below uses halogen light bulbs. Also, with the exception of… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 10/05 07:34 AM, 4 Comments

Here’s another business idea: Find everyone who purchased a DIY home-improvement book from Lowe’s, and offer to do a safety audit of their home. Oxmoor House, the publisher of the books, is recalling 17 titles because they contain faulty wiring instructions. Among the titles: Southern Living: Basic WiringSouthern Living: Basic Home Wiring IllustratedSouthern Living: Home LightingSunset: Replacing Switches and Receptacles Sunset: Basic Home WiringLowes: Complete Home Improvement and RepairLowes: Complete Home WiringA similar recall occurred in January 2010. In all, nearly one million books, sold from 1955 to 2005, are… View this story

Jason Knott | 08/20 08:18 AM, 1 Comment

How badly can people screw up their own electronics installation? Pretty badly, judging by these photos. We've rounded up some of the worst DIY installations ever. It's photos like this that prove the value of a custom installer. No captions are necessary, but let's see what creative captions you can come up with. Put your captions in the comments section below the photos. Click here for Worst DIY Installs Ever. Note: All photos via There, I Fixed It Related Best DIY Home Theaters Worst DIY Home Theaters View this story

Arlen Schweiger | 08/18 07:47 AM, 0 Comments

Do-it-yourselfers can't always do everything themselves. The Minnesota homeowner who started this project was headed in a decent direction, but eventually raised the white flag. A friend of his recommended JML Media Technologies in St. Paul, Minn., and the homeowner is now a very satisfied customer. "He had done some work on his own, wiring the first and second levels of his house, and was finishing his basement," says JML's John Laugerman. "He was doing a lot himself but wanted some professional help to finish the media closet, which was… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 07/23 07:29 AM, 1 Comment

The Consumer Electronics Association is taking an unusual tack for a trade group: it is inviting consumers to join. The organization is creating “a new category of membership for consumers designed to grow the CE industry.” That category is the Consumer Technology Enthusiast, or CTE. Call me old fashioned, but I’m having trouble with this concept. Consumers pay $49 for membership, which entitles them to special offers from CEA vendors plus access to a members-only forum. They will also have the privilege of providing feedback to manufacturers, and offering demographic… View this story