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Geek-Chic Power Houses

Posted by michael on from the conspicuous-consumption dept.

nakhla writes "Wired.com is running a lengthy article on wired houses of celebrities. The article describes some of the tech that has gone into the houses of actors, businessmen, and professional athletes, outlining the steps they've gone to in order to obtain techno-nirvana. Included in the article is a profile of JAG's Catherine Bell (my vote for sexiest geek), and her use of a wireless network to connect her to her TiBook, Gateway Laptop, and...get this...Sharp Zaurus Linux PDA. For those of you who are just dying to string fiber around your entire house, this article will have you making a run to your favorite networking hardware store."

3 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Having a wireless network makes you wired? by joeflies · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I bet every person on this board has the stuff in Catherine Bell's house. Except she makes news because she's famous and a woman :>)

    Seriously, I think the doorbell webcam/image pusher is the most interersting aspect, not that she has a Zaurus (more than likely she gets these gadgets as promo items so they are seem by the 'cool crowd')

  2. hmm must be nice to be rich... by fungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But keep both feets on the ground, because you're not and (probably) will never be rich enough to spend millions on toys.

    This is nice and all... but it remains toys. I dont think anyone really need a plasma screen instead of a regular mirror for shaving, but hey, its cool.

    We're like mechanics looking at a movie star's custom ferrari.

  3. Determining the right infrastructure... by bovilexics · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... on a budget is a frustrating problem.

    Oh what a dream. Reading this article makes it all seem so joyous and wonderful. Especially when you don't have budget limitations and have the monetary freedom to completely scrap something that becomes obsolete in a couple of years and replace it with the latest and greatest thing out there. *Drool*

    Speaking from the experience of going through the ups and downs of building a new house this year - trying to determine what technologies to use now and how to leave room for future upgrades/changes with such obstacles as:

    1. A realistic budget
    2. An uninformed contractor
    3. Conflicting opinions from all directions

    It is tough to know where to jump in and what is cost effective and useful technology that can be expanded and upgraded without costing an arm and a leg.

    Typically a contractor is very informed about housing issues (plumbing, electrical, etc.) and can be a great source of information and recommendations but when it came to the tech infrastructure it was hard to find someone knowledgeable in the small town that I live in.

    I pretty much had to do all the research myself and inform him on what I thought would be best. It was all a little odd considering I'm not a builder by any stretch of the imagination.

    Ugh, makes my head hurt. We ended up going cat-5 with pre-wiring and space for wireless access points in the attic and conduit in the walls to pull fiber (or something else) later when it becomes feasible. It seemed best for us at the current time, hopefully it will continue to be a good decision a few years down the line.

    --
    Are you bovilexic? Moo!