Amazon Smart Home pair top 2 sellers over Xmas

Amazon's Echo Dot, it's Alexa powered mini speaker was the biggest selling item on Amazon over the Xmas period - Selling an estimated 10 million+ units during the holiday period.

Amazingly (lot of A's in this article) the Amazon Fire Stick (powered with Alexa) was the number two best selling item.

Seems everybody is getting into the voice control game, even my dear Mum got a Sonos One with built in Alexa for Xmas.  When my Nan get's one I can rest assured that it's finally thoroughly and absolutely mainstream.

Sonos speakers vulnerable to Hacks

If you have a poorly configured or badly setup network.  Wired are reporting that the Sonos Play set of speakers including the Play:1 and the new Sonos One are among a set of Smart Home speakers that are vulnerable to commandeering over a poorly configured network. 

Secure Home Networking is becoming more and more important in the modern home, the sheer amount of technology that relies on the internet, from music systems, Internet Radio, Netflix, IPTV, IP Cameras to TV's it's becoming much more important to have a secure, resilient home network.  It's something we take very seriously here at H3 Digital and 2018 will see us concentrate efforts to enable us to offer the very best in Home Networking available.

"PERHAPS YOU'VE BEEN hearing strange sounds in your home—ghostly creaks and moans, random Rick Astley tunes, Alexa commands issued in someone else's voice. If so, you haven't necessarily lost your mind. Instead, if you own one of a few models of internet-connected speaker and you've been careless with your network settings, you might be one of thousands of people whose Sonos or Bose devices have been left wide open to audio hijacking by hackers around the world.

Researchers at Trend Micro have found that some models of Sonos and Bose speakers—including the Sonos Play:1, the newer Sonos One, and Bose SoundTouch systems—can be pinpointed online with simple internet scans, accessed remotely, and then commandeered with straightforward tricks to play any audio file that a hacker chooses. Only a small fraction of the total number of Bose and Sonos speakers were found to be accessible in their scans. But the researchers warn that anyone with a compromised device on their home network, or who has opened up their network to provide direct access to a server they're running to the external internet—say, to host a game server or share files—has potentially left their fancy speakers vulnerable to an epic aural prank.

"The unfortunate reality is that these devices assume the network they're sitting on is trusted, and we all should know better than that at this point," says Mark Nunnikhoven, a Trend Micro research director. "Anyone can go in and start controlling your speaker sounds," if you have a compromised devices, or even just a carelessly configured network.

Trend's researchers found that scanning tools like NMap and Shodan can easily spot those exposed speakers. They identified between 2,000 and 5,000 Sonos devices online, depending on the timing of their scans, and between 400 and 500 Bose devices. The impacted models allow any device on the same network to access the APIs they use to interface with apps like Spotify or Pandora without any sort of authentication. Tapping into that API, the researchers could simply ask the speakers to play an audio file hosted at any URL they chose, and the speakers would obey.

The researchers note that audio attack could even be used to speak commands from someone's Sonos or Bose speaker to their nearby Amazon Echo or Google Home. They went so far as to test out the attack on the Sonos One, which has Amazon's Alexa voice assistant integrated into its software. By triggering the speaker to speak commands, they could actually manipulate it into talking to itself, and then executing the commands it had spoken.

Given that those voice assistant devices often control smart home features from lighting to door locks, Trend Micro's Nunnikhoven argues that they could be exploited for attacks that go beyond mere pranks. "Now I can start to run through more devious scenarios and really start to access the smart devices in your home," he says.

Mark Nunnikhoven

'Anyone can go in and start controlling your speaker sounds.'

Given the complexity of those voice assistant attacks, however, pranks are far more likely. And the audio-hacker haunting Trend Micro warns about may have already actually happened in the wild. The company's researchers point to one posting from a customer on a Sonos forum who reported earlier this year that her speaker had begun randomly playing sounds like door creaks, baby cries, and glass breaking. "It was really loud!" she wrote. "It's starting to freak me out and I don't know how to stop it." She eventually resorted to unplugging the speaker.

Beyond merely playing sounds through a victim's device, a hacker could also determine information like what file a vulnerable speaker is currently playing, the name of someone's accounts on services like Spotify and Pandora, and the name of their Wi-Fi network. In testing devices running an older version of Sonos software, they even found that they could identify more detailed information, like the IP addresses and device IDs of gadgets that had connected to the speaker.

After Trend Micro warned Sonos about its findings, the company pushed out an update to reduce that information leakage. But Bose has yet to respond to Trend Micro's warnings about its security vulnerabilities, and both companies' speakers remain vulnerable to the audio API attack when their speakers are left accessible on the internet. A Sonos spokesperson wrote in response to an inquiry from WIRED that the company is "looking into this more, but what you are referencing is a misconfiguration of a user’s network that impacts a very small number of customers that may have exposed their device to a public network. We do not recommend this type of set-up for our customers." Bose has yet responded to WIRED's request for comment on Trend Micro's research.

None of this adds up to much of a critical security threat for the average audiophile. But it does mean owners of internet-connected speakers should think twice about opening holes in their network designed to let external visitors into other servers. And if they do, they should at least keep an ear out for any evil commands their Sonos might be whispering to their Echo after dark."

Amazon extending it's Smart Home ecosystem

Amazon has just acquired Blink.  Blink was started in 2014 and builds connected Wi-Fi home security cameras and also a new video doorbell just launched earlier this week.  Blink was started via a crowdfunding campaign where it raised more than 1 million US$.

The Blink Video Doorbell can be used either wired or wirelessly running from 2 AA batteries and allows you to watch a HD real time image whilst speaking to whoever is at the door.  It also has motion alerts, video capture and night vision.  The Blink video doorbell is IP65 so is water resistant for outdoor use.

Amazon has recently been gearing up for what are termed home entry products such as the Amazon Key and Cloud Cam that will allow Amazon delivery drivers to enter your home or parts of it to make a safe delivery, within their allocated time slot and monitored by the Amazon Cloud Cam.  The Blink technology may help them assimilate the doorbell into the system in some way.

Amazon is making some serious forays into the smart home market, the amazing success of the Alexa products has really catapulted Amazon into lead position over Google, Apple and other technology companies.

Merry Xmas to everyone

Christmas 2017 is here, We even had a visit from Tim Newton from the Thaiger who brought Santa to see us in the office.

Tim from the Thaiger brings Santa to the H3 Digital Office.

2017 was a great year, we accomplished loads and had a truck load of fun doing it.  Amazons Alexa technology was the breakout Smart Home technology which came on leaps and bounds.  I currently use Alexa in my own home in Chiang Mai (1 Echo and 2 Dots) to control my Sonos music system and my Philips Hue Smart Lights. Also Spotify came to our shores at the fantastic price of only 129 baht a month I can listen to just about any music I want to - Even Xmas compilations - arrgghhh!!!.

We've got a load of plans for 2018, Our new Phuket headquarters/office should be ready by March and we can't wait.  The home cinema may take a while longer but we expect to move in by mid 2018.  We also expect to be doing more for our ReBoot initiative with the kids at BaanYa, details to follow shortly.

Hope everyone had a great Xmas and enjoys their New Year celebrations.

Handover - Sonos Sound System at Surin Beach Apartment

Another satisfied customer.  Xmas is just around the corner and we are busy finishing up a lot of audio and visual systems for our clients to enjoy.

H3 Digital's Rob Hobbs hands over Jacky's Sonos and Big Screen TV project

Jacky wanted to equip his newly refurbished apartment at Suriyana, Surin Beach with Sonos multi room audio throughout.  He came to the right people, we've got more than a decade of experience with Sonos and installing home music systems.

Sonos Play 3

Jacky opted for 4 individual zones of audio with in-ceiling speakers for Living Room, Bedrooms and Kitchen, a stereo pair of Play:3s in his upstairs office and a Sonos Playbar and Sub for the Living Room TV.

Sonos Playbar

Flexson TV Mount for Sonos Playbar

We used Flexson’s Cantilever wall-mount that allows the Playbar to move in unison with TV for a great viewing and listening clarity as well as looking the business.

Customer Handover - Chiang Mai Home

This week we completed the smart home systems for Gerry in Chiangmai.  Gerry had a new villa built for him in the Hang Dong area and was interested in making sure his new villa was going to be up to date with home technology, easy to use and most importantly fun.  He wanted movies and music for his family to enjoy in all areas of his new villa.

H3 Digital MD Ben Hobbs presents Gerry with his Smart Home handover pack.

Nuvo P200 and in-ceiling speakers.

We installed for Gerry a multi room audio system from Nuvo in his Living Room/Lounge, Office, Bar Area, Swimming Pool/Sala, Gym and Terrace areas.  This consists of a Nuvo P200 music amplifier for each room (but housed in an equipment rack in the M&E room) and a mixture of in-ceiling and outdoor architectural speakers also from Nuvo.   

Chiang Mai Smart Home Villa - Audio & Video by H3 Digital

This allows Gerry and his family to access the system from any iPhone, iPad or Android device and play music from USB, Internet radio or any music stored anywhere on his home network.  They can control volume and songs in each individual room or group them into one or more party zones all playing the same audio.

Music all around the swimming pool

Gerry opted for a 65"OLED TV from LG for his Living Room.  This 4k TV is fed via one of our Reference:Movie4k media centres and controlled via Logitech Harmony Elite and Smart Hub.  Movies and Music are streamed from the internet or stored on his 16Tb server.

Nuvo In-Ceiling Speakers

Two more rooms feature Reference:MovieHD media centres which stream in Full HD to the kids room and the office area.  Both these areas utilise the harmony Ultimate Touch screen remotes for one-touch control.

We also supplied and installed the wifi for the villa, 4 access points, network switches and ethernet/cat-5 to key points within the villa.  

Home Cinemas of the Rich and Famous - Playboy Mansion

The Playboy Mansion

Hugh Heffner bought the Playboy Mansion back in 1971 for just over $1 million, a huge amount at the time.  It Recently sold for $100 million. 

Notorious for it's parties, especially during the 1970's when Hugh hosted lavish parties - The mansion is described as Gothic-Tudor in style.

Playboy was founded in 1953.

Extra Seats come out for Movie night.

Home Cinema (Hugh called it the movie room) seating area.

When you host lavish parties it's important that your guests have somewhere to kick back, relax and watch a movie on the home cinema.  The movie room at the Playboy Mansion features a drop down cinema screen and a built in pipe organ(?).

Hugh had three movie nights a week at the Mansion, mostly Hugh's favourite films from the 1950's.

Recently the Playboy Mansion has been used for screening movies and movie parties, like the one pictured above for the movie Parker.

Nuvo Outdoor Speaker Delivery

We really like the Nuvo range of speakers and especially the excellent range of outdoor speakers.  We've installed literally thousands of Nuvo speakers and they are exceptional quality, I can count on one hand the number that we have had to replace under our excellent guarantee (3 years unconditional).

Our excellent range of Nuvo speakers are back in stock.

We've just received a big delivery, so if you are after bringing your music outside, by the swimming pool, on the terrace or in your restaurant or Hotel, then now is a good time to get in contact.

The Nuvo range includes in-ceiling speakers, in-wall speakers, outdoor speakers and Rock speakers.  They also have individual Stereo speakers (a single speaker that outputs stereo music as if it was a pair of speakers).

James Bond Yacht

It's not really James Bond's, hes a fictional character (we think).  But it does look something like we imagine him or an arch nemesis of his would be seen aboard.

The Ocean Emerald is a gorgeous SuperYacht that we worked on a few years ago, we were back on it today to do some updates and install a new Blu Ray player.

It's a 41m Custom yacht was built in 2006 by Rodriquez Yachts and last refitted in 2015. Foster & Partners is responsible for her beautiful exterior and interior design. 

You may have seen this Yacht in the remake of the film Point Break (it wasn't as good as the original).   We installed a Sonos sound system for listening to music, a media centre for all the latest in HD movies whilst you are at sea.  The cabins all feature logitech harmony touch remote control's hooked up to smart hubs so they can be used without needing direct line of sight for the IR.

It's available to charter if you'd like to rent it for the week at around 100,000 US$.

Handover - Cachet Resort Hotel sound system (pt2)

We first installed the sound system at the Dewa Hotel in Nai Yang in 2008.  They approached us for help in providing music around their resort which could be easily controlled via keypads by their staff. 

We installed a Nuvo Grand Concerto for them, with a number of in-ceiling and outdoor speakers and interfacing with a number of ipod docks they could listen to different music in different areas, the staff could just tap a keypad to turn it on and off in each area and the volume could be controlled for background music or parties.

Because it's a high end resort the music system needed to run flawlessly, be simple to use and just work.

It did and we didn't hear back from Dewa until recently when we were asked to give the system a boost with a new outdoor music area where they will be hosting live music and DJ's for a variety of events in the future.  

Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket handover with Rob Hobbs and David Laris from Cachet Hotel Group. H3 Digital were asked by Lars Ydmark and the Cachet Hotel Group to add a new area at Dewa Resort Phuket where they could host a live DJ and create a lively party atmosphere as an addition to their existing background music system which was installed throughout the resort in 2008.

Lars had this to say about working with H3 Digital again:

“Always a pleasure working with H3 Digital. This time around it was for a turn key solution for the delivery and installation of sound system in the ‘Cachet Pool Club’ at Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket.

Thank you again H3 Digital for your continued professionalism in your field. ”

— Lars Ydmark, Managing Director - Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket

First IMAX Home Cinema in Europe

CE Pro reports on Wuropes first IMAX Home Cinema Project in a London home. IMAX is originally a 70 mm motion picture film format which displays images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems.  In the home theatre context it will consist of multiple high end projectors to give a bigger/better picture quality and a proprietary sound system to deliver the impressive sound range.

Are you prepared to hear the cost? Well don't fall off your chair, this home cinema costs an amazing 1 million pounds, money well spent, if you have it.  Here's CE's roundup

"CE Pro Europe presents an exclusive look at the new IMAX home cinema just completed by London based integration company Cornflake.

Marking a genuine milestone in the industry, getting IMAX tech into a home set-up is not without its challenges, so naturally CE Pro was keen to find out and deliver the full story.

In detail, this luxurious 15-seat theatre has three tiers of seating and a 5.5m wide floor-to-ceiling curved IMAX screen. The reclining seats are equipped with professional 3D glasses (in a range of adult and child sizes), while a Dual 4K (2D/3D) projector is teamed with IMAX’s proprietary sound system to deliver impressive images and sound. The cinema is also completely sound-proofed to mitigate noise being heard elsewhere within the property.

Built deep below ground, the room in total cost a cool £1 million. Building the three tiers the client wanted was no mean feat as the basement floor had to be lowered by one metre to create the space needed.

Stretched fabric walling – dyed to match the client’s blue interior design scheme – and an acoustically-transparent screen conceal the speakers and sub-woofers that ensure viewers are enveloped in sound.

David Hanson, general manager EMEA for IMAX Home Entertainment, explains, “We offer three cinema design templates for home use – Platinum, Palais and Prestige. This exemplary project is based on the Theatre Palais option and brings the same philosophy used in the world’s leading IMAX theatres to small and medium-sized private home theatres, where between five to 20 seats are required.”

To create an IMAX cinema, space of around 80-150m2 (480-760sqft) and a ceiling height between 2.4m-3.8m is needed.

The client was blown away with the performance of the system

Taking it to the IMAX!

So how did the project come about, existing client or something else?

Robin Shephard, CEO of Cornflake, says, “We had already been appointed by the client and the property developer to design and install a package of integrated technology solutions for a property that was being completely refurbished in London. The house benefits from an impressive array of services including a sophisticated security set-up; HVAC, lighting and amazing projected artworks throughout. We were delighted to be commissioned to also manage the IMAX installation and other AV functions across the stunning property.”

Ce Pro also wanted to know if the client came to the project wanting IMAX or did that develop later? Robin explains, “The client wanted ‘The best viewing experience’ in a dedicated cinema to go alongside his dedicated ‘listening’ room. As Cornflake is brand-agnostic, and offers a highly bespoke service, we were able to propose several alternatives for a state-of-the-art home theatre.

“We have been designing and installing home cinemas for over 15 years now so we’re fortunate to have many installations where we can take prospective clients to view different systems, plus of course we have a reference grade home theatre in our London showroom where the client was able to road test kit for several hours.  However, as this is the first residential IMAX install in Europe, the client had to visit Shanghai to review a similar set up installed in a hotel there. The research side of this job is great!”

So what are the particular challenges in translating IMAX technology to a home?

John Fitzpatrick, technical manager for Cornflake, takes up the story, “The biggest challenge, especially in central London where prime real estate commands a premium price per square foot, is space. In order to create an IMAX certified room you need a dedicated area of at least 480sqft with a minimum ceiling height of 2.4m – which is larger than the average living room – to accommodate the screen and tiered seating to the required proportions; so it’s a serious decision to dedicate all that space to such a specialist room.

“But, if everyone loves films and shared family-time is important then this is a room where you’ll spend many happy and fun hours together, and for some clients that is justification enough for creating a home cinema.”

John adds, “The quality of the fit-out can also be a sensitive area. UHNW clients frequently demand top-level finishing and their exquisite interior design schemes are often on a par with international boutique hotels. In this instance the client’s expectations for the room design were significantly higher than IMAX’s recommended specifications, so we were in the sensitive position of helping to guide the IMAX team and deliver a project which ticked everyone’s boxes.

“IMAX delivers exemplary cinematic equipment, but we had to ensure the space would exceed the client’s brief in all areas, not just system performance. To this end we worked closely with the appointed interior designer to develop the aesthetics and styling of the room. The combination of top technology with ultra-stylish design has created a room that is out of this world.”

The kit that delivers the IMAX experience
As well as a world-class cinema experience, does the cinema accommodate gaming and other forms of entertainment? John explains, “For this particular project it was a client-driven decision to include several source components to ensure flexibility and maximum choice, these included IMAX’s Movie Server, a Kaleidescape Movie Server and an Apple TV. Cornflake also advised that due provision was made for further sources to be added with ease at any point in the future, such as games consoles, Sky or similar subscription based TV services. As media options become more sophisticated and children mature into teens, it’s always good to build in future-proofing to keep abreast of changing needs.”

Part of the set up is that the cinema carries out its own self calibration each day, so how does this work?

John says, “This is IMAX’s own unique technology. In brief, cameras mounted to the lens assembly within the projector constantly interpret the picture on screen and adjust the image accordingly to deliver consistent quality. It’s visionary technology especially combined with IMAX’s 24/7 remote system performance monitoring.”

So now its all fired up and working, what is the team’s stand-out feature, when compared to a standard cinema?

Mark Withers, senior home cinema consultant for Cornflake, enthuses, “Unlike many home cinemas, a home IMAX has quite a commercial feel to it. When you step into a private IMAX you literally leave the rest of the property behind and enter another world. The room feels weirdly detached from the rest of the home due to its unique set up and styling. It’s hugely immersive due to the sheer size of the space, the quality of the furnishings and fittings, and the hushed calm feel of the space as a whole.

“The scale of the image on the giant screen is akin to the sensation of being in a modern multiplex cinema – with a far greater luxe factor than in the average high street chain. IMAX’s award-winning 3D technology is also class-leading and completely unlike anything most film buffs will have seen before. In this particular installation, the room affords the height of luxury and no expense was spared to make it by far the most captivating in the home. The owner and his family were completely blown away by the experience.”

So with one under it’s belt, is Cornflake planning any more? Mark comments, “The IMAX brand is the epitome of luxury and a private IMAX is undoubtedly a covetable status mark. For home owners with the budget and space it is now a real viable option. We have several clients currently considering and comparing set-ups, and a second IMAX project that is nearing sign-up. Let’s be honest, like all new technology, there is a learning curve.

“Essentially we are taking a system designed for enormous amphitheatres and making it work to the same stunning capacity, but in a much smaller space, whilst at the same time integrating it with all of the other household requirements (e.g. lighting, movie servers, streamed content, etc). Hands up… this install presented challenges and was a steep learning curve for Cornflake, but nothing was insurmountable, and we worked closely with the IMAX team to deliver a first-class theatre. With this project under our belt we are looking forward to a strong ongoing partnership with IMAX and delivering many more exciting theatres.”

Mark adds, “Cornflake is not IMAX’s exclusive partner – preferring to remain brand agnostic and true to our independent roots – but, in reality, there are probably very few UK companies that could manage the complexity of design and install to achieve the quality of performance demanded by both the client and IMAX. The experience we have gained from this first install has been invaluable and we will of course build on it for future projects. Watch this space for the next one – due to be signed up just in time for the festive film fest.”

IMAX kit list

Dual 4K 2D/3D projectors
Advanced image super enhancer
lmmersive IMAX curved screen and movable frame
Proprietary IMAX sound system
Media server
Blu-ray player

Support for additional sources (DVD, CD, streaming, gaming, karaoke), touch-screen control pad with dedicated control system

20 pairs (adults) + 5 pairs (kids) of professional 3D glasses

Space requirement: ~480 – ~760 sq.ft"

https://ce-pro.eu/2017/11/27/exclusive-cornflake-delivers-first-imax-home-cinema-europe/

Gerard Butlers Home Cinema

Ever wonder what sort of home theatre setups that the film stars of cinema have at home?

Gerard Butlers NY Loft home has just gone on sale for 6 million dollars. for movie viewing he has a drop-down screen and projector system in his Lounge (if you can call it that). 

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Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor, producer and singer.  After studying law, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as Mrs Brown (1997), the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Tale of the Mummy (1998).

In 2000, he starred as Dracula in the horror film Dracula 2000 with Christopher Plummer and Jonny Lee Miller. He subsequently played Attila the Hun in the miniseries Attila (2001) and then appeared in the films Reign of Fire with Christian Bale (2002), and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life with Angelina Jolie (2003), before playing André Marek in the adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction adventure Timeline (2003). 

He then was cast as the role of Erik, The Phantom in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film adaptation of the musical The Phantom of the Opera alongside Emmy Rossum. That role earned him a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor.

Although Attila and The Phantom of the Opera were important breaks, it was only in 2007 that Butler gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's fantasy war film 300. That role earned him nominations for an Empire Award for Best Actor and a Saturn Award for Best Actor and a win for MTV Movie Award for Best Fight. In the 2010s, he voiced the role of Stoick the Vast in the animated action-fantasy film How to Train Your Dragon, a role he later reprised in Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (2010), Gift of the Night Fury (2011) and How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014).

He played military leader Tullus Aufidius in the 2011 film Coriolanus, a modernized adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. He also played Sam Childers in the 2011 action biopic Machine Gun Preacher.

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We love the shabby chic look of the place, the cinema screen kind of fits with the decor, perhaps we were expecting something a little more in your face but the drop down screen fits well in the home. 

The screen can be brought down when required and doesn't take over the feel of the whole home when not in use.  On-Wall speakers (are they Leons or Triads?) take care of the sound and again aren't too imposing.