Manage Your Leads with BHI's New Strategic Partner, BuildTopia

The new strategic partnership between Builder Homesite and BuildTopia, which was announced today, has made the lives of builders who use NewHomeSource.com a lot easier. While they may be used to getting great exposure online due to BHI's other partnerships with sites like Zillow, Yahoo! Real Estate, and AOL Real Estate, builders may not have been able to effectively manage all of the leads from those sites.

With BuildTopia's BTLead, builder can now have access to a web-based lead management tool that is feature-rich and designed specifically for the home building industry.

Read more about this partnership in this press release.

2008 International CES Innovations Awards Program: Latest and Greatest Technology Products

by David Hanchette, EH Publishing

Looking to wow your customers? Look no further than the 2008 International CES Innovations Awards Program, which honors the latest, the coolest and the most intriguing technology available today.

The categories include Audio, Computer Accessories, Digital Imaging, Electronic Gaming, Home Theater, Integrated Home Systems, In Vehicle, Wireless and much, much more.

The Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Program, which recognizes the most innovative consumer electronics (CE) products in the industry's hottest product categories, is featured in a special display at the 2008 International CES.  The awards provide a one-stop shop of dazzling demonstrations and product presentations that, unlike the entire CES show floor, can be covered in just a few hours.

A few favorites:

Category: Audio Components
Company: Bowers & Wilkins
Product: Zeppelin
The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is a one-piece amplified speaker system and docking station that transforms an iPod into an astonishingly capable, yet highly compact, stereo music system.  Sounds great, looks excellent.
Link: www.bowers-wilkins.com

Category: Digital Imaging
Company: Sanyo Fisher Company
Product: Sanyo Xacti E1
The world’s first waterproof camcorder takes both underwater video and six megapixel still photos above or below water.  Hold your breath and shoot some video.
Link: www.us.sanyo.com

Category: Electronic Gaming
Company: Lightglove
Product: LtWv Wrist Vmote
LtWv is a revolutionary human interface device worn on the wrist like a watch that will bridge the gap between man and machine with light.  Try to keep it from the kids.
Link: www.lightglove.com

Category: Home Theater
Company: Logitech
Product: Logitech Harmony One
The Harmony One remote features a color touch screen as well as a button layout and design advancements – based on extensive ergonomic and usability research – delivering greater navigation simplicity than ever before.  Makes your coffee look cool.
Link: www.logitech.com

Category: Integrated Home Systems
Company: SE2 Labs
Product: ITC One
World’s first personalized, compact, all-in-one, plug-and-play, entertainment system, which allows a variety of components that would normally take up several shelves to be contained in one small unit.  Takes compact to a new level.
Link: www.se2labs.com

Category: In Vehicle
Company: Navigon
Product: Navigon 7100
A composite of handsome lines and graceful curves, this is a bold new approach to a superb GPS navigation experience.  Sleek design befits any automobile preference.
Link: www.navigon.com

Category: Wireless
Company: Pantech
Product: SKY Shooting Star
The Drop phone, designed by fuseproject, is a fully-functioning intuitive phone with a fashionable aesthetic and seamless exterior.  It resembles a drop of water, with refined taste and sophistication.
Link:  www.pantech.com

Category: Computer Accessories
Company: Yoggie Security Systems, Inc.
Product: Yoggie Pico
Yoggie Pico is a USB key – sized Personal Security Computer with 13 security applications.  It blocks Internet threats outside the PC and boosts performance by offloading the security software.  Small, secure, simple.
Link: www.yoggie.com

After three days of crisscrossing aisles, listening to new product pitches and experiencing 140,000 people of all shapes, smells, and sizes, the show of new technology goodies in the electronics world was over.  Beyond the products listed above, there were others – Sooloos Server, 32GD SD card, Pioneer 9mm Plasma, JVC 180 LCD panels, DTS two-channel algorithm surround, and Dolby image enhancement – that added enough spice and excitement to make the head spin.

If looking for the latest and greatest technology, the 2008 International CES was the place to be.

Electrical Safety: A Wise Upgrade Investment

Sponsored by Square D

One important safety upgrade area is the home’s electrical system.  Until recently, home circuit protection hasn’t fundamentally changed in 100 years.  Potentially life-saving new technologies like arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are now available to make homes safer.  AFCIs actually prevent fires from occurring by shutting off the electrical circuit before an actual fire results.  The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that AFCIs could prevent more than 50 percent of electrical fires.

Choosing a Dishwasher: You Don't Have to Do the Dirty Work

We all know how much of a time-saver a dishwasher can be. What you may not know is all the new and innovative ways to do dishes. They're definitely not the dishwashers you're used to.

Drawer Dishwashers