This just in! The new edition of our corporate newsletter, Smart Times, is complete and ready for your viewing pleasure.

This issue includes articles that cover our recent commercial and residential installations, highlight some of the best outdoor speakers available, and introduce new members of our SHSO team.

To view Smart Times #3 in PDF format, click HERE.

We’ll be displaying the newest products, software, and services for both your home and business needs, featuring Microsoft, Apple, Crestron, Control4, DirecTV & Dish, Samsung, and many others!

For more information regarding the 2011 Lansing Home and Garden Show, please call us at (517) 351-5171.



Cupertino, Calif. – Apple reported record revenue and net profit for its fiscal first quarter, ended Dec. 25.

Apple had revenue of $26.74 billion and record net quarterly profit of $6 billion.

These results compare with revenue of $15.68 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 38.5 percent compared with 40.9 percent in the year-ago quarter, and international sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple sold 7.33 million iPads during the quarter; 4.13 million Macs, a 23-percent increase over the prior year’s fiscal first quarter; 16.24 million iPhones, a whopping 86 percent jump in unit growth; and 19.45 million iPods, a 7 percent unit sales increase, also compared with the prior year’s fiscal first quarter.

“We had a phenomenal holiday quarter with record Mac, iPhone and iPad sales,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in a prepared statement. “We are firing on all cylinders and we’ve got some exciting things in the pipeline for this year, including iPhone 4 on Verizon, which customers can’t wait to get their hands on.”

Still, shares of Apple fell 3 percent prior to the release of the fiscal first-quarter report, based on news released yesterday that Jobs would take another leave from the company due to medical reasons.

While attempting to view any HD content, if your screen no longer produces a HD picture or appears “grainy”, your system has been restricted by the HDCP restrictions allowed in the AACS agreement and the Content Decryption Chip installed in all Blu-ray, satellite/cable top boxes (referred to as ST boxes), X-box, and PS3 systems since 2005.

Who will this affect?

Smart Homes does not want to alarm folks but we want to get the word out there… this has been kept pretty quiet and if we were not taking some advanced classes (last week), we would not have been able to pass on this information.

This system constraint will only affect your system if your HD content is being sent to your video device through a COMPONENT (red, green, and blue) cable from the source to the Display.

While this limitation does not affect everyone or every system, it will effect any system that utilizes a component cable and performs a “…firmware update…” after December 31, 2010, or during the use of any new pre-recorded content, such as DVD’s, Blu-ray DVD’s, gaming disc’s, and any “Pay per View” broadcasted content; (Avatar was the first DVD with this content protection enabled). Some video systems may require additional hardware installation in order to utilize HDMI cables, please see item # 2 below for further details.

If your system currently utilizes HDMI cables, then this restriction will not affect your system.

Bottom Line for Our Customers

Do not perform, or allow your equipment to perform, a “…firmware update…” after December 31, 2010, until you have verified which video cables your system utilizes (or contact us if you want us to review your system). We cannot reverse the firmware upgrade!!

1. HDMI Cable (see picture above): If your video content is being transmitted over this type of cable, then you will not be restricted by the Content Decryption Chip, and can allow your system components to perform the firmware updates as needed.
2. Component (Red, Green, and Blue) Cable: If your video content is being transmitted over this type of cable, then you WILL MOST LIKELY be affected by the restrictions put into affect by the AACS Adopter Agreement, and the Content Decryption Chip within your video equipment.

It may be necessary to install additional hardware that is capable of transferring HD content over HDMI cables, to be installed into your existing system, in order to function properly. If your video system currently utilizes a component type cable to transmit video signal to your video devices, then please contact Smart Homes @ 517.381.5171 to schedule an appointment for a system analysis. Smart Homes currently has a number of HDMI cables and a selection of hardware that can be used to eliminate this potential interruption of your HD viewing pleasure.