Content about the New York Times

An article in the New York Times examines the improvements in remote control home automation.

Among the companies mentioned in the article titled: “Controlling the ‘Smart Home’ With Tablets and Smartphones,” are Nest, Belkin, Philips and Comcast’s Xfinity Home.

The article examines the issue of stand-alone performance versus whole-home connectivity.

Sometimes, the editorial offices of Home Channel News will get sample products to review. Seldom do we write a full commentary about them.

The Rescue! Pop! Fly Trap is one of those rare products worthy of a commentary.

I don’t like the name. It contains too many exclamation points. (The New York Times editors have a longstanding rule: they can use one exclamation point per century.)

But, man, does that thing catch flies!

An article in the New York Times explains the virtues of cross-laminated timber, or CLT, in building applications -- including a nine-story tower.

According to an article in the New York Times, Scott the Scot of Scotts Miracle-Gro’s new ad campaign was created to instruct and educate.

The ad campaign comes after the Marysville, Ohio-based lawn care giant expanded its advertising budget to about $135 million, up from about $85 million, according to the article. The character on the commercial, played by a Scottish actor named Phil McKee, provides expert advice in a Scottish accent.

Emotions are running high over the building materials to be used to replace Coney Island, N.Y.'s famous boardwalk, according to an article in the New York Times.

While community members clamor for wood to be used to repair stretches of the 2.7 mil boardwalk, authorities are suggesting easier-to-maintain non-wood alternatives.

An article in the New York Times points to a radical new design of an everyday home item: the programmable thermostat. 

In an article titled: "A thermostat that's clever, not clunky," the Nest Learning Thermostat gets a positive review. The product is designed by Tony Fadell, who helped design the Apple iPod. 

Warroad, Minn.-based Marvin Windows and Doors has refused to fire employees during the downturn. An article in the New York Times explains the company's reasons.

An ambitious plan to retrofit and upgrade buildings with no tax dollars and no up-front costs to owners is gaining momentum, according to an article in the New York Times.

According to an article in the New York Times, a Montana home builder is promoting construction using Made in USA materials. It's not that easy.

 In fact, the general contractor who came up with the idea, Anders Lewendal, said it's probably not possible to achieve 100% compatibility to the all-American building approach, according to the article. But if all builders sought American-made products, the impact could be beneficial.

An article in the New York Times examines the names paint companies give to colors, including Sherwin-Williams' "Synergy" to Ace Paint's "Hey There!"

In the article, Lyne Castonguay, Home Depot's VP paint, said it's important for neutral colors and color combos to have names that make emotional connections with consumers. Home Depot's Behr Collection colors include such names as "Rejuvenate" and "Cozy Cottage."

After reports of numerous burn injuries, Duluth, Ga.-based Napa Home and Garden issued a "precautionary hold" on sales of its gel burners and gel fuels. 

According to the company, the decorative firepots made by Napa and other suppliers are sold in most major mass market retailers and thousands of independent stores.

According to an article in the New York Times, Home Depot's executive VP merchandising Craig Menear is among those encouraging alternatives to expensive plastic packages.

Plastic packaging known as clamshells -- the kind that usually require cutting tools to open -- are being affected by the price of oil. The article reports Wal-Mart has pledged to reduce its packaging by 5% in the five years ending 2013.