Oh hi! I’m Carley, the Home Technology girl for HGTV.com. I’m mildly obsessed with helping people improve their relationship with technology, and how they live with all the gadgets in their lives. Basically, in the Venn diagram where tech and home meet, that’s where you’ll find me, you know?

I’m new here at Design Happens, and I’m ready to answer any of your questions about tech— fire away!

Carley Knobloch

For my first post, I’d like to talk about an affliction that used to plague the living rooms of yesteryear: Ugly, bulky speakers. Take yourself back a few years, and remember what your family room set-up was like. Do you see a pair of big, black, bulky boxes, hulking near your television and busting up your beautiful decor? Or maybe you’re STILL looking at those boxes today, and thinking, I just. Can’t. Take it. Anymore. And don’t get me started about the miles of cables… not pretty.

Thankfully, speakers have gotten a major makeover: They’re slimmer, hipper, and have a serious case of wanderlust. They’re free to roam from room to room, adorning desktops, walls, shelves and bedside tables like beautiful objets, and they come in colorways to fit any room’s style.

Most wireless speakers work with Bluetooth technology, which connects your phone (and the music apps on it) to the speaker, allowing you to broadcast your favorite music somewhere between 15 and 30 feet away. Other speakers use WiFi (both speaker and mobile device connect to your home’s router), which has better range and better audio quality, but it can sometimes be a bit challenging to set up, and not all systems offer it as an option.

Either way, there are many beautiful options that makes these speakers a bona fide part of your room’s design story. Here are a few of my favorites:

Oree Pebble Speaker

1. Oree Pebble: The austere Oree pebble, available in walnut and white marble, looks like a minimal paperweight. It’s got a Bluetooth speaker inside, and can also wireless charge your smartphone. It would look fabulous in a minimal, modern space.

Clio Acrylic Bluetooth Speaker

2. Clio Bluetooth Speaker: If you’re lucky enough to have a bedroom with this ocean view, a speaker would junk it up, no matter how pretty it was! The Clio Bluetooth speaker uses a curved piece of clear acrylic to broadcast great sound while still letting the view shine through.

Zipp Wireless Speaker

3: Libratone Zipp Speaker: You can dress the entire range of Libratone speakers, including this colorful Zipp, with colorful wool sweaters to match the other pops of color in your space.

Tivoli Audio Music System

4. Tivoli Audio Music System:  For a more traditional space the Tivoli Audio Music System two has retro dials, clean lines and a walnut casing that would flatter any console. The difference? No wires or cables required to stream hi-fi sound from phones, computers or tablets.

Stelle Pillar Speaker

5: Stelle Pillar Speaker: If your decorating style has eastern influences, the pop of brass from this Stelle Pillar speaker will feel right at home among the jewel tones and exotic flowers. It has a 15-hour rechargeable battery and 360 degree sound so it can be heard all around your meditative space.

Tell me: What tech dilemma makes you lose sleep? Ask me in the comments below — I’m here to help.

In 1947, a brand-new invention called the “microwave oven” was introduced commercially at a whopping price of $495 (that’s $3,500 today). Читать далее →