Your Living Room/Family Room

Couch Mouse M515

With today’s portability of electronics, people may be trading in their office chairs and desks for more comfortable surroundings more frequently. Perhaps in the traditional popularity of over-stuffed chairs and couches in coffeeshops, people who use their laptops at home are opting for the comforts of their own living room seating, at least enough are to warrant Logitech’s creation of the first Couch Mouse M515, which is completely optimized for soft surfaces, such as couches, beds or carpets. Now you can immediately go from watching your favorite movie on your flat-screen TV in front of your TV lift cabinet to pulling out your laptop and surfing the Internet without being bound to use the small, awkward finger pad present on most laptops. Logitech has made it possible to surf, shop and socialize with ease.

Now if you’re a real traditionalist and don’t like the idea of burning through batteries to have a wireless device, Logitech claims that the mouse will run for two years before needing a battery change. And to eliminate the need for smoothing out soft, bumpy surfaces, what makes the M515 mouse unique is the ability to spin through web pages with a finger-controlled roller-wheel on the top of the mouse.

The mouse works through a USB port on Windows-based PCs and Mac® computers. It comes complete with a 3-year limited hardware warranty, two AA batteries, a Logitech Unifying receiver and user documentation, all for around $50 USD.

The other nice part of this mouse is that it is only active when you are gripping it, so your cursor won’t move around on its own when you shift on your bed or couch. It also had a sealed bottom to prevent fuzz and fabric from getting inside through the sensor opening. Operating with a 2.4 GHz wireless speed, you won’t experience any lag time, delays or dropouts. Its hyper-fast scrolling allows you to burn through long blog posts, Twitter updates and Facebook feeds as fast as the eye can read. You can also switch the mouse to a click-to-click mode and scroll through photo albums and emails one at a time.

Check out the new Logitech Couch Mouse M515 and let us know what you think. And tell us, where do you most often use your laptop at home?

Very likely, Microsoft beat its own quota for selling the Kinect this Christmas shopping season. Planning to sell five million units before December 25^th, it is estimated that sales actually topped six million units. Many customers even found the Kinect a hard item to locate in stores, but those who opened them on Christmas morning were likely spending the rest of the day moving and grooving to games like Dance Central or playing with their new pets on Kinectimals.

But now that the holidays are gone, and visiting families have traveled back to their homes (and work), the Kinect is giving people the opportunity to reconnect via video chat from the comfort of their own couch. Utilizing Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger and an active Xbox LIVE Gold membership, users can initiate a video chat with any one or more than 300 million Messenger users worldwide, which means the other party does not have to have a Kinect too, as long as they have a webcam and a computer with Internet access.

Now, thanks to the Kinect, you can sit back in your favorite chair or on the couch, raise your TV out of your TV lift cabinet, turn on your Xbox 360 and video chat with your family.

ImportAdvantage receives numerous positive comments about its products every day. However, there is a saying that goes “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so we are asking our customers to share with us pictures of their TV lifts in action. Whether you have come up with a unique use for our TV lift mechanism, the Uplift, or you have purchased one of our fine handcrafted TV lift cabinets, we want to see how it looks in your home.

We have created some of the industry’s finest TV lift cabinets, and with our factory-direct pricing and outstanding customer service we have been satisfying customers since 2003. And while we appreciate all the positive reviews our customers leave for our products, there is just nothing like a photo of one of our TV lifts at its final destination – your home’s living room, at the foot of your bed, in your office, or perhaps some other creative place you’ve discovered.

Perhaps you have taken some snapshots of the day you received your TV lift cabinet through our free White Glove Delivery service, or how you converted a family heirloom into a brand new, custom pop-up TV cabinet. If you have a photo, we want to see it.

Please send us your photo and short story of what you like about your TV lift cabinet to info@importadvantage.com. Who knows, your photo may end up in a future ImportAdvantage blog post or on our website!

Are you an interior designer, or are you thinking about hiring one to decorate your home? Interior designers love ImportAdvantage’s line of TV lift cabinets, and here’s why.

Our pop-up TV cabinets can create that “WOW” effect in any room, and their performance is unmatched by any other vendor.

Our TV lifts are incredibly reliable, easy to use and quiet, and designers are always looking for the best furnishings for their clients, especially since they are putting their names on the work they do for their clients. No designer wants to be responsible for recommending a product that is going to fail, even if they have no control over making that product.

Designers also look for a solid warranty for every product they suggest, just in case the improbable does happen. And with ImportAdvantage, every product we sell comes standard with a free 1 Year In-Home Warranty, with an option to upgrade to a 5-Year Total Care Warranty, which covers against damages like liquid marks or stains, burns and scratches.

And most importantly, designers are always looking for top-notch products that are also affordable for their clients, and ImportAdvantage helps people save up to 50% off retail prices because they are shopping direct from the factory. It’s no wonder why designers love to work with us, and we think you will too!

Most people can remember when VHS moved over and made room for DVDs. Today, all the buzz is about Blu-ray movies and Blu-ray players. But what’s great about a Blu-ray?

For one, a Blu-ray disc can hold about 10 times more data than a standard DVD disc, which is great for high-definition videos and behind-the-scenes extras. The name itself, Blu-ray, comes from the blue laser used in the player to read the disc. Standard DVD players read information with a red laser, which has a longer wavelength and takes longer to read information stored on the DVD.

For a short time, Blu-ray discs were competing with HD (high-definition) DVD discs, but now most major movie studios, movie rental companies and even makers of Sony’s Playstation 3 have announced they will only be producing Blu-ray discs, simply because a higher quality picture can be placed on the disc, as well as more content in general.

At ImportAdvantage, however, it does not matter if you have Blu-ray player, a DVD player, or even a VHS player, all of them will work behind closed doors thanks to our patented Infrared Relay System, which comes standard in every TV lift cabinet we make.

Have you been fortunate enough to inherit some of the furniture in your home? If so, lucky you! You probably have some beautiful, hand-crafted heirloom pieces, handed down throughout your family, with wonderful stories and memories attached to each! And what about you partner? Did they also inherit meaningful pieces from well-intended relatives? Again – lucky you! Or, maybe not…

Of course you love the connection and sentiment each piece brings to you, your family, and your home, but “too many hand-me-downs” can make your décor appear like something Sybil (from the 1976 biographical film about a girl who had multiple personalities?) might have created! Yikes! What to do?

While it may be difficult to integrate Great Aunt Edna’s pristine mahogany curio cabinet with Great Uncle Frank’s pine wagon-wheel coffee table – all within the confines of your family room, help is here…in the form of TV lift technology!

State-of-the-art TV lifts bring your family room into the 21st century – regardless of the era of all of the rest of your furniture!

TV lift technology allows you to remotely “raise” your TV from a cabinet or console when its time for TV watching. When TV time is over, the TV lift quietly lowers the TV (and all its accoutrements – cable box, DVD player, wires, etc.) back into its “hiding place” within the cabinet/console.

TV lift cabinets and consoles are available in hand-crafted designs, made from fine wood, including cherry, oak, pine, and yes – even mahogany (to coordinate with the Aunt Edna’s curio!) This beautiful new cabinet/console will complement your inherited heirloom pieces; not compete with them! Because each cabinet is custom-made for your TV, space, and décor, specific design elements that you may already have integrated in other pieces of furniture can be incorporated into your TV lift cabinet/console as well!

Investment protection is another benefit of TV lift technology. Because the TV itself is bolted to the TV lift, it cannot be easily jostled. Furthermore, since the TV “disappears” into the cabinet when not in use, there is little chance for the screen to be scratched or smudged.

With TV lift technology and the customization it offers, you no longer have to “think twice” before accepting (furniture) pieces of family history!

Spring is still a little ways away, but why not get yourself in the mood by starting a little spring cleaning?  It would be better to get it done now while the weather is still less than pleasant.  You wouldn’t want to spend the first nice day of spring inside scrubbing and sweeping.

If you do plan on getting a head start, don’t forget to clean an important part of your home that often gets overlooked:  your entertainment center.  Below are a few tips to consider so that you can make your entertainment center both clean and organized.

1)Take Stock:  Most people keep their DVD/VHS/Blue-Ray Disc collection in their entertainment centers.  Take some time to make sure that all of the actual discs are in their right box and that all the boxes are in their right spot. Perhaps you could go through your collection and remove the movies that you don’t want as often and move them to a storage location. Keep your center up to date with your current trends.

2)Check Behind:  You’d be surprised at what you might find behind your entertainment center. Pull your unit away from the wall and make sure to clean whatever you may find.

3)Dust:  This is important.  Dust build ups can contribute to you getting sick.  To fight this, you’ll need to dust everywhere.  This means actually removing everything in or on your entertainment center and really giving the whole unit a good dusting.  This will keep your house clean and your family healthy.

If you are the kind of person who doesn’t have the time to do a full-scale spring cleaning, then at least try to accomplish these three tips.  They are important and will help you feel better about your home.

If you’re considering buying a new television set, you will also need to consider how you are going to have your new TV set displayed.

Although several options are available at ImportAdvantage.com to display a TV, one option you may want to consider is a TV stand.

A TV stand allows you to display your television, store gaming systems, and your audio/visual equipment.  There is also a built-in vent and fan that is designed to keep your equipment safe and cool.  Our models also have the Infrared technology to allow you to change channels without opening the cabinet doors.

Here are some tips to keep in mind while you look for your TV stand.

1) Color – We have a variety of colors available in our TV stand selection.  Make sure to do some browsing to ensure that the TV stand you chose, will fit into your home decor.

2) Size – If you spend the money on a TV stand, you want to make sure that it will actually fit into your house.  Once its in your house, you want to make sure it will fit into the room where you plan on having your TV.  You also want to make sure that the TV stand you select is also large enough to support your brand new TV.

3) Storage Capability – Some models have more storage space than others.  If you only need space for your TV and your DVD player, you won’t need as much storage space.  But if you’d also like to try to fit your DVD collection, then you’ll need a bigger storage space.  Take some extra time to see which TV stand will have the storage capacity to best suit your needs.

Researching to find which TV stand is the perfect fit for your home is important.  Hopefully these tips will help make that process easier.

Do you have young ones in your house?  Do you have teenagers in your house?  Do you have husbands who like to watch sports in your house?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you know what dangers a playing child can present to a large and expensive television.  A bouncing ball, a baseball bat, Nerf gun darts, or just some living room wrestling can threaten to damage your TV.

But you don’t want to stop your kids from getting exercise and having fun.  This is especially true when the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor playtime.

Import Advantage can help you solve these problems.  With the help of a TV lift cabinet, you can ensure that your television stays safe and you kids stay active.  A TV lift cabinet is a piece of furniture that actually contains a mechanical lift system.

Let’s say that the kids want to play in the family room.  You can use a remote control to tell the cabinet to retract the TV.  The TV will slowly descend into the safety of wooden cabinet where it is in no danger of the playing children.  A few hours later, you decide that you’d like to watch your favorite show.  Well then, just use the remote to have the TV come back out of the cabinet.

A TV lift cabinet is simple, safe, and ensures that everyone can have a good time.

We, at ImportAdvantage.com, were happy to have recently connected with Bev and Mike Landfair from Landfair Furniture & Design which is located in the heart of Portland, Oregon. With each having the background and experience in the furniture and design industries, they offer the finest furniture selection to meet the distinct needs of their customers and fellow interior designers. Both Bev and Mike enjoy working together with the successes of their business as well as running their own Landfair Furniture Blog. Their blog offers tips on choosing the right furniture size for your space, introducing new design artists and their inspirations, to even mastering the perfect lighting for home parties and other events. Their love and commitment to pleasing their customers and readers shines through in each and every post and we feel lucky to have had the chance to connect with them. Make sure to stop by Landfair Furniture & Design and Landfair Furniture Blog and tell Bev and Mike we said hello!