(YouTube Video)

After a few weeks of setup, the Meister House is ready for Halloween 2008. Since we had the lights up to show to some friends, I took a few minutes to walk through the setup to show both our indoor and outdoor decorations.

We’ve got over a hundred animated figures inside the garage, all waiting for the kids to come and press their buttons or trigger their light sensors. Outside, we’ve got animated skeletons, giant inflatable decorations and a new entry: the computerized graveyard light show.

I’m looking forward to seeing the kids and their families and friends that always make the Halloween night a lively one here at the Meister House.

The Meister House is busy with work put into its Halloween makeover. The above photo is of a table full of indoor decorations that we put on display inside our over-sized garage for both our annual Halloween party, as well as Trick-or-Treat with all the kids a few days later.

There will be more pictures to come as things come together. It’s a lot of work, but the reaction Halloween gets here at the Meister House every year is worth it.

I’m currently working on a Halloween light-show project to add a little technology to this year’s display. I have a programmable light controller from D-Light Designs that allows a program called Aurora to tie light patterns in with music and video.

In the above video, I’m only using 7 of the 16 channels on the controller to do an initial test run using a light and music sequence available from Wowlights to make 5 gravestones come alive to the song “This is Halloween”.

I plan on adding at least two “singing” pumpkins over the next few weeks, and then move the display outwards to fit in with the rest of our annual Halloween decorations.

I’m currently typing away on my MacBook, connected to the Internet via a mobile EVDO connection that’s allowing me to surf the web at 65 miles per hour on the I-75 highway through Kentucky.

It’s kind of surreal to think about just how much has changed from the road trips of my youth, where our time spent in the family station wagon consisted of coloring books and games of calling out the states of license plates. I recall fondly trying to re-fold state highway maps before you miss your exit.

Now, however, I’m able to amuse myself by watching streamed television courtesy of Hulu, while the GPS automatically calls out directions to attactions, hotels and fuel stations.

I don’t even have to wait until I get home to have the film from my camera developed, as now I can take snapshots of interesting things I see along the way, then upload them to a photo hosting site like flickr or even just email them to friends and family directly.

Times have certainly changed, and I for one am enjoying it one digitally mobile mile at a time.

I found a good use for the media sharing capabilities of Microsoft’s Zune and XBox 360 during the family gathering for Christmas this year: musical slideshows.

I have a Zune with the monthly subscription that allows me to play unlimited music from Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace. However, if you also have an Xbox 360 connected to the same network as the system you have the Zune software loaded onto, you can play downloaded subscription music remotely through the 360 media player.

Additionally, you can share photos from the same system, so I had a slideshow going of old family Christmas photos on my HDTV in the family room, while a multi-hour playlist of Christmas favorites played through the home theater sound system. It made for a nice bit of background while we spent the holiday together.

There should be some celebrating going on in Columbus, Ohio tonight as my sister just received official word that she will promoted to the rank of Major in the US Air Force in the coming year. She previously won Public Health Officer of the Year in 2006 and continues to receive outstanding reviews from the Air Force.

Of course, now the race is on for my brother, a Captain in the US Army who became a commanding officer in South Korea in 2006, to reach Major prior to the next time he sees her. Otherwise, she’ll be SURE to make him salute her.

Do you have any technology-obsessed individuals on your shopping list?

I have two quick suggestions for the geeks on your list:

• ThinkGeek.com for the fun side of tech.
• USBGeek.com for a wide range of USB-based gadgets.