Home Automation archive
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Videx CyberLock - The Lock of the Future, Now!
Posted: Thursday, May 8, 2008
It’s 2008 and locks haven’t really changed much. Sure, we have RFID based access control systems and biometric (fingerprint) but those typically cost a lot and can’t be easily retrofitted. I just found out about a company called Videx and their Cyberlock system. CyberLock cylinders are electronic versions of standard mechanical lock cores so they ...Read
Friday, April 25, 2008
Oprah Showcases Home Automation!
Posted: Friday, April 25, 2008
Well folks, it looks like Home Automation is finally getting some prime time coverage! Today on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Nate Berkus will be showing off high-tech homes! The featured home uses technology by Control 4 (not my first choice in home automation technology — but oh well). They show how a “handheld screen or ...Read
Monday, April 21, 2008
CUWIN3500 - 7” Inwall Touchscreen Controller Running Embedded Windows CE
Posted: Monday, April 21, 2008
I’m always on the look out for a good priced touchscreen controller that I can put my custom home automation software on. I found the CUWIN 3500 by Comfile Technolgy, Inc. and it seems like they have a product offering that may suit my needs. Priced at $600, the unit is feature rich: - 7” ...Read
Thursday, April 3, 2008
AS SEEN ON TV: Jimmy Kimmel Has A Russound System?
Posted: Thursday, April 3, 2008
In a few hours (PT) Jimmy Kimmel will be airing his 1,000th episode on ABC and as I was reading about it on CNN, I noticed Kimmel has a Russound UNO-S2 keypad on the wall, next to his bed. Not sure if this is blog worthy, but it’s not everyday you see a Russound UNO-S2 ...Read
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
HAI Announces New OmniTouch Touchscreen Controllers
Posted: Tuesday, March 11, 2008
HAI announced a whole bunch of new touchscreen controllers for 2008. First, The OmniTouch 8 which features an 8.4” wall mountable touchscreen. The OmniTouch 8 allows for customized updates of traffic, weather, and stock information, among other items. It also can download music from Internet music servers, and select and play music from home music ...Read
Saturday, March 1, 2008
VIDEO REVIEW: Logitech Harmony One Remote Control
Posted: Saturday, March 1, 2008
The Logitech Harmony One remote is a great device for consolidating all your remotes into one. The 2.5” color touchscreen LCD adds to the coolness factor, however, being a touchscreen you lose the tactile feedback making it a bit harder to use at times. Setup was a cinch, all my devices were available in the ...Read
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Russound Ratio Indoor/Outdoor RM691
Posted: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Russound just announced the addition of the Ratio RM691 High-Efficiency Indoor/Outdoor Loudspeaker. The RM691 is perfect for use with an outdoor zone in amplified keypad (ABUS) and multiroom controller systems (CAV/CAM), the RM691 provides expansive sound without extra amplification. Low-mass driver materials and state-of-the-art engineering allow these speakers to play louder than conventional speakers without ...Read
Friday, January 25, 2008
HAI Introduces The Omnistat2: The Energy Efficient Thermostat
Posted: Friday, January 25, 2008
HAI announced they will be releasing updated versions of their smart thermostats this March. A few interesting upgrades/features include: - Using advanced digital technology, your Omnistat2 “learns” your home’s heating and cooling patterns and adjusts control to maximize both your HVAC’s efficiency and your family’s comfort. - The backlight comes to life as the ...Read
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
VIDEO REVIEW: The Energy Detective (TED) Whole House Power Monitoring System
Posted: Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Here is a video review of Energy Inc’s, The Energy Detective or “TED” and Footprints, their new logging software for the PC. My original blog posts about these products are here and here. For more information or to order a TED visit http://www.theenergydetective.com.Read
Thursday, January 10, 2008
VIDEO PREVIEW: Curtain & Screen Masking Controller
Posted: Thursday, January 10, 2008
Here is a preview of my Curtain & Screen Masking Controller. The DIOS microprocessor I mention in the video is available from www.kronosrobotics.com.“Danny Mavromatis from Mavromatic.com previews his custom curtain and screen masking controller. Using a Stewart Film Screen with horizonal masking, Danny has created a way to automate his screen masking needs.”Read
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Steelcase - RoomWizard (Touchscreen Room Scheduling Appliance)
Posted: Tuesday, January 8, 2008
You’ve experienced it before… tried to book a meeting and can’t find an open meeting space or see how long someone has the space for. That’s where the RoomWizard steps in. Each RoomWizard sign displays its room’s schedule: times, topics, meeting hosts, and more. You can even see when the next meeting will start so ...Read
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Gefen TV HD Personal Video Recorder (Record From HDMI Source)
Posted: Thursday, January 3, 2008
Gefen is about to release their Gefen tv HD PVR which, get this, can record from an HDMI source. The unit includes a built-in 80GB hard disk drive which will give you up to 18 hours of HD recording at resolutions up to 1080i. It also includes a SD card slot which you can record ...Read
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The Energy Detective - TED Footprints (Computer Power Monitoring Software)
Posted: Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Update: The folks at Energy are working on an SDK! So great news for us wanting to write native applications to interface with the TED!Back in August I blogged about the TED 1000 and how it includes a serial port which can be hooked up to a PC. Well, the folks over at The Energy ...Read
AMX ViewStat Color Communicating Thermostat (ENV-VST-C)
Posted: Wednesday, January 2, 2008
AMX has released a new communicating thermostat that features a bright, crisp 3.5” display. Thermostat can display date, time and outside temperature and current conditions and a five-day forecast for your area graphically. The unit works with AMX NetLinx control systems and includes remote temperature sensor for remote or averaging applications. The ENV-VST-C will cost ...Read
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Jensen NVX3000PC — 7” Windows XP Personal Computer
Posted: Sunday, December 23, 2007
If you have been trying to find an in-car PC with touchscreen capabilities you might want to check out the Jensen NVX3000PC. It’s a 7” 800x400 resolution widescreen Windows XP Personal Computer with built in portable navigation and Wi-Fi. Designed for use on the road the NVX3000PC features full Windows XP OS with 256 MB ...Read
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
VIDEO REVIEW: Nobu N8 In-wall Touchscreen Computer
Posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Here is the video review of the Nobu N8WTS10 (I know it’s a long name, try memorizing it!). Overall, this is a great product. I know a lot of people have suggested a Tablet PC or a UMPC over the Nobu, however, those units are not design to be used 24/7 and are not rated ...Read
Thursday, December 6, 2007
TEASER: Nobu N8 In-wall Touchscreen Computer Arrived
Posted: Thursday, December 6, 2007
UPDATE: Video review is up.FedEx just dropped off a Nobu N8 In-wall touchscreen computer… on initial view, this little computer is very slick! The build quality feels and looks VERY GOOD. I will be doing a full video review of this unit so stay tuned! Here at some quick specs: - LV Intel Celeron M ...Read
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
The Ultimate Christmas Lighting Automation!
Posted: Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Mavromatic’s friend, Alek Komarnisky, has outdone himself again! He’s managed to automate 17,000 lights, even a giant inflatable Elmo, Frosty, Santa, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Homer Simpson. It’s also for a great cause. Here’s what Alek has to say about his latest project: “There are three live webcams and X10 powerline control technology system so web ...Read
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
VIDEO REVIEW: Lantronix UBox 2100
Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Last month I wrote about the new Lantronix UBox 2100, a server which allows full control of USB devices over the network. The kind folks at Lantronix sent me a unit to review and for the last couple weeks I have been putting it through the tests. I’m happy to report that it’s everything Lantronix ...Read
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Bang & Olufsen Beo5 Remote Control
Posted: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Bang & Olufsen is now shipping their new Beo5 Remote Control. This remote is very unique, much like all B&O products, however it looks very usable. Check out their website for some videos which show the user interface (both touchscreen and button based) in action. I’m not 100% in love with the UI look and ...Read
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
LANTRONIX UBOX 2100 — Use USB Devices over the Internet
Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
UPDATE: Video Review is now online.Lantronix has been creating great products for use in the home automation space for a while now and their latest creation continues on this trend. The UBox enables you to access devices like web cams, speakers, microphones, sensors, security access equipment, multi-function printers, hard drives, scanners - even Apple iPods ...Read
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Home Control Interface Is Almost Ready!
Posted: Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I have been trying to focus on getting my Home Automation Control Software ready for prime-time, but have been too busy working on other things. I have been testing the software internally and I hope to have it ready for Beta testing soon!Version 1 will connect to an HAI controller and offer the usual ...Read
Friday, September 28, 2007
iPhone Security Camera Viewer — Source Code!
Posted: Friday, September 28, 2007
Here is the source code to the cameraViewer. It’s ALPHA and not the greatest code, I only spent an hour throwing it together, so if anyone wants to help out and make it better, feel free. The concept is simple, when you load the main page “cameras.html” it pulls the images from your server. ...Read
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
iPhone Security Camera Viewer
Posted: Tuesday, September 18, 2007
So I finally broke down and bought an iPhone. I’ve been a loyal Window Mobile user because of the developement tools MSFT has created… but what good are they if the devices suck?Here are the top 3 things that really got me down on WM5/6 devices: 1. Too Slow/under powered — I owned the Cingular ...Read
HAI Announces ProntoSnap on Pronto TSU9600
Posted: Tuesday, September 18, 2007
If you have been using SnapLink but haven’t found a device that is small enough to be carried around the house, fret no’ more… HAI just announced that they will be offering a Pronto TSU9600 version of SnapLink.The Philips TSU9600 provides a colorful touch sensitive display with Wi-Fi capability that allows it to be used ...Read
HAI Releases OmniTouch 5.7 and Shipping
Posted: Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Home Automation, Inc. (HAI) is finally shipping the new OmniTouch labeled as the OmniTouch 5.7. For those of you unfamiliar to OmniTouch, it allows you to control lights and small appliances, security and temperature settings, pool and spa temperatures, ventilation, decorative lighting, Whole Home Audio Systems, surveillance video, and other items linked to an HAI ...Read
Monday, August 27, 2007
Russound New Multizone E-Series Product Line
Posted: Monday, August 27, 2007
I’ve been a huge supporter of Russound, they make some of the best Multizone audio/video systems which are reliable and easy to use. The CAV 6.6 is getting a bit dated and the new E-Series definitely makes up for that. Announced at the 2007 CEDIA Expo in Denver, CO were both the ACA-E5 Multizone Controller ...Read
Thursday, August 16, 2007
.NET HAI Network Communication Library
Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2007
I’ve finally made huge progress on my .NET HAI Network Communication Library. I was using the HAI_NetLib.dll that is provided by HAI, but since it was written in Borland C++ the stability in a managed code enviroment like .NET wasn’t quite there. The solution, completely rewrite it in VB.NET (want to port to C#.net next). ...Read
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
The Energy Detective — TED 1000
Posted: Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Over the last few months I’ve been trying to do my part in reducing my power usage. It’s very hard given that I have a ton of electronic devices/gadgets/computers running daily. I’m in the process of finally finishing up my Automation UI/Server (completely rewrote the HAI connection library in .NET) and wanted to add/display my ...Read
Lagotek Home Automation
Posted: Wednesday, August 8, 2007
I’ve been meaning to post about Lagotek since I found out about them at CES. I spoke with one of the founders (if I remember correctly) and had a great conversation about UI’s and automation control. I have seen many home automation controllers and pretty much all user interfaces suck — with exception, Lagotek. ...Read
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Envirovision Waterproof Widescreen TV — Great for Showers!
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007
I’m really trying to figure out what type of person would want a TV in their shower. I have a 30” LCD television in the master bath, in front of the Jacuzzi bath — that’s acceptable, right? Envirovision’s waterproof widescreen televisions can be mounted in a shower or anywhere a water source is near without ...Read
Fusion Research Genesis Media Server
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007
If you are looking for a media server that has a graphical user interface and the Kaleidescape is to expensive for you or you don’t want to go with a Window Media Center than maybe the Fusion Research Genesis Server is the one for you. This system can deliver up to three video or audio ...Read
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Emtrace WidgetStation — Almost Shipping!?
Posted: Saturday, July 7, 2007
I remember hearing about this at CES, but it looks like Emtrace is almost ready to start shipping the WidgetStation (it was featured in this months Maxim with a $200 list price). My initial thought on the WidgetStation is that I wish it used Microsoft’s SideShow technology, but I don’t see it ever doing so ...Read
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Nokia N770, Great For Home Automation Control
Posted: Thursday, July 5, 2007
Nokia N770 running HAI Web-Link III’m always looking for new ways to control my home automation system, this time it’s actually very economical. Buy.com is offering the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet for $140 and with this device, I can access my automation system via rdesktop (RDP or Remote Desktop) client or directly via HTTP (webpage). ...Read
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
HAI Snap-Link 1.1.5 Released
Posted: Tuesday, June 26, 2007
For those of you using HAI’s Snap-Link, HAI just released an update which fixes a few cosmetic bugs as well as add a couple new features like external DSC security system and additional audio system support. To install this update, just click the “Check For Updates…” in the “Options” page. Release notes: Version 1.1.5 ...Read
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Craftsman EntryEase Biometric Garage Door Opener
Posted: Thursday, June 14, 2007
Two Craftsman posts in one week — you have to admit they are rebranding some pretty cool technologies lately. This time it’s a biometric remote garage door opener. Most people probably have the traditional keypad version of this opener, typically mounted outside to the right or left of the door jam. I’m not sure how ...Read
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The RICA100 Media Center Remote Control With SideShow
Posted: Thursday, May 17, 2007
I just got word that Ricavision is releasing another Media Center Remote Control with Windows SideShow technologies. The RICA100 will offer a new and improved Windows SideShow firmware and a more powerful Bluetooth antenna giving you control up to 300 feet away. While I was at CES, I got to play with Ricavision’s other ...Read
Monday, May 7, 2007
Samsung Unveils the Q1 Ultra — Starting at $799
Posted: Monday, May 7, 2007
Today was a pretty exciting day for all Home Automation Control fanboys. Samsung unveiled an updated Q1 Ultra with increased battery life in a smaller, more portable form factor — perfect for home control use! The Q1 Ultra sports an integrated split-QWERTY keypad, mouse, and user-defined function keys, integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR ...Read
Monday, April 23, 2007
Russound iBridge Bay
Posted: Monday, April 23, 2007
So Apple finally shipped the iTV and now Russound will be shipping the iBridge Bay very soon. The iBridge Bay is Russounds solution to playing iTunes media from a Mac desktop or MacBook computer through their RNET multiroom system (CAV, CAM). It provides access to your music, playlists and podcasts in any zone, and ...Read
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Understanding Home Automation, Part One.
Posted: Thursday, February 15, 2007
From our friends over at Modern Home Theater:You know the basics of a Crestron or AMX system but read more and more about the tricks that “system integrators” can pull off with the latest tools, equipment and programming. Adrienne Maxwell has written a two part feature on all you need to know about home automation ...Read
Friday, January 12, 2007
Vista Sideshow - Remotes
Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007
One of the technologies I really wanted to see in person at CES was Vista Sideshow enabled devices. I spent some time playing with them and as you can see, they come in all sizes. The Ricavision Vista Media Center Remote with Sideshow Technology is my favorite. MSI also had a prototype of a ...Read
Channel Vision iBus — Wall Dock for iPod
Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007
The iBus is a single gang wall dock for distributing your iPods video and audio throughout your home audio system. It’s compatible with all Channel Vision’s A-BUS systems as well as other multiroom audio system like Russound’s CAV 6.6. The iBus also charges the iPod (excluding shuffle). The iBus can be added to your system ...Read
HD-PLC = 190Mbps over Powerlines
Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007
Panasonic was displaying their HD-PLC (High Definition Power Line Communication) technologies. It seems like a viable option for homes that don’t have network connections near power outlets. Since the 190Mbps speed is the theoretical, I would expect it to be a bit less due to overhead, however, it still is faster than the current wifi ...Read
Samsung Q1P-SSD — Running Vista MCE on SSD
Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007
Samsung had their 32gb SSD (Solid State Disk) Q1 on display. What caught my attention was that these UMPC’s have enough CPU and GPU power to playback HD content and run Vista. These devices are great for controlling your home automation system. The Samsung Q1P-SSD will run $1999 when released.Read
Viewsonic V212 — with Z-Wave
Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007
Z-Wave seems to be getting some traction in the home automation space so it makes sense that the Viewsonic V212 now supports it. The 520MHz Intel Bulverde based Windows CE v5.0 wireless touchscreen also features integrated networking support for 802.11b/g wireless LANs. At CES, Viewsonic was demonstrating how a V212 can be used to control ...Read
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
HAI To Release New Products In 2007 — OmniTouch 5.7e
Posted: Wednesday, January 3, 2007
HAI has been busy updating their product line for 2007. They just posted their new 2007 Product Guide (PDF) on their website. A couple notable updates include the HAI OmniTouch 5.7/5.7e (pictured) and Omnistat-Z. Scheduled for mid-year 2007 release, the OmniTouch 5.7 adds to the current OmniTouch Video line but adds these enhancements:Larger (5.7”) LCD ...Read
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Home Automation & Entertainment From 1966
Posted: Tuesday, January 2, 2007
With CES right around the corner, I thought it would be a perfect time to post these 41 year old articles about home automation and home entertainment. Enjoy.[Magazines provided by Steve over at Finkbuilt.]Read
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
DIY: Inexpensive Christmas Lighting Automation
Posted: Wednesday, November 29, 2006
When it comes to home automation, I usually post about custom controls I’ve built or controls that integrate into an actual home automation controller like a HAI OmniPro II. This post is a bit different, since automating Christmas lighting with a real automation controlling is very easy but quite costly.Without a real automation controller it ...Read
Friday, September 22, 2006
Nobu 8” Inwall Touchscreen Computer
Posted: Friday, September 22, 2006
Nobu just released a new inwall touchscreen computer that will be shipping by mid-December. The unit features a 1.0GHz fanless Intel processor, a revolutionary 4GB solid state disk drive. Here is an excerp from the folks from Nobu: The new 8” panel is a fully functional inwall touchscreen PC with all necessary input/output ports to ...Read
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Adobe Flash Lite 2.1 for WM5 — Works Great For Remote Home Automation Control!
Posted: Wednesday, September 13, 2006
I’ve been busy finishing up my custom home automation server complete with a secure remote interface for my HTC Wizard (WM5 PocketPC) cellphone. When I heard that Adobe released Flash Lite 2.1 for WM5 I wanted to test out my early prototype interface in the new Flash Lite player. To my amazement, the interface ...Read
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
HAI enters multiroom audio with “HiFi by HAI”
Posted: Wednesday, September 6, 2006
HAI is known for their award winning home automation controllers, so when I heard that they are getting into distributed multiroom audio I was excited to see what angle they would be taking. The OmniPro II currently supports multiroom audio systems by Russound and NUVO, however, HiFi By HAI won’t ship as a rack mounted ...Read
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
HAI Snap-Link - Secure Remote Automation Control
Posted: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
I often get asked why I prefer HAI over other automation controller companies. The answer is really simple, because they are always coming out with new products that add functionality, while maintaining ease of use and low cost of ownership. Try achieving all that with a Crestron or AMX system. Today, HAI annouced that they ...Read
Friday, March 17, 2006
REVIEW: Cingular 8125 (HTC WIZARD) - PART II
Posted: Friday, March 17, 2006
I’ve had over a month to use the Cingular 8125 and I must say, I really love it! I didn’t install the Cingular Extended ROM contents so I think it actually runs a bit faster. For those of you that want to try that out, it’s pretty simple. Just do a hard reset, and at ...Read
Thursday, March 9, 2006
RedRadio - RAD-I/O, The Real Video Switch
Posted: Thursday, March 9, 2006
There’s something about touch screens that fascinate me. Is it a sickness? Well, I don’t care… how can you not think the RedRadio RAD-I/O is one of the coolest touch screen devices out there? This is the only touch screen I’ve seen that fits inside a single-gang box and was designed to be used as ...Read
Microsoft Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC)
Posted: Thursday, March 9, 2006
I’m pretty excited about this new UMPC platform. Not for surfing the web at the local Starbucks — have my HTC Wizard for that, but for Home Automation control! Until now, the only economical method I’ve found is using 10” Smart Displays, but that isn’t the ultimate method of controlling since the RDP protocol used ...Read
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
HAI Releases New Version Of Web-Link II
Posted: Wednesday, February 1, 2006
I love being surprised, especially when it comes to new home automation updates that require no extra cost! Yesterday, I received an email from HAI about a new update to Web-Link II. Incidently, I have been working on integrating their communication DLL into my custom home automation server, so I can interface with the OmniPro ...Read
Monday, January 30, 2006
Russound UNO-TS2D Desktop Touchscreen
Posted: Monday, January 30, 2006
Russound has announced a new product for controlling their multizone audio system as well as other peripherals. The UNO-TS2D Desktop Color Touchscreen is a simple-to-use interface that can be set near a bedside table, kitchen counter, desk, or wherever you want to control your multiroom entertainment system. The controller is based on Russounds wall-mounted UNO-TS2 ...Read
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Winegard HOME RUN— Stack 3 Signals Onto A Single Cable
Posted: Thursday, January 5, 2006
I look forward to CES every year, not for all the new flat panel displays it brings us, but all the little gadgets that makes installing or retrofitting all the new products into our homes. One product in particular that caught my attention so far is made by Winegard, makers of my favorite HDTV antenna, ...Read
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
HAI OmniTouch — Now With Video Support
Posted: Wednesday, December 14, 2005
I heard about this a while back from my HAI Distributor, but didn’t want to post anything until I was sure it was going to be released. It’s being released and the HAI OmniTouch with Video (HAI32A00-5) is finally on it’s way to distributors — ready for shipment by the end of the year. The ...Read
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Sonos Charging Cradle — Available Now!
Posted: Wednesday, November 2, 2005
This is great news for the folks that own a Sonos system! I just got word that Sonos released the Charging Cradle for the Sonos Controller. The unit can be placed on a table or mounted on the wall. So you no longer need to mess around with plugging in the Sonos controller or fearing ...Read
Friday, September 9, 2005
Crestron’s 2-Way iPod Interface
Posted: Friday, September 9, 2005
So even the big boys of home automation/control are adding iPod compatibility. Crestron is claiming that the CEN-IPOD (get it?) is the first 2-way iPod interface, truly replicating the iPod experience on any Crestron touchpanel. Well, ok… if you mean that the iPod player is virtually on the screen and you’re controlling it… but the ...Read
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Russound CAA66 and Other CEDIA Announcements
Posted: Thursday, September 8, 2005
So the folks over at Russound have been busy developing new products and here’s a list of the stuff really worth checking out. - ComPoint — a true intercom system with elegant keypads and door stations. It also integrates nicely with most multiroom audio systems. - ST2S — an updated ST2 Smart Dual Tuner which ...Read
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
RTI In-Wall Universal Color Touchpanels
Posted: Wednesday, September 7, 2005
RTI unveiled the the new RK3 In-Wall Touchpanel at CEDIA. It’s like the previously announced K4 color LCD touchpanel, but instead of a 6.4” screen, the K3 features a smaller 3.5” screen. They are both designed to be used where flush-mounted installations are desired. They provide a self-contained control system for controlling audio/video components, lights, ...Read
Friday, August 26, 2005
Sony CAV-MS1000ES — Multi-Zone Distribution System
Posted: Friday, August 26, 2005
A couple weeks ago I went to our annual Street Of Dreams here in Seattle. It’s a showcase of custom homes that feature new products, interior designs and nice gardens. Since I’m the designated geek of the bunch, I am the one that checks out the kind of systems they put in these homes (to ...Read
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
New HAI Access Control Keypad
Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2005
HAI has just announced that they will be adding a new keypad to their lineup. The 54A00-1 is a weatherproof and vandal resistant keypad designed to work with their OmniPro line of automation controllers. The keypad features piezoelectric buttons that work by tapping the surface (doesn’t require physical movement), it even works with a snow-covered ...Read
Friday, July 22, 2005
AMX 10” Modero Widescreen Touch Panel
Posted: Friday, July 22, 2005
For all you AMX customers, I just got word that they will be shipping their new 10” Modero Widescreen Touch Panel in September. They are calling this model their “affordable, mid-size Modero”, the new Modero product line has sizes ranging up to 17” Widescreen. The 10” model features a 16x9 aspect screen but is lower ...Read
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Voicemail/Fax/Podcasting With A Panasonic Phone System
Posted: Tuesday, May 31, 2005
There is never a day that goes by that I don’t hear, “You’re a geek!”, and most of the time it’s from my very own girlfriend… Hi Jess! Over the Holiday weekend, I heard it yet again because I installed a Panasonic Advanced Hybrid Telephone System in my house. To be exact, I installed ...Read
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
OnQ’s In-Wall Wireless Access Point
Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2005
For those of you looking to WiFiFy every area in your house, On-Q has the product for you. The On-Q Wireless Access Point, PART #364711-01, is an attractive in-wall wireless access point (I usually place my fugly purple and grey Linksys access points in a closet). The On-Q wireless solution is geared towards new construction ...Read
Monday, May 23, 2005
SAVICON’s Entegrator, The Digital Family Room
Posted: Monday, May 23, 2005
SAVICON has the right idea, take a Viewsonic v210 (they call it the ‘E-Pad’), write a custom application for it in C#.NET, and a server to communicate with (The Entergrator Media Server), and you’ve got yourself a pretty “entegrated” system. The Entegrator comes bundled with the E-pad and offers a compact and simple to use ...Read
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Russound UNO-TS2 Color Touchscreen
Posted: Thursday, May 19, 2005
I just got word that Russound has introduced the long awaited UNO-TS2 color touchscreen interface for their multisource/multizone systems (CAV/CAM). It features a 3.75” high resolution display that uses their RNET platform, so you can get feedback from your CAV/CAM, ST2 Smart Tuner or SMS3 Media Server in realtime and in full color. It’s not ...Read
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
HAI OmniPro II Firmware v2.9 Released
Posted: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Back in January I posted about HAI supporting the Russound CAV 6.6 whole house audio/video system. Well, the support is finally available and ready for purchase in the form of a firmware upgrade and they even added support for the CAM series as well. Version 2.9 also adds support for HAI’s Lighting Control (HLC), which ...Read
Sunday, April 24, 2005
The Pepper Pad == A HOT Wireless Pad
Posted: Sunday, April 24, 2005
I get emails often from people asking me if I know of a wireless tablet that has instant-on capabilities (doesn’t need to bootup) and can be used to control web-based devices. Well, I think I have found a product that might fit the task and the bill! The Pepper company is new to this ...Read
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Eaton’s Home Heartbeat System
Posted: Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The people over at the Eaton Corporation are no strangers to cool technologies… heck they are the makers of the 300 Series Passenger Car Mirror Actuator, which, get this, stabilizes your vehicles’ mirrors (side/rear view) if they are vibrating… why doesn’t my car have this!? Or what about VORAD? The EVT-3000 Collision Warning System that ...Read
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Viewsonic V210 MPlus Home Controller
Posted: Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Remember those AirPanel “smart displays” Microsoft developed a couple years back? The ones Microsoft then killed… yeah. Well, I bought a few of the Viewsonic AirPanel’s for my home automation system and they work GREAT! Microsoft had a great product on their hands, they just targeted the wrong market. Instead of targeting the professional that ...Read
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
HP hw6500: My Next Phone?
Posted: Tuesday, February 8, 2005
A couple weeks ago I posted about how I’m using .NET and Flash as my client layer for my home automation control system. The missing link has been the perfect PocketPC phone. They are all too big and clunky. Well, the great folks at Engadget have helped me find my next phone! However, there’s always ...Read
Monday, January 24, 2005
OmniPro II Now Supports Russound CAV 6.6
Posted: Monday, January 24, 2005
Well folks, it’s official. HAI has announced they will be offering an upgraded firmware chip that adds support for Russound’s CAV 6.6 multiroom audio controller. The OmniPro II can now be used to control on/off, volume, muting, and source selection for each of the audio zones. The feature I’m most looking forward to using is ...Read
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
My Attempt At Home Automation Using .NET and Flash
Posted: Wednesday, January 19, 2005
So I’m almost done with the construction of my new home, it has been 2 years of actual construction and 2 years of planning. Overall, I am very happy with the results. High on my list was to design and install a complete home automation system in the house. I wanted to develop a system ...Read
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
iPort… iPod the Home
Posted: Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Sure, you can turn your iPod into a ghetto-blaster, plug it into your car, broadcast the sound to a radio… but up until now, you couldn’t dock it into your wall. Yup, that’s right… the people over at Sonance have made it possible to place your new iPod in your wall and have it be ...Read
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Russound CAM6.6 Whole House Audio System
Posted: Wednesday, October 13, 2004
I’ve owned a CAV6.6 for some time now and love it. I usually check out Russounds website every few months to check out what new products they have released. And what do you know… they just happended to released a new controller called the CAM6.6. The CAM6.6, a Multi-Source/Multi-Zone AM/FM or XM Satellite Radio Receiver ...Read
Monday, September 13, 2004
Zanware In-wall PC Controller
Posted: Monday, September 13, 2004
Have you ever wanted the ability to control your PC from another room but couldn’t find an easy way to control it? Well, the folks over at Zanware have found a solution! The Zanware PC Controller has a 128x64 pixel graphical LCD, IR receiver for remote control, and control knob for menu navigation. In addition ...Read
Friday, September 10, 2004
Crestron Isys i/O TPMC-10 WiFi Touchpanel
Posted: Friday, September 10, 2004
I’ll try to find a better photo, but if you look really close, you will notice that this based on the ViewSonic V110 10.4” SmartDisplay. I guess now that MSFT has dumped the line, it makes sense for ViewSonic to partner with Crestron, the leaders in automation controllers. This personal, portable device runs the Windows ...Read
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Control Your Home Via Windows Media Center
Posted: Sunday, August 22, 2004
Yup, you read it right… Home Automation, Inc (HAI) the makers of the best home automation controller, the OmniPro II, will be releasing HAI Home Control For Windows Media Center in September. This package can be installed on any Windows Media Center 2005 and controlled via the MCE remote. No pricing is available yet, but ...Read
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Microsoft Releases Voice Command For PocketPC
Posted: Wednesday, August 11, 2004
This is actually a pretty cool little piece of software, Microsoft’s new Voice Command speech software for Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone Editions, is now available at retailers nationwide. The software provides you with hands-free access to your pocketPC phone (works with HP’s new iPAQ h6315 Pocket PC Phone Edition), contact ...Read
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
New Intelligent Pool-Cleaning Robots
Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2004
So we have robotic pets, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and now pool cleaners! Aqua Products, the guys that created the aquabot, today unveiled new technology for pool-cleaning robots that independently analyze the size and shape of any pool allowing them to intelligently map out the fastest, and most efficient cleaning course possible. This is the ...Read
Monday, June 28, 2004
SkipJam’s iMedia
Posted: Monday, June 28, 2004
SkipJam iMedia technology will be releasing a “high fidelity, all-digital integrated home entertainment system that combines whole house audio and video distribution with digital recording and home control”, in a few months. The iMedia is geared to the high end audio/video users that want to instantly transform any ordinary home computer network into a complete ...Read
Monday, June 7, 2004
Transmit HD Video Over Cat5
Posted: Monday, June 7, 2004
Most new homes these days come with Cat5 cabling in every room so when you decide to upgrade your devices to HD, you will be able to use that cabling to deliver HD video to your displays. How? Using Gefens HDTV Extender… the HDTV Extender uses proprietary, integrated circuitry combined with new chip technologies to ...Read
New Home Automation Network Protocol
Posted: Monday, June 7, 2004
Smarthome announced today a new home automation networking protocol, “Insteon” (pron: “instee-on”). It combines the home’s existing wiring, or powerline, with radio frequency (RF) communications to deliver a secure, reliable and fast connection for automatic or remote control of lighting, security, entertainment systems, appliances, climate and more. They have been working on this technology for ...Read
Sunday, June 6, 2004
Biometric Hand Reader
Posted: Sunday, June 6, 2004
Compared to the standard issue Proximity Magnetic Access Cards we use today to get access to our offices, a Biometric Hand Reader looks like something from Star Trek. IR Recognition Systems has released a biometric Hand Reader that simultaneously analyzes more than 31,000 points and instantaneously records more than 90 separate measurements of an individual’s ...Read
Tuesday, June 1, 2004
A Megapixel Network Camera
Posted: Tuesday, June 1, 2004
I own a couple of the Axis Communication network cameras, they weren’t the smallest cameras around but they are the best quality and easiest to set up. Today, Axis has released, what they claim to be “the world’s smallest megapixel network camera”, the 206M. It delivers clear, sharp images at resolutions of up to 1280 ...Read
Friday, May 21, 2004
Sony’s Wireless Portable LCD TV
Posted: Friday, May 21, 2004
Sony unveiled a portable LCD TV that is completely wireless and is so portable it even has a built-in handle. The two models introduced are part of Sony’s LocationFree Portable Broadband TV series. The flagship 12.1-inch LF-X1 model, weighs about 5 pounds with a screen resolution of 800 by 600 and will sell for $1500. ...Read
Friday, May 14, 2004
Triple Shot Of Satellite Radio
Posted: Friday, May 14, 2004
I just realized that this is my first Sirius satellite receiver entry. The past weeks we’ve seen a lot of XM satellite devices and I’ve felt bad for leaving Sirius out. Sirius has a total of 184 channels vs. 120 on XM… but who’s counting? That’s a lot of stations either way. Anyways, if you ...Read
Tuesday, May 4, 2004
Sony’s New Robotic Video Cameras
Posted: Tuesday, May 4, 2004
Sony is demonstrating a family of robotic Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) video cameras at the Vision Show in Boston from this week and the latest addition to the line up of robotic cameras is the EVI-D70/W, which combines a high-quality 1/4 type, EXview HAD™ CCD with the flexibility of remote PTZ operation in a new white, compact ...Read
Friday, April 30, 2004
And the Fastest Throughput for 802.11g is…
Posted: Friday, April 30, 2004
In the May 18, 2004 issue of PC Magazine. D-Link Xtreme absolutely blew away all competition in both performance and distance tests, more than doubling the throughput speeds of all competing 802.11g solutions, posting an incredible 73.8 Megabits per second data throughput. The testing criteria for both 802.11g and 802.11ag products were measured in many ...Read
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Weblink II Now Supports Ethernet Port
Posted: Thursday, April 29, 2004
I don’t know how this one slipped passed me… but a few weeks ago, Home Automation Inc (HAI), makers of the OmniPro home automation controllers, released an update to Weblink II which enables the built-in ethernet port. Weblink II is a software program that runs on any Windows machine and connects via RS232, RS485 and ...Read
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Carnegie Mellon offers eSuds Service
Posted: Wednesday, April 21, 2004
This confirms that we are living in a connected society… a society that feels the need to monitor the washing and drying of their clothing. I think this is a great service for the college student, gone are the days of arriving to the laundrymat and all machines are being used, or trying to find ...Read
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
My Favorite Home Automation Controller
Posted: Tuesday, April 20, 2004
If you are looking for the ultimate home automation solution, you need to check out what HAI has to offer. I’m currently installing a OmniPro II in my new home and there is nothing my house won’t be able to do. Imagine coming home at 10 o’clock at night, the system knows the time, ...Read
Friday, April 16, 2004
HomePod
Posted: Friday, April 16, 2004
Macsense HomePod is an ultra compact and portable digital stereo component that plays MP3 and Internet Radio streams from any wireless (802.11b) or wired network. Designed for use with iTunes, it also works with MusicMatch Jukebox, Nullsoft WinAmp, or any networked computer running OSX, Windows, Linux, BSC and Solaris. The HomePod includes a 2.5” back-lit ...Read
NETGEAR MP101 Wireless Music Player
Posted: Friday, April 16, 2004
If you weren’t one of the VIP’s asked to participate at the seventh annual “VH1 Divas” concert on Sunday, then you won’t be getting an exclusive gift bag with a free NETGEAR MP101 in it. That means you’ll need buy your own… the NETGEAR MP101 Wireless Digital Music Player allows you to listen to MP3 ...Read
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Timken StatusCheck Monitoring System
Posted: Thursday, April 15, 2004
We can thank industrial automation research and development for our trusty home automation systems… so when I read that Timken is releasing the StatusCheck for monitoring industrial machines, I started thinking where we could use that or something like it in the home. StatusCheck is used to identify potential machine malfunctions before catastrophic failures ...Read
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Shell HomeGenie
Posted: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Does anyone else find it strange that Shell, the oil company, is coming out with a home management solution that will be available off the shelf at your local CompUSA? I like the idea of an inexpensive solution for the masses and maybe this is their way of trying to teach us to conserve energy. ...Read
Price Drop On Squeezebox
Posted: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
I just got word that Slim Devices is lowering prices on their popular network music players-Squeezebox Wired, the ethernet-only player, will retail for $199 and Squeezebox Wireless, with built-in wireless support, will retail for $279. Squeezebox supports many popular digital music formats including MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and uncompressed audio (AIFF or WAV), making ...Read
New Water-look-alike Technology
Posted: Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Tyco Fire & Security has announced the New SAPPHIRE™ Fire Suppression System that utilizes a new sustainable chemical agent that fights fires without causing any damage to electronics, works of art, or your irreplaceable PEZ collection. What makes all this possible is because the use of 3M’s NOVEC™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid. The stuff looks ...Read
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Get Your Very Own Surveillance PatrolBot
Posted: Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Have you been looking for the ultimate surveillance PatrolBot and haven’t been able to find it? Here it is… ActivMedia Robotics, PatrolBot, can integrate with buildings’ central heating and cooling systems, security systems, air quality controls, wi-fi networks, and even lighting and power systems to provide valuable building services and emergency back-up. PatrolBot can also ...Read
Friday, April 9, 2004
Niles TS-1 Touch Screen
Posted: Friday, April 9, 2004
Niles Audio has released what they claim to be the world’s first plug-and-play touch screen. The TS-1, nicknamed Art, comes preprogrammed for any Niles MultiZone product and can be customized using a PC and their free software. The display is an easy to read, 3.8” (320x240 pixels) high-resolution, gray scale touch screen with LED back ...Read
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Smart Bread Maker
Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2004
I posted about a smart coffee maker and microwave earlier, but why stop there? Westinghouse is going to be releasing a smart bread maker which will also be part of the same BEYOND product line. It has a scanning wand that takes the guesswork out of baking bread. All you need to do is scan ...Read
iCEBOX Entertainment Centers
Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2004
If you need some entertainment while cooking, you need to get an iCEBOX entertainment center for your kitchen. It comes in two models, flipscreen or a countertop form factor and includes a television, internet browsing, a DVD/CD player, FM Radio, and home video monitoring. The iCEBOX can be controlled via its touch screen, a remote ...Read
Smart Coffee Maker
Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2004
A few years ago people were saying we’ll have internet enabled coffee makers in the future… it is here, its been done! Westinghouse is releasing a $99 coffee maker which is part of their BEYOND line. It will feature a simple point-and-click web interface so you can schedule or start brewing coffee from anywhere in ...Read
Beyond Home Hub
Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2004
If all you dream about is that of a connected home, your dream may be coming true, Westinghouse is coming out with a full line of kitchen appliances that will all talk to each other, you don’t want the appliances just doing their own thing… they need a leader. That’s what the Beyond Home Hub ...Read
Smart Microwave
Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2004
If all your cooking is done with a microwave then Westinghouse’s Beyond Microwave was made especially for you. It comes with a scanning wand (a.k.a. barcode reader) and 4,000 pre-programmed barcodes that set up the microwave to cook you the perfect meal. You can even store your own barcodes for that special TV dinner. The ...Read
Monday, April 5, 2004
Smarthome Announces PC Less Automation Controller
Posted: Monday, April 5, 2004
In the past, you needed a PC connected to your home automation controller to take remote control of your house from any where in the world. Smarthome is about to change that with the PowerLineIP and the SmarthomeLive service. The PowerLineIP module, acts as a gateway to SmarthomeLive, eliminating the need of a PC. It’s ...Read
Friday, April 2, 2004
Lutron SeeTouch
Posted: Friday, April 2, 2004
I ordered this switch for my theater room a couple months ago and I have to say this is the best looking wall switch ever made. It took about 6 weeks to get, since Lutron custom makes every single one of these. They come in a variety of finishes, I chose the satin nickel (just ...Read
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Home Theater Master® MX-3000
Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2004
To get this kind of form factor in the past, you’d need to shell out mega bucks for a Crestron or PHAST controller/automation system. Universal Remote’s MX-3000 has taken that popular form factor and turned it into an IR/RF remote. This is like the MX-600 but has a 3.8” color LCD screen and is loaded ...Read
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
CorAccess Companion 6
Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2004
The folks over at CorAccess have been doing it right from the start. Slick, intuitive, fast user interfaces and great looking touchscreen panels is want we all want in a home automation control panel. Their Companion line interfaces perfectly with HAI’s OmniPro controller panels and can be used to control lighting, HVAC, security, media controller, ...Read
Nobu 12” Touchscreen Computer
Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2004
NOBU is now shipping the PC-N12WTS, which is a 12.4” LCD in-wall Windows XP touch-screen PC. It’s perfect for home automation control and because it’s a full featured PC, you can use it as a small control server. The CPU runs at 733mhz and has all the standard I/O ports as well as audio and ...Read
Home Theater Master® MX-600
Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Remotes rarely get the same reaction as in-wall touchscreens, but sometimes I even prefer a simple easy to program handheld remote. A la, the Home Theater Master® MX-600… this remote gets the highest reviews for usabilty and features. It not only is a learning IR remote, but it transmits everything via RF to its base ...