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 is on-the-go, yet still in-the-home, they should have targeted the home automation industry.

At least Viewsonic didn't let all their R&D money go to waste, they repurposed the V110 as the V210 panel and put the .NET framework on it so one can develop a custom interface/device. This is what MPlus did. They became a Viewsonic and Global Cache partner, developed a UI design application, wrote a server, and whammo-bammo they developed an easily customizable home controller system for the price of a low end plasma display. The T-5000 bundle includes enough to get started... the V210 display, a charging cradle, the MPlus client, and the server -- you still need to buy a GC-100.

The MPlus Server Package is installed on a standard PC and can control up to 13 devices either by serial, ethernet or IR control. The device comes with a set of standard templates, which can be modified with the visual editing tool, "The Tweaker". Integrated weather service, email notification and the user definable browser portal "On the Town" are included in the package. With HVAC, Security, Irrigation and Camera control options being released at a later time.

I like the idea... I thought I was the only one heading down this route (My Attempt At Home Automation Using .NET and Flash). I was in New York a couple weeks ago and went to the Samsung Experience center and noticed they have a home control system of their own. It integrates with your Samsung washing machine, Samsung coffee maker, Samsung refrigerator, etc. You get the picture... it only works with Samsung devices. Stupid, yes.

I hope this technology (the non-Samsung type) will become the norm in new construction within 5-7 years. Any home over 3000sq feet should come standard with a control system like this. It should be like todays new cars, you can't get one in the $40k price range and not have it come standard with a 7" LCD display Navigation system.

- MPlus Integration Website
- Viewsonic V210

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 a catch... it's not out yet. Man! Why does this always happen to me? I feel like I'm always waiting for something that I need to complete my ultimate vision. Damn you HP!! Hopefully, HP will release this one sooner than later. I'll let you guys know if I find anything out, but until then... get your butts over to Engadget and check out the photos and the specs of this thing!

- Engadget: HP’s hw6500: size, details, more pics!

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 the ability to control the CAV 6.6 by "OmniPro II modes". For example, you can have it play your favorite music at a certain preset volume and time or you can incorporate it into a system preset so when you select "Party Mode" the A/C turns on, the disco ball starts spinning and the lights dim. Yeah Baby! The upgraded firmware is expected to cost $75 (M.S.R.P.) and should be available early next month.

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 that is both cost effective and robust enough to expand over time. Most proprietary systems like Crestron and AMX are tailored to the ultra rich and for the non-tech savvy folks. I'm a geek, so I want a system that exposes every little hook so I can do whatever I want. I don't want to be charged more money if I want to add a feature. My goal is really simple. There is no need to automate a toaster or have a TV screen built into my refrigerator. I believe a "smart home" should be just that. Smart. It should be bright enough to know when I'm in proximity. Lets say I pull into my driveway and open the garage door at 10pm. The house should turn on the lights leading to my bedroom at 45% brightness. If I turn lights on after midnight, to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom, the switches should know to only turn the lights on 25%, as I don't want to be fully awakened. Heating and cooling should be zoned and controlled via the panels and remotely using a telephone (dial-tone controlled and/or HTTP). The audio and video should be able to be distributed and controlled in any room of the house. There shouldn't ever be a need to buy multiple DVD players for each room. A video server will play a major part in the house. The idea is to keep the system simple enough so it's easy to control and smart enough that you never really need to touch it.

Our lives are very cyclical. Think about it. We wake up around the same time Monday thru Friday. We come home around the same time. Weekends are maybe different, but typically follow a regular schedule. Maybe some weekends you wake up Saturday morning, walk to the local coffee shop, then return home and watch a movie. A good system should be able to learn. A good system should be able to adapt. I never want to have to touch a light switch (or panel) unless I want to manually override them, like to set a particular mood.

I could go on for hours discussing my ultimate vision of the perfect home automation solution, but that's not the point of this post. I'd like to show my current attempt at home automation. I decided to build it using the Microsoft .NET platform. I have to give props to Microsoft for developing a platform that is so easy to build a product around. The beauty of the platform is that one can write programs easily for both the PocketPC and Windows realm. It's a very, very powerful architecture. Now, when it's coupled with Macromedia Flash for the UI layer, one can design clean and reusable interfaces that keep a consistent look and feel across devices.

My first step was to see how hard it was to write a program for the PocketPC platform. Since my next phone will be a based on this platform, and since the Flash Player 6 is available on the PocketPC, I decided to design an architecture that embeds my Flash UI on top a native PocketPC application. I used an old Toshiba e740 with built-in WiFi to test my prototype on. The UI was easy to port over to the PocketPC because I already had a full screen version of the Flash UI (the house will have two 10" airpanels, one 15" airpanel, and a 15" in-wall touchscreen). That is one of the main benefits with using Flash as the UI layer. It is easy to scale and position the elements for display on different size panels. All of these panels will have the same full control of the house and will be on a closed network. When I am near my house, the PocketPC phone will notice when my wireless network is available. The application sends out a UDP message, much like the uPnP discovery model and handshakes with my home automation server. Looking for certain credentials. I can even lock it to my phone's serial number. Once everything is good to go, it will launch and display the Grouse Control Center application (pictured above). I will then need to enter an authorization code which is encrypted and sent back to the controller. Once authenticated, I will have control of certain elements of the home. Elements like cameras, security system, lighting, climate, audio/video, and system status/alerts.

The hardest part is finding the time to complete the whole system. But, this is something I have thought long and hard about and with technology getting more accessible, I will be able to expand it as I see fit. Something I feel I could never do with a Crestron or AMX controller... certainly not for the same price.

When I get closer to finishing the system, I'll post my complete vision to home automation and if I successfully achieved what I wanted to. Heck, I might get sick of the whole thing and go back to standard toggle light switches and an old-school rotary dial thermostat.

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 controlled through practically any local or whole-home audio system.

The Sonance iPort In-Wall Docking System also has a built-in IR emitter which let you operate the iPod via a remote (an optional 3rd-party IR receiver required); the iPod can also be operated directly from its own controls. Don't worry about running out of battery power since the iPort supplies DC power to the iPod and recharges it while it is docked. The best part is that you can wire it to your whole-home audio system using only CAT5 cable.

The list price may be the only thing that will keep this out of most homes... at $598 (MSRP), it is tailored to the high-end custom home market, and you have to be a serious iPoder. I love my iPod and you gotta love a company that is willing to take a risk creating new products, but I don't think I'd buy an iPort to display in my home. It doesn't make much sense to me, sure it's cool, but why not just share your music drive and access the files thru an embedded device like the Audiotron or a Windows Media Extender for half the price? Plus, I don't think the iPod will be around in 30 years (the average home mortgage) leaving a weird hole/dock/port in your wall that would be left useless.

- Sonance Website
- iPort Image (Back Shot)
- iPort Manual (PDF)

[ Thanks Eric F. ]

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 that can distribute six audio sources into six zones. Now, this isn't meant to replace the CAV 6.6 because it doesn't do video distribution, switching, or RNET, instead it is meant to replace the old CA line.

The CAM6.6 will be initially delivered in two versions. The first model shipping this month and will offer a built-in AM/FM tuner for $2,099 (MSRP), followed by the CAM6.6X ($2399 MSRP) which will offer built-in XM Satellite Radio. The CAM6.6T will be offered in a package with (6) UNO-S1 keypads while CAM6.6X will be combined with (5) UNO-S1 keypads and (1) UNO-S2 keypad.

If you are a Russound fan, you probably noticed that there is a new keypad... you read that right! Russound's also released the UNO-S1 smart keypad with an retail price of $229. The UNO-S1 features a custom five character LCD display that provides the user with important feedback such as source name, radio frequency and preset name. When combined with Russound smart sources such as the CAM6.6 built-in tuner, ST2-XM Dual Tuner or SMS3 Media Server, the user can view useful information such as station id, artist, track and song title right from the UNO keypad display. The compact single gang keypad is housed in a stylish Decora design that is available in five popular colors to blend in with virtually any decor.