Trust the folks at NTT-Neomeit (an
NTT West group subsidiary) to find new and even cooler ways to use your cell phones -- and we're thinking this is off-the-scale cool -- it seems Neomeit is not happy with you simply watching TV, listening to music, or playing games with your cell, so they have busted out
whole-home automation from your pocket. Using a web interface on your phone, commands are sent to a wireless router in your home which are relayed to either a remote control power switch, or an infrared transmitter. The scenarios where this could be useful are pretty endless, from turning on lights, recording a show you didn't setup or even
setting fire to the entire home lighting up the Xmas tree as you arrive home to
wow the family. The same page will also allow for device usage monitoring, so you can see what's what when you are away from home. A beta trial will get underway in May with launch expected in September for about $4 a month. Sweet!
[Via
Pinktentacle.com]
posted Apr 25th 2007 5:58PM
Been using Sailclicker on my cell phone for a couple of years to do this. In combination with Indigo software for the MAC, you can control you whole house from your phone anywhere in the world. This story is not new news.
It's a gimmick.
It would be nice to say, lock/unlock the door or turn on the air conditioning, but both those things would require new/extra hardware.
There aren't many things a power switch or infrared transmitter can do that people are going to care about doing remotely.
I for one, welcome our cellular house-controlling robot overlords.
seriously, who still uses a VCR to record TV shows?
if you have a cellphone/router set-up like that, wouldn't u have a DVR/Tivo already?
little known fact, but the japanese actually do still use giant vcrs the size of breadboxes.
Those are cute images! I love the face and the big hand on the girl in the second picture!
I used to set up playlists and then have it start when I walked in with my cell phone... it was awesome when I had a girlfriend... not so much anymore.
Ahhh what a waste. . . i agree with james. . . this is NOT new news. . .in fact, it's quite old, i can't see how they'd be able to charge $4 a month for it. . . seeing that you can already reach your broadband router for free using a dynamic dns service. -- I'm using homeseer.
I'm a sucker for gadgets and new technology BUT (Big BUT), all of this control your home while you're away is absolute madness. Science fiction is creeping up on us all really fast. Anyone remember Total Recall.?? The way things are going, we will all be living in a giant oxygen filled bubble sucking in each others farts due to global warming. Seriously, do these companies realize that in order to control your home electronics from your '50 mile from home' cell, you need to leave all of the appliances switched on.. Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? Get real, get a life and switch your own f***ing oven on.