RemoteLinc wirelessly controls everything in your crib

While it must be nice to own a home that's completely controlled by your voice, a clap, or a simple remote, getting this stuff up and running isn't always easy, and the INSTEON-compatible RemoteLinc doesn't seen to make things any less complicated. Sure, controlling your garage door, fireplace, kitchen appliances, home theater components, and six or so lighting schemes throughout the house may sound novel, but considering the extras required to make it happen with the RemoteLinc, you may want to look elsewhere for your home automation needs. The control only dictates items that are first connected to an RF-capable AccessPoint, which acts as a bridge between the item and the RemoteLinc, but hooking up a multitude of devices can get quite pricey when buying a SwitchLinc, LampLinc, or ApplianceLinc for every single unit. Still, it does boast of "Plug and Tap" ease when setting things up, and the remote itself will only set you back $49.99, but we'd be well aware of the necessary add-ons you'll need to make the magic happen before diving on in.

[Via CNET]

[freezur @ May 5th 2007 1:19PM]

Insteon sucks. The world does not need nor want another closed standard for home automation. A fixed, 32-bit address space? Haven't they heard that there are more than 4-billion people on this planet, and certainly more than 4-billion light switches?

[edleob @ May 5th 2007 1:29PM]

Open the crib doors, HAL.

[adrian @ May 5th 2007 4:34PM]

Did anyone else think of remote controlling a baby's crib instead of their house when they read the headline?

[DC @ May 5th 2007 9:53PM]

Adrian, that is exactly what I thought. I'm definitely a dad now.

[Jeff P. @ May 5th 2007 6:46PM]

Am I the only one that thinks that remote unit is butt-ugly?

[Paul Moon @ May 7th 2007 11:39AM]

The coverage's editorializing, and the subsequent comments, are really unfair. The prophecy of spending a fortune lacks qualification because it's not substantiated by comparison to alternative home automation solutions. As for my interests, I'm frankly satisfied with X10, which is indeed an open standard -- but X10 is unstable and technically inferior to Insteon, from everything I've heard. And Z-Wave and other home automation protocols are significantly more expensive than Insteon.

Bottom line, to those who are whining about Insteon, go ahead and give concrete evidence of a superior solution.