Cyber-Rain XCI gives you wireless control of your sprinkler system

Frustrated with that exorbitantly high water bill stemming from all the H20 wastefully spewed out from that non-intelligent sprinkler system? Enter the Cyber-Rain XCI, which gives owners wireless control of up to eight watering zones. After hooking up the controller(s) and plugging a wireless access point into your PC via USB, users can look forward to the solution automatically tweaking their irrigation system based on weather conditions, seasons, etc. It'll even log water savings and chuck out a graph to prove its value. C'mon, you know it's worth $349 to make your thumb look way greener than it actually is (and save some water, too).

[Via Unplggd]

[Gabe Posted Apr 15th 2008 1:33AM]

california would just be better off eliminating all grass lawns.

we waste so much water here.

this device is a start but still - its a goddamn waste of water.

just say good bye to your lawn in 10 years

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 2:39AM]

Are you suggesting not watering the lawns at all?

I mean you may save a few bucks... but after a couple of years what was once your lawn will turn into a bunch of dried up sand and that sand of course will be everywhere, in the air in your home etc... think middle eastern city

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 9:30AM]

This post is ridiculous. I work in the irrigation field as a distributor and remote controls for system have been out for close to a decade. Do your research engadget. There is wireless remote setups, some pc integrated setups and some really amazing "smart clocks" that download weather forecast, have their own weather stations and work on a system similar to an IP setup with each component having an address equivalent to an IP address. Controllers can now have sensors with flow control to detect leaks and shut the water off and with moisture sensor to not re-water area that have already the proper moisture content. This controller is a joke by a unknown player in the irrigation field.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 3:01AM]

$349? I'll bet it has no more than $30 worth in parts.

[Torch Posted Apr 15th 2008 3:51AM]

I bet you wouldn't save 349$ worth of water before the thing breaks.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 4:02AM]

So you have all that surface area, and you grow....
grass.
*sigh*
Make mine a villa that occupies the whole lot, with a courtyard.. with corn or something, and a cover that can be opened or closed.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 6:29AM]

forget waterin lawns, this run a hydro system :D

[shutter Posted Apr 15th 2008 6:41AM]

hacking one of those things would be sooo much fun.

[y3knik Posted Apr 15th 2008 6:56AM]

Too bad I don't have a lawn!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 8:14AM]

Beware! trespassers will be sprinkled.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 10:29AM]

Cyber-Chocolate Rain.....

(I'm sorry, South Park's Internet Meme episode is fresh in my head. I had to let that out.)

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 15th 2008 11:49AM]

Interestingly, their web site is utterly devoid of any system requirements for running the software. All it mentions is "your PC", which I would assume means a Windows PC. XP? Vista? How about Linux or Mac?

[Arkenklo Posted Apr 15th 2008 3:53PM]

But, will it blend?

[jholderness Posted Apr 15th 2008 9:24PM]

If anyone is planning on purchesing this item. They need to check out the Acclima system first. This is nothing when compaired to the Acclima system. Seriously go check out the Acclima systems.

acclima.com

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 16th 2008 7:51PM]

What people water there lawns? What type of grass do people use? We've never watered our lawns and it grows great!

And the use of sprinklers? That is a huge waste of water there, should be using those underground hoses with the holes in it...

Thanks for the link to the acclima.com, looks awesome!