HomeController
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Cortexa's ZE Home Controller: recreate Demon Seed for a fraction of the cost
Your home is the next frontier for gadgeteers across the world and Cortexa's leading the way by releasing a new kit that'll turn your house into Proteus IV in a matter of minutes. The EZ Home Automation Ready Controller can manage lighting, security cameras and thermostats from the comfort of its Flash-based (aww) web-interface or iOS app. It's also retailing an EZ-Wave Starter package with ten dimmers, thermostat, energy monitor, controller and two lamp modules for quick fitting. You'll also be able to save on energy bills, cutting your power down when you're out and about or by setting custom actions for those lightbulb-left-on-moments. Cortexa's building a HTML5 interface as well as support for Hal and Lutron-based systems, which are due to arrive in "a few weeks." The starter kit will set you back $1,800, while remote access costs $50 a year (or $5 a month). After the break we've got PR for everyone who wants to really freak out the kid you paid to come house-sit when you're on vacation.[Thanks, Jesse]
Mac-friendly Houseport USB To Z-Wave adapter shipping soon en masse
For those that don't visit Fry's Electronics on any regular basis, you probably reckoned that Wayne Dalton's totally promising USB To Z-Wave adapter had simply failed to ever make it onto store shelves after being launched 14 months ago. Turns out, the device (and the OS X-friendly Houseport software) has just been loosed from its limiting "Fry's exclusive" agreement, and it's about to ship out to anyone who desires it starting June 1st. We're told that the hardware and software hasn't changed since CES 2008, and even the retail price ($87) will remain the same. Of note, eager beavers can snag a limited number of upgradeable pre-production units today for $79, but then again, you never really know what you're going to get. Hang tight, Mac-owing home automators -- your long-awaited solution is nearly here.
USB To Z-Wave Adapter, Houseport software comes to OS X
Admirers of Macs and Z-Wave have longed for the day in which they could finally use their two dearest loves simultaneously, and thanks to Wayne-Dalton, that day is upon us. The WDUSB-10MAC is hailed as the world's first Z-Wave-enabled home control system "designed specifically for the Mac OS X operating system." Mac users simply plug in the USB dongle, install the bundled Houseport software and go wild creating and managing their home network. When all is said and done, OS X users will be able to "control light switches, appliances, electronics, thermostats and other Z-Wave-enabled devices from their computers or through the internet" -- a feat previously only achievable by booting into Windows. Not too shabby for $87, eh?[Via CEPro]
Hawking reveals HomeRemote Pro monitoring solution
Merely months after Hawking finally got its act together and began shipping out the HomeRemote, the firm is already upping the ante with a new model at CES. Logically dubbed the HomeRemote Pro, this iteration weds IP and Z-Wave technologies to enable users to control lighting, access control, video monitoring, climate control and entertainment -- and that's just for starters. The system also touts a new web server-based system that reportedly "allows for true plug and play installation," and yes, there's already a slew of peripherals (lamp / appliance modules, door sensors and motion detectors) ready to snag as you futilely attempt to quell your paranoia. Users can grab their own starter kit while looking over a shoulder next month for $200, and considering that you can keep an eye on things even from a cellphone, you really won't ever have to wave goodbye when leaving home.
VidaBox's 10.4-inch vPad controls your home
This one's been around the block for a bit, but it's just now managed to sneak up on us. The VidaBox vPad comes from the same firm offering up those swank CableCARD-equipped HTPCs, and this home controller shares that very same pizazz. The 10.4-inch tablet rocks a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel, integrated 802.11b WiFi, a built-in speaker and a rechargeable Li-ion good for around 2.5 hours. As expected, this unit enables owners to control multi-room audio, climate zones, security cameras, garage doors and WiFi-enabled toasters, we presume. 'Course, you'll need Mirage software for VidaBox control or your own home automation hardware to really take advantage of the vPad, and unfortunately, we've no pricing / release details to share just yet.[Thanks, JoeyChina]
Control4's HC-1000: home control processor for the demanding
Rest assured, the vast majority of us would be well served by Control4's HC-300, but for those with more home automation applications than they care to count, the HC-1000 may be the only man for the job. Reportedly, this beast will tout speeds "in the gigahertz range," and acts more as "a supplement to Control4's suite of control systems and interfaces" than a pure controller. You'll find no ZigBee here, but a USB and Ethernet port supposedly enable the box to run Director automation software and allow the "rest of the house to do what it needs to do." Additionally, the device will offer up 250GB of internal storage with room for expansion, and just in case you're leaning towards indulging yourself, the purported $3,000 pricetag may make you reconsider.
Control4's Home Controller HC-300 outputs GUI in HD
For those looking to make the leap to home automation whilst making sure that elegance is taken into account, Control4 is hoping its newfangled Home Controller HC-300 will fit the bill. The relatively low-cost IP-based home controller offers up a multitude of serial, infrared, and video sensing ports, plays nice with standards-based communication technology including Ethernet, WiFi, and ZigBee mesh networking, and can dictate multi-room music, smart lighting, advanced temperature control, and security without breaking a sweat. Most notably, however, is its ability to output the graphical user interface in sparkling 720p, meaning that you will no longer be ashamed of flashing your home controller's GUI on the big screen. Additionally, Control4 revamped the device by adding an anodized black aluminum chassis and a glossy black faceplate, and it plans on shipping these things out sometime in July for a respectable $699.[Via CEPro]
