HomeAutomation
Latest
HomeSeer announces PRO-100 Series-II home automation controller
You've got a lot of options when it comes to dictating the electronics in your home, but HomeSeer is hoping to snag your increasingly coveted dollars with its newly unveiled PRO-100 Series-II. The home automation controller ups the ante on last year's Series-I by housing a 1.5GHz Intel Celeron processor, 1GB of DDR RAM, four RS-232 serial ports, a pair of USB 2.0 inputs, Ethernet, audio in / out, and Windows XP already embedded. The company claims the new unit sports "practically double the performance and capacity of the original PRO-100, while maintaining the same level of high reliability and low power consumption (20 watts nominally)." In an presumed attempt to eliminate any and all manual labor within your domicile, HomeSeer's new box supports dozens of popular electronic setups, takes commands via voice (telephone or microphone) and the web, and plays nice with a myriad of "lighting arrangements, appliances, security, HVAC, and home theater systems." The PRO-100 Series-II will begin shipping "this December" for a currently undisclosed (yet presumably pricey) amount.[Via eHomeUpgrade]
Monster's Linux-based network media and automation devices
Monster Cable, the company best known for its, um, cabling, has announced more information about its network media and home automation devices recently displayed at CEDIA. Everything in the Monster Einstein system is controlled by the Nucleus head-end, which runs the home automation and control elements, using Z-Wave and Bluetooth to control sensors and devices throughout the home, as well as interfacing with the media devices on the network. It has gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n network capabilities as well as a VOIP interface, and should retail for around $4000. The $2500 Electron components are the client end points and connect to the televisions and receivers on the network. You'll want at least one Photon 200-disc DVD changer in the system, because even though they're $2400 they have dual transports, meaning two different discs can be played simultaneously over the network. Also plan on attaching one or more of the $4900 Neutron RAID5-capable storage boxes -- each comes with 960 gigs of storage standard but can scale up to 7.2 terabytes. Other devices in the chain include the $1500 Astro Sirius satellite radio tuner with three zones, and the $1300 Tron seven-inch touch panel. Keep reading for more specifics, as well as another shot of the "monster" Photon changer...
EnOcean harvesting power from the environment, not batteries
Remember EnOcean's batteryless / wireless light switches on display last year? Don't sweat it, neither did we. Still, that hasn't stopped EnOcean from experimenting with battery-less sensors which harvest electricity from vibrations (pictured) and temperature differentials. According to EnOcean, their prototype thermal-differential sensor attached to say, a water pipe, can harvest up to 50-milliwatts as long as one surface is 3-degrees Celsius higher or lower than the immediate environment. While that pales in compaison to batteries, it's still enough power to transmit a tweaked RF signal as far as 300-meters in an open warehouse or 30-meters through walls. Nearby sensors can also act as relays to extend signal transmission. Link the sensors with a thermostat and you can create micro-climates around the home; link 'em to a home automation system and control your house without the need to run power and Cat 5 / WiFi everywhere. Now someone get those X10 spammers home automators on the horn, we smell a business op.
Embedded Automation launches mServer for home control
It seems we've been on the verge of home automation for the past couple decades, but for some reason those dang consumers have stuck with their "Clap On Clap Off" light fixtures and continue to open the door for themselves instead of stepping into the future. We're not sure if Embedded Automation's new mServer product for home automation will make a difference, but it sure has the feature set to give it a decent shot. The product can work via a PC browser, Media Center Extender, and also can be managed remotely over the internets. With the system you can manage lights, security, HVAC, IP cams, irrigation and IR devices all with a bit of plain-jane home networking, and it's interoperable with protocols like Z-Wave, INSTEON and products like Elk security, Axis cameras and Global Cache network adapters. Sounds like good fun, but the $1,400 pricetag might curb your enthusiasm.[Via Chris Lanier's Blog]
Microsoft demos SideShow-enabled products at WinHEC
Microsoft seems to have big plans for their SideShow auxiliary display technology -- besides the laptop and remote control implementations we've been expecting, they're also using the software for products that we didn't even know we needed, such as digital photo frames that overlay the picture with IMs and Outlook data. The frame, which is being manufactured by a company called A Living Picture, was one of three devices that Microsoft's senior project manager for Windows Client Greg Graceffo showed off at today's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), along with a modified Logitech G15 gaming keyboard and a universal remote from Exceptional Innovations. EI's remote, which will launch at the same time as Vista (whenever that is), looks particularly promising, as it allows the user to view program guides, RSS feeds, and other infoswag on the same gadget that can control both home theater equipment and home automation devices. As for the keyboard, well, keep reading if you're interested in seeing what an Outlook appointment looks like on a three-line LCD...
MIT students automate dorm room, add "party mode"
Even though they may have somewhat of a geeky reputation, MIT students party just as hard as the white hatters at your local state school, and probably graduate in larger percentages to boot. It should be no surprise, then, that a couple of dorm-dwelling party animals at the university decided to use their copious electronics skillz to convert their room into the ultimate cramped disco -- and because this is MIT we're talking about, everything goes live at the push of a single button. Using an X-10 control system, Zack Anderson and his roommate RJ Ryan hooked up strobe lights, black lights, a fog machine, laser light show, scrolling LED sign, disco ball, and an LCD projector to their computers so that all the effects would sync with whatever music was playing, and even retrofitted their window blind with a motor so it can drop down and act as a projection screen for some trippy visualization action. Calling their setup MIDAS (Multifunction In-Dorm Automation System), the pair also included a security alarm and camera for remotely monitoring their now-famous room, and situated small VFDs throughout the interior to deliver system status updates or other types of infoswag. Hey guys, if you don't land some hotshot jobs after college with your MIT degrees, we always have room for clever DIYers right here at Engadget.[Via MAKE: Blog]
