Home Automation Today!

The HTINews is our Bi-Monthly Online Magazine featuring the most up to date Home Automation news available. Here you'll find feature articles, product ads and reviews, interesting columns and interviews as well as press releases announcing the latest technologies available from those companies pioneering the Home Automation industry.

Past issues are available and we've compiled libraries of all the feature articles and product reviews for easy reference.

SwitchLinc
MouseHouse
Lonusers Conference
HA Market Report
Home Theater - Now!
President Launches PATH
HomeStar Facts
GCT / InteliHome Merger

Review - Home Control Assistant
Uncle Phil Part IX
PCS Lighting System
VoiceTrek - Voice Control
International Lighting Control System
Home Convenience
Spacer - Lighting Control
The PhoneHub
SceneMaster
Low Intensity Lighting

CEBus by SmartCorp
PCTheater
Residential Cabling System
CEDIA EXPO '98
Guardian Knight
Leviton TelCom
LiteTouch 2000
Simply Smart Home
ISC Expo - New York
Connect to the Future
HomeVoice 2.0
X-10's Hottest Prods
HAL Voice Control
LonWorks Networks
Viking Electronics

It's June already. Spring has sprung and El Nino is taking a rest). Actually, I won't complain about El Nino. We've had the mildest winter and warmest spring that I can remember up here in Lotus Land (Vancouver Island).

The theme for this issue is Security / Lighting. Unfortunately, we didn't get that much input from the Security industry but there are a few articles as well as several from Lighting enthusiasts. Hope you enjoy them along with features from other sectors of the Home Automation world.

A few important developments are taking place. President Clinton announced the creation of PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) a new public/private organization that brings together the federal government and leaders from the home building, product manufacturing, insurance and financial industries to expand the development and widespread use of advanced technologies designed for the homeowner marketplace. This is good news for us all.

And, Home Automation is becoming more and more popular in the media. For example this from Information Week 20 Apr 98. "Forrester Research predicts that by 2002, 10% of U.S. households will contain networked electronic devices, such as refrigerators that alert homeowners it's time to buy milk, or intelligent sprinkler systems that kick on when the weather report calls for clear skies."

A report from Allied Business Intelligence, Inc. states: "The US home automation market, in aggregate, will continue its slow rise through 2002, with real growth realized from 2002 to 2008. This growth will be driven by the home security systems market. From 1997 to 2002, annual revenues will grow by $1.6 billion, a doubling of the market. Growth from 1997 through 2008 will be 19%, with growth rapidly increasing in the 2002 to 2008 time period."

Sooooo ... if you're interested in getting in on this opportunity, have a look at the newest offering from Home Toys. It's our Employment and Dealership Opportunities. Here you'll find ads from companies seeking dealers and /or employees. There's a form here if you want to send in a free ad.

New Products due to hit the streets in June:
Vidan's HX-1 Home Controller (it's the prize in our contest ... we'll be doing a review as soon as it's released).
VoiceTrek Voice Control Software - Look for a review as soon as we get our copy ... soon.

Next issue's theme will be Cabling and Communication so if you'd like to contribute please drop me a line. We've got commitments form lots of authors for this one so I think it'll be a must read. Future issues will be:

October = Gifts and Gadgets / HVAC
December = Home Office Automation
February = Vacation Home Automation

Please take a moment to read about some of the great products and services offered by our advertisers and be sure to tell them that you heard about them from Home Toys. These companies are the ones that allow us to keep this site online and without them I'd have to get a night job :-)