Take Control Remote
All in all ... this is an awesome remote control unit unlike anything I've played with to date. I found it easy to learn and use. Perhaps the handiest feature is the roller that can switch channels at the speed of light. My eyes ain't what they used to be and being able to just reach over and roll is a pleasure. My biggest dilemma is that I'm going to have to part with this unit when someone wins it in the April Tips and Tricks Contest . Oh well, maybe I'll get one for Father's Day :-) mind you it's a bit expensive ($349) for the kids (unless of course Mom can be convinced to participate).
Top Home Automation Products & Services Recognized
HAA's Mark of Excellence Awards recognize the finest achievements in home automation. 1999 Award winners and finalists were recognized at the Mark of Excellence Awards presentation during the Home Automation Show & Conference, February 8-10 in Orlando.
The Home Automation Association is the trade association of the home control industry. HAA members include manufacturers, distributors, dealers, installers and service providers of home automation products. Home automation integrates lighting, entertainment, security, HVAC and telecommunications to provide enhanced energy efficiency, convenience and safety for homes.
Two-Way Lamp and Appliance Modules with Status Polling, Automatic Status Response, and Automatic Gai
These Two-Way Modules can be controlled using standard X-10 commands such as A1-ON. They are therefore compatible with the entire range of existing X-10 controllers. However when used with the CM11A Two-Way Computer Interface and ActiveHome software they can be polled for, or automatically transmit their status.
Technical Sidebar below (for programmers who want to develop applications that take advantage of the advanced features of these Two-Way Modules)
THEORY OF OPERATION OF TWO-WAY LAMP AND APPLIANCE MODULES
Universal SL9000 Remote
The SL9000 is a great unit for button freaks. It will control every device including X10 home automation and surround sound home theater systems. It has a backlight so you can see the buttons at night. At a price of $139 this unit may be all you ever need to control your entertainment system and the lighting therein.
Unix Home Automation
There needs to be further software written and easier to use front ends so that people like my wife, who don't want to learn complicated commands and setups, can basically point and click. Unix has all the tools needed to perform all of this and still keep the command line there for those who want more power. After the front ends have been added the next thing to work on will be redundancy. This is an area where most Home Automation systems are lacking.
CES '99 in Las Vegas
Many large corporations including Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Philips, Panasonic etc. have entered the fray. Some have seen that the future of the PC is limited unless it expands into the home networking environment. Others note that each home in America now has 2 TV's and one PC (soon to be 2 PC's) as well as umpteen other electronic devices. Why not capitalize on this fact and network all this stuff together. CES99 demonstrated to me that these players and many others are serious about Home Networking.
CES '99 in Las Vegas
Many large corporations including Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Philips, Panasonic etc. have entered the fray. Some have seen that the future of the PC is limited unless it expands into the home networking environment. Others note that each home in America now has 2 TV's and one PC (soon to be 2 PC's) as well as umpteen other electronic devices. Why not capitalize on this fact and network all this stuff together. CES99 demonstrated to me that these players and many others are serious about Home Networking.
HA in China
The following are excerpts of progress reports on the Qingdao Technology Center Home Automation Project as reported by Max E. Greene. Thanks to Max we can get an idea of some of the challenges and rewards of working on an overseas project of this nature.
Home Cabling Part II
The wiring closet exists to hold not only the 'other end' of the cables we run to various points in the house, but also the devices like network hubs, PBXs, alarm control panels, video and audio distribution equipment, etc. that will provide the services these cables carry.
HomeAPI Group Interview
Home API allows a software developer an easy way to discover controllable devices in the home, the control attributes of the devices (on/off, volume up/down, channel, time, temperature, status, etc.), and the current state of the device, and it provides the ability to modify or change the state of the device.
HomeRF Wireless
SWAP defines a common interface specification that supports wireless voice and data services in the home. It was designed to operate with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Internet.
Product Review - UK LIGHT SWITCH LW10U
The switch does NOT require a neutral wire. The majority of the rest of European countries (German, France etc) all seem to have their lighting circuits wired differently to the UK (they DO need a neutral wire) and so we couldn't use their switches. The switch will control (and dim) incandescent lights from 60W to 300W.
SceneMaster Lighting Control System
Powerline Control Systems' SceneMaster system allows multiple lights to be set to various dim levels creating single room or whole house lighting scenes with one command. With 4 switches you can implement a complete single room four light system. No central controller is necessary, only one transmitter and the appropriate number of PCS receivers.
There is only ONE way and it's Two way
There is a time and a season for everything, and indeed, even in a two-way system there is a time to "speak" and a time to refrain from "speaking". So the focus of the issue before us is whether a system can support two-way communication and not when and how this capability is used.
Which One Should I Use - Part XIII
Digital X-10
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Featured Product
ELK Products -C1M1 Dual-Path Alarm Communicators with Remote Services
C1M1 offers a truly significant reduction in transmission time in comparison to other communicators that rely on dial capture or data bus decoding. This can result in quicker response time to emergency situations which could save lives and assets. By providing both IP and cellular pathways, C1M1 provides the reliability installers are looking for in an alarm communicator.
C1M1 eliminates port forwarding and extra fees for remote access. Installers can remotely upload/download programming changes to M1 controls over IP or cellular using ElkRP2. Consumers can control the M1 remotely via the free ElkLink mobile app and web portal, as well as eKeypad and M1 Touch Pro apps. Other IP-based software and interface partners can connect to the M1 control over the local network through C1M1. C1M1 also provides email/text notifications for arm, disarm, and alarm events.
ELK-C1M14GSM supports GSM (AT&T/T-Mobile) networks and ELK-C1M1CDMA supports CDMA (Verizon) networks.
