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Home Automation posts

SpeakerCraft bringing FancyPants UI gear to CEDIA

by Steven Kim posted Jul 17th 2009 at 11:28AM

SpeakerCraft booth with Fancy Pants
Last year's surreal SpeakerCraft booth at CEDIA definitely got people talking, but this year we're hoping that a new line of products from the company is what will be getting all the buzz. Press releases from Fluffy Spider Technologies and SpeakerCraft suggest that the conference will see the debut of SpeakerCraft media center products that use Fluffy Spider's FancyPants software for a UI with all the eye candy our 21st century selves demand. Sounds like a good match to us -- SpeakerCraft definitely has whole-home presence, and the development of a uniform control UI that's actually a pleasure to use is a definite "must have" feature. Both companies are keeping things pretty mum, however, so we'll have to wait to see what's brewing.

Read - SpeakerCraft media center products coming to CEDIA
Read - SpeakerCraft teams with FST Fancy Pants

Mac-friendly Houseport USB To Z-Wave adapter shipping soon en masse

by Darren Murph posted Mar 29th 2009 at 6:51PM


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.

Control4 unveils $1,299 7-Inch Table Top Touch Screen

by Darren Murph posted Feb 17th 2009 at 7:52AM


You'd like to sit around in your sofa while controlling every aspect of your home, huh? Thermostat, garage door, home theater system, whole-home audio volume, etc. -- if so, Control4 has the goods for you. The 7-Inch Table Top Touch Screen sports a 16:9 aspect panel, WiFi and Ethernet, though -- strangely enough -- the company is being mum on the rest of the details. Here's the detail that matters, though: $1,299, shipping to the US this month.

[Via WidescreenReview]

Crestron pushes the envelope with 17-inch Isys TPS-17G-QM HD touchpanel

by Darren Murph posted Feb 9th 2009 at 2:45PM


You know you've living large when you purchase a home automation touchpanel that's bigger than some computer monitors. For those who firmly believe that bigger truly is better (without exception), Crestron has introduced the 17-inch Isys TPS-17G-QM, which offers up dual-window support, a WXGA resolution, QuickMedia connectivity, a built-in speaker / microphone, an Ethernet jack and backlit push buttons. There's no mention of a price, but if you're seriously considering this, it probably matters not.

Crestron records best sales ever, asks "what recession?"

by Darren Murph posted Jan 12th 2009 at 4:41PM


The world at large may be having some trouble with their credit, but Crestron customers are clearly not being affected. Just a day after the US government reported the worst jobless rate since 1945, the home automation company has come forward with its best month of sales in its 40 year history. Moral of the story? Touchpanel control of one's HVAC is really, really, really important these days.

LG rolling out pro LCDs with integrated Control4 automation

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 11th 2009 at 11:14AM

Home automation heads don't get too happy, because while LG is definitely delivering these HDTVs with Control4 OS built in, for the time being CE Pro reports they're for commercial customers only. Small steps are still progress, so if seeing Control4 take its place as "the home OS" is your dream as well, the wait may be getting a little shorter.

Colorado vNet ships Vibe Video System for media management

by Darren Murph posted Dec 5th 2008 at 9:56AM


If you've been turned off on home automation due to prohibitive startup costs, you aren't alone. And we'll be the first to admit that Colorado vNet's newest shipping solution isn't dirt cheap, though the functionality is sure nice for those that can swing it. The Vibe Video System works to store a homeowner's movies, music and photo collections on a server for instant access from any connected TV in the home. The system itself will only be offered through company-approved dealers, though it is noted that support for Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio and Blu-ray is included. Prospective buyers have a few choices when it comes to servers, players and network servers, with each ranging from $2,199 to $7,999. Check the read link below if you aren't immediately turned off by such figures.

[Via CEPro]

NuVo Technologies beefs up integration with Life|ware

by Darren Murph posted Nov 10th 2008 at 11:34AM

NuVo Technologies and Exceptional Innovation have apparently found it within their hearts to team up in order to provide better integration between wares; after all, there's at least a decent chance that anyone with a remarkable home automation system is using kit from both of these firms. Starting now, NuVo Grand Concerto multi-room audio Control Pads now can also control Life|ware home automation scenes, meaning that Control Pads can now dictate Life|ware-connected lighting, shades, climate, security, etc. What's it take to bring the couple together? A $399 NuVoNet Adapter (NV-NNA) and Life|ware's Visual Project configuration tool, both of which are available now. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading NuVo Technologies beefs up integration with Life|ware

ELAN ships $3,350 XP-8.4 WiFi touch panel

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2008 at 5:39AM


If Embedded Automation's mPanel is the exception to high priced touch panels, ELAN's XP-8.4 is the rule. Granted, it does feature an 8.4-inch touch screen and it doesn't have to be mounted in your wall, but $3,350 is a lot of scratch no matter how you spin it. The WiFi-enabled device is now shipping (months ahead of schedule, mind you) to dealers, and aside from controlling just about every aspect of your digital home, users can also browse the web (Flash support included!) on the unit itself. It comes bundled with a tabletop docking / recharging cradle with Ethernet / USB ports and a built-in rechargeable battery pack, but it's too bad that the picture above is about as close as we'll ever get to owning one.

Embedded Automation's mPanel Review

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Oct 24th 2008 at 12:00PM

mPanel In-wall touch screen.
We just love the idea of having a connected home where every device in our house -- you know, like the HDTV -- is integrated together. Unfortunately for the most part, the connected home is financially out of our reach -- as it is for most Americans. Affordability is one of the reasons why we've keep our eye on Embedded Automation and its new mPanel in particular. While most 7-inch in-wall touch panels cost at least $3,000 (some as much as $7,000!), the new mPanel hit the streets last week at $999. This might not seem cheap in the world of netbooks and $200 Blu-ray players that we usually cover at Engadget, but it does bring a cool gadget into our price range. The mPanel seems like even more of a deal when you consider that it is a full-on Windows CE touch screen computer that does POE (Power over Ethernet) and even has a built in amplifier for audio. Of course it is only one of many pieces necessary to bring our dreams of a connected home to reality, but one we definitely enjoyed putting through the paces.

Gallery: mPanel Review

  • Home screen
  • Without the face plate
  • The connections

Continue reading Embedded Automation's mPanel Review

Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 controller in the wild?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 13th 2008 at 6:59AM


We're still retaining a slight bit of disbelief here, but the long teased BeoSound 5 controller could be awfully close to a formal release. Judging by scads of cryptic (and probably diluted) hints and just two images (one above, one after the break), we're led to believe that this here device will sit atop one's table and enable users to flip through multimedia and play back tunes through their Bang & Olufsen gear. The sell, obviously, is the design. Truth be told, this thing looks like something a few years ahead of its time at first glance, but considering just how ridiculous (that's a compliment, we'll have you know) the BeoCenter 2 looked over four years ago, we'd say this is just par for the course with B&O. Here's hoping some more concrete information flows forth shortly.

[Thanks, JK]

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 controller in the wild?

ReQuest introduces 5.7-inch TS6 in-wall control panel

by Darren Murph posted Oct 8th 2008 at 2:15AM


If you call yourself a proud owner of ReQuest's F-Series, N-Series or iQ Intelligent Music System, have a gander at this. Said outfit has dished out a new in-wall control panel dubbed the TS6, which features a 5.7-inch 640 x 480 panel and connects to your existing home network via a single CAT5 cable. The system automatically detects any connected ReQuest server and enables owners to browse collections, select / build playlists and control connected set-top-boxes. Interested? Bust out the check book, as this one's going to set you back $1,995 when it ships in November.

WiFi-enabled Crestron touchpanel aids in stargazing

by Darren Murph posted Oct 1st 2008 at 11:25AM


We've seen home automation touchpanels used for some -- shall we say, unorthodox -- activities, but this is taking things to another level galaxy. Franklin, NC-based Dan Quigley has whipped up a way for his WiFi-enabled Crestron TMPC8X to actually control a giant telescope. Rather than manually getting the 'scope into the right position, he simply touches a button and watches it automatically check to see "if and when that object is viewable." While he's at it, he can dim the lights around him and check the local weather, and once a celestial body is in view, he can snap a photograph or have the system channel the image to any computer / TV. Suddenly, astronomy has become entirely more attractive.

[Thanks, Chuck]

Use an iPhone / iPod touch as a keyboard and mouse for your Media Center

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Sep 26th 2008 at 1:57PM

Inteliphone Mouse
Home automation/remote control applications for the iPhone/iTouch are a dime a dozen and most of them are pretty boring. We had the same feeling about the first version of the Intelliphone application when we saw it, but the latest version is a bit more interesting. What makes it more interesting is that not only can you use the ugly interface as a remote to control your Windows Media Center, but now you can also use it as a mouse and keyboard. More importantly this means you can take that mouse hidden in the cushions of the couch or the keyboard under the coffee table and put them back in the office where they belong. Because now, for $24, when that annoying dialog box pops up on your Vista Media Center, you can just pull out your iPod Touch and click OK.

[Via The Digital Livestyle]

AT&T talks about linking iPhone with U-verse, home control

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2008 at 1:10AM


We've already seen that Apple's iPhone is a mighty fine home controller, but it looks as if AT&T bigwigs are just now getting wind of that. At a recent event where the company showcased some of its newly developed technology, it talked up eventually linking the iPhone and its fiber-based U-verse service. More specifically, the iPhone could be used "as a remote control," and iPhone owners could also listen to voicemails on their television or watch recorded shows on their handset. There's no word on when said features could eventually be rolled out, but may we implore AT&T to spend more on U-verse expansion before making it even more awesome for those lucky enough to have it?

[Via phonescoop]




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