After five years, and 85,000 messages we now have over 1,000 members.

The list has had its ups and downs over the years, but we continue to strive to make it the best and friendliest home automation resource of its kind anywhere in the world.

Thank you to my co-moderators and to all the regular contributors (and lurkers) that have helped turn UKDA_D from a mailing list into a way of life! :)

Mark McCall

The xPL team have published three new how-to guides on their website. The xPLHal guide is very comprehensive and includes screenshots - xPL for Dummies. The other guides are a work in progress and will be updated over the coming days...

Just received this press release...

HOT EQUIPMENT GETS COOL WITH ONLINE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING - Has the Indian summer taken its toll on your technical equipment? If so, you'll be please to hear that there's a revolutionary new monitoring service that will call or text you if your equipment is close to meltdown.

Intamac Systems Ltd and Jacarta Ltd, have fused their expertise together to create the Jacarta Alert Centre, a revolutionary online environmental monitoring service that calls and texts IT or Facilities Managers and their staff if their equipment is threatened. A secure online account provides access to accurate real-time data on any event, and the equipments' current state...

REDMOND, Wash. -- Aug. 6, 2003 -- Microsoft Corp. today announced it is working with key partners in Europe and Asia to deliver Media Center Edition PCs later this year to five new countries including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and Japan. Based on Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition, Media Center PCs are complete Windows XP-based PCs that provide a new integrated media and entertainment experience that is convenient and easy to use. Media Center PCs represent the evolution of home computers into digital media hubs, allowing consumers to easily integrate their digital entertainment experiences...

Submission by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

**UPDATE**
A single day rate is now avaialable - £545 + vat for 1 day at the event.

Hi Mark. I have arranged the discount for ukha members! It is £200 off the price of the ticket. Here is some additional information on the event for you.

'The Connected Home'; Event Preview The CBI Conference Centre, London, 24 - 25 September, 2003
'Linking services to products for tomorrow's lifestyle' - www.the-connected-home.co.uk

Why are we holding this event - Our purpose? 'The Connected Home' event on 24-25 September 2003, London, will offer a practical focused two-day conference on the real implications, strategies and technology challenges for the profitable implementation of the connected home to the European market. The key goals of the show will be as follows;

o To bring together key industries that need to partner up to move the market forward - device manufacturers, content providers, service suppliers, retailers, security companies, energy management, installers, and home automation specialists. Our goal is to bring industries together that have yet to be positioned within the same forum.

o To focus on 'service deployment' in the connected home market. Launching services is the key to the success of the connected home market. As there are already a plethora of devices available - it's now a question of successfully partnering device, content and services suppliers.

o To focus on the 'practical' - the trials that are being launched and the key learning's available. There is a tendency for many to give you a visualisation of the house of the future - getting us to 'imagine' a future where we will be able to control various aspects of the home from one central until in the home. We want to try, where possible, to focus on what's being delivered now.

o To bring together a good cross section of companies from Europe and the USA - enabling as good cross comparison of learning's and the building of relationships and alliances.

Read On...

A big thank you to everyone that entered the caption competition. We had lots of entries and some of you are obviously on mind-bending drugs! :)

Jonny and Suzanne have now finished arguing (errr..I mean debating) and I can announce that the winning entry is...

A new range of advanced lighting control units has been launched by Polaron Controls. Aimed at homes as well as bars, restaurants, smaller shops and offices, Lightlink Compact dimmer racks can be directly integrated to offer seamless control with other home automation systems such as multi-room audio, home cinema and security systems.

They make use of the latest IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) technology, which removes the need for noisy chokes and provides dynamic short circuit, overload and thermal protection. Soft starting stops the nuisance of miniature circuit breakers tripping caused by initial current surges.

Housing four or eight channels, the racks can control incandescent/LV and mains voltage halogen lights as well as providing 1-10V output for controlling HFR fluorescent dimmable ballasts. DALI and DSI options are also available...

Darren's Garage is a Home Automation portal that acts as a showcase for AutoM8it. It will be expanded to contain projects details of work under way. The site features an area dedicated to AutoM8it plugin development and currently has a Mixer Output plugin available as an Alpha Test release...

Hi I have just launched my new website. Its all about my efforts to automate my home. Feed back, tips/advice welcome...