Items Tagged With installation

Submission by Craig - This article discusses the RFXCOM Visonic receiver available from www.rfxcom.com, and how it can easily be used to integrate a Visonic or BT VP1000 Home Monitor Alarm system with Homeseer. The VP1000 alarm from BT has been monitoring my home for sometime. Before purchasing the Alarm I was sceptical about the range and reliability of the wireless protocol. I found a good deal on the internet that included extra keyfobs and PIRs, and thought I would take a risk and give it try. Once the Alarm was installed, I was surprised at the reliability and range of the security devices, the range of the Visonic PIRs is actually better than the existing WiFi installation...

"Embedded Automation, a leading provider of digital home automation systems, announced the release of mServer (Residential Edition), the latest addition to the mHome product line. mServer provides a centralized home management platform for lighting systems, security systems, HVAC control, IP cameras, irrigation controllers and IR messaging. mServer can be connected to any home network, allowing real-time monitoring, status and control from any connected computer, including home theater PCs. At the core of mServer is mControl, Embedded Automation's software application for home automation, which has thousands of users world wide...

News from Bluedelta on their recently launched IR distribution system...

"Bluedelta Designs have come up with yet another ingenious product that is set to make controlling your Satellite and any other Audio visual devices an ease from anywhere in the home. SmartEye enables users to control their satellite receiver from any TV in the house such as the kitchen, bedroom or even the kid's playroom! Combined with the Smart Blaster, the Smart Eye will also communicate with your DVD, Video, freeview and even your HiFi if it's beside the satellite receiver...

Submission by Nigel Giddings - I am currently building a house in North Kent and have caught the Home Automation bug. The intention is to live in the house for the rest of my life (a bold statement?). I would like to be able to say that no expense has been spared but that would be an exaggeration. I have, however, included many things that you probably would not expect in a typical new house, at least in it's price range. As I want all the usual HA toys the design calls for the usual items like servers, amplifiers, receivers, and a wide range of detectors of various types..

Here's an interesting guide on building a Car PC. This is of interest to Smart Home entusiasts too as many of the requirements that make an idea car pc (multimedia, touchscreen, network, small form factor & silent opperation) make these systems idea for many home automation and media player roles too...

"Car PC users need to get to their applications fast and with a minimum of interaction. So keyboards and mice, while handy for occasional work in the car, are of limited use in a car. Instead, car PCs should rely on touch screens and software interfaces with "skins" that let users access their apps quickly and safely. In car lingo, a touch screen works like a "head unit," providing access to music selection or a GPS. A major goal of a car PC is to replace the vehicle's head unit with a touch screen that will act as GPS, CD player, radio and the like.

Skins used with voice-recognition software can also provide safe and a mostly hands-free method of working with applications. Applications like RoadRunner and SKINbedder work with NaviVoice voice recognition to provide quick access to applications with a minimum of driver involvement. In the screenshot below, you can see how NaviVoice helps to integrate voice activated GPS with media playing and other applications, making GPS functions available quickly and safely with a one-word command..