Items Tagged With tutorials

We've just learnt that Cytech are doing a special deal on training.  For a limited time, if you buy the Comfort Evaluation Kit they will provide their excellent two-day training course free of charge (excluding accommodation). The next course is scheduled on 21st and 22nd September 2010 at the Touchbase Meetng Centre at the Premier Inn Heathrow.  The Evaluation Kit comprises of a Comfort panel plus KP04, RC01, DP03, RGR04, UCM, SCS/Esprit, and the Comfigurator software. Read on for all the details...

In the latest of our 'My Automated Home' series, Martyn Wendon shows us round the four Nodes of his smart home set-up.  Covering a decade of his retro-fitted tech, the sub systems are plentiful and include lighting, heating, AV, CCTV, utility monitoring, xAP, xPL, 1Wire, HomeEasy, RFXCom, X10, Z-Wave and more!.  So grab a coffee, sit back and geek out..

xAP is an open Home Automation Protocol, created by Automated Home readers almost a decade ago.  It allows many disparate systems to talk to each other - for example your Caller ID interface could send packets to your Joggler to display details when someone rings.  Or perhaps you need your Comfort Alarm system to be able to control to your C-Bus lighting?  All do-able with xAP.  Recent discussions on our forums have lead to a new beginners guide / tutorial on setting up and running xAP in your own home and with the kind permission of the author,  we've re-created it here

AlertMe started life as a security company, offering their on-line wireless alarm system.  Now it's clear from the very front page of their website that they are focussing their future on Energy monitoring.  They've employed their Zigbee technology, already refined in their security product, to create their latest offering - AlertMe Energy - a £49 hardware package along with a subscription to a monitoring service.  So, does it live up to the promise and can you really save money using the system....?

Plex + Indigo + Harmony Remote = Home Automation Bliss      Why do it?  About a year ago, I decided to take the home automation plunge and sought out ways to automate my home's lighting, entertainment and HVAC systems.  After doing a good deal of research, I concluded that the most cost-effective and flexible solution would be to utilitze Perceptive Automationís Indigo software and Smarthome's Insteon modules for the lighting and HVAC. 

Once I installed all the Insteon devices (which also included a garage door opener), I installed the Indigo software on an iMac in my study, connected the iMac to the Insteon adapter which plugs into the wall and my home automation dreams were off and running...