Yesterday the final version of LinuxMCE 0710 was released. Basically, it’s exactly the same as RC1 except just two thing. The first one is adding a few packages into debian cach to speedup installation. And the second one is updated version of ZWave interface. So, if you have installed RC1 there is no reason to upgrade it.
I have to find time to upgrade my 0710 Beta 4 and play with VDR 1.6. And waiting for the first version of 0804.
iPhone and iPod Touch are very popular in smarthome vendors day by day. Now Embedded Automation is going to release a new version (v2.1) its home automation system mControl. And it seems that one of new features that version will be providing UI to use iPhone/iPod Touch as control panel.
Unfortunately, there is no any detailed information. But it should be available next week. So, stay tune!
[via Chris Lanier's Blog]
eHomeUpgrade recently posted a nice example of using Google’s Android in home automation. The project is called AutoHTN and developed by Home Theater Network (HTN). The new software allows to consumers automate and control lighting, security sensors, cameras, electrical outlets, thermostats, streaming video from a HTPC, window blinds, and receivers from mobile phones. Sure the mobile phones should support coming soon Android.
To work with multiple automation protocols such as Z-wave, UPB, and X10 AutoHTN uses the xPL automation protocol. The video streaming is done with VideoLAN, which allows to stream video even via Internet directly to mobile phone with installed AutoHTN.
The AutoHTN looks really cool. But Android is not yet released, there is no any Android powered mobile phone and it isn’t clear will be AutoHTN is free or we should spend some money to pump our mobiles. In any case, it’s good example of application of revolutionary Google’s technology.
[via eHomeUpgrade]
As many of you may know Kubuntu 8.04 was released at 24/04/08. So, LinuxMCE developers started thinking about 0804 version. You can find a list of goals for LinuxMCE 0804 here. Some interesting ideas are: adding JavaMO and MAME, improving Z-Wave, MythTV and INSTEON integration, allowing to create a custom themes for Orbiter.
Personally, I’m very interested to have a better VDR integration. The RC1 already contains the latest stable VDR version (1.6.0). Thanks to that I’ll able to see Russian EPG and play with SoftCAM. But to use VDR with more than one media director the proper integration should be done. I understand the problem with VDR. Unlike MythTV it doesn’t have a strict client-server architecture. So, this is a main difficulty with providing a full-featured functionality for media director. But I’m sure that LinuxMCE developers will find a way to implement that. Hope it’ll be in the 0804 release.
It seems that LinuxMCE development team is ready to release 0710. The first (and last) release candidate was announced today. I didn’t find the distribution anywhere yet. But when RC will be available for downloading I won’t be able to test it. Because tomorrow me and my wife Maria go to London for four days. So, I’ll install the stable version I hope when we return back.
You can see the full change log between 0704 and 0710 here. The most important things are support for amd64, support for 1080p, adding the latest MythTV packages, integration with VDR 1.6.0, Telecom refactoring, upgrading Xine and nVidia drivers.
To monitor the LinuxMCE 0710 RC news check that forum topic.