Smart Home Blog

Here is a Linux-based Home Control/Theater System from Monster Cable - Einstein. It’s composed of 6 very innovative components like its 2-room-stream DVD changer and 3-zone Sirius radio tuner. Also, it includes a phone remote that easily handles all home theater, home control, and VoIP/Cellular communications. Out of the box, Einstein will support 1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet for HD video streaming and will be able to connect wireless through 802.11g/n, Z-Wave and Bluetooth protocols.

[via CRN]

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If you decided to build your own intelligent home this article is may be a good as start point. It doesn’t matter will you made all work by yourself or you take advantage of professional integrators ou should know how to plan smart home system. The author describes types of cables to wire home, security, sensors and access system, phone system, distribution A/V system etc.

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Plutohome development team has announced a new version - 2.0.0.40 (Plutohome is the best open source home automation system which cover all home areas). There is a huge change log. Among important modifications are update kernel to 2.6.16.20, a new PnP system, a new configuration wizard, improved telecom and improved orbiter.

I hope that our Nokia770 will be able to work properly as Orbiter with that version. Also, We waited for that version to test a new VDR wrapper which developed by burgiman. Tonight we’re going to upgrade our Plutohome installation up to 2.0.0.40 version. The brief review of the latest version is coming soon.

Plutohome grows from version to version and it’s good. The new version includes two CDs instead of one. Feel free to download and test it!

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The Neo 17 LCD monitor from CyberTouch was designed specifically for use in the home-automation and home-theater industry. This 17″ touch screen monitor comes in a lovely widescreen format (16:9) and can be wall-mounted when the situation calls for it. It supports a maximum resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels and operates on a mere 31 watts, thus eliminating the need for a fan, making it noiseless when in operation. Each Neo 17 comes with software drivers for Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms.

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Using X10 devices is the most appropriate solution for budget home automation. They can be installed and configured by homeowner without any problems and after that they can be controlled via PC or remote (sure, you still can switch on/off light manually). But X10 devices suffer from disadvantage as well. For example, the 2-ways devices (they can receive commands and send events) are too expensive. You can choose 1-way X10 but when you change their status manually your automation system won’t know about it.

Another a considerable disadvantage of X10 is a possibility to control your devices from outside your home. X10 signals travel through your electical lines and can pass from one house to another if you do not have the signals filtered by adding additional hardware.

The new generation of X10 devices have built-in noise filter and more pleasing aesthetic design. Also, they have higher power handling and remember last brightness level. So, let’s see how the second generation of X10 will work on practice.

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