Smart Home Blog

Yesterday the LinuxMCE development team announced the beta version of 0810. The installation DVD is ready. We just have to wait a bit till it’ll be uploaded to the official torrent and project’s mirrors. The installation using install script will also work. Current alpha users can just upgrade their systems via apt-get. But it’s suggested to make a fresh installation if somebody will experience difficulties to avoid situation when the problem is related to old functionality.

The DVD installation of 0810 will be different then 0710. First of all the Kubuntu will be installed from DVD. And then you should run LinuxMCE installation by clicking on desktop icon. Nothing complicated at all.

Not sure that Russian language is already added to that beta. If not it’ll be added soon as well as my fixes for translation of UpdateEntArea menu entries.

Convergent Home Technologies based in England announced its new home automation system Dianemo. The Dianemo is based on the opensource smarthome system LinuxMCE with well tested hardware and some customizations. There is a few demo videos on the web site demonstrated all Dianemo features.

The Convergent Home Technologies engineers help a lot to grow up LinuxMCE. Full featured VDR integration, KNX/EIB interface, participation with new Z-Wave interface, sharing experience with hardware – all of this come from the Convergent Home Technologies. As result the LinuxMCE users can use that stuff for free.

I wish good like to Convergent Home Technologies with its Dianemo. Hope its customers will be happy with the system!

The latest HAI firmware expands the audio options and flexibility of its Omni and Lumina home control systems. Now they support a bunch of professional audio systems from NuVo, Xantech, SpeakerCraft and Proficient. Also, the NuVo Grand Concerto, Essentia, and Simplese; Xantech MRC-88; Speakercraft MZC; and Proficient M4 and M6 audio systems have been added to HAI’s audio connectivity list, joining the NuVo Concerto, Russound CAM, CAV, CAA-66 and CAS44 audio systems.

The new firmware also includes a number of additional enhancements to the automation capabilities of all of the Omni Family and Lumina Family controllers. These include support for the CentraLite StarLite lighting system, the ability to blink UPB lights at varying blink rates, raise/lower temperature settings a fixed number of degrees from their current settings, temporarily change the light level of a light then return to the previous setting, and control the action of the LED and beeper when displaying a message on a console or Touchscreen.

Lagotek demonstrated the first home automation gadgets which use SideShow. SideShow is a new feature of Windows Vista that allows small bits of PC-based data to be displayed on and controlled through auxiliary displays like remote controls and digital picture frames and doesn’t affect PC’s desktop at all.

Lagotek is planning to release its new version of its Home Intelligence Platform (HIP) specifically for Vista Media Center Edition. Users will be able to control their home through the MCE interface, and naturally control their MCE-based A/V system as well. A/V control has been missing in the earlier versions of the HIP system. HIP works with wireless music systems like the Squeezebox, IP-enabled video cameras, and Z-wave lights and thermostats, while Z-wave RF mesh networking and 802.11g keep it all connected.

Well, it sounds very attractive but let’s see the first release at least.

[via Engadget]

Here is an interesting gadget for electric baseboard heaters, convectors, or radiant floor heating owners – 1800W Baseboard Thermostat. It supports up to four daily heating schedules: warm your house in the morning, drop the temperature when everyone leaves for work and school, raise it again when everyone comes home, and drop it again when everyone’s off to bed. Sure, you’ll still be able to control this thermostat manually, if desired. The thermostat is use a non-volatile memory to keep the programming settings. So, when the power comes back on, the thermostat will return to the same operating mode it was in before power was lost. The thermostat also features an on/standy switch to put the thermostat in sleep mode when its use is no longer required (e.g. summer).

A built-in ground-fault circuit interruptor (GFCI) will save the thermostat from power surges. Using together the Baseboard thermostat and telephone controller allows to you control your home temperature via phone line.

You can buy the baseboard thermostat with GFCI for $174.99 and without GFCI for $59.99.