Smart Home Blog

Recently the Beta 1 of Linux-based media center software XBMC was released. Originally created for Microsoft XBox it’s available now for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. There is a possibility to try Atlantis without installation (thanks to LiveCD).

XBMC offers a full set of features for HTPC: organize media library, playback video files, listen music, show photos. Its functionality can be extended using plugins and GUI can be customized using themes. There is an only one missed feature - Personal Video Recorder (PVR). But according to rumors XBMC development team is working to implement it. Definitely it won’t be in this release. Because the final version is scheduled for October right after Ubumtu 8.10.

I played with Boxee - another media center software with social features. XBMC team participates its development. I like Boxee. It’s really good and user friendly. There is only one reason why I don’t use it on my media center - lack of PVR functionality. I’m going to play a bit with Atlantis too.

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It seems that Crestron didn’t satisfy with iViewer - iPhone application offered easy and universal way to implement an interface to the TCP/IP based home automation systems (including Crestron itself). On the CEDIA 2008 Crestron demonstrated its iPhone gear. It allows a complete control and management of home entertainment, AV presentation and environmental systems such as climate, lighting and shades using intuitive graphical interface. That interface provides a real-time status of room temperature, lighting levels, shade position and digital media meta data such as volume, title and artist.

The Crestron Control App for the iPhone can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store without any charges.

[via Remote Shoppe]

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Recently a new alpha version of software for media centers Boxee has been released. Following new features were implemented in the version:

• manual editing of (un)identified movies/tv shows/albums;
• manual adding of a source;
• added mms:// and UPnP support;
• OSD for pictures;
• updated source management;
• bug-fixes.

A full Changelog and system requirements can be found here.

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iPhone becomes more and more popular in the home control industry. Here is a list of the most popular or fresh applications for Apple’s gadget which can help consumers to manage their houses more efficient:

• AirRemote - turns iPhone into smart remote control. It uses WiFi to send commands and needs GC100 to transmit them to IR.
• ILoveControl is another universal remote control implementation for iPhone. But it allows to control not A/V equipment but all devices added in the Crestron, AMX, Control4, Lifeware, Lutron or NetStreams.
• iPhone interface to control Lagotek smarthome systems
• iPhone interface for SpeakerCraft music systems is web-based but extremely expensive - $1000 for pre-configured device and ERS 1.0 Ethernet-to-serial adapter run web server!
• Savant Systems iPhone Interface provides a full control for its systems.
• NetLinc Insteon Central Controller includes an iPhone interface to control INSTEON devices connected to that controller.
• HAI WL3 is an iPhone optimized web interface to control HAI smarthome systems.
• TiVoRemote turns iPhone into remote control for TiVo boxes. It sends commands via TCP/IP.
• MyMote allows to control your MythTV box from iPhone.
• iPhone interface for home automation system mControl.
• MythTV for iPhone is a MythTV front-end for iPhone. You can watch LiveTV or recorded shows.
• Asterisk Voicemail for iPhone offers a simple way to listen and manage you Asterisk voice mail from any place where you can find WiFi connection.
• Promix’s iPhone UI to control its smarthome system Girder.
• Technology BD Touch allows to user iPhone as a remote control for Blu-ray players. I’m not sure that it’ll be so interesting as AirRemote or ILoveControl.

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MyMote is another cool application for iPhone. It transform Apple’s phone into smart MythTV remote control. Unlike a bunch of web based iPhone applications MyMote is developed using Apple iPhone SDK and it can be downloaded from the App Store without any charges. Unfortunately the applications is not approved yet. But you can get an ad hoc distribution of a development snapshot here.

The MyMote is an open source application. So, you can get its code, improve it or make a donation to its author for his excellent work.

[via MythTV News]

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