Smart Home Blog

The new modern solution on computer market is all-in-one form-factor. Apple started producing such devices long time ago. So, it’s time for PC to take that market niche. A few interesting all-in-one solutions, with can be used in smarthome, were demonstrated in the Taiwan exhibition Computex Taipei 2009. Let’s start from the Acer.

Acer decided do not limit by Aspire Z5600 only and demonstrated Gateway One ZX6800 . It’s very similar to Aspire Z5600. It uses the same Intel Core 2 Duo processor, includes hybrid TV tuner, gigabit Ethernet, a/b/g/n WiFi, HD webcam and HD speakers. Gateway One ZX6800 supports Full HD resolution and multi-touch interface on the 23-inch display. It can be used as touchscreen console for home automation system as well as hybrid TV and HTPC or media extender thanks to widescreen.
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Smarthome should definitely have smart kitchen. The ICD showed its nVidia Ion based nettop to make kitchen smarter. No any words about spec or price. But I suppose that the kitchen nettop should be equiped with touchscreen “designed to meet the demands of a busy kitchen”. The kitchen nettop can be used to store recipes and playback of media content from your media hub.

Acer demonstrated its all-in-one PC Z5600 on the Computex Taipei 2009. It’s equiped with 23-inch LCD display supported multi-touch interface and HD resolution. The Z5600 is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processor and contains DDR3 memory, 3.5″ SATA-II HDD, hybrid TV tuner card, gigabit Ethernet, a/b/g/n WiFi adapter, HD webcam and HD speakers.

As I see the Acer Aspire Z5600 can be used as control panel for home automation system like LinuxMCE or you may combine it with media client.

If you rich and successful and you like to take a shower the Aquagate is what do you need. Originally tt’s free-standing shower cabin. But guys from Villeroy & Boch add here a bit high tech. A built-in controller with touch screen allows to configure and save shower environment, listen MP3 and more. The price is not listed but it should be really expensive!

Once I wrote about cool remote control with LCD touch screen instead of ordinary buttons. That remote controls up to 8 AV devices. LCD Touch Screen 16 in 1 Universal Remote Control can control up to 16 devices: TV, Satellites, Cable TV, VCR, DVD, Tape, Hi Fi’s, CD Players, Radios, MP3 Players, Amplifiers, Digital Recorders and other Audio devices. The remote offers 48 buttons/commands for each device and allows to create 60 macro commands.

The remote comes pre-programmed for easy use. If I understand clearly it can be connected to the PC via USB(?) to update existing and download new IR codes.

The price is very modest. It’s just US$61.24. So, if you have a lot AV devices and want to control them from one remote this is your choice!

[via Ubergizmo]