Nuvo has released its Wireless USB Syncing Device (NV-USBW), which enables homeowners and installers to sync music from PCs throughout the home to NuVo’s NV-M3 server without the need for a hard-wired connection. It provides a USB device connection over Wireless-G that is specially “tuned” for the NV-M3. As result PCs syncing to the NV-M3 music server no longer need to be close to the NV-M3.
The Wireless USB Syncing Device will be available in December for $399.
That weather station can display its data directly on your big plasma instead of small monochrome LCD monitor. It includes a temperature sensor together with radio transmitter, wind sensor and rain sensor. The information can be transmitted up to 60 meters (196.85ft) to the indoor receiver for displaying. The receiver, connected to the TV using RCA cable, analyzes 11 weather conditions and generates easy-to-read weather report.
I’m also thinking about creation of personal weather station. But my choice won’t be TV one. Because for me much more important to connect the weather station to the PC. In that case using special software like Oww and home automation system like LinuxMCE you can show weather report on PC, TV, Internet Tablet or smartphone.
Yesterday ZigBee Alliance announced a free public availability of “the ZigBee Home Automation (HA) public application profile that offers manufacturers a standards-based approach to introducing new wireless home automation products globally, eliminating the need for proprietary technology”. ZigBee is gonna to be a good competitor to Z-Wave. Both use “a standards-based technology with world-wide approval”, have reliable and flexible network topology and offer elegant devices.
ZigBee is used in the commercial home automation systems Control4 and Colorado vNet. Spanish on-line shop offers many ZigBee based devices approved for Europe. LinuxMCE currently supports only Z-Wave but people from Malaysia started to request of support ZigBee as well. Because Z-Wave frequency is not allowed there. So, I hope that LinuxMCE will support ZigBee in the nearest future.
According to AutomatedHome the third generation Z-Wave ZW0301 Single Chip is available in production. Its features include the ability to support battery-to-battery networks, lower power consumption, and full interoperability with previous Z-Wave products. Depending on the volume, the ZW0301 has 15 to 30 percent lower cost than the 200-series generation of Z-Wave chips. This means that dimmers, switches, sensors etc which are based on Z-Wave technology will be also cheaper and more efficient.
Taking in account of Z-Wave initiative to combine TCP/IP and Z-Wave I can guess that Z-Wave will be at least one of dominate wireless technologies in the home automation area.
P. S. You can buy Sylvania Z-Wave Deluxe Starter Kit, included one remote control and two #2000Z plug-in lamp modules, for $99.99. Good opportunity to start automation of your home with leading technology!
Samsung released a new plasma series with a built-in 802.11n module. Thanks to that module a TV can communicate with a hidden receiver located up to 60 meters away from it. The receiver allows to transmit the audio and video signals up to 1080i HD resolution. It also includes three HDMI 1.3 ports with CEC technology for easy home theater expansion. Over-the-air HDTV channels can be viewed with the built-in NTSC/ATSC/QAM digital tuner.
The wireless plasmas will be available in 50-inch and 58-inch varieties at the end of the year with price $3599 and $5299, respectively.
[via CrunchGear]