Smart Home Blog

As many of you may know Kubuntu 8.04 was released at 24/04/08. So, LinuxMCE developers started thinking about 0804 version. You can find a list of goals for LinuxMCE 0804 here. Some interesting ideas are: adding JavaMO and MAME, improving Z-Wave, MythTV and INSTEON integration, allowing to create a custom themes for Orbiter.

Personally, I’m very interested to have a better VDR integration. The RC1 already contains the latest stable VDR version (1.6.0). Thanks to that I’ll able to see Russian EPG and play with SoftCAM. But to use VDR with more than one media director the proper integration should be done. I understand the problem with VDR. Unlike MythTV it doesn’t have a strict client-server architecture. So, this is a main difficulty with providing a full-featured functionality for media director. But I’m sure that LinuxMCE developers will find a way to implement that. Hope it’ll be in the 0804 release.

It seems that LinuxMCE development team is ready to release 0710. The first (and last) release candidate was announced today. I didn’t find the distribution anywhere yet. But when RC will be available for downloading I won’t be able to test it. Because tomorrow me and my wife Maria go to London for four days. So, I’ll install the stable version I hope when we return back.

You can see the full change log between 0704 and 0710 here. The most important things are support for amd64, support for 1080p, adding the latest MythTV packages, integration with VDR 1.6.0, Telecom refactoring, upgrading Xine and nVidia drivers.

To monitor the LinuxMCE 0710 RC news check that forum topic.

Mavromatic – well-known home automation geek, shared his opinion about Windows CE based touchscreen controller CUWIN 3500. It seems really cool! For about $600 we get 7″ touchscreen panel with resolution 800 x 480, SD slot, Ethernet port, RS232 x 2 / RS485 x 1 or RS232 x 3, USB, Visual Basic, EVC supports.

Theoretically, it can be use as LinuxMCE Orbiter. Because it provides a software for Windows CE. If yes, it can be the best combination of the price and functionality for wall-mounted control panels.

I already wrote about project “Asterisk Voicemail for iPhone”. It give possibility for all owners of iPhone to access and manage their Asterisk voice mail messages. Now it’s time to add to that cool gadget watching videos recorded with MythTV.

The new software allows not only streaming recorded video from MythTV back-end to the iPhone but also browse recorded shows, look at show details and even control your other (PC based) MythFrontend with a web-based remote control.

The MythTV for iPhone uses the same approach as Asterisk Voicemail for iPhone. There is no iPhone native application. Instead of that it uses customized web interface. So, theoretically, you can access to your MythTV back-end from any place where is WiFi access.

MythTV for iPhone can be downloaded from the Google Code Project. Also you can find there detailed instructions howto install, configure and use that software.

Live demo after jump.
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AutomatedHome today published a review by Stephen Shephard (home automation installation company owner) of newest version of X10 programmable PC interface CM15 Pro. It’s available in Europe at €98.00. Regarding opinion of Mr Stephen Shephard the CM15 Pro is good but it has some disadvantages which cannot mar its reputation, though.

See also:

• CM15 Antenna Modifications