Smart Home Blog

Crestron announced its new addition for iPad called iPanel. iPanel not just a frame for the Apple device. It brings to iPad a set of hard buttons – Volume Up/Down, Mute, Lights, Home, Guide, Info, Exit, Left, Right, Up, Down, Select. The iPanel is connected to the iPad’s multipin connector.

Together with Crestron application for iPad the iPanel might turn the iPad into full functional touchscreen control panel. It’s priced at less then $500 including dock.

After releasing a TPControl application for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch to use Apple devices as full-functional AMX touch control panels, the Touch Panel Control Ltd decided to develop their software for the probably most popular and promising mobile platform Android.

The company will demonstrate the app at CEDIA Expo, Atlanta, September 22-26, 2010 to be followed by a beta launch. Full-fledged roll out of the application is planned for 90 days after CEDIA Expo.

The full press release is after break.

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Boxee Box produced by D-Link is ready for pre-order is US and Canada! It’s $199 and will be shipped at the beginning of November 2010. The international launch for EU countries will be done soon and rather than just release in the US.

Also the significant changes were done inside the box. Instead of nVidia Tegra 2 the device is based on the Intel platform CE4100 system-on-a-chip codenamed “Sodaville”. It’s done to provide better support for high-profile h264, HD playback. Also now Boxee Box is going to be a part of the Smart TV program promoted by Intel. Good it or bad will see when the device will be available for using.

[via Boxee Blog]

Boxee development team announced their plans to replace Mozilla-based web browser by Webkit-based one. The main reason to do that is better rendering of video sites and HTML5 support. It’ll also allow Boxee compete with GoogleTV more successful.

We should see the Webkit in the Boxee this November when Boxee Box by DLink will be released.

Well, the Boxee built a new style of the remote of future. Looks like the first its competitor will be Philips with its Home Control DUAL remote also with QWERTY. It has the same layout – keyboard is on the bottom and most important keys are on the top. Also the DUAL will have something like pointing, touchpad, or optical sensor.

There is no enough technical information about the new Philips remote. I guess it uses RF. But I’d like to have IR transmitter there as well. In that case TV can be controller via IR and HTPC – via RF. In any case, will see when Philips will publish more info.