Smart Home Blog

Plutohome development team released a version 2.0.0.43 last Friday. The changes are following:

• Orbiter improvements: added support ATI video adapters, a new GUI – UI2 is working better.
• Optimizations of UpdateMedia functionality: it saves now long attributes, coverarts and bookmarks.
• Ability to create software raid 0,1 and 5 (Advanced -> Configuration -> RAID from pluto web admin).
• Fully recompiling Xorg 7.1.1.
• Migrating most of the nfs shares to cifs.
• Window managers switching from icewm to xfwm4.
• Z-Wave extending with more commands and supporting PIR devices.

Plutohome 2.0.0.43 can be downloaded here: CD1, CD2.
If you already have Plutohome installation just reboot your core server. A new version will be downloaded and installed automatically. If you disable this feature (as I did) just login to the your core and run
/usr/pluto/bin/DownloadUpdates.sh
to download new packages and
/usr/pluto/bin/ApplyUpdates.sh.sh
to install them.
I’m downloading updates to my test installation. So, I hope today after lunch I’ll able to see and test it.

The English company Lifetime Software offers its HomeLife – a software package which allows to control x10 devices via web interface or via phone. The system uses X10 CM12U (or equivalent) interface to connect x10 devices with PC. The software uses a true client/server architecture, the server runs as a windows service and communicates to clients using TCP/IP, giving you full remote access to your home automation system. The client uses the latest .NET framework to provide a modern and easy to use user interface.

There is a free version of HomeLife which allows to connect up to 4 devices. The activation of full-functional version is £34.99.
As you can see, this solution is only for Windows users. So, Linux geeks should find something else.MisterHouse, for example, or Plutohome.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

It took just a 22 days since Plutohome 2.0.0.41 was released (I had time to review new version). But the 2.0.0.42 is ready!There are just few highlighted changes: orbiter improvments and bug fixes, new UI2 was updated by adding computing and DVD menu, media file management was improved, fixed GC100 detection, updated MythTV and ATI drivers. The full change log may be found here.

Unfortunatelly, there are not any words about VDR integration and supporting of Nokia 770 as an Orbiter.

Plutohome developers team released a new version of their home automation system at 24th of October. I was on vacation in this time. That’s why this announce was a bit deferred. The list of improvments are big:

• transparency and datagrid animations were added to the Orbiter;

• new mobile devices can be used as Orbiter – Windows Mobile 2005 based and smartphone Treo 700w;

• added new screen saver which can display photos from Flickr with various effects;

• added support of Fast Forward playback for MPEG2 files etc

Full change log is available here. Well, good work. Hovewer, some interesting features: support of Nokia770 as Plutohome Orbiter is still pending, VDR integration (I’m affraid they closed this part) and possibility to use surveillance camera as part of doorphone.

Mediabolic announced a new conception of digital home based on the Yahoo! Digital Home Engine. The Yahoo! Digital Home Engine is a software module which can be installed on PC or a network-attached storage (NAS) product to give consumer electronics devices access to the media from the Yahoo! websites. Currently it’ll work in Japan only. But I think this conception will be expanded to the rest of the world if it’ll be success.

Currently Yahoo! Digital Home Engine covers only entertaiment area. Let’s see how it’ll be integrated with existing home automation systems.