Smart Home Blog

NAS for the SOHO is not so expensive now. So, to make access to the various files from different PCs much easier it’s better to add it to your home network. But if you already have some USB connected hard drive you can transform it to NAS using NASU2 NAS adapter.

It’s equiped with a USB 2.0/1.1 and an Ethernet 10/100Mbps connection. Additionally NASU2 provides an ability to power most 2.5″ USB hard drives or any low powered USB storage device.

For uses NASU2 offers both SMB (Server Message Block) and the open source Samba network protocols. So, it’s doesn’t matter which OS runs on client PC – MS Windows, MacOS X or Linux. It always will have access to the data on the storage. To access to the storage outside the LAN NASU2 provides FTP connection. Additionally you can use that adaptor as print-server or Torrent client. Not bad for the 50 bucks device, isn’t it?

[via Business Wire]

ControlThink introduced its new Z-Wave USB adapter with upgradable firmware. Now you shouldn’t buy a new adapter to get advantages of updated protocol. You need just the latest version of firmware and Windows XP or Vista based PC.

The “industry’s first upgradeable Z-Wave USB Adapter” runs at 4x (40kbps) speeds but it’s also compatible with 1x (9kbs) devices. The new ControlThink Z-Wave adapter is available on the producer’s web site and tagged at $39.95.

P. S. It’d be great to have support of that adapter by LinuxMCE. But as I know the biggest disadvantage of Z-Wave technology is its stand-off (ZigBee is much better in this regard because it uses open protocol). So, it’s not so easy to support the changed Z-Wave protocol.

[via Engadget]

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.

Clipsal have released the first C-Bus to PC interface that doesn’t require RS-233 or a serial to USB converter – 5500PCU. It offers following:

• Provides a native USB connection front a PC to a C-Bus network
• Housed in a 4M DIN Rail enclosure
• The USB port is easily accessible from the front of the unit
• Utilizes a sturdy USB B-Type connector
• The unit is supplied complete with a 3m USB cable
• The unit uses the same US cable type as the 5500PACA
• Contains a C-Bus network burden and is capable of generating a C-Bus system clock signal

The 5500PCU is available at price $328.71 as well as RS232 version.

P. S. LinuxMCE doesn’t support C-Bus at all. There is a topic in the forum with request of support that technology. The easiest way is to create a GSD software interface but to do that you have to know the protocol description.

Plutohome offers a few different methods to control A/V equipment. One of them is using of infrared commands. Only a small part of TVs, receivers and players has RS232 or Ethernet port. So, the easiest way is to attach IR transmitter to the core of media director, learn IR codes in case of missing of your device in the Plutohome database and send appropriate commands to your TV or receiver. Plutohome supports following IR transmitters:

• GC-100
• IRTrans USB
• Tira Remote Control Receiver/Transmitter
• USB-UIRT

GC-100 is the best solution if you don’t have media director near A/V equipment. In that case you can use it to send IR commands over LAN and then transmit them via IR sensors. Moreover, GC-100 includes one or more RS-232 and relay ports.
The rest devices can just transmit IR signals. They are good if you need to control your TV from the media director.

In my installation I’m going to control receiver Marantz 5600 placed in separate audio zone via GC-100 using its RS-232 port. Use instructions from wiki to know how to add Marantz to the Plutohome and how to configure GC-100.

P. S. Those devices can be used the same manner in LinuxMCE as well.