|
Latest
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Sunday, 31 January 2010 16:29 |
|
With the recent announcement from Steve Jobs that Apple will be releasing the iPad in the next 60 days, many people (including myself) were asking "What's the point of the iPad?" After doing a search for this exact phrase and finding numerous discussions, it appears that people such as myself with both a MacBook and an iPhone aren't the target market, as those two devices pretty much cover off any computing I need to do. No, the target market appears to be families with schedules to coordinate (calendar app) and notes to leave (using it as an electronic whiteboard) as well as people who may travel a lot and would prefer to pull out the über-thin iPad to read the paper or email vs a full-fledged laptop.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Home Automation
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Friday, 08 January 2010 18:25 |
|
For many people, pulling off a light switch coverplate and seeing what's behind may be the most practical first step into home automation. Determining if your house's switches contain a neutral wire or not can help direct which home automation solution will offer you the least headache down the road.  In the case where the majority of switches in your home do contain a neutral wire but there are one or two that don't, Insteon is now just as capable as it's wireless peers due to the recently released 2-Wire Switchlinc. In this step-by-step guide I'll show you how to install the module, using a recently completed installation in our living room as an example. Complexity:
| Moderate | | Time: | Approximately 35 minutes | | Required: | -Insteon 2-Wire Kit -7 Marrettes/Wire Nuts -Flathead screwdriver -Pliars to twist wires together -Other screwdriver bits as necessary to remove fixture
|
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Home Automation
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Monday, 04 January 2010 10:24 |
For those of you hunting for the best home automation software, I empathize with you, it's not an easy task to sort out. Compiling a list of which software supports which technology and on what operating system is just stage one, and then there's the part where you sort out the plugins, third-party modules and so on until you feel like this little project has just turned into something complex and it may be more work and less fun than you had hoped.
Putting some of the fun back into the process is the latest version of HomeSeer, which supports every major home automation technology (Insteon, Z-Wave, X10, UPB & others) and has plugins to handle everything from sprinklers to security systems to RFID tags. Having used other home automation software such as Girder and MisterHouse in the past, I was interested to see how HomeSeer would compare.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Home Automation
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 14:45 |
|
In my recent X10 Home Automation review, one of our readers (Ray) asked for a more detailed comparison of prices for typical scenarios using X10, Insteon and Z-Wave. It's a good question, and one that others have likely thought about as well when debating the merits of spending the extra on a second-generation system such as Insteon or Z-Wave versus the cheaper X10.
I've created a couple of plausible scenarios below, however it would be great if this was more of a collaborative effort so if you have been doing some research yourself and have information to share (or have any questions) please post in the comments section below.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
For Pets
|
|
Written by Stephanie
|
|
Sunday, 06 December 2009 13:21 |
My husband and I first started looking into automatic cat litter boxes when we decided to expand our family. Our concern was "toxoplasmosis", which is an infection particularly dangerous to unborn babies, caused by a parasite found in cat faeces. We considered simply having my husband take over the responsibility of cleaning the litter box while I was pregnant, but as soon as he found out he could automate the process there was just no turning back. Not only does an automatic cat litter box practically eliminate the need to scoop cat waste, it also reduces disgusting cat odours, the potential for disease or infection, and makes our cats very happy (they are clean freaks, like us!) The only member of our household who is unhappy with our move to an automatic system is the dog….he sure misses his cat cookie snacks <barf>
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Home Automation
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 18:24 |
Even if you're looking at home automation for the first time, you've probably heard of one brand: X10. It's cheap, readily available and based on the advertisements can do just about anything. In fact, it's how many of us who are now obsessed with home automation got started years ago. The difference between then and now is that back then, that's all that was available. It was either X10 or build your own from relays and spare computer parts (yes, I did this - as did many others). Today however, there are several other choices, almost all of which are better than X10 in one very important way: they're reliable.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Home Automation
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Friday, 20 November 2009 16:03 |
There's a whole world of interfacing with your house beyond your lighting and media, and that includes things like your fireplace, curtains and garage doors. In this step-by-step guide we'll take you through the task of connecting your fireplace to your home automation network using an Insteon EZIO.
Complexity:
| Simple | | Time: | Approximately 15 minutes | | Required: | -22-18 AWG Female terminal connectors (x2) -Solid or stranded 18
AWG wire -Insteon EZIO (a 2x4 is shown in photos, however other models will work as well) -Precision flathead screwdriver (required for EZIO set screws) |
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Security
|
|
Written by Peter
|
|
Friday, 06 November 2009 11:23 |
|
When we recently moved into our new house, my wife was concerned about the main floor windows and the possibility of someone entering through them. Despite my reassurances that our dog would take care of any intruders (he wouldn't), she still wanted me to research and purchase an alarm system. Determined to integrate this future alarm with our existing home automation, I had a laundry list of criteria for the system and I wasn't sure I could find something that would meet my needs without significant modifications or hacks.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 4 |