Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Running the Home Remotely  NY Times - August 31, 2003 By JAY ROMANO Some 20,000 people are expected to attend a convention in Indianapolis next week to learn, among other things, how to turn on their porch lights, pan and tilt their security cameras, preheat their hot tubs, fire up their coffee makers and determine who, if anyone, is coming down the driveway at home - all without actually being at home. George Snyder, vice president for marketing and communications of Home Automated Living, a company based in Laurel, Md., said virtually anyone could now operate the systems and appliances in the home by remote control from virtually anywhere using virtually any electronic device that can transmit signals. The other technological advance that has made sophisticated automation of home systems an inexpensive reality, Mr. Snyder said, is the emergence of "home networks" made possible by wireless communications in existing homes and by the installation of "digital plumbing" in new buildings. Digital plumbing, Mr. Snyder said, consists of low-voltage wiring that can be run inside walls during construction, allowing communication between various systems in the house and the computer network. "Some of the best stuff is the simplest," he said. "Can anyone today really imagine what it would be like to sit down and watch TV without a remote control?" Mr. Snyder said. Danny Briere, who with Pat Hurley recently updated their book "Smart Homes for Dummies" (Wiley, New York, 2003), said that most home-automation systems contain a few basic components: the controller, which is used to send signals to the various systems and appliances; device controllers, which are electronic interfaces that the systems and appliances are plugged into and which receive the signals from the controller; and a transmission system to relay signals from the controller to the various devices. In most cases, Mr. Brier said, the home's existing wiring or dedicated wiring is used for that. Sometimes, wireless technology is used. The other basic component of a home automation system, he said, is the protocol - or language - that the devices use to communicate with one another. The most common system used in existing homes is known as X10,  which was developed in the 1980's. The X10 system uses an "open protocol," meaning it can be used by the devices of different manufacturers. The home's existing electrical wiring system is used to transmit signals from the controller to the device controllers. Those device controllers - known as X10 modules - can be either electrical outlets or electrical switches that are plugged into or replace the home's existing ones. The controller can be made to operate automatically as before or in response to signals it receives over telephone lines or through wireless devices or, if it is connected to a computer, over the Internet. A number of small X10 cameras can be connected to a computer in such a way that the images they capture can be viewed from a inside the house - on a computer or television monitor - or from anywhere the homeowner can access the Internet. Generally, Mr. Brier said, it is necessary to have a "broadband" connection to the Internet - such as cable or DSL - because a dial-up connection cannot transmit live video effectively. Information on home automation is available on Mr. Brier's Web site (www.smarthomesbook.com); on the Internet site of Smarthome (www.smarthome.com) an Irvine, Calif., company that specializes in home automation products; and on the site of Home Automated Living (www.automatedliving.com). While "hard wiring" is the best way to transmit the necessary signals for home automation, there are alternatives. Some systems, for example, use a home's existing cable television lines. And wireless systems - using either radio frequency signals or high-speed "WiFi" signals - make it possible for just about anyone to retrofit a home for remote control. 10:15:42 PM    comment []

You've Got Mail ... From the Microwave By PAUL BOUTIN Published: November 16, 2003 A coffeepot that starts when your alarm clock goes off (after warning you the night before if you forget to fill it). A security camera that e-mails you at work if it detects motion and then lets you see through it and pan around a room remotely. A refrigerator that will scan its own contents to keep a running inventory. A combination oven/refrigerator that can be instructed from a cellphone to start dinner ... what home networks, ...are rapidly coming to. ... The biggest revolution in home networks, though, is wireless Internet technology .... 9:05:26 PM    comment []