technabob » home automation

wii hacked to control entire house

technabob — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 14:58:47 +0000

Wii hacker, LiquidIce has set up an integration between his Wii console and his home automation systems.

The system lets him control his lights, thermostat, security and home entertainment systems, all from his Nintendo Wii.

The system is actually a web-based interface written in PHP and Flash running on a MySQL database. The software controls IR emitters, Insteon lighting controllers and an Aurora WACI NX+, an IP-based controller for real-world devices. That all said, I suppose that he could also control the system from any web browser, so it’s not necessarily Wii- specific. As a matter of fact, he originally wrote the interface for the Sony PSP.

While it’s not necessarily as practical as a portable universal home automation controller, it’s still a great hack.

[via Joystiq]

netstreams doorlinx: the mp3 doorbell

technabob — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:12:17 +0000

Mobile phones proved that people were sick and tired of the old standard phone ringer, so why don’t people feel the same about their doorbells?

The NetStreams DoorLinX lets you upload your favorite (non-DRM’ed) MP3 track to your doorbell via WiFi, and replace the classic “ding dong” sound with any sound you want. However, the doorbell supports files up to 500k in length, so you so don’t expect to play the full version of Hey Jude on it. The DoorLinX also offers integration with NetStreams’ IP-based home automation gear.

[via HiddenWires via Engadget]

mirror, mirror, on the wall

technabob — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:40:50 +0000

Themeaddicts, a home automation company formed by a team of experienced theme park and movie special effects pros has made it possible for you to have your very own “magic mirror” on the wall.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

When dormant, the M30P Magic Mirror looks like a normal mirror, but reveals an interactive image when triggered into action. The mirror can be programmed to react to inputs from your existing home security system. For instance, the mirror can be set to automatically greet visitors walking by, or to notify you of guests approaching your house. A CGI character (doing it’s best “Jeeves” impression,) is the face and voice in the mirror. For an additional cost, Themeaddicts can even create your own custom CGI personality and messages.

The system features a hidden 30″ LCD flat panel, driven by a built-in content server which contains the animations and processing software and hardware. In addition to the character’s messages, the display can also show feeds from home security cameras.

Some of the pre-packaged responses include: “May I inform you that the motor car garage door has just been opened,” “Pardon me, but isn’t it time to leave for practice,” and my personal favorite: “Ahh yes