Aside from an iPhone 4S and Siri, the setup consists of an INSTEON thermostat, an INSTEON appliance module, a home automation software called Indigo running on a Mac Mini, Twilio, a voice and text client, and a Node.js app. As you might have guessed, Siri doesn’t actually do any of the heavy lifting here. The process goes like this: Ask Siri to send a text message to the Twilio number – CDeutsch saved it in his Contacts as ‘Gladys’ as a nod to Portal – e.g. “Tell Gladys to turn off the bedroom fan.” Twilio sends the text to the Node.js app – i.e. it is Gladys – which will then analyze the message.

To make it more Siri-like, CDeutsch “wrote some semi-fuzzy logic” so that you can use plain speak to relay your commands. The Node.js app will then send the instruction to the Indigo server, and finally the INSTEON turns off the fan or whatever it is that CDeutsch commanded. Before you get unnecessarily blown away, that is not CDeutsch in the picture. That’s probably his daughter. Also his demo doesn’t really prove anything:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

There are plenty of ways in which that fan could have been turned on that doesn’t involve a complicated automated system. I’m not saying I don’t believe CDeutsch, but I do hope he posts some more videos showing his setup and how it’s all done. But if you’re sold, you can contact him and he’ll gladly make a similar automated system tailored to your needs. Assuming you already have an iPhone 4S of course.

[via CDeutsch's Blog via Unpluggd]

Nitrogen’s hack uses the Kinect along with libfreenect to enable the lights in a room to be turned on or off depending on if someone is in the room. When you walk in the Kinect turns the lights on, walk out and it turns them off. It can also detect where you’re positioned in the room, and adjust which lights are turned on accordingly.

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The only thing I see is that you can already do some of this with a cheap occupancy sensor, so unless you really need something else to do with your Kinect besides playing games, this hack might not be overly practical.

[via CrunchGear]

HomeSeer has unveiled a new home automation gateway at CES this week that is tiny and cheap. The device is called the HomeSeer HomeTroller-Mini and it is a tiny little 1GHz Linux gateway that works with just about any brand of home automation hardware out there. The device supports Z-Wave and other protocols.

It will work with modules and hardware from more home automation firms like Cooper, Schlage, Kwikset, Lutron, Leviton, Russound, Microsoft, Centralite, DSC, Aprilaire, ACT, RCS. The HomeTroller-Mini will ship in Q2 2011 for under $300 (USD).

This is basically a custom LCARS UI skin for Windows XP, which is the OS that is used to run his intelligent home. He uses it for his calendar, train schedules, a shopping list, browsing the internet and consuming media.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you want something similar, prepare to be disappointed! Pascal says his skin is programmed specifically for the hardware that he is using in his house, so it’s really unsuitable for general use.

[via CrunchGear]

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

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

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]

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]

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