Home Automation DIY

It’s no secret that professionally installed home automation touch panels are very expensive. Could we make a panel that will be useful, easily customizable and relatively cheap? You bet we can!

Check for example this New Zealander’s home project that, with a little more polished GUI, could rival the better professional models. With the total cost of roughly $1200 US dollars (though it could be easily downgraded to $500-600) this project will allow you to control your home automation set-up, listen to locally stored music and Internet radio, play photo slide-shows, surf the web, watch online video and even automate creation of a grocery shopping list.

How would you lower the cost of the project? Instead of assembling a full-blown Core i5 multimedia machine check out one of the Intel Atom 330-based systems from Shuttle or Acer. They will put you down only $200-$300, they are small, they run cool and quiet and are capable enough to handle 1080p video.

One of the ready-to-roll systems is Acer AspireRevo AR3610 that ships with Windows 7, so you’ll save on OS as well. Check RevoHTPC blog on how to put together a multimedia system based on the Revo net-top.

Now, go have fun building a touch panel and share your stories and projects with us.

Panasonic BB-HCM511A

I’ve been using Panasonic network cameras for quite some time now, and they are great! Though some configuration settings are rather murky and sometimes it takes a lot of “trial and error” to get it right.

But thanks to a brilliant tutorial from HandymanHowTo.com now you can do it right the first time. The 4-part tutorial provides plenty of screenshots, so you might see what you are getting yourself into even before actually buying a camera – how cool it that! I wish I’d found that article earlier!

The tutorial focuses on the BB-HCM511A Network Camera with Two-Way Audio installation, but most of the Panasonic netcams share the same DNA, so after studying the tutorial you should be good to go with any other Panasonic model. (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)

Tom’s Hardware reader John Knutson just recently published An Introduction To Home Automation. It walks you through the installation of INSTEON-based home automation system, including replacement of basic light switches with SwitchLinks, installation of motion sensors and SmartLinc controller, etc.

In conclusion John came to the following verdict:

• My entire house has become a toy for me to play with and tweak.
• Great to show off your house to friends, neighbors, and family.
• Laziness (convenience) is taken to a whole new level. Did I leave the light on in the living room when I’ve already crawled into bed? Hit the off button and I don’t have to go check.

The Verdict: I want more! My computer may not be getting upgrades for a while, as I’ll be too busy playing with my house. 

Read the entire article at Tom’s Hardware website.

Lights are a staple in every home, but that doesn’t mean your switches should be like everyone else’s. With a few simple tweaks, the fixtures can do more simply illuminate your home as a bit of lighting control. They can curb your energy use, evoke ambiance, and protect your home, for example. Here are 10 simple ways to realize your lights’ full potential.

Read the rest of the article by Lisa Montgomery on Electronic House magazine’s web site.

Most of us, homeowners, are accustomed to a routine of turning the outdoor lights on for the night and turning them back off in the morning. Now remember how many times did you forget to turn those lights off in the morning while rushing off to work? Not so green, huh?

How could we fix it? Here are two easy DIY solutions for you… (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)