Smart Home & Home Automation discussion thread

[vshah]

if i go with z-wave, i need to get a hub right?
on amazon, i only see 1 hub available
http://www.amazon.com/Mi-Casa-Verde-...sr_1_5?ie=UTF8
then i have to get the separate components such as outlet, correct?

you can use a hub like the vera or a usb z-wave stick

 

[Kaido]

Added a lot of stuff today, but in particular, check out the LightwaveRF system:

http://www.lightwaverf.com/

 

[shabby]

If/when this goes on sale, I'm seriously considering it:
http://www.costco.com/Insteon-Home-Monitoring-and-Control-Kit.product.100083352.html

Here's something else that piqued my curiosity:
http://www.costco.com/LUXERA-SmartS...with-4-PAR30-LED-Lamps.product.100089256.html

Too bad those kits are basically just for one room, gotta buy 5-10 of them for the whole house.

 

[vshah]

my next project after returning from vacation travels is to get tasker working to control my Nest thermostat. We travel often on weekends, and I'd love to be able to have nest automatically turn off auto-away when I'm driving back home. Something like "if I was >100 miles away and am now 75 miles away, end Auto Away and set target temp to 70"

There are a few python scripts out there, it should be doable using tasker to call the command line.

 

[luv2liv]

this is just freaking cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=vGkk1VCKpvs&v=hYMpMt0lwUY

although some of it is just lame. i wouldnt take out my phone and tell it to turn on the light if the light switch is within reach. i prefer the whole thing to be fully automated.... if im in the room, and its night time (dark), then auto turn on. else, dont turn on.

 

[RossMAN]

http://slickdeals.net/f/6582234-mi-casa-verde-veralite-z-wave-home-controller-149-free-shipping

 

[Kaido]

this is just freaking cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=vGkk1VCKpvs&v=hYMpMt0lwUY

although some of it is just lame. i wouldnt take out my phone and tell it to turn on the light if the light switch is within reach. i prefer the whole thing to be fully automated.... if im in the room, and its night time (dark), then auto turn on. else, dont turn on.

Watch the whole video:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ninja/ninja-sphere-next-generation-control-of-your-envir

These guys have the right idea...a central controller that also learns from you, so you don't have to control a hundred different things like HVAC, lightbulbs, and doorlocks. The idea is that it talks to everything and gets out of your way. Plus the triangulation feature is just awesome :thumbsup:

 

[Kaido]

LG's HomeChat will let you command its latest smart appliances via SMS:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/26/lg-homechat-line-messaging-smart-appliances/

At first I was like, SMS is kind of dumb, but then again...you don't have to install an app, you don't need 3G or Wifi access, and you can use anyone's phone...nifty!

 

[Kaido]

The Dryer Messenger:

http://makezine.com/projects/make-34/the-dryer-messenger/

DIY Arduino-based doohicky that answers the "I wish the dryer could just tell us when it’s done” question. I'd LOVE to see this in an off-the-shelf product version for $29 or something - maybe that can send an SMS or an email. I never remember to set my iPhone alarm to tell me when to change the laundry, so sometimes it'll sit for days because I get busy. Having a simple 2-button interface would work great - one for a preset washing machine time and one for a preset drying machine time (ex. 45-minute wash cycle then SMS message, 60-minute dry cycle then SMS message).

 

[Kaido]

First look at Canary:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/07/canary-app/

Excited to see what other goodies CES brings!

 

[rivan]

I'm thinking about a smarter thermostat and considering Nest and some other options. My concern is 98% economic and 2% convenience.

I've got all new, relatively high efficiency mechanicals in an older but well-insulated (for it's age) home. There's currently a new basic, non-programmable thermostat in the bedroom hallway and a humidifier control in the basement, at the furnace.

The things I'm curious about with the Nest:
• It's motion sensor-driven, right? If noone's in that hallway for many hours, will it think noone is home even if there are?
• If I get a pet, how does it handle that? Won't it think someone's home all day?
• Will the Nest drive the humidifier as well?

Above all, will a Nest give me anything a well-programmed 7-day thermostat won't?

 

[vshah]

I'm thinking about a smarter thermostat and considering Nest and some other options. My concern is 98% economic and 2% convenience.

I've got all new, relatively high efficiency mechanicals in an older but well-insulated (for it's age) home. There's currently a new basic, non-programmable thermostat in the bedroom hallway and a humidifier control in the basement, at the furnace.

The things I'm curious about with the Nest:
• It's motion sensor-driven, right? If noone's in that hallway for many hours, will it think noone is home even if there are?
• If I get a pet, how does it handle that? Won't it think someone's home all day?
• Will the Nest drive the humidifier as well?

Above all, will a Nest give me anything a well-programmed 7-day thermostat won't?

yes, motion sensor driven and yes, it will go on auto-away (if so enabled) if no one crosses it for some time.

not sure how it will handle a pet. It may only look above a certain height level for motion.

yes, i believe it will drive the humidifier as well.

Nest gives you better history and better remote control vs a normal 7-day thermostat. also features like time-to-temp learning and self-adjustment based on outside temperature. Plus it's just cool. I like mine a lot.

I will know my 1 year energy savings this coming June. so far it's saved me 20-30 dollars per month in the winter months (poorly insulated rental unit + radiator heat = high costs to begin with)

 

[Cobalt]

For anyone interested in AT&T Digital Life you may contact me directly for potential discounts and other offers. If you're an existing AT&T U-Verse subscriber I may even be able to get you the service for ZERO additional monthly cost. /shamelessplug

 

[s44]

So Google bought Nest. I guess there will never be a Windows Phone app.

 

[rcpratt]

I'm thinking about a smarter thermostat and considering Nest and some other options. My concern is 98% economic and 2% convenience.

I've got all new, relatively high efficiency mechanicals in an older but well-insulated (for it's age) home. There's currently a new basic, non-programmable thermostat in the bedroom hallway and a humidifier control in the basement, at the furnace.

The things I'm curious about with the Nest:
• It's motion sensor-driven, right? If noone's in that hallway for many hours, will it think noone is home even if there are?
• If I get a pet, how does it handle that? Won't it think someone's home all day?
• Will the Nest drive the humidifier as well?

Above all, will a Nest give me anything a well-programmed 7-day thermostat won't?

I have a three-level townhouse with a Nest on the main level. Some quick anecdotes to address your bullets:

• I've never had an issue with the Nest setting auto-away when we are upstairs for extended periods of time. Not saying it can't happen, but it seems to have some pretty good logic behind the auto-away.
• I have two small dogs running around all day and have never had an issue.
• On the humidifier...I don't know. I don't believe my humidifier is wired to the HVAC system; therefore, the Nest has no way to control it. I'm not sure if any humidifiers are wired in? Nest does read the humidity, though. It also has a feature (Cool to Dry) to lower humidity via AC use, although I personally do not use it. I don't mind walking downstairs and changing the humidifier twice a year.

That said, I don't know if I'd purchase a Google Nest right now.

 

[Kaido]

So Google bought Nest. I guess there will never be a Windows Phone app.

Good article on that here:

http://www.wired.com/business/2014/...est-buy-finally-make-internet-things-real-us/

Google did a power monitoring project a few years ago:

http://www.google.com/powermeter/about/

They have the infrastructure to really take the industry by storm...Android, Chrome, Nest, Power Meter, etc. Z-wave is doing pretty good too; they just announced their 1,000th product:

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/zwave/z-wave-announce-1000th-product-second-chip-supplier.html

Lots of opportunity for growth if they do it right. I like INSTEON gear, but their reliability is not 100% and you still need to run a computer to act as a server (the new INSTEON Hub "router" appliance has terrible reviews). I just want slightly smarter stuff...I want my washer & dryer to send me a text message when it's done so I remember to change the laundry, stuff like that.

 

[Kaido]

Electronic House has some good coverage of CES 2014:

http://www.electronichouse.com/channel/ces_2014

Of note, Samsung has now joined the smarthome fray:

http://www.electronichouse.com/arti...e_automation_with_samsung_smart_home/ces_2014

Voice control, via a smart phone or tablet, is also possible through the new system. You can speak into your phone to tell it to turn off the lights or adjust the temperature.

Samsung says that initial deployment will focus on a range of Samsung smart TVs and appliances but will expand its coverage to include additional Samsung products as well as other manufacturers’ devices with a new Smart Home software protocol called SHP.

The Samsung Lumen wall-mounted controller communicates via Wi-Fi and Z-Wave to control your connected devices.

 

[Kaido]

any solutions out there for whole house microphone systems? one mic in each room type thing.
once I buy a house I want to have an always-listening type system set up.

You may be interested in this:

HomeSeer Adds Camera and Voice Support to HomeTroller Zee

HomeSeer also now has support for voice programming. This allows users to create events—multiple ones!—with just the sound of their voice.

 

[Kaido]

any solutions out there for whole house microphone systems? one mic in each room type thing.
once I buy a house I want to have an always-listening type system set up.

Actually...this may be right up your alley:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/13/enblink-voice-commands/

Enblink dongle now lets you control your home appliances using voice commands

In case you've never heard of Enblink, here's a one-sentence primer: it's an $85 dongle that plugs into your Google TV box, allowing you to control any Z-Wave-enabled appliance (door locks, lights, etc.) using an app. Got it? Good. Anyway, as of a few days ago, you can control everything using voice commands (Google TV still required). Basically, once you've gone through the trouble of creating so-called scenes, like dimming your living room lights, you'll need to go into the settings menu of the app and add a voice widget to the main screen. From there, you can use commands like "lamp on," "TV off" and "dim." The three-minute video below breaks it down nicely -- and serves as a helpful introduction to folks who had never heard of Enblink before today.

 

[vshah]

google just bought nest!

 

[vshah]

Actually...this may be right up your alley:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/13/enblink-voice-commands/

this still uses the mic in the phone, doable with autovoice + tasker + a zwave controller already. I want fixed mics in each room of the house, always listening, so that I don't have to activate my phone to issue a voice command. like star trek

 

[Kaido]

this still uses the mic in the phone, doable with autovoice + tasker + a zwave controller already. I want fixed mics in each room of the house, always listening, so that I don't have to activate my phone to issue a voice command. like star trek

Yeah, I'm sure someone will figure it out though, with all of the modern hardware & software magic we've got going on. Can't remember if I posted this for you, but this is a good read:

http://www.iautomate.com/pages/Whole-House-Microphones.html

 

[Kaido]

Netgear has an interesting new line of cameras out:

http://www.netgear.com/about/press-releases/2014/01062014-OCUITY-WIRELESS-IP-CAMERAS.aspx

Two new models:

1. Ocuity 100 Wireless IP Camera (720p + 802.11n)
2. Ocuity 500 (same as the 100, but with magnetic mount, built-in backup battery, & "smart" features)

Bold, Next-Generation Features of Ocuity 500

Ocuity 500 is the first camera designed to extend the functionality of home monitoring and automation systems to go beyond video event alerts. In addition to offering advanced video options, it includes an occupancy sensor, a security sensor, and a communication device.

Sound and video motion detection algorithms in the Ocuity 500 sense occupancy and initiate video based on distinct audio triggers such as breaking glass and loud noises. A microphone with echo cancellation and built-in speaker enables both security and health-and-wellness checks. Parents can even talk with their kids through a virtual intercom created by an app linking Ocuity 500 to their smartphones.

The Ocuity 500 is also the industry’s first IP camera of its type with modular mounting capability for intelligent accessories. The MagnaFast™ magnetic mounting system enables one camera to work with a complete range of adaptable, temporary mounting solutions, eliminating cable clutter and the need for tools. Wall, ceiling, desk, shelf, pan, tilt, and tri-pod — the Ocuity 500 can be moved and mounted in seconds where, when, and how it is needed.For example, the nanny-cam or pet-cam that has a logical position during a “normal” day may have a more desirable location when no one is at home, and the tri-pod option combined with Ocuity 500’s rechargeable battery means parents can keep an eye on the kids playing in the back yard. This dynamic configuration capability of Ocuity 500 also enables it to detect the base on which it is mounted and instantaneously present those positioning and control capabilities to the homeowner.

The Ocuity 500 comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that supports two hours of streaming video, maintaining a complete video record even through power outages.Multiple power management modes maximize battery life in different applications. It even includes a Micro SD card slot for expandable memory to protect video should the network connection become compromised, automatically synching later with remote network attached storage or cloud storage solutions.

Some cool features:

1. Intercom system (talk & listen via smartphone app) - never had any luck with this feature on my Foscams
2. Magnetic mount, which is actually really cool - I have a Foscam that I use for a baby monitor, so being able to "stick" it somewhere would be great
3. Has a 2-hour battery life (built-in UPS for power outages); I'm curious if this could be used standalone (no A/C plug) for watching your kids in the backyard or something
4. Lots of nifty smarthome features - audio triggers for glass break detection & loud noise triggers, motion detection, etc.

 

[luv2liv]

cant wait for those netgear cams to come out! my foscams are nice but the resolution is mediocre

 

[Kaido]

Nice little article on Zigbee with a good note on Zigbee vs. Zwave:

http://gigaom.com/2013/08/30/zigbee...internet-of-things-too-bad-everyone-hates-it/