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Macintosh Home Monitoring
Publish Date: Apr. 4, 2006
Want to learn a few simple home automation techniques to have your Mac send you a message when your mail is delivered, your kids come home, or your dog uses the pet door to go into the backyard? Gordon Meyer shows you how.
Hacks for Smart Homes
Publish Date: Nov. 11, 2004
Implementing home automation may be easier and less expensive than you ever imagined. By using your computer, your home can become much smarter. Gordon Meyer, author of Smart Home Hacks, covers the basics of automating your home with MisterHouse, an open source, home automation application for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Move a step beyond automatic lights to a home that actually responds to stimuli.
Blog
Tips for better Radioshift-ing
Saturday November 10, 2007 11:31AM
I've previously written about how I use Radioshift as part of my home automation setup. However, in the last week or so I've been using it as a desktop application, as it's intended, instead. And frankly, it's driving me crazy.… read moreSunday November 04, 2007 9:49AM
The 43Folders piece Workflow for the Fujitsu ScanSnap reminds me that I haven't written about how I've been using my ScanSnap S500M. I got it about 5 months ago, and its easily the most useful electronic gizmo purchase of the… read moreWednesday September 26, 2007 10:50AM
So far, I'm pretty much enamored of Rogue Amoeba's new Radioshift application. If you haven't tried it yet, it allows you to easily listen to, and record, radio shows from around the world. It makes automatically recording new episodes of… read moreFriday March 23, 2007 10:45PM
I'm often looking for ways to improve my home automation system. A few days ago, a post at Hackszine drew my attention to Jesse David Hollington's article on Bluetooth Proximity Detection on Mac OS X. And more recently, Bruce Stewart… read moreFriday March 16, 2007 1:31PM
Interest in the messaging service Twitter is clearly on the rise (see this Wall Street Journal article if you're not already familiar with it), and while most people are figuring out how to use Twitter for its intended purpose--social networking--I'd… read moreMonday January 08, 2007 10:13AM
With Macworld Expo 2007 opening tomorrow, I'm starting this place to keep track of product announcements of interest to home security and automation enthusiasts. I'm starting out with just two, but I'll update this as more come to my attention.… read moreMonday December 04, 2006 12:51PM
In today's Chicago Tribune, Dan Lewis, a Mac user from Aurora, Illinois (home of Wayne's World, by the way) talks about his Mac-based home theatre setup in the article Computers serve films on demand. He's using an iMac as a… read moreYour washing machine talks back
Sunday November 05, 2006 12:52PM
According to an article by Don Hunt, the Internet Home Alliance is launching a pilot program, based in Atlanta, to equip homes with clothes washers and dryers that have the ability to communicate with computers and other devices on a… read more"Presence" for your Mac, today
Wednesday October 11, 2006 5:52PM
Writing Getting into your head for the Chicago Tribune, Jon Van says that IBM is working on technology that will allow your cell phone to know where you are and for other technology to respond intelligently according to your location.… read moreTuesday October 10, 2006 7:06AM
My trusty laser printer, an Apple LaserWriter 12/640, has been out of commission for more than a week. Every time I tried to print the paper would get jammed up, accordion-like, between the toner cartridge and the fuser. Oh, dismay!… read moreThursday September 07, 2006 2:36PM
Perceptive Automation, makers of the Mac home automation program Indigo, have released a public beta of the forthcoming Indigo 2.0. There are a lot of interesting changes, but two have really caught my eye. The first is the Client-Server architecture,… read moreStandalone home monitoring devices
Saturday July 08, 2006 3:09PM
Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to home automation. One is to have a personal computer that's dedicated to acting as a central controller. Clearly I'm a big advocate of this approach, and I practice what I preach (as the… read moreCoffee Pot Automation circa 1985
Thursday July 06, 2006 8:57AM
It almost borders on the cliche, but there are two common motivations for wanting to get involved in home automation. In most cases you either want a home security system or you want to automate your morning coffee pot. Seriously,… read moreThursday May 04, 2006 9:33AM
I don't have as much time to play video games as I'd like (who does?) so when I do play, I tend to gravitate towards engaging games that call upon the skills that I honed during my youth. (Some might… read moreA Super Duper portable strategy
Tuesday May 02, 2006 5:23PM
I can't add too much to the chorus of people who like Super Duper as a Mac OS X backup utility, mainly because I don't use it that way. (For backups I faithfully use psyncx.) However, I am a very… read moreMonitor Your Driveway with Python
Monday May 01, 2006 8:30PM
In Smart Home Hacks, Michael Ferguson (creator of the Mac home automation application XTension) contributed "Hack 54 - Monitor Your Driveway" which describes his techniques for knowing when a vehicle has entered his property and when it has arrived at… read moreA watchful eye on aging parents
Saturday April 15, 2006 9:43AM
Demographers tell us that the US is soon to experience a sharp increase in the elderly population, to occur as the baby boomers begin to age. Perhaps that explains the growing interest in using home automation technology to improve the… read moreGoodbye YoYo, Hello PhoneValet
Friday March 24, 2006 8:59AM
For those who have been lovingly (and longingly) holding onto their old YoYo telephone device from the defunct Big Island Software, Parliant's offer of a competitive upgrade might just pry it from your hands. The YoYo was a great telephone… read moreThursday March 23, 2006 6:05PM
When WebDesktop arrived a couple of year ago I thought it was a cute idea. (I think it was also one of the first apps to take advantage of WebKit in an interesting way.) Now there's a new version, and… read moreFriday March 17, 2006 7:58AM
Hot on the heels of an update to Phlink, the other Mac-based telephone control software releases its next major version. Parliant's PhoneValet 4 adds several new features including automatic call recording and archive, with a web-interface to your archives for… read morePhlink 3 Goes Gold. Let the Call Snooping Begin.
Tuesday March 14, 2006 8:59AM
At the January Macworld Expo, Ovolab was demonstrating the forthcoming version of their telephone automation product, Phlink. The new update is now shipping and is available for previous owners for $40. This version adds call recording and EyeTV control and… read moreA smarter, but not the smartest, thermostat
Sunday March 12, 2006 1:12PM
As a devoted home automation guy, you'd think I'd choose a networked thermostat for my house. But I didn't, and I'm happy, much to my surprise.Thursday February 09, 2006 12:14PM
With the GM of Indigo, Mac users can now use the latest home automation technology.Tuesday January 24, 2006 1:17PM
A home webcam brings peace-of-mind, and entertainment, for pet lovers everywhere.Tuesday January 10, 2006 2:04PM
A new version of Phlink adds more tools for Mac-based telephone automation.Monday January 09, 2006 5:16PM
Meet PhoneHerald, an automated outbound phone attendant.Netgear Storage Central - Beware
Saturday January 07, 2006 9:43AM
The Netgear Storage Central SC101 looks like a nice device, but only in a very limited network environment.Thursday January 05, 2006 3:21PM
Converting from LanOSD to Growl for network notifications.INSTEON home automation arrives for the Mac
Wednesday November 30, 2005 9:23PM
Just a few months after INSTEON devices ship, Indigo for Mac OS X adds support for the new technology.Sunday June 26, 2005 3:19PM
The Chicago Tribune's James Coates examines home automation ala Insteon.Easier automated iSight snapshots
Friday June 24, 2005 3:07PM
A new CLI utility for capturing video makes things easier.Another optimistic view of Z-Wave
Wednesday June 15, 2005 12:10PM
Has the new king of home automation arrived?Monday May 23, 2005 3:46PM
iRobot announces a robotic floor washer. The 21st century finally arrives.Wednesday May 18, 2005 9:45AM
The Insteon starter kit lets you try out what might eventually replace X10 for home automation.Safely Automate Outdoor Lights
Sunday February 27, 2005 10:46AM
Finally, an economical way to control outdoor lights using X10.X2Web: Remote Control of your Home
Monday January 17, 2005 9:47PM
X2Web brings easy web-based control of your XTension home automation system.Flood detection and notification using Perl
Monday January 10, 2005 2:10PM
An enhancement to the water detection hack, from Smart Home Hacks, might just catch a flood before it gets too bad.Monday December 20, 2004 10:56AM
Controlling your holiday lights is a great way to get your feet wet with home automation.Tuesday November 23, 2004 2:56PM
Green lava is good, red lava means your project is in trouble. Dig it.Nifty Notifications in Mac OS X
Wednesday October 27, 2004 5:01PM
LanOSD and Growl allow you to display lovely, non-intrusive user notifications. A nice addition to any Mac OS X-based home automation system.Create your own home automation software
Sunday October 24, 2004 8:05PM
The X10 ActiveHome Pro SDK gives you the tools necessary to create the home automation software of your dreams.Thursday September 23, 2004 6:56PM
Nokia's wireless remote camera is very intriguing, but its cost and missing web features diminish its appeal.A new USB controller for Home Automation
Friday September 10, 2004 6:04PM
X10 Corp surprises the home automation community with an updated controller that consolidates three devices.Tuesday August 31, 2004 5:20PM
Network notification of Caller ID is a welcome addition to the latest Ovolab Phlink.Telephone-Computer Integration Made Easier
Friday July 23, 2004 4:09PM
The latest Phone Valet for Mac OS X delivers a nice mix of tools and Mac-integration for both home automation and iTunes/iPod enthusiasts.Wednesday July 07, 2004 5:18PM
A French research team has finally one-upped The Clapper. With very clever software and a few inexpensive accelerometers virtually any surface can become a touch-sensitive interface.Thursday July 01, 2004 2:56PM
A few dozen WWDC attendees got together to chat about Home Automation Using Mac OS X at O'Reilly's BOF session. Here's a list of some of the tools, products, and websites related to some of what we discussed.Thursday June 24, 2004 4:11PM
At the WWDC birds-of-a-feather on Home Automation on Mac OS X, old-hands and newbies alike can share and learn about the newest and best techniques.Monday June 21, 2004 2:53PM
Insteon is an RF-based mesh network for home automation, and it supports old-school X10 devices. Finally, a way to move forward without turning your back on the past.Your home: The Ultimate Peripheral?
Thursday June 10, 2004 11:01AM
Tune into Inside Mac Radio for a discussion of home automation on Mac OS X, then turn here for links to the products mentioned.Standalone Remote Home Control
Thursday June 03, 2004 4:16PM
SmartHome's latest product, the PowerLinc IP, seems to offer a way to control your home remotely, without the hassle of configuring a home automation server.Sunday May 30, 2004 8:42PM
Will you soon be controlling your house, across the Internet, via Shell's Home Genie service?Reviews
Customer Reviews
Good book on DIY HA!
2004-12-18 16:21:31
Linux HA
The author covers HA from the prospective of the MAC, OSX, XTension HA software and mostly X10 but don't hold that against him as it's not the goal of the book. I treated this book as more of an idea book and almost all the ideas are portable to other scriptable/extendable software. It's for those of us who have a little imagination, some programming experience and the willingness to put a little effort into programming. It is in no way a recipe book where you follow the directions step by step to build a project. I really like the book and I really find it perfect for bathroom reading (you can read a section pretty quick to get your ideas). :-)
And I forgive the author for not cover Linux better. :-)
Media Reviews
"Gordon Meyer [is] capable of holding your attention while writing about technological projects--no mean feat--and explaining them in plain language."
--Blogcritics.org, January 2005
"Strengths: An excellent book on 'George Jetsoning' a home. Cross platform.
Weaknesses: None Found.
Now we all can become like the electrical engineer that took care of George Jetson's home. This book puts play back into tech."
--Robert Pritchett, MacCompanion, January 2005 (3:1)
"Meyer says he's aiming for the shade-tree mechanic of the home automation world. Why should Bill Gates have all the fun? Meyer figures the fiscally challenged have been shortchanged for too long on the promise of a whiz-bang future."
--Mike Cassidy, San Jose Mercury News, December 2004
"This is a first-rate resource for the gadget freak--consider it as a holiday gift, perhaps along with the software and hardware it recommends."
--Netsurfer Digest, November 2004
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