home automation

Personal automation hits and misses

Among the dozens of companies showing their stuff at CES Unveiled tonight were several targeting the personal and home automation space. Some get it, some don’t.

Samsung, Greenwave and Zomm get it, more or less. Each showed a product that enables someone to extend his or her personal information and control network, without being too reliant on closed platforms or particular service providers.

Samsung debuted the SmartCam, an Internet protocol camera with motion and sound sensors, and two-way audio conversation capability.… More

A sugar daddy for home automation

2 January 2012 by Steve Blum
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MiOS/MiCasaVerde’s Vera 3 multi-mode gateway. No assembly language required, but you’ll need pretty much everything else.

CES – the Consumer Electronics Show – opens in Las Vegas next week. Among other things, it’s an opportunity to take a second (or third or fourth…) look at industry segments that held breakout potential at one point, only to fade off into a niche.

Home automation is one sector that has never lived up to its hype. Several technologies, notably including the X–10 standard, have been promoted as one-size-fits-all solutions for remote control and monitoring of thermostats, lighting and appliances.… More