Meedio HouseBot: Control Everything In Your House But the Kitchen Sink (Unless it's an X10 Sink)

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.meedio.com/whatismeedio/housebot/' target='_blank'>http://www.meedio.com/whatismeedio/housebot/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Meedio has announced a software suite for home automation and remote control of lights, telephones, heating and cooling systems, security systems, and other supported home technologies. HouseBot implements a client/server architecture in which the client portion can run on Pocket PCs and Windows CE based devices, according to Meedio. Control of the system can be distributed throughout the house by using what Meedio calls "Software Remotes." These can be Pocket PCs or Windows CE based devices -- or even normal Windows PCs -- running Meedio's HouseBot "Software Remote" application. When combined with wireless networking, the Software Remotes offer un-tethered remote control throughout the house, Meedio says."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040816_housebot.jpg" /> <br /><br />I know that "control" is the typical word used to describe applications like this, but I think the term <i><b>0wn </b></i>is more applicable. Out of the box, it can control both X10 and IR, can provide phone/modem status (call notification and caller ID), send email via SMTP, control WinAmp 2.x applications, and supports VB Script. Plugins provide support for USB UIRT (IR Transmit and receive), PowerLinc USB X10 control, external, remote control of HouseBot via command line. It also supports a lot of other protocols that mean nothing to me. To run the server, you need a basic Windows machine, and to run the client, you can use a Pocket PC, Windows CE 2.11 or 3.0, or any flavor of Windows. I know we have some X10 afficianados here - is this worth getting excited about? This could be the perfect usage for that old computer I've got in the closet... 8)

[T-Will]

Awesome! I sent this link to my dad who's been an X10 junkie probably since the beginnings of X10. He even at one point made an X10 enabled dishwasher, his laptop controlled the different cycles and this allowed him to really tweak it to get the dishes ultra clean.

[Perry Reed]

I had our old house all wired up for X10 and I loved it. I still have all of the devices but our current house isn't hooked up right now. Perhaps I'll give this software a try and see how it goes. If it works well, it could be very very nice!

[gpspassion]

Gadget freaks, here we come!
A quick read doesn't really tell me how the X10 hardware can be hooked up to a PocketPC, is it going to be via IR or server based? Would love to see an X10 CF transmitter ;-)

[Perry Reed]

Gadget freaks, here we come!
A quick read doesn't really tell me how the X10 hardware can be hooked up to a PocketPC, is it going to be via IR or server based? Would love to see an X10 CF transmitter ;-)

I haven't tried it yet, but it appears that the PPC acts as a client to the server software which runs on Windows (98-XP). The X10 transmitter is attached to the PC running the server software.

So all you really need is a WiFi connection from the PPC to the PC.

[gpspassion]

Yes, that's the most plausible option, some kind of customized remote desktop ;-)

[amc3141]

now if we could only use pocketPC voicecommand to drive the client on the pocketPC so we could just SAY ''living romm lights on'' etc

[capo]

FWIW - I use Homeseer to run my home automation stuff - it has a pretty flexible web interface as well, including a skin that works very nicely on the small screen. It also has voice control capability, but not via the web interface, unfortunately. Wouldn't that be a kick... (picture Scotty - "computer... computer..." Use the mouse Scotty. :)