Home Automation

[SimonMac]

Anyone on board with the home automation craze? Was bored in Maplins the other day and got looking at the Belkin Wemo range, then I found out they do a coffee machine too Mr. Coffee® Smart Optimal Brew™ 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Gimmicky or actually useful (I mean the whole system not just the coffee machine)

[d000hg]

Mostly gimmicky but I'm sure a few things would be useful to each household. I for instance would love to be able to run a bath at a well-controlled temperature which doesn't end up overflowing when I go to check my emails and get distracted

A simple timer on my coffee machine is really nice, but I suppose the freedom of saying "make me coffee" as you get out of bed would be nice since a)I often forget to set it b)I don't tend to have a very regular routine in the morning.

[FatLazyContractor]

I am personally against the principle of home automation beyond an extent. Makes me lazy and fat

[DaveB]

Anyone on board with the home automation craze? Was bored in Maplins the other day and got looking at the Belkin Wemo range, then I found out they do a coffee machine too Mr. Coffee® Smart Optimal Brew™ 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Gimmicky or actually useful (I mean the whole system not just the coffee machine)

Mate of mine has gone the whole hog on it in his house as part of a bare bricks refurb.

What he has found out is that the promise rarely matches the delivery, teething problems are endless and total failures a real possibility. At one point he had no lights for 4 hours (at night) due to the control system throwing a wappy fit and refusing to reset itself or respond to commands from the local GUI. In the end it took another mate who knows the software systems to connect in from his phone (we were in the pub at the time) and fix it remotely.

[NibblyPig]

I've automated my entire house and I can answer all kinds of questions on it.

I have door sensors, temperature sensors, automated lightswitches, automated ceiling fan, IR transmitter for various purposes, and some automated plug sockets for lamps and stuff.

Wireless thermostat is being fitted sometime soon as I just got a new boiler, so I will bash up a program to let me program that.

Only two items outstanding are wireless radiator valves and video cameras but I am not really sure I need either of those.

I use an RFXCom 433Mhz tranceiver and an IRDroid, Domoticz, EventGhost and Lirc talking to each other to control it, and Dromotica on my phone. If you use Tasker you can hook the lights etc. up to voice control and geofencing.

[Pondlife]

Anyone on board with the home automation craze? Was bored in Maplins the other day and got looking at the Belkin Wemo range, then I found out they do a coffee machine too Mr. Coffee® Smart Optimal Brew™ 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Gimmicky or actually useful (I mean the whole system not just the coffee machine)

You still have to fill it with water and coffee by hand don't you. Neither can be done remotely and make up most of the effort.

[FatLazyContractor]

Only two items outstanding are wireless radiator valves and video cameras but I am not really sure I need either of those.

Both will help when you have guests. Turn the temperature up and as you see them strip

[NibblyPig]

Spycam in the bathroom is cheaper, cos I can live stream (pun intended) it for bonus income.

[DaveB]

Mostly gimmicky but I'm sure a few things would be useful to each household. I for instance would love to be able to run a bath at a well-controlled temperature which doesn't end up overflowing when I go to check my emails and get distracted

A simple timer on my coffee machine is really nice, but I suppose the freedom of saying "make me coffee" as you get out of bed would be nice since a)I often forget to set it b)I don't tend to have a very regular routine in the morning.

I have a bean to cup machine in the kitchen. Making coffee consists of putting the mug under the spout and pressing a button. Even I can manage that at stupid o'clock on a Monday morning.

[FatLazyContractor]

Spycam in the bathroom is cheaper, cos I can live stream (pun intended) it for bonus income.

Provided it is just a bathroom and not a suite. Who wants to see someone take a dump ?