| From the Jetsons' flat to Deckard's
apartment in Blade Runner to Bill Gates's new mansion, computer-controlled homes
are an idea people love. The pieces have been around for years, but while you won't see a
modern office building without some computerization, you'd be hard-pressed to find a
private residence (even the most up-to-date ones) with a PC at the core. X10 wants to change that. Its ActiveHome house automation system
is an inexpensive ($99), all-in-one kit that the company hopes will get users hooked on
controlling their homes with a PC. If you're looking to become the ultimate couch potato,
this kit is for you.
Open the ActiveHome box, and you'll see software and an
impressive collection of gadgets. These include a universal remote that can run X10
modules (the electronically controlled switches you use to operate appliances) and many
current TVs, VCRs, cable boxes, and stereo components; a key chain remote; a lamp control
module that doubles as a dimmer; a computer interface for connecting a PC serial port to
the system; and a transceiver that transmits commands from the wireless remote controls to
the modules.
Installation takes about 30 minutes. Simply plug the computer
interface into an outlet and connect it to a free serial port on your PC. Then install the
software from the included CD-ROM and start up the program.
The ActiveHome software includes a rich variety of options
that should satisfy even the most ardent twiddler (once you learn to ignore the annoying
start-up voice). Life Style mode records every command you send to your X10 modules during
a 24-hour period; then plays them back every day to make your house looked lived-in while
you're away. You can divide your modules up by location, such as living room and kitchen,
making it easier to track appliances. You can even combine a series of commands into
macros that control multiple devices. For example, you could create a Good Night macro to
turn off your living room lights, turn on the bathroom light, and start up your electric
blanket. Requests from the ActiveHome software travel through your home's electrical
wiring to the appropriate modules. (One note: in our installation, the system occasionally
locked up. X10 admits that some units had the problem but says that has been corrected in
current shipments.)
Best of all, you don't have to leave your computer running 24
hours a day to keep your home "active." You can program a limited number of Fast
macros and individual module settings to reside in the computer interface, where they run
automatically, based on the unit's internal clock. Standard macros require that the
computer be running, though PCs that support On Now or Rapid Resume can be configured to
power up as necessary.
X10 and several other companies sell additional modules
(starting at about $16 each) that let you control everything from sprinkler systems to air
conditioners to burglar alarms. Using those modules, you can make your abode almost
completely computer-controlled.
Now, if only ActiveHome did the dishes.
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