Controlling Your Shiny Love Nest With a Mac and a Hack Called iNest30 January 2005
In plenty of time for Valentine's Day, ZiLOG(R), Inc. (Nasdaq: ZILG), senior design fellow Steve Pope will be appearing on G4TECH TV's "Screensavers" show this Monday to demonstrate how the art of seduction is being brought into the 21st Century, namely how most electronic functions in the home can be controlled centrally using just an Apple Mac, wireless connection and a hack named iNest.
Using iNest, in conjunction with a Mac, both hopeless romantics and the romantically hopeless can have Barry White singing in their kitchen or Angelina Jolie in their lounge, albeit on their stereo or plasma TV, all controlled using their Mac and iNest. This is a great alternative to traditional remote control devices. Tasks such as adjusting the temperature or setting those lights for romance is now nothing more than a mouse click away.
On the show, Pope will talk about why he believes the Mac is the perfect remote control and show how he has hooked up his Mac, wireless network and used the iNest hack to control devices such as lighting, DVD, stereo, heating and the home security system. He will talk about the various components that make up the system and how the technology works. The key hardware that pulls all of this together is a ZiLOG micro web server -- a small 4" by 3" board installed on the home network, providing a network pipe to the home automation system.
According to Pope, the "always on" feature and "quick application switch" function of the Apple Mac are key to hooking up any home to work with iNest. Using these aspects of the Mac, with iNest and a wireless home network, such as Apple's Airport, AirTunes can sync up with a home automation system, users can control stereo devices and play music anywhere in the home. "With iNest," said Pope, "you just pop up the iNest application on your Mac and using one button, the stereo is turned on, the right input is selected and the volume is set, from anywhere in your home. Switch back to the iTunes application and you have sweet music for your shiny nest all from your warm bed. For the even lazier amongst us, you can also control your nest from any PC or Handheld with a browser."
Steve Pope keeps a Mac Power Book G4 on a table right next to his throne chair in the family room. With this set up he can use the Mac to control a number of devices in the home within a few seconds. A UI called iNest has a full screen of buttons that can control lights, HVAC, the security system, DVD, TV, cable box, sprinklers -- and the list goes on.
"This is how I imagine the home will be controlled in the not too distant future," concludes Pope. "With my Mac, I am able to display a slide show on the TV, browse the internet and quickly switch the mood to a romance dinner party, soft lighting, TV off, alarm set and some slow music from anywhere in my nest. I can then move to the bedroom and again, with one button on iNest, turn off all lights and set the mood for a little love -- bedroom lights dim, electric candles light, thermostat turned up a little ... and soft music starts to play. It just does not get any better than this."
website at: www.ZiLOG.com.
Source: PR Newswire via Yahoo!
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