[Articles] Home Control Assistant 10 released

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Home Control Assistant 10 has been released, which has been completely redesigned.  Check out the massive new features list or read the press release below for more information.HCA has been continuously available for over 10 years.  During that time we have strived to keep it up to date with new features and support for new hardware.With version 10 we took a step back, pulled it all apart, and put it back together in a new way.  We created an HCA Server application that loads and executes your design.  Then from any computer on your network – or on the computer running the server – you can connect to the server with a client.  And this is not some “dumbed down†read-only client.  The client can show exactly the same interface as HCA has in the past and has the same capabilities.  From the client you can modify the design, add and remove devices, schedule, create Insteon and UPB scenes, and add and modify programs.  And the best part is that if you have more than one client connected, all are updated with your changes in real-time.HCA was re-architected to create the Client-Server for several reasons. Since HCA needs to run 24/7, lots of users look for an unobtrusive means to do that. Downloading into an automation interface just doesn't work. It isn't powerful enough to run your design well and can't bridge technologies. We have recommended for some time now to use a low-end Windows box as the download target for HCA. With Client-Server you can hide that machine in a closet and administer it - with all the capabilities of HCA - from another computer in your home. Also, you can install HCA on a computer at work, or on your laptops, to access your design.<div style="padding-left: 30px;">

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I upgraded this morning. I'm running the server interface on my low power machine and the client on several laptops now. The client interface can be changed from classic to touchpad quite easily. Because of this, HCA v10 is maybe the most significant update ever.

What's cool about the client/server change is that touchpad interfaces are now pretty much a breeze to build. HCA includes a windows based touchpad version and there's also an Android phone client. I've already asked about an iPad version since this device is a natural for touchpad style HA interfaces.

I wonder how many android powered touchpads there are/are coming. I've got to get my hands on some. I'm gonna put these everywhere...
 
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