Alan Stafford, PC World
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Home automation has always seemed like a hobbyist's pastime, probably because in the past only someone who liked to fiddle with things would be willing to put up with the poor reliability of available products. But SmartHome's new Insteon products may one day help home automation shed its hobbyist reputation.
Like earlier products from X-10, Insteon's products let you use your home's electrical wiring to turn lights, appliances, and other electrical devices on and off according to a predefined schedule.
Plugged In, Lit Up
I tested Insteon's $99 Starter Kit, which includes a tabletop control panel, modules for controlling two lamps, and two signal enhancers for picking up commands sent from wireless, radio-frequency remote controls (not yet available). After connecting the Insteon modules, you can dim the lights or turn them on or off via a control panel plugged into another socket, or via remote control. The Insteon tabletop controller worked flawlessly with the Insteon modules: Lights turned on and off without fail.
Read the rest of this review (PCworld.com)
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Home automation has always seemed like a hobbyist's pastime, probably because in the past only someone who liked to fiddle with things would be willing to put up with the poor reliability of available products. But SmartHome's new Insteon products may one day help home automation shed its hobbyist reputation.
Like earlier products from X-10, Insteon's products let you use your home's electrical wiring to turn lights, appliances, and other electrical devices on and off according to a predefined schedule.
Plugged In, Lit Up
I tested Insteon's $99 Starter Kit, which includes a tabletop control panel, modules for controlling two lamps, and two signal enhancers for picking up commands sent from wireless, radio-frequency remote controls (not yet available). After connecting the Insteon modules, you can dim the lights or turn them on or off via a control panel plugged into another socket, or via remote control. The Insteon tabletop controller worked flawlessly with the Insteon modules: Lights turned on and off without fail.
Read the rest of this review (PCworld.com)