Audacious Software have recently announced their latest incarnation of the Shion home automation system for Mac OS X. Shion manages an monitors devices through supported hardware available from major retailers such as Amazon. Using the Shion GUI you can take control of normal house hold objects, such as lamps, dimmer switches, thermostats and any device which can connect to the supported hardware.
The interface is simple and easy to use, sporting instant onoff capabilities it also supports scripting of event driven actions, such as Solar Events, Temperature Changes and Scheduled events.
Shion also supports the ApplieScript interface, meaning you can create your own scripts to perform tasks around the home. The straightforward and simple scripting interface makes it easy to control your home automation. Example scripts can be found on Audacious’s site
Theres a wide range of compatible devices available all from Amazon’s website. Devices range from Dimmer Switches to Chime modules. INSTEON even offer a starter pack, which is all you need to wire up a collection of lamps to the Shion system.
Shion is a free download, and can be used with up to 3 hardware devices. If you require more devices you will need to purchase a license which you can purchase for £23.50 from the online store.
Home Automation is something I am very interested in, being a self confessed geek. Using applications and hardware such as the ones linked above moves it inside the realms of possibility. Especially as some of the hardware can also be found on eBay!
Check out how Guillaume Boudreau is controlling his AC using a simple PHP based iPhone web app.
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