c60c-3ds@e260-3g.berkeley.edu (05/06/89)
I got this today. James wanted me to forward it here, so here it is. Date: Tue, 2 May 89 23:23:17 CDT From: jim@rwsys.tandy.com (James Wyatt KA5VJL) Message-Id: <8905030423.AA01060@rwsys.UUCP> To: c60c-3ds@e260-3c.Berkeley.Edu Subject: Re: ST future In-Reply-To: your article <23888@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> News-Path: vaxnix!texbell!bellcore!rutgers!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!e260-3c.berkeley.edu!c60c-3ds Status: R >In article <602@greens.UUCP> allegro@sunpix.UUCP ( SunNCAA) writes: >> I bought my system especially for development work geared toward the >>home market, >> Will this market disappear? (did it ever exist?) >I think the home market for a VCR programming kit is there:-] Other than that, >I can't think of any "home" applications I use my machine for. Plenty of >comp-sci, school, game, hobby, art, music, tutorial, lab, and data applications >come to mind, but no home applications. You have to develop for a niche. I am not sure If I am posting this or mailing it to you. I hope I am posting, I think I am mailing direct. Anyway... Have you seen the BSR home-control system (mow called X10)? It is a modular system which sends high-frequency signals from (a) controller(s) around a house to various output modules around the house over the house wiring. They have modules for everything from dimming modules for incandescent lights to hot water heater modules for 220V - all UL approved and very simple enough for ANYONE to install. Enough background, here's the opportunity: Heathkit and X10 inc sell a controller with a bidirectional RS-232 port and 256 module capacity for around $40. It has a time-of-day clock, programmable events for modules, battery backup, etc... and will either take commands from a computer or, at preset times, send commands by itself and report them to the computer. The computer can also read/set the battery-backed-up clock. They provide some software (PC, Mac, Kaypro, etc), but I don't think they have the ST covered yet. A program with some icon/CAD ability could let any homeowner draw a nice 3D-is view of their estate and then display in real time the status of their furnace/air-contioner settings, sprinklers, kid's TV, garage-door openers (to supress false triggers/roberies), etc... A smaller version could keep track of things as an accessory and, if the user really cared, program the controller for automatic timing and shut off the computer or hard drive. Some of this is a subset of what I am working on for my system (not an ST). A modem connected to the system allows you to control your home-away-from- home (better yet, one that knows DTMF 8{). Ham-radio operators can send "packet" data (similar to a radio-based local area network) from anywhere (incl car/boat) to control or monitor their house. You could also do a quick TSR (accessory) for a nice graphics-based control panel for much less time and effort and profit. Just a quick thought - jim btw: If this IS mail, please post it for me. I just installed news on this crate and I haven't gotten the feel of vnews yet. I'll try again too. James T. Wyatt UUCP: {texbell!vaxnix,trsvax}!{{rwsys,mycube}!{jim,root},jim} 2 meters: KA5VJL@W5SH,WA5YVC Best path: ...texbell!vaxnix!rwsys!jim [My comments follow----------------------------------------------------] I don't mean this as a flame, but some realistic criticism. First off, the whole "home control" arena has limited appeal: limited to hobbyists, people with pretty large houses, and people who buy _everything_. Secondly, I'm not sure how many people are interested in having the whole house pre-programmed. I can imagine wanting to have everything "turn on" in the morning, and turn off after I leave, but I can do that with the BSR alone (sans computer). There is real potential for surveillance though. You can have lights go on when you enter a room. On vacation, you can have the system fax pictures from your cameras out to wherever you are. (You can have the lights turn off when you leave. My mom would like THAT). John Kawakami The 80's were old before they were new. c60c-3ds@web.berkeley.edu