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Smart Homes

No longer are PC's restricted to being glorified type writers or games machines - with the advent of 'smart' homes, the humble computer can become the control centre of your home.

Using various technologies such as 'X10', 'Harmony', and 'Opus' just about everything in your home can be controlled by timers, remote control and by your PC.

X10 is a system popular in the USA that enables devices around your home to talk to one another using either radio signals or the mains wiring. This has the distinct advantage that you do not (generally) need to install extra wires around your house in order to use it, making it incredibly easy to install with a large number of units simply plugging into existing sockets.

One of the big attractions of X10 is that it is very affordable and modular so that you can start small and develop as you go. Excellent projects for X10 technology include lighting, home security or home cinema control, or building in scene lighting to new build properties or extensions.

By combining your X10 equipment with your PC and the Harmony software, you have the ability to control your lighting and appliances via your PC. This means that you can program your modules to come on at certain times of day, so that you can create mood lighting in the evening and wake up to fresh coffee in the morning! Harmony also allows you to control the X10 modules in your home over the internet - meaning you can control your home from the office, or anywhere in the world with a broadband connection.

'Opus' is a full house connectivity system over a cat5 network cabling system allowing for the networking of PC, Audio and Video anywhere in your house. All of your DVD and Sky transmissions can be viewed in any connected room as well as listening to any music from connected CD players.

In addition to these basic options, you can automate virtually everything else in your home from curtains, to your heating system, security cameras, outdoor lights and even water fountains!