The Smartest DIY Home Improvements
DIY Smart Home Control
Q: I want to control my home with my computer and possibly remotely, too. What are my options?
A: We have many options for you to choose from. Leveraging the computing power of the most intelligent device already in your home is a great way to simplify and obtain inexpensive home control, and you’re likely to save energy and money in the process, too!
First we’ll cover a very popular hardware-based computing device, which works in tandem with your computer and the internet: the VERA home control and energy saving system. Vera is one of the easiest-to-use devices we carry and features built-in video help on EVERY page of its user interface. “She” actually speaks to you and tells you how to get it working or how to make your desired customizations. Plus, the manufacturer, Mi Case Verde, maintains an extremely helpful, information-rich website to answer any additional questions you may have.
Vera works with Z-Wave devices. Any Z-Wave switches, plug-in modules, motion sensors, even door locks can be controlled by Vera. You can program timers, macros, notifications, and much more. All this is available from any browser in the home or over the internet, including mobile devices! To help you save money, Vera also tracks which Z-Wave-enabled lights and appliances are left on and for how long. You tell Vera what light or appliance is controlled by what Z-Wave device, and Vera will tell you how much energy you are using and wasting at any time.
Moving on to software… We have a new product called mControl which runs on your PC and lets you monitor and control MANY different systems throughout your home using interfaces attached to your computer. Some of these systems include: cameras, HVAC systems, security systems, irrigation, IR, Z-Wave, X10 and Insteon devices, and it even works hand-in-hand with the voice control and speaking software already built into most computers.
Homeseer is another popular software option we offer. It is very similar to mControl, allowing you to control a variety of different systems in your home. 
It adds some features of HAL (which I will speak about later) like voice control and response, and telephone integration. Similar also is ThinkEssentials software made by Leviton. It is an easy to use program for creating, editing, troubleshooting, and controlling any Z-wave network(s) in your home.
HAL (on sale now!) is a software program unlike any other, tapping the power of your existing PC or Home Server to control almost anything in your home. It can send commands all over your house using the existing highway of electrical wires inside your home’s walls. No new wires means HAL is easy and inexpensive to install. HAL’s voice interface makes HAL easy to use. The user may pick up any phone in the home, press the # key, and then tell HAL to dim the dining room lights or close the garage door. It’s a two-way conversation, with HAL confirming that it has, indeed, performed the requested action.
HAL’s HomeNet web interface offers control from from every pc in the world with an internet connection. There’s even and Instant Message interface so you can control your home using popular Instant Messaging capabilities and even receive notifications of various events. HAL is our most advanced and popular home control software, followed closely by HomeSeer and mControl.
We would be happy to further address any specific questions you may have regarding the software and solutions we mentioned above. Feel free to email us at tech@smarthomeusa.com.
