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Showing posts from January, 2008

Home Automation: HomeEasy + xPLMonkey

Update 4th March '08: Mal Lansell ( the xPL guru) commented!...check out the update to the xPL site with a dedicated HomeEasy page - excellent stuff Mal! I've been involved with Home Automation to some degree over the last few years. I've dabbled with zWave and installed a small home network to some success. zWave is a good technology - its mesh networking capability and bi-directional signalling is superb but the chronic lack of devices and support in the UK has really crippled its success and with it my enthusiasm for it. However, a new DIY project (fitting a new kitchen) meant an opportunity for more automation and by pure coincidence I happened upon the HomeEasy range of automation products that B&Q stock. They had exactly the things I needed to automate the kitchen under cupboard lights and kickboard L.E.Ds - a wireless PIR sensor and sockets and all at a very good price, the starter kit (3 sockets + remote) was £20 and the PIR about £11. Now when I walk into th...

Sysprepping a virtual PC

This is an aide-memoire for Sysprepping a Virtual PC. We use VPC/VServer extensively in our software development and testing and our regular "Sysprepper" Patrick fowarded me this excellent link in case we needed to do this ourselves... http://blogs.technet.com/megand/articles/357570.aspx