Monday, February 01, 2010

What I really really want....

... is a standard Semantically enabled Wireless Home Piconet Area Network (HomePAN) technology with..
- a USB HomePAN device to connect it to my Mac/PC and the internet
- a Cloud based Data Capture, Storage, Display and Control App
(Of course it would need to be secure!)
- a series of devices that allow me to interact with and measure my Home
(each device would have their own PKI enabled identity and
security would also mediated by a trusted cloud based third party,
"Identity Service Provider".)

1) Max/Min Temperature recording/ reporting device
I would have at least 4; Greenhouse, Outside, Garage Freezer,
Indoors (near kitchen water pipes)
2) Infra Red Movement Detectors
I would have loads: Shed, Garage, entrance hall, key rooms.
They would be used for lighting control and security
(I wouldn't mind if the 1 & 2 were combined)
3) Power Switches Wall Mounted
These would in the main replace light switches, would be able to dim also
4) Power switches Plug Mounted
These would control power to devices
5) HomePan to Infra Red Transmitter
Would control entertainment devices
6) HomePan Hand Controller
Used to control everything
7) A HomePAN Dual purpose RFID / Laser scanner
I'd have one by the fridge / larder, and one by the bin,
It would have two buttons Stored and Consumed
8) HomePAN Electricity Consumption Monitor
9) HomePAN Water consumption monitor.
10) HomePAN Weighing Machine
11) HomePAN Exercise Bike
12) HomePAN Module in the car
13) HomePAN Module on my bike
14) HomePAN Pedometer
15) HomePAN Pet Monitor
16) HomePAN Excretion Monitor (Literally this would fit in the pan)
Though there would probably need to be a bum scanner to ensure identity of poorly person is known! Which would likely lead to weird forms of identity obfuscation!


17) HomePAN Health Watch, (on my wrist it would Monitor my vital signs)
18) HomePAN Entertainment Devices would be able to be controlled directly
from the Home PicoNet
19) HomePAN/Skype Video Devices
From: "Who is at the door?" to,
Chatting with remote relatives as if they were there.

and the list goes on!!!

Key would be that status would be always available from any
HomePan device (push and pull)

The neat trick would be the amount of money I would get paid each month for allowing Waitrose or Tesco's access to some of my data. My house insurance would be lower. My health insurance would be lower. And best I will be able to live in my own home into my dotage.

Finally I would have an uncountable number of "Apps for that" on my iPhone that would help me make effective use of all this data!

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Yes I know X10 exists, I have loads of them, but status on X10 is very flaky, and ZWave looked like a possibility until you see what HomeSeer want to charge for a temperature device that won't monitor below 0C and no local Max Min storage. Then realise that most of the devices I want don't exist on ZWave. I could see ZWave being a part of the solution but we would need a shift in mindset on price and performance.
Till then it's manual data entry! And flaky statii of X10... wouldn't trust that for my dotage!!!

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Oh and by the way did I mention all this needs to be secure?