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The Internet: Your Next Remote Control
Makarand writes "According to this article on NewsFactor, a Hungarian company, Timothy Technologies, wants to turn the Internet into a pervasive Remote Control. This device, called
FlatStack, allows users to operate home appliances using the web. The FlatStack is an entire web server on a tiny circuit board which can be connected to the Internet and wired to the device needing remote control. Later versions of FlatStack will connect to appliances wirelessly. The FlatStack, with a variety of applications at home, can also be adapted in offices, factories and agricultural settings. It is expected to sell for around $75."
Am I the only one that's worried someone might crack their password and start doing their dishes? :(:(
This is already invented in Finland :-). See http://www.violasystems.com/index.php
Trusted Computing FAQ | Free Dawit Isaak!
...I have to worry about my TV exploding from the /. effect?
Note to M1-ers: a curt but otherwise insightful message is not "Flamebait" or "Troll".
If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail or How We Can Use The Internet For All Kinds of BS.
Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
I don't think switching on the toaster when you're not at home is a very good idea. That's a fire waiting to happen.
But imagine if someone's robbing your house and you happen to switch on the lights or something from the web or turn on the music or the tv. If the robbers won't have a heart attack, your house will forever be free of any disturbances.
"Hey, that house looks good, look at that TV! Let's take it!"
"Are you crazy? Haven't you heard? it's the 'haunted' house!"
Join the elite! Post at score:2! Ghostwheel is online.
Drive Me Insane I saw this link in someone's sig this week...
A rather cool site that has been setup so you can control a good number of devices and cams in this guy's home. Even his lawn sprinkler. He has had a remote control car with a video cam on it and soforth that you can drive around his house. Definately a must see.
-- AcquaCow
up 12 days, 22:30, 2 users, load averages: 993.20, 994.21, 994.56
*makes note to limit user processes...
How about something that will interface with my palm pilot?
I carry the thing with me everywhere anyway.
Bluetooth anyone?
I mean, not to sound like a complete luddite here, but do we really need remote control, through the internet of washers, dryers, toasters, ovens, and the like? I don't want some asshole figuring out how to exploit this little ROM attached to my oven, somehow tricking it into going into 'self-clean' mode, thereby getting really hot, using lots of energy, and possibly burning down my house if I'm not there to catch it. I don't want my washing machine turning on, or changing settings in the middle of the wash cycle, and I sure as hell don't want someone screwing with my Air Conditioner settings, living in a desert and all. So, if the real intent is for this to be controlled, via the internet then this is a bad idea.
If it was made for local control, this might not be such a problem, since a central regulating computer could work with it. However, if it's using a web server, this screams 'inefficient' for that kind of use, and would be much better using something along the lines of UPSd or even some kind of peek-poke method, like we used for IO address manipulation. Otherwise, it wouldn't even work very well for home automation.
IBM had PL/1, with syntax worse than JOSS,
And everywhere the language went, it was a total loss...
A friend of a friend invented a remote-control vibrator. I kid you not! It's wired to the PC and has a web interface so that people in long-distance relationships can intimately stimulate each other during telephone/IM sex.... His company will be selling the product on-line shortly.
...all the stuff is easily available. In fact, that was my first home Linux project. Parts list: Linux box running Apache X-10 master control module "Firecracker" module from X-10 (serial->RF master) "Firecracker" for Linux program. That's it, perhaps $75 if you spend too much.... Here's the real problem though.....running such a server (either purchased or built) is against your user service agreement for most broadband people. I can understand why the cable internet people wouldn't want some poor slob getting the slashdot effect. It would destroy service for all the others allong the cable modem route. But facts are facts and any server on your equipment is illegal, even if it's just to turn on/off your hot-tub before you get home from work. Of course, there are ways around that.....but that's another story.....
.. for my ex-wife, I hope it's programmable.
if $ExWife in $Bathtub {
drop $HairDryer in $Bathtub;
power 1 $HairDryer;
sleep 120;
};
Trolling is a art,
Big whoop. Ubicom makes a damn fine embedded TCP/IP platform, and it's all on one chip, with built-in Ethernet using a software MAC. And it's $13.
AND THIS IS THE KICKER!!! Once people are using stuff like this, then cable companies must be forced to change their policies to allow servers. Think about it! If the middle-class masses all want to use this to control home security, lights, etc, then the cable company would have to allow a major desire of millions of people to be allowed. Well, not "forced" to, but it's a shot. So anything that needs servers running in the house over broadband gets a vote "yes" from me.