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[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Another "status report".
While testing BVC with IR support, I realized that having to sort through every IR Code BVC has learned in order to get at the one you wanted to trigger is well... "tedious" to say the least!  So, I redesigned things so that you first create a named "IR Remote Control" then create a "Button" for that remote control and then learn the IR Code for that "Button".  This way when you go to select a IR Code to transmit, you select a remote first and then only have to sort through the "Buttons" that that remote supports.

I still need to make sure that users that do not own a USB-UIRT will not experience errors when BVC tries to send a IR Code out.  Otherwise, it is pretty much ready.

Hopefully, (assuming I don't get ill again), BVC with USB-UIRT IR support will be officially released to the general public before the end of September.

[Tcat]

Home for a few days again!

I'll assume you want to get Dragon V8 which will let you play with a less resource intensive Dragon, & give you a free upgrade to V 9.5 the Vista ready Dragon?
Got one here...

The difference between 8 and 9.x is incredible.

Sadly, I don't think that 9.5 is SAPI 5 ready. Reading other bit-knitters comments, SAPI 4 and 5 are different, but 5 is not "better". Reports are that 4 actually gives more support to the developer than 5. That may be why they are not chomping at the bit for SAPI 5.

Send me your address off line and I will drop the CD in the mail....

Back to pounding the course ware for CTT+ classes, and finishing my stuff for a new (non-tech) book. It will be announced at a conference on the Redmond campus next week. So I beter finish it 

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

*** FINALLY!  the latest version of BVC with support for the USB-UIRT (learns and transmits infra-red remote codes) is released! ***
Other changes include:

• Listeners can now send X10 signals in response to a received X10 or IR signal.
• Listeners and Custom Commands can of course now transmit IR signals (if you have a USB-UIRT).

I'm sure there is more, but I can't think of what right now... will edit this later when my brain settles.   

Oh, yeah, you can find BVC in the usual place at:  http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

P.S.
Those of you that have contributed should have received an email notification with the user name and password to get at the "Full Version".
If you haven't yet please let me know!

[Puck]

-Bill- (of wgjohns.com) YOU ROCK !!!

[KDR]

Great job Bill- (of wgjohns.com)   

^{----------------KDR}

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

-Bill- (of wgjohns.com) YOU ROCK !!!

Great job Bill- (of wgjohns.com)   

^{----------------KDR}

These days I only "rock" until the chair tips over!

Thanks Puck & KDR!

[x10customer]

wow......Wow.....WOW!

This is a QUANTUM leap for AHP. Thanks Bill!

Infrared ...... AND ......X10? Now I can control EVERYTHING and BY VOICE! X10 alone was only half!

Why did you choose the USB-UIRT?  I know it is supported by most "high end" automation systems and is pretty cheap. Was there another choice? Luckily, I already had one (toys, toys, ....toys). Maybe X10 can buy them out for really cheap and offer the same thing on a 3-for1!

(Never mind - that is just too good of an idea for here.)

I'm having a blast with it (as yet another toy), but the fact you can use it by voice could really be a blessing to the "differently-abled". I hope those who know ones with a need will try it out.

SENSATIONAL,

X10Customer

[HA Dave]

I'm having a blast with it (as yet another toy), but the fact you can use it by voice could really be a blessing to the "differently-abled". I hope those who know ones with a need will try it out.

I have setup my home up with a Baby Monitor (they're hidden) microphone system, and I used a larger amplified speaker to act as a pre-amp of sorts, to feed other speakers I have hard wired. So I now have voice control of X10 devices up and downstairs. I have also purchased a much nicer voice for BVC..... so even if I just used BVC for announcements and timers (like the clock) that would be enough. You can check-out my setup at YouTube.

I use a device like the RemoteSENDER (IR re-sender) in my home theater, another one of those and I could be up & down IR too.

I have even added a BVC Page to my own geocities Site.

AWESOME JOB ON THE NEW BVC BILL

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

wow......Wow.....WOW!

This is a QUANTUM leap for AHP. Thanks Bill!

Infrared ...... AND ......X10? Now I can control EVERYTHING and BY VOICE! X10 alone was only half!

Why did you choose the USB-UIRT?  I know it is supported by most "high end" automation systems and is pretty cheap. Was there another choice? Luckily, I already had one (toys, toys, ....toys). Maybe X10 can buy them out for really cheap and offer the same thing on a 3-for1!

(Never mind - that is just too good of an idea for here.)

I'm having a blast with it (as yet another toy), but the fact you can use it by voice could really be a blessing to the "differently-abled". I hope those who know ones with a need will try it out.

SENSATIONAL,

X10Customer

Thanks!

Glad you're having fun with it!

Main reason I chose the USB-UIRT to start with is that after searching for computer to IR interface devices the USB-UIRT offered the best "bang for the buck" IMHO.

• It is reasonably priced compared with others.  A big factor considering us X10 users are used to getting some incredible deals compared to other technologies.
• They offered a readily available and free SDK which doesn't require "royalties".  Not the easiest thing to use, I must confess.  But it is easier than some of the even cheaper alternatives that required writing all of the code by hand!
• It supports the "Pronto" IR code format.  There are gobs and gobs of IR codes freely shared on the web in the "Pronto" format, so BVC users can literally "copy and paste" codes into BVC that other people have "recorded"!
• It is USB connected.  Most other similarly priced alternatives only connected to serial ports or parallel printer ports (both of which are less and less common on newer computers).

Yes, I truly hope that we can "get the word out" to the "differently abled", "mobility impared", and all of the other "PC" terms for people who are not blessed with the abilities that most of us take for granted!

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

I'm having a blast with it (as yet another toy), but the fact you can use it by voice could really be a blessing to the "differently-abled". I hope those who know ones with a need will try it out.

I have setup my home up with a Baby Monitor (they're hidden) microphone system, and I used a larger amplified speaker to act as a pre-amp of sorts, to feed other speakers I have hard wired. So I now have voice control of X10 devices up and downstairs. I have also purchased a much nicer voice for BVC..... so even if I just used BVC for announcements and timers (like the clock) that would be enough. You can check-out my setup at YouTube.

I use a device like the RemoteSENDER (IR re-sender) in my home theater, another one of those and I could be up & down IR too.

I have even added a BVC Page to my own geocities Site.

AWESOME JOB ON THE NEW BVC BILL

Geeze!

What can I say Dave, but thanks, thanks and thanks again!

If I could afford to hire a promoter, it would be you!

[dahur]

 
I originally had AFT's "Home Voice" coupled with my Home Director in 1997.  The set up I had wasn't really practical, and I eventually got away from it.
Reading about BVC on this forum, got me interested again. Since I have 2 devices working with ActiveHome Pro, I got the software from Bill's site, and installed it. Dummy me was still trying to use it with the Home Director program. Bill let me know it was designed only for AHP, and when I opened that program, it was back to controlling devices with voice again!
Bill, this is much easier to use than "Home Voice" was. I'm quickly getting the hang of it.
I ordered from Dak.com, a lapel wireless mic.($49). It comes with a belt clip(9v battery), transmitter,  lapel mic, and the receiver unit that pugs into your mic in. I had installed a flush mount speaker in my LR wall for the old system, and I'm still using that.
My computer is at one end of the house, and the mic works perfectly at the other end. I think they rate it at 250 ft.
The only thing I had to buy was an adapter cord to connect it to the computer.
The mic is sensitive enough that I just keep it on my LR coffee table, and can talk from the chair or sofa. It has a gain control you play with too. Or just carry it with you wherever you go in the house.
 BIll's Voice Commander makes for a very cool thing to do with your home. Thanks Bill. 
I'm having fun with it!

[HA Dave]

BIll's Voice Commander makes for a very cool thing to do with your home. Thanks Bill. 
I'm having fun with it!

Yes.... Bill's Voice Commander is VERY cool... and very easy to setup and use. I am glad to see you've also discovered how easy it is to get your voice to BVC. I have been trying to "spread-the-word" with posts about my baby-monitor setup. I don't think people really understand how easy this is to do.

You already (from day ONE) have everything needed to add the (FREE) talking clock too. And adding weather aloud is really cool too. I start every morning with asking Kate what the temperature is.

I've posted  extensively about BVC, I even have my own BVC Page, and featured BVC on a YouTube Video.

This would be an excellent thread for people to post information about their BVC setups... and ask questions.

[dahur]

Yes.... Bill's Voice Commander is VERY cool...
This would be an excellent thread for people to post information about their BVC setups... and ask questions.

Dave, I asked in  another section about the talking weather. How do you go about setting that up in AHP and BVC?
I think I want to add that.

Dan

[HA Dave]

Dave, I asked in  another section about the talking weather. How do you go about setting that up in AHP and BVC?
I think I want to add that.

Dan

Also very easy.... go to weather aloud, download the free 30 day trial. Select your city, and then select some settings, like how often you would like weather aloud to retrieve weather info, and which voice you would like to use to read the info.

The (silently read in the background) info is saved as a WAV file. I selected to save the WAV file in BVC's audio file (but can be saved anywhere). New updates (my setup updates every 30 minutes) write-over the previously saved files.

Then in BVC's Custom Commands, I setup the command of "temperature" to turn ON (house/unit code) G5. Then in BVC's Listener I set BVC to play the (fore-mentioned) WAV file when BVC hears G5 ON.

[dahur]

Dave,


I typed in "Temperature" and then clicked on play audio file, and chose "Flint"(my city) from the BVC Audio files.  It works like that for me when I say "temperature please".