Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tuicemen]

This is my 24/7 pc. Low power consumption, not lightning fast, but fast enough. It manages the NVR security camera recording, CM15A for X10 and I could plug a zwave stick into it. I paid $209 a few months ago. You might find some on newegg, ebay, craigslist.

http://www.woot.com/offers/hp-pavilion-mini-intel-1tb-sata-desktop-3

This is simular to what I'm looking at.
Ebay has those as well as cheaper dual OS units for under $100.
I need a better streaming TV box.

No code needed - just install HomeGenie.

I played with HomeGenie but I didn't like it.
I'm sure if I stuck with it, it would have grown on me but I'm like HA Dave and don't wish to redo my entire HA setup.
I'd like to just move my current software and settings.

That old Compaq won't hack it.  It was my work laptop before I retired, and I don't think I ever used it to connect to the Internet.  It only has 28MB of RAM and a 4G hard drive.  I couldn't even get it to connect to our WiFi router.  I guess I'll have to pick up something newer.
Jeff

I think you'll want something with at least 2 gigs of memory, luckily E-bay has a large assortment of mini PC.

[Brian H]

Well I will not be using an Echo or Dot.
I also have no Wi-Fi enabled on my Frontier 7550 DSL interface or Smartphones.

[JeffVolp]

I think you'll want something with at least 2 gigs of memory, luckily E-bay has a large assortment of mini PC.

Just picked up a used Gateway 450ROG with WiFi and a serial port but a bad hard drive for $25 off Craigslist.  It boots off the CD.  I have a spare laptop hard drive, so I should be in business.  (It has 1GB of RAM.)

(I picked up this one because it also has a serial port to connect directly to the XTB-232 without a USB adapter.)

Jeff

[racerfern]

This is good stuff! So much to think about and strategize about.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-300-240-Desktop-Celeron/dp/B016K0AAFI

Since I use Chrome Remote Desktop to access it from anywhere, I can sit at my main PC with two huge screens which makes it much easier to use.

[dhouston]

I need a better streaming TV box.

My automation needs are minimal these days but, as I've posted about before, I have a Lenovo Q190 (I got a bargain just as Lenovo discontinued them) which is connected to one of the HDMI ports on my Vizio SmarTV after trying and being dissatisfied with the streaming skills of a couple of miniPCs. Using Firefox to stream is far better than the miniPCs and easier than even the native Vizio apps for Amazon and Netflix. Plus, I can browse the web when desired. And it's ideal for streaming the major network OTA shows that I dozed off during the night before or missed because I watched another favorite on another network in the same time slot.
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Q190-57327830-Dual-Core-Keyboard/dp/B00K5JNJ6S/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482442577&sr=1-1&keywords=lenovo+q190
TV + PC draw is about 100W and neither interferes with X10.

Obviously, it would also make for a powerful HA system if I had the need.

[Tuicemen]

I really like my HP t5740 I run at the off grid place it is faster then my Asus Eee box with the same specs.
And for under $40 I'm considering that.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Thin-Client-t5740-Intel-Atom-1-66GHz-2GB-RAM-4GB-Flash-HDD-HSTNC-006-TC-/381761820072?hash=item58e2c715a8:g:TAMAAOSw4q9XTuAc
Those mini pcs are so easy to hide!
 
 

[HA Dave]

Well I will not be using an Echo or Dot.
I also have no Wi-Fi enabled on my Frontier 7550 DSL interface or Smartphones.

But isn't the 7550 capable of wifi? Wouldn't it just be a quick settings change?

[Brian H]

Well I will not be using an Echo or Dot.
I also have no Wi-Fi enabled on my Frontier 7550 DSL interface or Smartphones.

But isn't the 7550 capable of wifi? Wouldn't it just be a quick settings change?

Yes it is a simple setting. It defaults to On. I turned it Off since until now I have no devices that used wifi.

[HA Dave]

..... Yes it is a simple setting. It defaults to On. I turned it Off since until now I have no devices that used wifi.

Until now? I hope that means you might be thinking about a DOT.

The Alexa/Echo family of devices (I am using the cheapest unit the DOT at $39).... can control several different traditional HA devices (maybe with a work-around ALL of them). But that is only one little part of what Alexa can do. Even if no lighting HA products were connected to DOT..... it is still one heck of a bunch of automation.... much like we'd expect to see in a Star-Trek movie.

Many of the features with the DOT (Alexa/Echo family of devices) were thought of, and integrated into my BVC (and Homeseer) years ago. I am sure many realized the potential of voice control right from the imagination of Gene Rodenberry.... and the many versions of StarTrek shows and movies. These features stand by themselves.

Since this is a new product... the features/abilities might be hard for me to explain. And I would hate to represent this great product with my feeble commutation skills. Of course there are always YouTube Videos like this one that demonstrate the echo. In that video the user when through several things easily done with my 2nd gen DOT (or any of the Alexa/Echo products). Many of the things he said/ask Alexa were out-of-the-box capabilities. Others require a brief setup in the app that is installed on a phone/tablet/PC (like ordering pizza, Uber, or items from Amazon).

There are many things that can be done.... called skills. For which you select an app in your skills selection... Then instruction Alexa to open that [app] to accomplish the task. Like the TV channel finder [skill-app] (whatever it's called)....... I would say Alexa ask TV Finder when the next episode of Snake Island is on. And Alexa would reply with the day, time, and channel. I can then ask Alexa to remind me when it comes on (I hate missing that show!).

I also like asking Alexa... how old is that singer... or how tall is that actress... or when was that movie made.

[racerfern]

(I am using the cheapest unit the DOT at $39

As am I, however I'm seriously thinking of switching to Google Home. As someone mentioned, its "knowledge" is vastly superior to Echo which goes to Bing. If it's the same capability as saying "OK Google" on my smartphone, then it's worth it as long as all the HA stuff also works.

[dave w]

As am I, however I'm seriously thinking of switching to Google Home.

Please keep us posted on your comparison of Dot to Google Home. I see many comparisons but none from an X10 user.
Thanks!

[dave w]

I'm ready to buy a Dot. Christmas from me to me. But I am running Homeseer 2.0, so not sure how to incorporate Alexa in to Homeseer immediately, but just based on Dave HA and Tuicemen accolades, it sounds too good to pass up. I'm wondering if the illusive X10 WiFi module could be a gateway.

[Tuicemen]

I'm seriously thinking of switching to Google Home. As someone mentioned, its "knowledge" is vastly superior to Echo which goes to Bing. If it's the same capability as saying "OK Google" on my smartphone, then it's worth it as long as all the HA stuff also works.

Google home is suppose to work with the HA-Bridge so Alex10 will create the scripts for the X10 device you wish to control (unless you wish to create those yourself).

I'm ready to buy a Dot. Christmas from me to me. But I am running Homeseer 2.0, so not sure how to incorporate Alexa in to Homeseer immediately, but just based on Dave HA and Tuicemen accolades, it sounds too good to pass up. I'm wondering if the illusive X10 WiFi module could be a gateway.

I haven't read a bad review on the second generation Dot(yet) nor do I have anything bad to say(yet)
Homeseer has a skill which is accessible from the Alexa page once you have her setup.
I'm not sure if this is only available for homeseer 3 or if it will work with 2 as well.
Kenrad has been using Alexa with Homeseer 3 for some time now.
I believe to get Alexa to have it work you need to say "Alexa tell Homeseer to........."
Of coarse you could use HA-Bridge so the command would be shorter.
The HA-Bridge is capable of sending a HTTP (web request) so I suspect the X10 Wi-Fi unit (if/when it arrives) will be controllable by Alexa.
I believe that may be the reasoning behind Authinx having me play with this!
I plan to add that capability to Alex10 as soon as I can get the protocol.
 

[racerfern]

There are two versions of a homeseer for Alexa. One of them requires that you say Alexa tell homeseer etc. The other one is more direct Alexa turn on the lights. The more complicated one also has more options and more specific  control.

[dhouston]

The HA-Bridge is capable of sending a HTTP (web request) so I suspect the X10 Wi-Fi unit (if/when it arrives) will be controllable by Alexa.
I believe that may be the reasoning behind Authinx having me play with this!
I plan to add that capability to Alex10 as soon as I can get the protocol.
 

The ESP32 supports the I2S bus (digital audio) and this PDF from Espressif...
http://espressif.com/sites/default/files/documentation/esp32_hardware_design_guidelines_en.pdf
has a section called 5.2 ESP32-Lyra Smart Audio Platform which says...

ESP32-Lyra is a cost-effective smart audio platform, which is specifically designed by Espressif for the IoT industry. With its ESP32 dual-core processor and Wi-Fi + BT capability, ESP32-Lyra features voice recognition, audio playing, and access to cloud services. The ESP32-Lyra platform supports systems of artificial intelligence, voice and image recognition, wireless audio systems, as well as smart home networks.

So far, I've found no further details but even these few bits are tantalizing.