http://www.househacker.com/ househacker/tags/telephone telephone controlled thermostat and the telephone controlled oven, Plutohome produces a home automation appliance that is, conveniently, controllable via your bluetooth cellphone.

The unit is, however, a lot more than simply a home automation PC. In their own words, Pluto is:

the only all-in-one solution for your home that seamlessly combines media & entertainment, home automation, security, telecom and computing. You can control your whole house with a mobile phone, a touch-screen tablet or a web-interface. A Pluto system is like an appliance - not a computer. It is self-configuring, maintaining and updating. No technical skills are required to use or install Pluto.

There are some interesting features on the Pluto, such as television programs following you (or your bluetooth enabled cellphone, more specifically) as you walk from room to room, the ability to instantly turn any television into a videoconferencing unit, using your bluetooth cellphone as a remote control, and the system sending live video to your cellphone upon intrusion detection, as well as turning all the speakers on in the house to give you the chance to scare the potential burglar off, or perhaps make a dangerous new friend.

The software is free and open source and installs on any PC. The company recommends that if you plan a large system with many concurrent processes (streaming video on one TV with a video conference on another, for example), you'll want more in the hardware department, naturally. As far as peripherals go, the company is supposed to list it's recommendations here, but unfortunately, doesn't seem to list anything yet.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Home-Automation-via-Cellphone-by-Plutohome Markus Wandel has created a nice DIY home intercom howto, complete with schematics and usage instructions:

If you can manage it, get two speakerphone-type phones. Leave them in "speakerphone" mode continuously and pound on the keypad to attract the attention of the other end.

Heh. Via Boing Boing.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Utilize-Unused-Telephone-Lines-to-Make-a-Home-Intercom-System VOIP client, just added video capabilities to it's software package. Skype is one of the best internet apps out there because, besides looking good and being intuitive, as many have said before: it just plain works. The sound quality is great, and stands up flawlessly when compared to a regular POTS system. Sticking it to the phone company is always nice, too.

via Digg]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Skype-Releases-Version-2.0-With-Video website, the Connect Io Intelligent Oven allows you to begin cooking your food remotely, via either a telephone or internet connection. The idea is that you prepare your food ahead of time and place it in the oven, which keeps the food refrigerated until the cooking process is initiated remotely. Throughout the process, the display on your web browser exactly matches the display on the oven itself, in real time.

Program, command, and control your Connect Io oven remotely through your cell phone from anywhere in the world. No matter where you are, send commands over the Internet from your computer through a standard web browser.

Anywhere in the world? Sure, this might be handy to use from work or even to monitor your food from the pc in the other room, but who are they marketing to with 'from anywhere in the world'?]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Internet-and-Telephone-Controlled-Oven-with-Refrigeration POTS system to your VOIP system, you may be interested in this DIY project that walks you through the creation of a telephone-to-VOIP adapter for your wired or cordless phones. From the site:

Just imagine: You can walk with your wireless phone chatting with Skype friends for free, you can make free call to your mom if she is connected to the Internet...Skype wireless phones are expensive, VoIP adapters cost ~$60, but you can make it for free if your have details.. from old TV, Radio or other electronics.

]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Make-Your-Own-Skype-Phone-Adapter save energy, you may have experienced this upon coming home early or off schedule. Avoid such a predicament with a telephone controllable thermostat that allows you to call home and chat with your heating system, giving you time to work things out. Talkingthermostats.com offers this device, of which you can hear a sample of here. ]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Telephone-Controlled-Thermostat http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Cordless-Cube-MP3-Player-Speakerphone-Combo
If you:
have $10, need an answering machine, have a Linux box and have some spare time on your hands, then you may be interested in making your own linux based answering machine. This howto will walk you through the steps to get you up and running with a geek badge called the linux based answering machine.]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/A-10-Dollar-Linux-Answering-Machine Vonage in place of a traditional POTS system and find yourself missing the convenience of multiple phones scattered throughout the house, you may be interested in doing what Jake Ludington did to integrate his VoIP service into the preexisting telephone wiring in his home. ]]> http://www.househacker.com/permanent/VoIP-by-Jake