New Vera Model, U16 and new App to control the goodies.

Sometimes you find the latest news in your twitter feed:

 

·   @jacksonj04  Vera Mobile ( http://t.co/cKtJeVIWhA ) is compatible with UI5, where MMS Vera ( http://t.co/HgtP48brmi ) is designed to work w/ UI6. 4 days ago 

 

 Vera Mobile is the new client for your iPhone, Ipad or Android. It works very well and has suberb respons. Anything new for Windows Phone, nah...

 

·   @docduv  VeraLite G ( http://t.co/EFbfiF6cjL ) has the all the same features and performance, just in a slightly more compact chassis.

 

VeraLite G is even smaller than Vera Lite and connects straight to the brand new U16 user interface, something that the 100.000 rest of us just have to wait for... 

 

Arduino and Vera

Here is a link to a very good and easy to understand web page http://code.mios.com/trac/mios_arduino-sensor/wiki that describes more or less exactly step by step how to build the following devices for your MiCasa Verde Z-wave Home automation system togheter with Arduino. So if you are into Vera and Z-wave but still need some help with Arduino this the place to start. Winter is still long and cold and there is time for more projects!

By combining the Micaseverde Vera an Arduion Gateway and sensors you can add each sensor for somewhere between 10-20$, A lot cheaper than the price for similar Z-wave devices and you also get the great feeling of building something yourself thanks to Mr Ekblad's excellent descriptions!

Sensors

Temperature Sensor
Distance Sensor
Humidity Sensor (DHT22)
Light Sensor

Energy Meter - Pulse Sensor
Water Meter - Pulse Sensor
Motion Sensor
Pressure/Temperature/Weather forecast sensor (BMP085)
Soil Moisture Sensor
Relay Actuator

Relay Actuator with a button
IR Sender and Receiver
Servo Actuator For your DIY cheap blind controller project !

Another Bright Morning

Sometimes Z-wave might be not be the ultimate solution for every issue. A simple IR-enabled light that will trigger on motions would just do it. Altought there is (LED)light bulb's with this functionlity they are not easy to stumble over at your local LED dealer. I have no clue why they are so hard to find!
By a co-incident I stumbled over the out-door light products with IR-sensor from www.steinel.de
"Für Heimwerker und Privatanwender", but they do have a english site also.
I directly bought one of their lights and replaced the one I had and now I have hands free light where I need it.

SmartLight

This evenig light project was to link my lights to the door switch. Easy trick that I use frequently with Z-wave Module like this in the picture from e.g. Fibaro and a magnet switch by the door.

As soon the door is opened you have the light started. No need to walk cross the room or fiddle in the dark for the light switch. Program a scene and the light come of when you decide.
This time I hide the Fibaro "puck" inside the lamp.
Additional feature with the Z-wave controlled lighting is that it let me turn on the light automaticaly when watching the place over the IP-Camera.

Z-wave Fibaro Door Sensor with temp and button.

I have seen a lot of diffrent door sensors and also noticed Fibaro's own. It turn out that I had not looked good enough... There is a block where you can attach an temperature sensor and a switch. Pretty neat trick to make more use of your investment!


Check all of it out at http://www.fibaro.com/de/das-system-fibaro/door-window-sensor

Android phone or Tablet as camera & Firmware 2.2.1 Renesas Haipad

If you already have a tablet or a android phone and might be looking for another cam, look no further, you can install something like:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acontech.android.SmartWebCam

and then you suddenly have another network available IP cam. For nothing!

But as always it seems to be a lot what type of Android you have. So far I have not been able to get any versions working on my Haipad http://868mhz.blogspot.com/2011/10/haipad-m9-jextab-a9-time2touch-hc701a.html

I tried to go one step up with the firmware from the Renesas 2.2 to 2.3 but it seems like that comes with some nasty bugs. One of them is that some WLAN access points does not work. So it was a no go after several attempts.And then findin out to the Firmware I had previously installed and blogged about here http://868mhz.blogspot.fi/2012/07/android-tablet-haipad-m9-firmware-update.html
was not anymore available. Seems like the company behind this pad is no more. But look and behold and after the long weekend of attempts I stumbled upon this link:
http://www.bergfiles.com/i/bf45106ec5h32i0
And listing the firmware:

RENA3-FW-0616-Modded-FullMarket.zip
The installation was clearly different from the other that I tested but all side buttons work and I can select to root it if needed (still don't really know the exact reason, right now)

Still no IP cam of my Haipad :-(