Got to hand it to the guys at Engadget – they got some tasty details on Monster Cable’s new home automation system, the Monster Einstein.

Yeah—Monster Cable. It’s ironic that a cable company would make such a commitment to HA land, but hey—they do a lot of other things!

The system really runs the gamut when it comes to compatibility. First of all, the brain of the system, better known as the Nucleus, uses both Z-Wave and Bluetooth to communicate with sensors and various devices all over the home. Then it also has Ethernet and Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as VoIP features. Talk about tech friendly!

Got a calculator handy? The Nucleus is expected to cost about 4 grand, the Electron components are $2,500, the Photon 200-disc DVD changer is another $2,400, the Neutron RAID5-capable storage boxes are $4,900, the Astro Sirius satellite radio tuner is $1,500 and the Tron 7-inch touchpanel is $1,300. All that, plus the cost of the installer you’ll have to call in—and with all of those pieces to tie in, you’ll probably need him!

Supposedly, the Einstein will be available in March 2007.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.