Ah, the wonderful world of widgets and web-fed information. Now coming to your home automation system straight to the touchpanels and systems of Crestron, which has announced support for Windows SideShow.

SideShow’s the great Windows tool available from Vista editions that gives access to content such as news feeds, sports scores, stock tickers, weather alerts, media guides, appointment notifications, flight reservations, email messages and more via a network connection to your PC.

This always alert world of SideShow content can be viewed on all Crestron touchpanels and two-way devices that can show dynamic text, like the company’s APAD wall-mount controller and MLX-2 handheld remote.

Your PC or laptop doesn’t have to be on to receive the info, because SideShow supports secondary display screens to view it, and Crestron supports through its SIMPL Windows program to route the data to its touchpanels and controllers.

Just another way home automation is working to keep you uber-connected!

Arlen Schweiger - Editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen writes about home technology installations and product news and reviews for electronichouse.com and Electronic House magazine.