I caught this off the wire at the tail-end of last week and thought it worth mentioning, especially given the recent spate of updated home control software and packages like HomeZIX and Control4.
HouseBot 3.0 is a control application by CeBotics that runs on Windows. The company offers a free 30-day trial, and the full version costs $69.99. The program supports Insteon and Z-wave technology, and it features VB scripting for those versed in the art of enhancing one’s home control capabilities. Many of HouseBot’s features can be found on the HouseBot Web site, which is also the exclusive HouseBot 3.0 download source.
I am not familiar with the previous version of HouseBot, so I cannot speak for the updated version and the claim that it provides the “next generation of features requested by the existing user base.” But, I checked out their forum, and I was pleased to see a forum dedicated to the sharing of script device VB scripts written by said “existing user base,” as well as some pretty prompt responses by the Site Administrator to users posting problems under the “Bug Report” forum. Always nice to see. It will be interesting to watch that particular thread grow with the existing user base.
Between watching re-runs of the “The Jetsons” and convincing his Insteon and Z-Wave controls to get along, Ben Hardy is immersed in the world of home automation, home control, and home networking.