<tedsingh> hi everyone
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted is from Embedded Automation
<BraveSirRobbin> and will be talking about mControl tonight
<BraveSirRobbin> mControl is home automation program that works in an MCE environment
<BraveSirRobbin> I'm hoping we get more participants shortly
<ericvic> Hi all. I may not be able to stay long
<tedsingh> good to see so many people here
<BraveSirRobbin> hey, cool
<BraveSirRobbin> well, we should be getting more shortly
<BraveSirRobbin> this is a free form chat
<BraveSirRobbin> subject tonight is mcontrol
<BraveSirRobbin> we have Ted Singh with us tonight with embedded automation
<BraveSirRobbin> Do you want to introduce yourself Ted, maybe give us some insights into the company and mControl
<tedsingh> sure
<tedsingh> As BSR mentioned, my name is Ted Singh, I am the Bus.Dev.Mgr
<tedsingh> and co-owner of Embedded Automation
<tedsingh> I am engineer by background (Computer) as is my partner
<tedsingh> Embedded Automation was founded in 1998 as a fledgling "Embedded Systems" company
<tedsingh> in the past year(s), we have started in home automation
<tedsingh> when Windows XP Media Center Edition was released, we thought of it as a
<tedsingh> good vehicle/interface for the general home automation audience
<tedsingh> and that's the idea where mControl came from
<tedsingh> we started work on mControl last year
<tedsingh> had our first beta in April
<tedsingh> our first download in Q2 of this year
<tedsingh> and went on sale this quarter
<Chakara_> Congrats on a released product!
<tedsingh> We support X10 and INSTEON automation, with a roadmap for some very cool
<tedsingh> automation in the upcoming releases
<tedsingh> thanks -- it was a lot of hard work, but it is gratifying
<tedsingh> i hope that everyone has had a chance to download and try it out
<electron> Yes, it's a great product!
<electron> can you tell us some more about that roadmap?
<tedsingh> i'd be happy to answer any questions
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted, it seems like your company is the only one in Home automation that is "embracing" the windows media center environment
<tedsingh> well, i can tell you a little
<tedsingh> for example, we are working on integrated camera support for our next revision
<tedsingh> if there are specific roadmap questions, I can address them
<BraveSirRobbin> What feature do you plan to deploy or look into?
<BraveSirRobbin> such as
<BraveSirRobbin> cameras as you stated, more control icons,
<BraveSirRobbin> rf receiver support
<BraveSirRobbin> stuff like that
<tedsingh> If i look at the # of requests coming in from our support email, we have enough
<tedsingh> work to keep us busy until next year
<tedsingh> so i can tell you that we are considering many new features/enhancements
<electron> What kind of cameras will be supported? Will they be required to be connected directly to the MCE machine?
<tedsingh> including integrated cameras, thermostat support, other automation protocols, support for Emerald (new vesion of MCE)
<tedsingh> Infrared remote, additional Macro support, etc., etc.
<tedsingh> also, security systems and other MCE integration
<tedsingh> we are planning to support wireless webserving cams - we are testing out several makes
<tedsingh> we believe that these type of cameras are the easiest to install and integrate nicely w/ MCE
<BraveSirRobbin> True, but they are also the most expensive
<electron> right, some other applications (i.e. Orb) require you to have the device hooked up physically to the MCE machine, which in most cases is impossible since people will not run all their wiring to a PVR in their living room
<tedsingh> so, no, if our testing goes as planned and we can qualify these cameras, you will not have to hook them to your MCE
<Chakara_> like the type that have thier own webserver built in....I keep looking at cameras wondering how to integrate them....
<tedsingh> yes, they can be expensive, but we also belive that over time, the prices will drop
<Squintz> another person i dont know
<Squintz> Hi ted
<tonyno> hallo
<tedsingh> hello
<BraveSirRobbin> So capture software with its own web server interface is a no go then?
<BraveSirRobbin> such as Active Cam and WebCamXP
<tedsingh> it's not a no go, it's what we plan to support first
<electron> it would be great if it could support 'virtual cameras', where it could pull the image from an existing video server
<Squintz> So many choices
<tedsingh> yes, we expect that a webserver somewhere, whether it's a camera or some other service will provide us the feed
<tedsingh> we will add hooks to our software to allow the user interface to talk to these cameras to control them
<tedsingh> like pan-tilt-zoom
<Chakara_> hm....cool.
<BraveSirRobbin> Now that sounds great!!!
<BraveSirRobbin> What about capture capabilities
<Squintz> Ted is there a web site i can visit for you product?
<tedsingh> www.embeddedautomation.com
<electron> Squintz: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2068 <-- review
<tedsingh> for the next release, we simply want to enable an integrated camera/automation environment
<tedsingh> we will build on this functionality over time
<electron> How does one get into the beta program?
<tedsingh> there are so many things that people have asked for and we will phase in to some of the more advanced fucntinalty overtime
<Squintz> Ahhh. I remember that from a while back E
<tedsingh> We don't have a beta program, per se, but we make any qualified software available for 30-day free download from our website
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted, just curious, these requests you get in, are they from "home automation" types?
<tedsingh> we are currently targeting September for completing the first pass of our "integrated" camera feature
<tedsingh> so, you'll be able to download a 30-day trial from our website
<tedsingh> good question on "home automation" types
<Squintz> Let me get my three questions out right now Does it or will it support... 1)Z-wave? 2)IAutomate RFID? and 3)Elk M1 Gold?
<tedsingh> let me answer BSR question first, then Squintz
<tedsingh> first: we have targeted mControl for beyond the "traditional" home automation enthusiast market
<tedsingh> we do care about this market, but to be successful, we beleive that we have to grow the market and we are trying to engage MCE users
<tedsingh> this will be a very fast growing part (MCE will be built into Longhorn/Vista and Xbox 360)
<tedsingh> so in answering the question, our customer/prospect base is probably 50% home automation enthusiast and 50% MCE/home theater person
<tedsingh> which is a very good mix for us.
<Squintz> sounds good to me also
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, thanks
<Squintz> 50/50 is a good mix
<tedsingh> ok, wrt to z-wave, iautomate, elk
<tedsingh> i can say that we have talked to elk and see that as a feature on our roadmap
<Squintz> cool
<tedsingh> as for z-wave, we are focused on Smarthome/INSTEON at this moment, and want to expand on this
<tedsingh> so, one area is to give more depth to our support of the INSTEON protocol
<Squintz> Probably a good business choice on your part
<Chakara_> Yeah, I'm curious about that decision. I'm in decide mode and it's UPB or Inteon at this point.
<tedsingh> the other area is to support the Smarthome X10 USB
<tedsingh> for us it was an easy choice re: UPB and INSTEON
<tedsingh> we see so many people using X10 and to have an upgradeable solution is a tremendous benefit
<Squintz> Ted will the user be able to expand the system with plugins?
<tedsingh> we have in our test lab a hybrid environment using X10 and INSTEON and it works very well together
<tedsingh> so this plays very nicely with our customer base
<tedsingh> RE: plug-ins
<Chakara_> I'm new to all this and only have a few X10 devices and very little investment there.
<tedsingh> we do intend to offer an SDK - but this is further down our roadmap, maybe 3-6 months
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, so you are going to support third party plugins for your software
<tedsingh> well, 3rd-party plug-in's and SDK aren't a 100% overlap, but obviously they arenot mutually exclusive either
<BraveSirRobbin> i see
<Chakara_> I keep watching companies like yours and someday I think HA is going to be like the OS market is today. Some big player for 90% of the market and the roll your own (GPL) group doing the fun stuff.
<Squintz> Boy, I may need to disapear for a few years and come back to HA later... So many new choices now days its almost imposible to pick one
<tedsingh> we do knwo that we want to make access to our server available through an API
<BraveSirRobbin> for those just joining in we have ted singh as a guest speaker tonight
<BraveSirRobbin> ted is with embedded automation, creaters of mControl
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted, what about devices such as caller ID
<BraveSirRobbin> How will mControl support this
<tedsingh> Re: caller ID - we aren't addressing this immediately -- to be honest w/ you
<Squintz> Future: Is your software written in .net so that it will be compatible with future MS OSs
<tedsingh> it's not as higher up in our roadmap for a couple of reasons
<tedsingh> #1 - there is a 3rd party app available for MCE
<tedsingh> #2, there are some core automation, security, hvac, etc. things we want to address first
<BraveSirRobbin> yes, that makes sense
<tedsingh> Re: .NET - our software is almost 100% .NET
<BraveSirRobbin> Well, I'm looking forward to this software as none of the other HA companies seem interested in MCE
<tedsingh> the only parts that aren't, are some of the components we use, but that will change over time
<tedsingh> the installed base of MCE is just over 2M
<tedsingh> that's only within i think 20 countries
<BraveSirRobbin> ah
<tedsingh> the run rate according to Microsoft now is about 500K units every Q sold
<Squintz> Funding: Is your company privately funded? I guess what I am asking is do you have the resources to invest alot of money to make your product the best?
<tedsingh> when XBox 360 is sold, it will be built in
<tedsingh> and when Vista (nee: Longhorn) is released next year, the run rate of MCE will exceed 10M/Q
<ThePod> I've been playing with mControl for about a week now with the INSTEON. Really looking forward to having two way communication thought
<tedsingh> probably higher
<tedsingh> so, MCE will be huge
<Chakara_> So unlike the current Xbox, you can legallly load 3rd party software?
<tedsingh> RE: Funding - we are privately funded
<electron> I think the XBOX360 is only going to be an extender
<electron> isn't it?
<tedsingh> re: INSTEON 2-way
<tedsingh> we have an update, that will come out very soon - maybe this weekend, if we have enough time, that expands on our ISNTEON support
<ThePod> the version of mControl I have does not update if I control a lamp from another source such as a controlinc
<ThePod> looking forward to the update.
<tedsingh> v1.11 now supports receipt of ISNTEON events, and will update the database according - so if you have used the ControlLinc to turn on a LampLinc, mControl will hear this and update the device dB
<tedsingh> re: XBox 360 - yes it will be an extender for MCE, but we beleive that it will spur additional MCE OS sales
<tedsingh> Re: PD
<BraveSirRobbin> yea, pretty cool, turn down the lights before you start playing games on your xbox
<tedsingh> sorry, RE: Pod's question
<BraveSirRobbin> hi michael
<MichaelMcSharry> hello all
<BraveSirRobbin> we have ted singh of embedded automation as a guest speaker tonight
<BraveSirRobbin> creators of mControl software
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted is giving an indepth description of mControl this evening
<tedsingh> there are 3 parts to the screen update #1. hear the communication over the INSTEON protocol #2. update the dB and #3. update the screen
<tedsingh> v1.11 due out very soon, will do #1 anD #2
<tedsingh> because of some of the limitations of MCE and IE, #3 is a slightly more difficult problem that we will solve in a seubsequent version
<tedsingh> but a screen refresh will show the device updated
<tedsingh> how many here have downloaded the software and tried it? Any comments / questions?
<BraveSirRobbin> I have
<BraveSirRobbin> I really like it
<BraveSirRobbin> wish it had more "icons" though
<BraveSirRobbin> and camera and caller id control
<BraveSirRobbin> those things would be convenient
<BraveSirRobbin> as they are needed while watching TV and such
<tedsingh> very popular request, that we hope to address shortly, basically by allowing customers to create their own icons
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, very cool
<tedsingh> we will be going to the CEDIA show in September, I think 9-11, and will have a booth ther
<ThePod> I've been comparing mControl to HS MCE plugin and so far I'm thinking mControl will be the MCE interface choice for me.
<tedsingh> the show is in Indianapolis, IN
<Chakara_> not a good date
<electron> Ted, Do you see Life|Ware as a competitor/threat , or are you after different markets?
<Squintz> Ted, I think you skiped over the IAutomated RFID question. I assume it would be possible because you will have an SDK but would it be something you would consider directly supporting?
<tedsingh> yes, i agree on the date -- not our choice
<tedsingh> RE: plug-in wars
<MichaelMcSharry> What distinguishes this software from HST's MCE pluign or XLobby/Main Lobby automation software
<Chakara_> Is there a hook from mcontrol to HS?
<tedsingh> we believe that the proper interface to MCE is one that has: #1 - dymamic/interactive
<tedsingh> #2 - fits the MCE mold
<tedsingh> #3 - will grow with MCE
<tedsingh> so, we've tried to ensure the best MCE experience
<Squintz> Does HomeSeers MCE even work in 2.0?
<tedsingh> RE: Life|Ware - haven't seen their software, only their website, so I can't comment much
<electron> yeah, that's about all I have seen as well
<electron> I "think" they are after the installer market
<ThePod> No idea, I just know my serial Way2Call doesn't so I'm not upgrading real soon
<brian> okay just downloaded mControl so i guess it only supports X10 and Insteon? No Zwave
<electron> right
<BraveSirRobbin> What is "z-Wave"?
<BraveSirRobbin> hehe
<tedsingh> re: IAutomated RFID - we do see the potential for RFID, but it is further down our roadmap
<Squintz> hey now BSR thats not nice
<tedsingh> re: HST's MCE or XLobbby - see my comments on MCE interface
<Squintz> Z-wave is that protocol that took me broke
<Squintz> How many people are in your company?
<tedsingh> Re: Homeseer's v2 w/ MCE - don't know much about it, just what I see on the web
<brian> Zwave made me money WHen I opened my online store
<electron> MCE is going to be in many living rooms (and is already in many high end home theater setups, just look at HGTV etc), don't think xlobby will have that driving force
<tedsingh> re: Z-wave, again we're focussed on INSTEON - it's a much better fit for us
<ThePod> I agree
<Squintz> and probably cheaper for you also
<tedsingh> did i miss any questions
<ThePod> INSTEON all the functions of Z-Wave without all the issues.
<Squintz> i don think yo missed any yet
<Chakara_> I think that is yet to be seen ThePod....
<tedsingh> re: INSTEON - it's a very capable protocol and we've only scratched the surface
<electron> Ted, I realize the MCE SDK/API isn't as open as one would like it to be, but is it possible to have macros trigger based on the state of playback (i.e. play, pause, stop)
<tedsingh> re: MCE SDK - actualy, we have found it very open and we *DO* intend to have further linkages to it
<tedsingh> for example, we see that you should be able to use MCE events as triggers for automation macros
<Squintz> Ted, Do you plan to participate in any CocoonTech.com give aways?
<tedsingh> for example, if you start your DVD, you could write a macro to dim the lights, or whatever
<electron> yeah that's what I mean, I currently use Girder for this, i.e. dim lights to 50% when paused, 100% when stopped, and 0-10% when playing
<ThePod> Chakara, I have both Z-Wave and INSTEON installed and so far I have found INSTEON to be more reliable and higher on the WAF scale
<electron> INSTEON makes more sense for a company such as EA, since INSTEON is backwards 'compatible' with X10
<tedsingh> re: giveaways - i'm on the spot on this one, but I guess we could do a give away for a mControl license - I'll talk to the cocoontech guys about this later
<Squintz> ThePod... Any Chance you could do a detailed review on cocoontech and compare the two. I am thinking about getting rid of Z-wave and going to insteon in the future if it actually is better
<electron> yeah, don't worry about that part Squintz, can't put a company on the spot like that :blink:
<tedsingh> re: electron's question on MCE events -- yes, it is very possible and we *do* intend to implement this soon
<Squintz> I can too
<Chakara_> good info ThePod. I'm looking at it hard, along with UPB.
<Squintz> Im a customer that all we do is beg for more free stuff
<electron> Ted, can you tell us more about how the web interface works, since it doesn't seem to require IIS ?
<Squintz> Will it support custom ASP or PHP pages?
<ThePod> Squintz, I put something up the other day: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2247&hl=
<Squintz> thanks Pod
<tedsingh> Re: INSTEON and UPB - we also worked with ZigBee and have demonstrated mControl with it -- but it is much further out than INSTEON
<tedsingh> re: IIS/Webserver - we have implemented our own webserver - we believe that IIS is far too much for our market
<ThePod> I will try to post more as I get replace different X-10 devices out with INSTEON
<electron> tedsingh, I totally agree, great job on that tho!
<WayneW> ted, can your webserver support multiple simultaneous clients from around the house?
<ThePod> Another thing I look at is Z-Wave came out in Nov 2003 and how many different types of modules are available to date?
<Squintz> I am interested in timing Pod... Z-wave seems really slow to react because of the 2-way limitations
<Squintz> hey dean
<DeanRoddey> Howdy
<ThePod> once mControl releases the next update I'll compare response time for local control to mControl seeing the update
<WayneW> Ted, how was it working with SmartHome to get your software "insteon approved" or whatever their license requires
<tedsingh> re: response time -- this is anecdotal, i don't have the hard times, but I can tell you our response from INSTEON is very quick c/f X10
<Squintz> mControl is cheap also. I just noticed that. How can you offer such a low price?
<Chakara_> Remember when HS was $60?
<tedsingh> re: "Insteon Approved" - it's pretty straight-forward - first you have to comply to their license agreement which, we believe is fair
<tedsingh> then you have to submit the software for testing and they have certain things they test for - we passed those
<tedsingh> once, you've done those two steps, they signify compliance
<tedsingh> re: price - first, it's an introductory price - we do intend to raise the price in september
<WayneW> seems easy enough but lots of people complained about their license, so they didn't buy the Insteon SDK
<electron> thanks a lot Squintz, you ruined it for all of us
<ThePod> Squintz, thats the introductory price for mControl. Ted, do you know the final released price
<tedsingh> second, we believe that if you don't extend the market beyond the "traditional" home enthusiast, there's not much of a market
<DeanRoddey> Therein lies the rub
<tedsingh> our goal is to reach a much broader audience - so we are purposefully consumer based
<Chakara_> ding ding.
<Chakara_> us wankers don't make anyone much money.....
<tedsingh> re: INSTEON license - there were some issues that we thought about, can't remember them off the top of my head, but in the end, it has worked out
<tedsingh> re: wankers - the "traditional" market is a good base, but for all of us, we have to grow it beyond that base, no offense
<tedsingh> did i miss any questions?
<WayneW> HA has been "on the verge" of taking off for 13 years
<tedsingh> re: on the verge - we see ourselves as much of a MCE company, than a HA company -- MCE development is one of our top corecompetencies
<DeanRoddey> Ted, being in the same business as you, I often have to ask myself if it's even possible to do such a thing. We'd all love to, but it's a tough nut to crack.
<WayneW> wanna plug mTheatre? will that tie in at all with mControl?
<brian> Yes but it's interesting with all these different options recently zwave, upb, insteon, zigbee it should be a very intersting next couple of years
<tedsingh> re: mTheater - we are in the final stages of our MCE PC, called mTheater
<tedsingh> while we have built prototypes using the spec'd boards, we will receive our metal work and other custom PCBs in the next couple of weeks
<WayneW> so mTheatre doesn't add any software?
<tedsingh> we have designed, what we believe is a MCE PC that can fit in your living room
<tedsingh> it has been designed for optimum quietness, coolness and user interface
<tedsingh> if everything goes well, we will demo it at the CEDIA show
<brian> sweat any demo pics??
<tedsingh> re: mTheater and s/w
<tedsingh> we envision two broad customer uses of mTheater
<brian> MCE pc
<tedsingh> #1 - people who will use it for MCE + HA
<tedsingh> #2 - people who will use it for MCE only
<tedsingh> that said, we have some other products that we will be showing, that tie the mTheater (MCE only) and HA together
<brian> humm begining to think I'm the only person without MCE
<tonyno> nope, i don't have it!
<tedsingh> re: mTheater pictures - the only pix i have are 3-D mechanical models - we are just a few weeks away from acutla pix
<Squintz> not the only i dont have MCE either
<electron> I have 3 MCE machines so I will cover you guys
<electron> lol
<tedsingh> RE: MCE - i could spend another hour just selling the MCE - we hooked it totally, I couldn't imagine life w/o it
<electron> I totally agree
<ThePod> I'll second that
<electron> mControl looks great on a 65" screen, and impresses everyone who visits
<tedsingh> we believe that after the PVR (killer app), then next killer app is HA
<WayneW> Ted, do you know if MCE will be built in to Vista or will be be a paid add-on?
<tedsingh> re: Vista - don't know for sure, but all rumors and MS rumblings (e.g., Diamond) indicates that it will be built in, not an extra charge or different OS like it is now
<tedsingh> FYI: Emerald = next version of MCE, due in next few weeks
<tedsingh> FYI: Diamond = next version of MCE after Emerald, due in Vista/Longhorn
<electron> I am not too excited about Emerald tho
<electron> many were hoping for CableCard support, and other features, which won't be included now
<ThePod> any details what Emerald will offer or add to MCE
<electron> since it's just an update to MCE 2005
<tedsingh> Re: emerald - i agree w/ you - it is just a patch
<Squintz> From what I read cable cards are not that great of a technology right now
<tedsingh> re: emerald - Ian Dixon's blog and podcast cover what's coming in emerald in some detail
<tedsingh> re: cable-cards - we belive this is the make or break issue for MCE
<tedsingh> if/when cable-cards, specifically HDTV cable cards, are available, MCE will explode
<electron> agreed
<tedsingh> (units sold,that is -- though, given Microsoft, it may explode in other ways too ;-)
<Squintz> lol
<electron> it's very frustrating not being able to record HDTV, while HD TIVO units can
<electron> lol ted
<tedsingh> maybe they'll use their $50B to buy all the cable companies to get to the endpoint sooner
<electron> Scary thought
<Squintz> Will mControl have a built in WAF meter?
<tedsingh> RE: WAF meter - ok, you got me, what's a WAF meter?
<Squintz> Its like an alarm
<electron> it's Squintz's attempt at being funny
<WayneW> you don't know HA if you don't know WAF... LOL
<ThePod> don't know about the mControl yet but MCE was super high on WAF when she was able to record a show without me having to show her how.
<WayneW> WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor
<electron> MCE is a hit here as well, wife loves it
<tedsingh> RE: WAF - sorry, i should ahve picked up on that
<Squintz> Sorry for the bad joke
<WayneW> np, you already said "blog" so we know you are a geek at heart
<tedsingh> I think MCE was designed for the WAF issue
<ThePod> and once I have mControl with more control the WAF will go up with HA too
<electron> Ted, are there any other major products/features on the roadmap
<tedsingh> Bill probably had the MCE guys design the interface so that, is it Melissa, could use the TV using Windows
<WayneW> Ted, are you aiming for retail sale or all download based?
<tedsingh> re: major products - yes, there are, but I can only mention the ones I already have: mControl, mTheater, another product (to be named) to tie mControl and mTheater together
<tedsingh> re: retail/download - we are already doing the downloads and are available from the Smarthome.com website
<Squintz> Speaking of "roadmap"... Will traffic and weather reports be supported in any way?
<ThePod> there are MCE addons for weather and such, I'll have to post the links
<tedsingh> but we do intend for a higher end mControl package for larger homes or instituions, probably called mControl Professional - which will have it's own sales channel
<tedsingh> re: weather/traffic - I think we're going to leave this for other MCE developers -- there are already some good ones out there
<Squintz> This may be a dumb question but are there any plans to sell a box of some sort which has MCE and your software embeded in it?
<electron> Squintz, scroll back hehe
<WayneW> yes, it is called mTheater
<tedsingh> re: Box - Yes, this is what I meant by tying mTheater and mControl together
<tedsingh> this goes back to our "heritage" of designing "embedded systems" - so we do have another box coming soon
<electron> I definitely look forward to learning more about mTheater
<WayneW> are any of your previous products relevant to hobbyists?
<tedsingh> this box will be for customers that want a dedicated, "mission-critical" box running their home automation
<tedsingh> re: hobbyists - i'm not sure i understand the question, depends on what you want to do, I guess
<tonyno> will there be a pocketpc tie-in?
<WayneW> do any of your previous products relate to HA and/or mControl?
<Squintz> What type of cost should we expect for a dedicated box like that. + or - $1000?
<tedsingh> re: pocketPC - yes, this is on our roadmap - but since we are a .NET and browser-based s/w, this is more of a scheduling work issue, than a technology issue, so we can do it, it's just when
<Squintz> Ted how do you pronounce your last name?
<tedsingh> re: previous products - yes, the dedicated box is directly related to mControl. As I mentioned before, for mTheater, there will customers that run mControl on it, but many that don't - for the ones that don't we have either a dedicated box or can run elsewhere
<tedsingh> re: dedicated box price - way too early for me to tell you
<tedsingh> re: name pronounciation - Singh is pronounced "sing", silent H
<WayneW> I was referring to your embedded products before HA and MCE entered the picture
<ThePod> good night everyone......
<tedsingh> re: embedded products - depends there are quite a few options - for example, OS (WinCE, Win2K, WinXP, etc.), I/O busses (DeviceNet,) and so on
<tedsingh> if you need more information you can send me an email at [email protected]
<tedsingh> we have traditionally used these boxes for industrial automation, like robot control (industrial robots/systems)
<WayneW> but none would interface directly to mControl like the Elk might?
<tedsingh> not the ones that you see in our "embeded systems" side of our website - we have something new coming out that is geared for the HA market
<tedsingh> the design parameters are different
<tedsingh> i hope that i answered everyones questions
<WayneW> a hardware interface or expandsion of some sort?
<electron> I assume that last line was a teaser, or can you tell us more?
<tedsingh> re: h/w interfaces - well, you can dump a lot of stuff that we need from an industrial controller, you don't need 10 serial ports, or a devicenet/profibus interface, etc., so you can design for a more compact area
<tedsingh> also, the software we will be running will be different, etc, etc.
<WayneW> cool
<tedsingh> plus, technology has changed and prices that consumers will pay and what industrial companies will pay is different
<WayneW> totally
<tedsingh> so, the box for HA is different than the one for industrial apss - hence my comment above
<tedsingh> (it wasn't meant to be a teaser)
<electron> ah ok
<tedsingh> but having said that there are many things that carry over - so, we'll bring our experiences into the new design
<electron> where is your company physically located?
<tedsingh> we are located in sunny Surrey, BC, Canada - a suburb of Vancouver, BC - Surrey is the fastest growing city in Canada
<tedsingh> for our US people, we are 2-hours north of Seattle on the I-5
<tedsingh> (by car)
<electron> cool
<electron> Is your company planning on attending CES?
<tedsingh> 2:15 away from that small software start-up on 156 Street in Redmond
<tedsingh> (Microsoft)
<tedsingh> re: CES - we will be going to CEDIA in September. We missed CES in Jan, but do intend to go this coming year.
<tedsingh> BTW, if you missed it, Bill Gate's keynote at CES 2005 was 75% MCE
<Squintz> I watched a video on MCE and it seems like MS has huge plans for it
<electron> You are right, that's why I am interested in going to the 2006 CES event, since things are getting interesting now
<Squintz> lots of money being thrown at it
<Chakara_> smart area to concentrate efforts....
<Chakara_> that and server space.
<tedsingh> yes, a friend of mine just got hired there to work in the group, so I have anecdotal evidence, that there is growth there
<Squintz> I wish they would bring CES an EHX to me
<Chakara_> All cool shows should be in Albuquerque. Instead of none of them!
<WayneW> ahh go fly a baloon
<Chakara_> lol
<Squintz> I was thinking in baltimore since our city is spending millions building city owned and ran hotels to expand our convention center
<tedsingh> in fact, a HA guy has been hired specifically for the MCE group, which speaks to their efforts to build MCE+HA
<WayneW> isn't that competition for y'all?
<Chakara_> at Microsoft you mean?
<tedsingh> yes
<Squintz> Does that mean your product wont be needed if eventually then?
<electron> ted, can you give us a name or email address?
<Chakara_> or if they have it down, they will be bought.
<tedsingh> [email protected]
<Squintz> I bet ted would like that Chakara
<electron> I mean for that HA guy, wasn't sure if you knew him personally
<Squintz> its happend before
<david0126> Ted, ELK is interested in talking about interfacing with MControl.
<tedsingh> re: bought - we think those rosy days (circa 2000) are pretty much over -- our goals are to establish ourselves in the upcoming year(s)
<Squintz> Start talking david and ted... I want to hear what you guys have to say
<tedsingh> re: ELK - we have already talked with ELK re: M1 and have ELK support on our roadmap
<david0126> Good looking for to working with you.
<BraveSirRobbin> Squintz, quit yacking a little and give them a chance :
<Squintz> lol
<Squintz> sorry
<tedsingh> maybe it was you I talked with at Elk
<Squintz> im on drugs again for my stones
<Chakara_> stoned?
<Chakara_> sorry...
<Squintz> Kidney stones
<david0126> Ted, I think so.
<WayneW> David from Elk, meet Ted from EA
<david0126> There is alot of good talk going on about your product.
<tedsingh> once we get closer to our work on Elk, I will contact you again David. We are just working on our next release right now - to support cameras.
<david0126> Just give me a call.
<tedsingh> Thank you - we are blessed with a very good dev team and guys who love the MCE+HA stuff
<BraveSirRobbin> So you are going to be at CES this year Ted?
<tedsingh> RE: CES - that's the plan - when I have details, I can tell you
<BraveSirRobbin> Very cool, I will plan on seeing you there if you come out
<Chakara_> When is CES?
<tedsingh> I assume you are taling about the Jan CES show in Las Vegas
<BraveSirRobbin> Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas
<BraveSirRobbin> yes
<BraveSirRobbin> its in January
<BraveSirRobbin> second week
<tedsingh> yes, we are planning for it -- if only to see the other side shows
<tedsingh> and to show our products, of course
<Squintz> I looked forward to your reporting again BSR... You did a great job last year
<BraveSirRobbin> YOu will have a booth then correct ted?
<tedsingh> not to my knowledge - now that you mention it, I've got to ask our Marketing guy, Maury Lum -- he might know better
<tedsingh> but the intent is to have a booth
<tedsingh> or at minimum, some presence, if a booth is unavailable
<tedsingh> any other questions, I'm worrying about my WAF right now
<Squintz> lol
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, well if you don't have a booth by now, it may be to late
<BraveSirRobbin> not that i can think of, PM me on CocoonTech when you get some CES details though
<tedsingh> BSR, I'll check on it Monday and can let you know
<WayneW> so its a party in Ted's suite in January!
<BraveSirRobbin> thanks
<BraveSirRobbin> my email is [email protected]
<electron> Ted, thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions, we really appreciate your time
<tedsingh> Molson's for everyone
<Chakara_> go take care of her tedsingh.....we all know priorities!
<Squintz> g'night ted... Please stop by CocoonTech more often and keep us updated
<tedsingh> thanks guys, really appreciate the opportunity here
<BraveSirRobbin> thanks for coming tonight ted
<WayneW> thanks Ted
<ericvic> good info, thanks Ted
<tedsingh> thanks again -- will see you on CocoonTech - BTW, we get excellent referrals from the CocoonTech website
<tedsingh> ok, later guys - have a good weekend
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted is from Embedded Automation
<BraveSirRobbin> and will be talking about mControl tonight
<BraveSirRobbin> mControl is home automation program that works in an MCE environment
<BraveSirRobbin> I'm hoping we get more participants shortly
<ericvic> Hi all. I may not be able to stay long
<tedsingh> good to see so many people here
<BraveSirRobbin> hey, cool
<BraveSirRobbin> well, we should be getting more shortly
<BraveSirRobbin> this is a free form chat
<BraveSirRobbin> subject tonight is mcontrol
<BraveSirRobbin> we have Ted Singh with us tonight with embedded automation
<BraveSirRobbin> Do you want to introduce yourself Ted, maybe give us some insights into the company and mControl
<tedsingh> sure
<tedsingh> As BSR mentioned, my name is Ted Singh, I am the Bus.Dev.Mgr
<tedsingh> and co-owner of Embedded Automation
<tedsingh> I am engineer by background (Computer) as is my partner
<tedsingh> Embedded Automation was founded in 1998 as a fledgling "Embedded Systems" company
<tedsingh> in the past year(s), we have started in home automation
<tedsingh> when Windows XP Media Center Edition was released, we thought of it as a
<tedsingh> good vehicle/interface for the general home automation audience
<tedsingh> and that's the idea where mControl came from
<tedsingh> we started work on mControl last year
<tedsingh> had our first beta in April
<tedsingh> our first download in Q2 of this year
<tedsingh> and went on sale this quarter
<Chakara_> Congrats on a released product!
<tedsingh> We support X10 and INSTEON automation, with a roadmap for some very cool
<tedsingh> automation in the upcoming releases
<tedsingh> thanks -- it was a lot of hard work, but it is gratifying
<tedsingh> i hope that everyone has had a chance to download and try it out
<electron> Yes, it's a great product!
<electron> can you tell us some more about that roadmap?
<tedsingh> i'd be happy to answer any questions
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted, it seems like your company is the only one in Home automation that is "embracing" the windows media center environment
<tedsingh> well, i can tell you a little
<tedsingh> for example, we are working on integrated camera support for our next revision
<tedsingh> if there are specific roadmap questions, I can address them
<BraveSirRobbin> What feature do you plan to deploy or look into?
<BraveSirRobbin> such as
<BraveSirRobbin> cameras as you stated, more control icons,
<BraveSirRobbin> rf receiver support
<BraveSirRobbin> stuff like that
<tedsingh> If i look at the # of requests coming in from our support email, we have enough
<tedsingh> work to keep us busy until next year
<tedsingh> so i can tell you that we are considering many new features/enhancements
<electron> What kind of cameras will be supported? Will they be required to be connected directly to the MCE machine?
<tedsingh> including integrated cameras, thermostat support, other automation protocols, support for Emerald (new vesion of MCE)
<tedsingh> Infrared remote, additional Macro support, etc., etc.
<tedsingh> also, security systems and other MCE integration
<tedsingh> we are planning to support wireless webserving cams - we are testing out several makes
<tedsingh> we believe that these type of cameras are the easiest to install and integrate nicely w/ MCE
<BraveSirRobbin> True, but they are also the most expensive
<electron> right, some other applications (i.e. Orb) require you to have the device hooked up physically to the MCE machine, which in most cases is impossible since people will not run all their wiring to a PVR in their living room
<tedsingh> so, no, if our testing goes as planned and we can qualify these cameras, you will not have to hook them to your MCE
<Chakara_> like the type that have thier own webserver built in....I keep looking at cameras wondering how to integrate them....
<tedsingh> yes, they can be expensive, but we also belive that over time, the prices will drop
<Squintz> another person i dont know
<Squintz> Hi ted
<tonyno> hallo
<tedsingh> hello
<BraveSirRobbin> So capture software with its own web server interface is a no go then?
<BraveSirRobbin> such as Active Cam and WebCamXP
<tedsingh> it's not a no go, it's what we plan to support first
<electron> it would be great if it could support 'virtual cameras', where it could pull the image from an existing video server
<Squintz> So many choices
<tedsingh> yes, we expect that a webserver somewhere, whether it's a camera or some other service will provide us the feed
<tedsingh> we will add hooks to our software to allow the user interface to talk to these cameras to control them
<tedsingh> like pan-tilt-zoom
<Chakara_> hm....cool.
<BraveSirRobbin> Now that sounds great!!!
<BraveSirRobbin> What about capture capabilities
<Squintz> Ted is there a web site i can visit for you product?
<tedsingh> www.embeddedautomation.com
<electron> Squintz: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2068 <-- review
<tedsingh> for the next release, we simply want to enable an integrated camera/automation environment
<tedsingh> we will build on this functionality over time
<electron> How does one get into the beta program?
<tedsingh> there are so many things that people have asked for and we will phase in to some of the more advanced fucntinalty overtime
<Squintz> Ahhh. I remember that from a while back E
<tedsingh> We don't have a beta program, per se, but we make any qualified software available for 30-day free download from our website
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted, just curious, these requests you get in, are they from "home automation" types?
<tedsingh> we are currently targeting September for completing the first pass of our "integrated" camera feature
<tedsingh> so, you'll be able to download a 30-day trial from our website
<tedsingh> good question on "home automation" types
<Squintz> Let me get my three questions out right now
Does it or will it support... 1)Z-wave? 2)IAutomate RFID? and 3)Elk M1 Gold?<tedsingh> let me answer BSR question first, then Squintz
<tedsingh> first: we have targeted mControl for beyond the "traditional" home automation enthusiast market
<tedsingh> we do care about this market, but to be successful, we beleive that we have to grow the market and we are trying to engage MCE users
<tedsingh> this will be a very fast growing part (MCE will be built into Longhorn/Vista and Xbox 360)
<tedsingh> so in answering the question, our customer/prospect base is probably 50% home automation enthusiast and 50% MCE/home theater person
<tedsingh> which is a very good mix for us.
<Squintz> sounds good to me also
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, thanks
<Squintz> 50/50 is a good mix
<tedsingh> ok, wrt to z-wave, iautomate, elk
<tedsingh> i can say that we have talked to elk and see that as a feature on our roadmap
<Squintz> cool
<tedsingh> as for z-wave, we are focused on Smarthome/INSTEON at this moment, and want to expand on this
<tedsingh> so, one area is to give more depth to our support of the INSTEON protocol
<Squintz> Probably a good business choice on your part
<Chakara_> Yeah, I'm curious about that decision. I'm in decide mode and it's UPB or Inteon at this point.
<tedsingh> the other area is to support the Smarthome X10 USB
<tedsingh> for us it was an easy choice re: UPB and INSTEON
<tedsingh> we see so many people using X10 and to have an upgradeable solution is a tremendous benefit
<Squintz> Ted will the user be able to expand the system with plugins?
<tedsingh> we have in our test lab a hybrid environment using X10 and INSTEON and it works very well together
<tedsingh> so this plays very nicely with our customer base
<tedsingh> RE: plug-ins
<Chakara_> I'm new to all this and only have a few X10 devices and very little investment there.
<tedsingh> we do intend to offer an SDK - but this is further down our roadmap, maybe 3-6 months
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, so you are going to support third party plugins for your software
<tedsingh> well, 3rd-party plug-in's and SDK aren't a 100% overlap, but obviously they arenot mutually exclusive either
<BraveSirRobbin> i see
<Chakara_> I keep watching companies like yours and someday I think HA is going to be like the OS market is today. Some big player for 90% of the market and the roll your own (GPL) group doing the fun stuff.
<Squintz> Boy, I may need to disapear for a few years and come back to HA later
... So many new choices now days its almost imposible to pick one<tedsingh> we do knwo that we want to make access to our server available through an API
<BraveSirRobbin> for those just joining in we have ted singh as a guest speaker tonight
<BraveSirRobbin> ted is with embedded automation, creaters of mControl
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted, what about devices such as caller ID
<BraveSirRobbin> How will mControl support this
<tedsingh> Re: caller ID - we aren't addressing this immediately -- to be honest w/ you
<Squintz> Future: Is your software written in .net so that it will be compatible with future MS OSs
<tedsingh> it's not as higher up in our roadmap for a couple of reasons
<tedsingh> #1 - there is a 3rd party app available for MCE
<tedsingh> #2, there are some core automation, security, hvac, etc. things we want to address first
<BraveSirRobbin> yes, that makes sense
<tedsingh> Re: .NET - our software is almost 100% .NET
<BraveSirRobbin> Well, I'm looking forward to this software as none of the other HA companies seem interested in MCE
<tedsingh> the only parts that aren't, are some of the components we use, but that will change over time
<tedsingh> the installed base of MCE is just over 2M
<tedsingh> that's only within i think 20 countries
<BraveSirRobbin> ah
<tedsingh> the run rate according to Microsoft now is about 500K units every Q sold
<Squintz> Funding: Is your company privately funded? I guess what I am asking is do you have the resources to invest alot of money to make your product the best?
<tedsingh> when XBox 360 is sold, it will be built in
<tedsingh> and when Vista (nee: Longhorn) is released next year, the run rate of MCE will exceed 10M/Q
<ThePod> I've been playing with mControl for about a week now with the INSTEON. Really looking forward to having two way communication thought
<tedsingh> probably higher
<tedsingh> so, MCE will be huge
<Chakara_> So unlike the current Xbox, you can legallly load 3rd party software?
<tedsingh> RE: Funding - we are privately funded
<electron> I think the XBOX360 is only going to be an extender
<electron> isn't it?
<tedsingh> re: INSTEON 2-way
<tedsingh> we have an update, that will come out very soon - maybe this weekend, if we have enough time, that expands on our ISNTEON support
<ThePod> the version of mControl I have does not update if I control a lamp from another source such as a controlinc
<ThePod> looking forward to the update.
<tedsingh> v1.11 now supports receipt of ISNTEON events, and will update the database according - so if you have used the ControlLinc to turn on a LampLinc, mControl will hear this and update the device dB
<tedsingh> re: XBox 360 - yes it will be an extender for MCE, but we beleive that it will spur additional MCE OS sales
<tedsingh> Re: PD
<BraveSirRobbin> yea, pretty cool, turn down the lights before you start playing games on your xbox
<tedsingh> sorry, RE: Pod's question
<BraveSirRobbin> hi michael
<MichaelMcSharry> hello all
<BraveSirRobbin> we have ted singh of embedded automation as a guest speaker tonight
<BraveSirRobbin> creators of mControl software
<BraveSirRobbin> Ted is giving an indepth description of mControl this evening
<tedsingh> there are 3 parts to the screen update #1. hear the communication over the INSTEON protocol #2. update the dB and #3. update the screen
<tedsingh> v1.11 due out very soon, will do #1 anD #2
<tedsingh> because of some of the limitations of MCE and IE, #3 is a slightly more difficult problem that we will solve in a seubsequent version
<tedsingh> but a screen refresh will show the device updated
<tedsingh> how many here have downloaded the software and tried it? Any comments / questions?
<BraveSirRobbin> I have
<BraveSirRobbin> I really like it
<BraveSirRobbin> wish it had more "icons" though
<BraveSirRobbin> and camera and caller id control
<BraveSirRobbin> those things would be convenient
<BraveSirRobbin> as they are needed while watching TV and such
<tedsingh> very popular request, that we hope to address shortly, basically by allowing customers to create their own icons
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, very cool
<tedsingh> we will be going to the CEDIA show in September, I think 9-11, and will have a booth ther
<ThePod> I've been comparing mControl to HS MCE plugin and so far I'm thinking mControl will be the MCE interface choice for me.
<tedsingh> the show is in Indianapolis, IN
<Chakara_> not a good date
<electron> Ted, Do you see Life|Ware as a competitor/threat , or are you after different markets?
<Squintz> Ted, I think you skiped over the IAutomated RFID question. I assume it would be possible because you will have an SDK but would it be something you would consider directly supporting?
<tedsingh> yes, i agree on the date -- not our choice
<tedsingh> RE: plug-in wars
<MichaelMcSharry> What distinguishes this software from HST's MCE pluign or XLobby/Main Lobby automation software
<Chakara_> Is there a hook from mcontrol to HS?
<tedsingh> we believe that the proper interface to MCE is one that has: #1 - dymamic/interactive
<tedsingh> #2 - fits the MCE mold
<tedsingh> #3 - will grow with MCE
<tedsingh> so, we've tried to ensure the best MCE experience
<Squintz> Does HomeSeers MCE even work in 2.0?
<tedsingh> RE: Life|Ware - haven't seen their software, only their website, so I can't comment much
<electron> yeah, that's about all I have seen as well
<electron> I "think" they are after the installer market
<ThePod> No idea, I just know my serial Way2Call doesn't so I'm not upgrading real soon
<brian> okay just downloaded mControl so i guess it only supports X10 and Insteon? No Zwave
<electron> right
<BraveSirRobbin> What is "z-Wave"?
<BraveSirRobbin> hehe
<tedsingh> re: IAutomated RFID - we do see the potential for RFID, but it is further down our roadmap
<Squintz> hey now BSR thats not nice
<tedsingh> re: HST's MCE or XLobbby - see my comments on MCE interface
<Squintz> Z-wave is that protocol that took me broke
<Squintz> How many people are in your company?
<tedsingh> Re: Homeseer's v2 w/ MCE - don't know much about it, just what I see on the web
<brian> Zwave made me money
WHen I opened my online store<electron> MCE is going to be in many living rooms (and is already in many high end home theater setups, just look at HGTV etc), don't think xlobby will have that driving force
<tedsingh> re: Z-wave, again we're focussed on INSTEON - it's a much better fit for us
<ThePod> I agree
<Squintz> and probably cheaper for you also
<tedsingh> did i miss any questions
<ThePod> INSTEON all the functions of Z-Wave without all the issues.
<Squintz> i don think yo missed any yet
<Chakara_> I think that is yet to be seen ThePod....
<tedsingh> re: INSTEON - it's a very capable protocol and we've only scratched the surface
<electron> Ted, I realize the MCE SDK/API isn't as open as one would like it to be, but is it possible to have macros trigger based on the state of playback (i.e. play, pause, stop)
<tedsingh> re: MCE SDK - actualy, we have found it very open and we *DO* intend to have further linkages to it
<tedsingh> for example, we see that you should be able to use MCE events as triggers for automation macros
<Squintz> Ted, Do you plan to participate in any CocoonTech.com give aways?
<tedsingh> for example, if you start your DVD, you could write a macro to dim the lights, or whatever
<electron> yeah that's what I mean, I currently use Girder for this, i.e. dim lights to 50% when paused, 100% when stopped, and 0-10% when playing
<ThePod> Chakara, I have both Z-Wave and INSTEON installed and so far I have found INSTEON to be more reliable and higher on the WAF scale
<electron> INSTEON makes more sense for a company such as EA, since INSTEON is backwards 'compatible' with X10
<tedsingh> re: giveaways - i'm on the spot on this one, but I guess we could do a give away for a mControl license - I'll talk to the cocoontech guys about this later
<Squintz> ThePod... Any Chance you could do a detailed review on cocoontech and compare the two. I am thinking about getting rid of Z-wave and going to insteon in the future if it actually is better
<electron> yeah, don't worry about that part Squintz, can't put a company on the spot like that :blink:
<tedsingh> re: electron's question on MCE events -- yes, it is very possible and we *do* intend to implement this soon
<Squintz> I can too
<Chakara_> good info ThePod. I'm looking at it hard, along with UPB.
<Squintz> Im a customer that all we do is beg for more free stuff
<electron> Ted, can you tell us more about how the web interface works, since it doesn't seem to require IIS ?
<Squintz> Will it support custom ASP or PHP pages?
<ThePod> Squintz, I put something up the other day: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2247&hl=
<Squintz> thanks Pod
<tedsingh> Re: INSTEON and UPB - we also worked with ZigBee and have demonstrated mControl with it -- but it is much further out than INSTEON
<tedsingh> re: IIS/Webserver - we have implemented our own webserver - we believe that IIS is far too much for our market
<ThePod> I will try to post more as I get replace different X-10 devices out with INSTEON
<electron> tedsingh, I totally agree, great job on that tho!
<WayneW> ted, can your webserver support multiple simultaneous clients from around the house?
<ThePod> Another thing I look at is Z-Wave came out in Nov 2003 and how many different types of modules are available to date?
<Squintz> I am interested in timing Pod... Z-wave seems really slow to react because of the 2-way limitations
<Squintz> hey dean
<DeanRoddey> Howdy
<ThePod> once mControl releases the next update I'll compare response time for local control to mControl seeing the update
<WayneW> Ted, how was it working with SmartHome to get your software "insteon approved" or whatever their license requires
<tedsingh> re: response time -- this is anecdotal, i don't have the hard times, but I can tell you our response from INSTEON is very quick c/f X10
<Squintz> mControl is cheap also. I just noticed that. How can you offer such a low price?
<Chakara_> Remember when HS was $60?
<tedsingh> re: "Insteon Approved" - it's pretty straight-forward - first you have to comply to their license agreement which, we believe is fair
<tedsingh> then you have to submit the software for testing and they have certain things they test for - we passed those
<tedsingh> once, you've done those two steps, they signify compliance
<tedsingh> re: price - first, it's an introductory price - we do intend to raise the price in september
<WayneW> seems easy enough but lots of people complained about their license, so they didn't buy the Insteon SDK
<electron> thanks a lot Squintz, you ruined it for all of us
<ThePod> Squintz, thats the introductory price for mControl. Ted, do you know the final released price
<tedsingh> second, we believe that if you don't extend the market beyond the "traditional" home enthusiast, there's not much of a market
<DeanRoddey> Therein lies the rub
<tedsingh> our goal is to reach a much broader audience - so we are purposefully consumer based
<Chakara_> ding ding.
<Chakara_> us wankers don't make anyone much money.....
<tedsingh> re: INSTEON license - there were some issues that we thought about, can't remember them off the top of my head, but in the end, it has worked out
<tedsingh> re: wankers - the "traditional" market is a good base, but for all of us, we have to grow it beyond that base, no offense
<tedsingh> did i miss any questions?
<WayneW> HA has been "on the verge" of taking off for 13 years
<tedsingh> re: on the verge - we see ourselves as much of a MCE company, than a HA company -- MCE development is one of our top corecompetencies
<DeanRoddey> Ted, being in the same business as you, I often have to ask myself if it's even possible to do such a thing. We'd all love to, but it's a tough nut to crack.
<WayneW> wanna plug mTheatre? will that tie in at all with mControl?
<brian> Yes but it's interesting with all these different options recently zwave, upb, insteon, zigbee it should be a very intersting next couple of years
<tedsingh> re: mTheater - we are in the final stages of our MCE PC, called mTheater
<tedsingh> while we have built prototypes using the spec'd boards, we will receive our metal work and other custom PCBs in the next couple of weeks
<WayneW> so mTheatre doesn't add any software?
<tedsingh> we have designed, what we believe is a MCE PC that can fit in your living room
<tedsingh> it has been designed for optimum quietness, coolness and user interface
<tedsingh> if everything goes well, we will demo it at the CEDIA show
<brian> sweat any demo pics??
<tedsingh> re: mTheater and s/w
<tedsingh> we envision two broad customer uses of mTheater
<brian> MCE pc
<tedsingh> #1 - people who will use it for MCE + HA
<tedsingh> #2 - people who will use it for MCE only
<tedsingh> that said, we have some other products that we will be showing, that tie the mTheater (MCE only) and HA together
<brian> humm begining to think I'm the only person without MCE
<tonyno> nope, i don't have it!
<tedsingh> re: mTheater pictures - the only pix i have are 3-D mechanical models - we are just a few weeks away from acutla pix
<Squintz> not the only i dont have MCE either
<electron> I have 3 MCE machines
so I will cover you guys<electron> lol
<tedsingh> RE: MCE - i could spend another hour just selling the MCE - we hooked it totally, I couldn't imagine life w/o it
<electron> I totally agree
<ThePod> I'll second that
<electron> mControl looks great on a 65" screen, and impresses everyone who visits
<tedsingh> we believe that after the PVR (killer app), then next killer app is HA
<WayneW> Ted, do you know if MCE will be built in to Vista or will be be a paid add-on?
<tedsingh> re: Vista - don't know for sure, but all rumors and MS rumblings (e.g., Diamond) indicates that it will be built in, not an extra charge or different OS like it is now
<tedsingh> FYI: Emerald = next version of MCE, due in next few weeks
<tedsingh> FYI: Diamond = next version of MCE after Emerald, due in Vista/Longhorn
<electron> I am not too excited about Emerald tho
<electron> many were hoping for CableCard support, and other features, which won't be included now
<ThePod> any details what Emerald will offer or add to MCE
<electron> since it's just an update to MCE 2005
<tedsingh> Re: emerald - i agree w/ you - it is just a patch
<Squintz> From what I read cable cards are not that great of a technology right now
<tedsingh> re: emerald - Ian Dixon's blog and podcast cover what's coming in emerald in some detail
<tedsingh> re: cable-cards - we belive this is the make or break issue for MCE
<tedsingh> if/when cable-cards, specifically HDTV cable cards, are available, MCE will explode
<electron> agreed
<tedsingh> (units sold,that is -- though, given Microsoft, it may explode in other ways too ;-)
<Squintz> lol
<electron> it's very frustrating not being able to record HDTV, while HD TIVO units can
<electron> lol ted
<tedsingh> maybe they'll use their $50B to buy all the cable companies to get to the endpoint sooner
<electron> Scary thought
<Squintz> Will mControl have a built in WAF meter?
<tedsingh> RE: WAF meter - ok, you got me, what's a WAF meter?
<Squintz> Its like an alarm
<electron> it's Squintz's attempt at being funny
<WayneW> you don't know HA if you don't know WAF... LOL
<ThePod> don't know about the mControl yet but MCE was super high on WAF when she was able to record a show without me having to show her how.
<WayneW> WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor
<electron> MCE is a hit here as well, wife loves it
<tedsingh> RE: WAF - sorry, i should ahve picked up on that
<Squintz> Sorry for the bad joke
<WayneW> np, you already said "blog" so we know you are a geek at heart
<tedsingh> I think MCE was designed for the WAF issue
<ThePod> and once I have mControl with more control the WAF will go up with HA too
<electron> Ted, are there any other major products/features on the roadmap
<tedsingh> Bill probably had the MCE guys design the interface so that, is it Melissa, could use the TV using Windows
<WayneW> Ted, are you aiming for retail sale or all download based?
<tedsingh> re: major products - yes, there are, but I can only mention the ones I already have: mControl, mTheater, another product (to be named) to tie mControl and mTheater together
<tedsingh> re: retail/download - we are already doing the downloads and are available from the Smarthome.com website
<Squintz> Speaking of "roadmap"... Will traffic and weather reports be supported in any way?
<ThePod> there are MCE addons for weather and such, I'll have to post the links
<tedsingh> but we do intend for a higher end mControl package for larger homes or instituions, probably called mControl Professional - which will have it's own sales channel
<tedsingh> re: weather/traffic - I think we're going to leave this for other MCE developers -- there are already some good ones out there
<Squintz> This may be a dumb question but are there any plans to sell a box of some sort which has MCE and your software embeded in it?
<electron> Squintz, scroll back hehe
<WayneW> yes, it is called mTheater
<tedsingh> re: Box - Yes, this is what I meant by tying mTheater and mControl together
<tedsingh> this goes back to our "heritage" of designing "embedded systems" - so we do have another box coming soon
<electron> I definitely look forward to learning more about mTheater
<WayneW> are any of your previous products relevant to hobbyists?
<tedsingh> this box will be for customers that want a dedicated, "mission-critical" box running their home automation
<tedsingh> re: hobbyists - i'm not sure i understand the question, depends on what you want to do, I guess
<tonyno> will there be a pocketpc tie-in?
<WayneW> do any of your previous products relate to HA and/or mControl?
<Squintz> What type of cost should we expect for a dedicated box like that. + or - $1000?
<tedsingh> re: pocketPC - yes, this is on our roadmap - but since we are a .NET and browser-based s/w, this is more of a scheduling work issue, than a technology issue, so we can do it, it's just when
<Squintz> Ted how do you pronounce your last name?
<tedsingh> re: previous products - yes, the dedicated box is directly related to mControl. As I mentioned before, for mTheater, there will customers that run mControl on it, but many that don't - for the ones that don't we have either a dedicated box or can run elsewhere
<tedsingh> re: dedicated box price - way too early for me to tell you
<tedsingh> re: name pronounciation - Singh is pronounced "sing", silent H
<WayneW> I was referring to your embedded products before HA and MCE entered the picture
<ThePod> good night everyone......
<tedsingh> re: embedded products - depends there are quite a few options - for example, OS (WinCE, Win2K, WinXP, etc.), I/O busses (DeviceNet,) and so on
<tedsingh> if you need more information you can send me an email at [email protected]
<tedsingh> we have traditionally used these boxes for industrial automation, like robot control (industrial robots/systems)
<WayneW> but none would interface directly to mControl like the Elk might?
<tedsingh> not the ones that you see in our "embeded systems" side of our website - we have something new coming out that is geared for the HA market
<tedsingh> the design parameters are different
<tedsingh> i hope that i answered everyones questions
<WayneW> a hardware interface or expandsion of some sort?
<electron> I assume that last line was a teaser, or can you tell us more?
<tedsingh> re: h/w interfaces - well, you can dump a lot of stuff that we need from an industrial controller, you don't need 10 serial ports, or a devicenet/profibus interface, etc., so you can design for a more compact area
<tedsingh> also, the software we will be running will be different, etc, etc.
<WayneW> cool
<tedsingh> plus, technology has changed and prices that consumers will pay and what industrial companies will pay is different
<WayneW> totally
<tedsingh> so, the box for HA is different than the one for industrial apss - hence my comment above
<tedsingh> (it wasn't meant to be a teaser)
<electron> ah ok
<tedsingh> but having said that there are many things that carry over - so, we'll bring our experiences into the new design
<electron> where is your company physically located?
<tedsingh> we are located in sunny Surrey, BC, Canada - a suburb of Vancouver, BC - Surrey is the fastest growing city in Canada
<tedsingh> for our US people, we are 2-hours north of Seattle on the I-5
<tedsingh> (by car)
<electron> cool
<electron> Is your company planning on attending CES?
<tedsingh> 2:15 away from that small software start-up on 156 Street in Redmond
<tedsingh> (Microsoft)
<tedsingh> re: CES - we will be going to CEDIA in September. We missed CES in Jan, but do intend to go this coming year.
<tedsingh> BTW, if you missed it, Bill Gate's keynote at CES 2005 was 75% MCE
<Squintz> I watched a video on MCE and it seems like MS has huge plans for it
<electron> You are right, that's why I am interested in going to the 2006 CES event, since things are getting interesting now
<Squintz> lots of money being thrown at it
<Chakara_> smart area to concentrate efforts....
<Chakara_> that and server space.
<tedsingh> yes, a friend of mine just got hired there to work in the group, so I have anecdotal evidence, that there is growth there
<Squintz> I wish they would bring CES an EHX to me
<Chakara_> All cool shows should be in Albuquerque. Instead of none of them!
<WayneW> ahh go fly a baloon
<Chakara_> lol
<Squintz> I was thinking in baltimore since our city is spending millions building city owned and ran hotels to expand our convention center
<tedsingh> in fact, a HA guy has been hired specifically for the MCE group, which speaks to their efforts to build MCE+HA
<WayneW> isn't that competition for y'all?
<Chakara_> at Microsoft you mean?
<tedsingh> yes
<Squintz> Does that mean your product wont be needed if eventually then?
<electron> ted, can you give us a name or email address?
<Chakara_> or if they have it down, they will be bought.
<tedsingh> [email protected]
<Squintz> I bet ted would like that Chakara
<electron> I mean for that HA guy, wasn't sure if you knew him personally
<Squintz> its happend before
<david0126> Ted, ELK is interested in talking about interfacing with MControl.
<tedsingh> re: bought - we think those rosy days (circa 2000) are pretty much over -- our goals are to establish ourselves in the upcoming year(s)
<Squintz> Start talking david and ted... I want to hear what you guys have to say
<tedsingh> re: ELK - we have already talked with ELK re: M1 and have ELK support on our roadmap
<david0126> Good looking for to working with you.
<BraveSirRobbin> Squintz, quit yacking a little and give them a chance :
<Squintz> lol
<Squintz> sorry
<tedsingh> maybe it was you I talked with at Elk
<Squintz> im on drugs again for my stones
<Chakara_> stoned?
<Chakara_> sorry...
<Squintz> Kidney stones
<david0126> Ted, I think so.
<WayneW> David from Elk, meet Ted from EA
<david0126> There is alot of good talk going on about your product.
<tedsingh> once we get closer to our work on Elk, I will contact you again David. We are just working on our next release right now - to support cameras.
<david0126> Just give me a call.
<tedsingh> Thank you - we are blessed with a very good dev team and guys who love the MCE+HA stuff
<BraveSirRobbin> So you are going to be at CES this year Ted?
<tedsingh> RE: CES - that's the plan - when I have details, I can tell you
<BraveSirRobbin> Very cool, I will plan on seeing you there if you come out
<Chakara_> When is CES?
<tedsingh> I assume you are taling about the Jan CES show in Las Vegas
<BraveSirRobbin> Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas
<BraveSirRobbin> yes
<BraveSirRobbin> its in January
<BraveSirRobbin> second week
<tedsingh> yes, we are planning for it -- if only to see the other side shows
<tedsingh> and to show our products, of course
<Squintz> I looked forward to your reporting again BSR... You did a great job last year
<BraveSirRobbin> YOu will have a booth then correct ted?
<tedsingh> not to my knowledge - now that you mention it, I've got to ask our Marketing guy, Maury Lum -- he might know better
<tedsingh> but the intent is to have a booth
<tedsingh> or at minimum, some presence, if a booth is unavailable
<tedsingh> any other questions, I'm worrying about my WAF right now
<Squintz> lol
<BraveSirRobbin> ah, well if you don't have a booth by now, it may be to late
<BraveSirRobbin> not that i can think of, PM me on CocoonTech when you get some CES details though
<tedsingh> BSR, I'll check on it Monday and can let you know
<WayneW> so its a party in Ted's suite in January!
<BraveSirRobbin> thanks
<BraveSirRobbin> my email is [email protected]
<electron> Ted, thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions, we really appreciate your time
<tedsingh> Molson's for everyone
<Chakara_> go take care of her tedsingh.....we all know priorities!
<Squintz> g'night ted... Please stop by CocoonTech more often and keep us updated
<tedsingh> thanks guys, really appreciate the opportunity here
<BraveSirRobbin> thanks for coming tonight ted
<WayneW> thanks Ted
<ericvic> good info, thanks Ted
<tedsingh> thanks again -- will see you on CocoonTech - BTW, we get excellent referrals from the CocoonTech website
<tedsingh> ok, later guys - have a good weekend
