Re: HAI Omni LT

["Brett Griffin" <brett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> How do you think HAI's Weblink

Well the Weblink has its own purpose.  It was to control and access a home
control system.  Video was a secondary thought, and is for the homeowner who
has one exisiting modulated camera.  It is not hard to come up with a
reason, that make any other web video software a btter choice.  Weblink is
about having everything you need in one application hosted from your home
PC.

Personally, on a side note, I have used Weblink for a number of years, and
it is nice for me cell phone interface via a browser.  However PC Access and
Weblink are combersome for operating your home via a PC in your home.  For
these reasons, I am announcing my own software hopefully on monday, that
allows you to control your ethernet based HAI/OnQ/Aegis system from a simple
menu in your system tray.  I am very excited about this one as I had asked
the president of HAI for all three years working for him to develop it and
he never did, So I teamed up and did it.

> Does it run under Unix?
I have a version of the training in Windows, Mac, and Linux.

>Well, here's your first NEGATIVE feedback.  If you're trying to sell me
> something, make it easy for me to evaluate the quality of the product.
Put
> something in a format that's not protected or proprietary.

You do not have to download anything except for the training.  click on the
download in your OS, and watch when you are done, keep it or delete it.  It
is actually using Flash or shockwave, but again that is there own software
anyways.  So no worries, you dont need to download any drivers or anything,
it is all self -contained, and just click and watch.  Linux version
available for download.

No active-x crap or anything.  The program is very simple non-invasive, no
spyware crap, no virus, nothing to complain about except for me...LOL  Just
my voice, take it or leave it. I even provided an uninstall to delete it for
you...lol

Brett





"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:CJKdnfRDyeauz1rfRVn-3Q@xxxxxxxxxx
> "Brett Griffin" <brett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>
> <stuff snipped, subject line changed>
>
> > > Is liability that much of an issue?
> >
> > My only concern is discussing your ideas about how to make the system
> reduce
> > false alarms, to the extent you mentioned, as the programming you will
> want
> > to do requires programming that, if you dont do it correctly you may
have
> > holes in your security system.  I would prefer that topic to stay
between
> > those who really grasp security and programming, otherwise I would
prefer
> to
> > not suggest other to make changes to the way HAI has setup the security
> > system.
>
> I can understand that.   But it's somewhat antithetical to the concept of
> Usenet.  My suggestion would be to discuss away, but with constant
reminders
> of the potential bad consequences and maybe a few liability disclaimers
> thrown in.
>
> > Otherwise, the great thing about HAI (and their sister brands Aegis and
> OnQ
> > Le Grand) is the ability to self monitor with the system calling you on
up
> > to 8 phone numbers and/or central monitoring.
> >
> > I am not worried about being sued, but if I discuss this topic in depth,
I
> > would feel terrible if someone who did not grasp security and
programming
> > and tried to change the way HAI does security, and something tragic
> > happened.
>
> Hey, you're talking to the guy most often zinged in CHA for warning people
> not to go mucking around a 240VAC breaker panel without a decent
understand
> of electrical wiring.  I saw warn away but discuss away, too.  The problem
> with one-on-one is that no one else reads the exchange so there's less
> review of the information.  It would seem to me that's more dangerous
> because it eliminates an important sanity check from the process.  I've
> learned an awful lot following threads where there has been a diversity of
> approaches and potential solutions.
>
> > Anything else I would be happy to discuss in the forum, lighting,
> > temperature, irrigation, or anything else you can dream up...
>
> I've got a lot of ideas I want to explore.  I am going to get an Omni for
my
> folks, too.  My dad's now in a powerchair and I want to be able to program
> the alarm to warn him if he's forgotten to plug it into the charger for
the
> night.  I also want to do mundane things like check to see if the garage
> door is closed, the doors are locked, etc.  As I plan them out, I'll be
sure
> to seek your input.
>
> > As you dive into the Omni, you will find out how easy and advanced it
is.
> > While I do not know to what extend you are using the Adicon, the Omni
> should
> > be able to handle most everything you are doing with Adicon.  However
> > anything IR still requires an Ocelot by Adicon.
>
> I was going to try to move some things from the Adicon box to the Omni
> simply because I need more IR storage space.  I know I could upgrade to
the
> Ocelot or Leopard but for now, it's not really a pressing need to free up
> more Adicon space.
>
> > The Omni LT has a maximum
> > of 2 serial ports, 16 light addresses, 24 inputs and 10 outputs (12v
> > triggers).  As you expand and move up, the Pro II has a max of 4 serial
> > ports, 256 light addresses, 176 inputs/and 136 outputs. Another cool
> feature
> > of the Omni is you can mix switch technologies.  I have actually
> > demonstrated using an  Omni LT, using Radio Ra, and X-10 and ALC (OnQ
> > hardwired switch) simultaneously, and as the end user you have no clue
> which
> > is which but everything works.  On  Pro II, you can mix, UPB, X-10, X-10
> > Extended, X-10 Compose, Radio Ra, ALC, HAI Lighting Control, and 3 other
> > lighting technologies via a serial cable, literally all connected to the
> > same Omni Pro II.  As you dive deeper into the Omni systems, there is
not
> > much you cannot do, and almost nothing you cannot do with third party
> > products.
>
> I thought the LT would be a good place to start with the Omni line.  I
> realize it's underpowered but I could buy two of them for the price of the
> Omni II.  Given that all I really want from the Omni is dial-out alarm
> capability and X-10 light flashing, I think it will serve my needs.
>
> > > I was asking more about what programs/HW provide the best way of
> "pushing"
> > > that sort of content to my cell phone.  I've seen lots of different
ways
> > > of
> > > sending video from the house to the internet or directly to a cell
> phone.
> > > I
> > > guess what I'd really like is for the DoorFon to be smart enough to
call
> > > me
> > > when appropriate so I could interact with someone at the front door as
> if
> > > I
> > > were home.  That would be very, very cool.
> >
> > HAI manufactures a software called weblink. It resides on a PC in the
> home,
> > and it is a web server.  It will push status and control to a phone or
web
> > browser.  It will also send video from 1 USB camera, or up to 40
modulated
> > TV channels(cameras).  However it will only show one camera/channel at
any
> > one time.  The software is a very very basic DVR.  You can write a
program
> > to record 1 channel based on an event in the home.  It is recorded on
the
> > PC's hardrive, so keep that in mind for security.
>
> I've been looking at some inexpensive video servers that take RCA line
level
> video and audio connections (from a HQ bullet cam) and
>
>  Access Via Web Browser
>  Auto Network Reconnection (ANR)
>  Upgrade firmware via The Internet
>  Watch dog function supported
>  Dynamic IP support
>  4 alarm inputs supported
>  Duplex function, record and playback
>  Auto e-mail warning system
>  Intelligent non-stoppable recording
>  Multi AP screens supported
>
> http://vitekcctv.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=178
>
> How do you think HAI's Weblink compares in stats and prices?  I've seen
the
> Vitek unit for under $200.  It has the enormous advantage, if I read you
> correctly, of not requiring a PC for anything but setting the unit up.  If
> you have a cable modem, it should just sit there and serve video without
> eating up juice powering a whole PC.  Something like this would run a lot
> longer on battery backup and would reset (hopefully) far more quickly than
> the average PC.  Trusting a Wintel machine to manage home security is not,
> IMHO, a very good idea.  Too many potential bad outcomes.
>
> > The doorphone can be connected to the HAI via a door chime interface.
You
> > than write a program based on the press of the doorbell.  It would
require
> a
> > program in the omni and a program in the Weblink software.
>
> That's another advantage of the Vitek box.  It sounds like you merely set
up
> the email address and some configuration options and it's on line and
> working.  Now comes the tricky part.  How do I do this in live action?
> Well, once I get my hands on the video server, I'll know more of what it
can
> do.
>
> > > I looked around at your site and found the sample training you
mentioned
> > > but
> > > it was an exe file.  What's in it?  Is it a program, a compressed MPG
or
> > > what?
> >
> > It is a compressed file made using Macromedia Captivate.  The program
> > creates the movie and compresses it for sending over the internet.  It
is
> > still 20 mb, it is not a Mpeg, but a proprietary format Macromedia uses.
>
> Proprietary format?  Hmmmmm.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Does it run under Unix?
>
> > The cool thing about Captivate it allows me to create interactive
> trainings.
> > I basically instruct, and the viewer has to click thru, so far the
> feedback
> > is everyone like the interaction with the training.
>
> Well, here's your first NEGATIVE feedback.  If you're trying to sell me
> something, make it easy for me to evaluate the quality of the product.
Put
> something in a format that's not protected or proprietary.
>
> Right now, I'm sorry to day you haven't interested me enough to want to
> download and install yet another flipping program I may never use just to
> evaluate your product.  It feels a little like fancy Active-X sites that
> scold me for not being able to see their demos because I don't use
Internet
> Explorer.  Don't vendors know there are 100 other sites that  have the
same
> content?  I simply click on to another site that doesn't force me to
comply
> with their terms.
>
> It seems to me if you created something that had your logo, business and
> copyright information prominently displayed and played in a standard
format
> it might promote your business better.  Buts it's your call.  It's sad
that
> adware and spyware have made many people reluctant to explore new
software,
> but that's what's happened.  By now there probably aren't many people who
> *haven't* installed a shareware app like Kazaa that ending up infesting
> their machine with scumware or worse.  In this day and age, when you ask
> someone to run a program you're providing, you're asking them to trust
you.
> I'm one of those "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Must Submit to
a
> Strip Search" kinda guy.  :-)
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>
>