Now I can control my house via Cingular PDA over GPRS...

["IVB" <ivb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Got a Cingular 8125 PDA/cellphone today with the unlimited PDA data plan
[ie, blackberry plan equivalent]. This is mostly for work purposes, but wife
also wants a way to monitor house/CCTV away from home, probably to make sure
I didn't screw up the Elk install I just did.

I was researching ways to connect to my CQC instance [ie, logmein] when I
was reminded me that the CQC DotNetViewer uses XML to communicate with the
server, meaning that I can just port-forward the CQC XML server to my
external IP address, and hit it directly [thank god, no 3rd party sofware].
Plus, I can use DynamicDNS via dyndns.com so that I can use an english name
that'll follow my external IP if my router resets itself and gets a new IP
from my DSL.

In laymans terms, I set the config up on the CQC PDA viewer to hit
My_House.dyndns.org:12345 [not the real name I picked, and 12345 isn't
really my CQC server].

I created some regular 320×240 interfaces, and loaded some new fonts on the
cellphone so I could use cooler fonts than what came with it. I think I used
too many pics, cuz performance is a little slow, but that could be my
plaster/lathe house too. I get really horrid service in my house. I'll try
again tomorrow from my office in downtown SF, which obviously has fantastic
coverage.

I can now do the following thing from any location my phone gets service:
- Check status of Elk, arm&disarm if need be.
- Check motion sensors
- Check HVAC, turn heat/fan up or down!! [that's really cool]

I still have to do some more testing, also still have to create some more
interfaces, but not bad for 1.5 hours of work.

Check it out. Looks pretty decent.

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/screenshots/PPC/PPC_Home.jpg

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/screenshots/PPC/PPC_Motion.jpg

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/screenshots/PPC/PPC_Elk.jpg

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/screenshots/PPC/PPC_HVAC.jpg



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Note: I am a mere end-user with no financial stake in any products that I
may discuss.

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