Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

Canada’s Archronix is out make your home a little more point-and-click friendly with its latest product, a gateway that acts as a bridge between WSD-enabled controllers (that’s Web Services for Devices) and ZigBee-compliant gear. The former can include specialized home controllers like those from Exceptional Innovation and, soon, any Vista-running PC, while ZigBee devices can include everything from light switches to thermostats to, yes, robots. Problem is, the two technologies have been operating in their own corners of our excessively-automated future home; peacemakers that they are, however, Archronix has found a way to get the two to play nice with each other. Its ArcWay device simply sits between your ZigBee gear and your WSD controller, translating the ZigBee information into something more WSD-friendly and transfering it over your existing home network to your PC or WSD-enabled control unit. In demonstrating the technology, Archronix seems to have shown they have a sense of humor (at least we hope so), crafting what must be the most technologically complex means of turning on a light bulb yet devised. Ah, progress.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Wireless

AMX is looking to put a little more ZigBee into your life (and, really, couldn’t we all use a little?), announcing a pair of new remotes and some other ZigBee wireless gear at the just-concluded CEDIA Expo in Denver. The Mio Modero R-4 (seen above) is the company’s top-of-the-line remote, with a 2.4-inch color LCD touchscreen , AMX’s “G4 graphics engine” (which won’t let you play Halo, but will give you animated icons), and 28 old-fashioned push buttons. Also announced was the Mio Modero R-3, with which you’ll have to settle for a smaller monochrome LCD, though you’ll get a bountiful 45 backlit laser-engraved buttons. Both remotes will give you some two-way ZigBee action, letting you view everything from song information to the current room temperature from the comfort of your couch — if you’re living in one of those houses of the future, that is. To go along with ‘em, AMX has dropped some additional ZigBee wireless gear to complete your setup, including a ZigBee wireless gateway, and a repeater to extend wireless coverage to the farthest reaches of your mansion. No word on pricing — hint: you probably won’t find this stuff in the Insignia aisle — but it should all be available in the next few months.

[Via Talk About CEDIA]

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