HomeRun is a new breed of software designed to simplify your life! From a solid foundation of automation, HomeRun allows you to fulfill the promise of an intelligent environment and coordinates the activities of the people who live with you. It performs the traditional functions of a home automation system - controlling devices, monitoring sensors, etc - with unrivaled power and flexibility, but it will also help you move up to energy management and conservation strategies. It really can become the 'Command Central' of your home. And best of all, it's free! Explore the resources here, whether you want to explore automation, or become a developer in the HomeRun open source project.
A new package - Web Service API - gives you an entirely new way to interact with your HomeRun system. You can embed HomeRun functionality in other web sites, or 'roll you own' user interface. Another new package LAN devices (currently available only for Unix platforms) let's you monitor the state of computers, printers, etc on your local network.
Many usability and performance enhancements have also been made.
system package has been enhanced, and the
web user interface has been updated.
Packed with new features, and sporting a new and more flexible web user interface with authentication, this release also introduces (for some packages) the ability to localize or customize values for language choice or other preference. Look for this to expand with each new release. A draft user manual has also been added.
An increasingly big motivation for adopting home automation is the potential to reduce energy consumption, Energy costs are rising, and the case for conservation grows stronger every day. Home Energy Lab is a new blog that explores these issues, and a central focus will be the use of automation - HomeRun in particular - to achieve these goals.
Another significant milestone towards beta, this release features a brand new method of automation - using a calendar. This complements the weekly schedule by allowing non-recurring, and special dates to be easily accommodated. In addition, a whole new system of distribution has been put in place. No longer will you need to wait for a major release to get new functionality: packages will appear to your HomeRun system as they become available (online).
Three new packages are also ready:The HomeRun web site has finally appeared - currently hosted At SourceForge. With a wealth of information on using and developing Homerun, it will continue to add new resources in the near future. Check back often for updates!