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The Internet

Home connected to the Internet 72

Posted by CmdrTaco from the every-geeks-fantasy dept.
Calvin writes "Some dutch guy is working to make his own cyberhouse. He currently has connected his doorbell, fridge and trashbin to the internet. This guy keeps logs of all kind of things plus webcam snapshots of the last events. (major feature is the barcode reader on his trashbin) " I want me one of those houses.
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Home connected to the Internet More

Home connected to the Internet

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  • I'm surprised at the responses here (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Considering Slashdots readership, I'm surprised at the number of posts basically saying that this is ott and that the guy should get out more.

    The simple reason why this is cool is because it can be done!
  • this guy seemed sorta cool
    but I guess not because he doesnt run linux. Im amazed that windows could do all that
  • I think this would be a whole lot cooler if he actually wired a GPS locator to his cat so his cat tracker page actually DID track his cat, rather than its feeding schedule.
  • I'd rather have a house without windows.

    .. ..

    uhh, the software kind.

  • So we've established here that you're incapable of reading READMEs and INSTALLs to figure out how to type:

    $ configure
    $ make
    $ su
    # make install

    Also, we've established that you've apparently never seen X.

    You then go on to say that Unix administration is a "no-brainer". So which is it? So easy that it's a no-brainer, or so difficult that you can't do it? You can't have it both ways, unless you're just too stupid to handle a "no-brainer". I'm beginning to suspect the last, myself.

    And that's "Get A F*cking Clue", incidentally. (That's my guess, anyway... I'm not the guy who wrote that.)
  • Posted by korto:

    cyberhouse? that sounds silly. i don't want to take a peek at his trashcan or his fridge's log!
    the man is kinda sick if you ask me...
  • More "GARBAGE" on the Net... ;>
  • ...no offense buddy, but wearable computers and a barcode reader on the trashcan? You need to get out more, my friend. Send me your address and I'll buy you a cab ride to the local park. :)

    The doorbell cam has applications though. I'd like one of those.
  • Cuz he ain't getting much dating done, I'll bet.
  • This link [bbc.co.uk] isn't quite all there, but I'm sure you could hack together some controlling software to take it the rest of the way.

    It's an article about Tescos(UK supermarket) shipping Palm Pilots with built-in barcode scanners, so you can make a shopping list by scanning the products in your kitchen cupboards. You then upload your shopping list and it gets delivered. I just wish it was my local Tescos and that I hadn't already bought a Palm III.

  • Eventually I'll have everything wired up to my web page... One day...
  • ...I'd pick a "jennycam" over anything at this guy's house anyday!

  • the barcode reader ordering the groceries bit? Seems like somebody was telling me about that 2 or 3 years ago as the "Next Big Thing"(tm)
  • Icepick.com system information compiled at: 19:22:15 hrs.
    Info updated every 3 minutes.
    Free disk space: 452,100,096 bytes.
    Last server reboot: 17:21:28, (25-Jan-1999) .
    Toiletflush: 19:15:40, (27-Jan-1999) .
    Fridge opened: 06:50:56, (27-Jan-1999) .
    Doorbell: 07:01:53, (27-Jan-1999) .
    Phonecall: 19:16:45, (27-Jan-1999) .
    Last Barcode: - a teabag 07:05:44 (27-Jan-1999) .
    Winamp song playing: No music playing at the moment
    Comments: None

    Sort of interesting, server was rebooted on the 25th. I'd guess it'll go down sometime today as well for a reboot, seeing as it's a Windows box that is actually doing something... (I've had a Win95 box running for over a month straight, but this was on a 486SX, serving webpages at the rate of one per decade).

  • *snore* (Score:1)

    by tgd ( 2822 )
    I'm not too impressed. Windows 95? Sheesh... run Linux. I've got my linux router/automation server set up to handle my voicemail using vgetty. I can punch in a code and turn on or off most of the lights and major appliances in my apartment, set my thermostats back, program away cycles for my lights, as well as check my voicemail. Enter another code and it will hang up and dial my house network up to the Internet (no high speed access around here unfortunately) and then page me with its IP-address. It'll even let me turn on any of the other PC's on the network in case I need a file off one of them and I'm not at home.

    Of course all of that can be done through the web server as well, with the added ability to read received faxes and listen to the voice messages online. Lets see Winblows do all that. For free. :)

  • Actually, (Score:1)

    by tgd ( 2822 )
    I have one Winblows machine in my house -- its one of the ones that the Linux system can turn on. I use it for only one thing, music production. Linux is a tad weak when it comes to music production software, that I've found. If your Microsoft phone works for you, that's all fine and dandy. It costs a bundle. It relies on Windows (and as such isn't reliable...) You have no control over how it does what it does. Hopefully you'll get a lot of use out of it, Microsoft's consumer hardware isn't bad, their joysticks are nice and I use their mice exclusively. But I have to replace them once or twice a year. Hopefully your phone will have better reliability.

    Gotta remember something though, most of this kind of stuff is just plain stupid -- particularly that house. What's the point if all you're doing is plugging in someone else's closed-box system, plugging in an expensive piece of hardware, and turning it all on? None of those features are very useful IMHO, and you get nothing personally out of it.

    I set my stuff up because I could. I use the Internet access once in a while when I forget files at home, and I fairly frequently wonder during the day if I turned off the coffee pot and being able to turn it off from remote is kinda useful.

    Oughta make ya proud being able to put "Microsoft Inside" on your house... lmao
  • More old news. I read about this half a year ago, and the guy is still a freak.
    -mickey
  • Good idea. Then when crackers break into your web page, they control your house as well. ;-)
    --
    Aaron Gaudio
    "The fool finds ignorance all around him.
  • the bar code reader created a shopping list and then orderd grocherys for ya automaticly ... 2 hours later a guy shows up with your food and ya pay him... neat....
  • Nonsense -- this sort of project is valuable for several reasons; the important one to me is inspiration for more useful projects. It would be
    extremely useful for me to know which roommate uses how much water, electric, etc., which one eats my food, and who's at the door before I go answer it (some people can just wait). There are practical applications here waiting to be extracted and OSSed
  • That's quite funny. Very good indeed.
  • I've got scripts running that broadcast my desktop screenshots to the internet and more that show my gqmpeg playlist, but isn't a fridge opening, toilet flush and such abit overdoing it?

    Frankly I'm suprised this guy doesn't keep track of the amount going through his toilet.

    - MbM
  • I like the idea, but I would just be happy with being able to actually solder that RS232 port to my blender and ice machine so I can run cron jobs to keep my margaritas flowin properly.
  • Too bad he wrote it in Visual Basic. The idea of tracking barcodes in the trashcan is pretty cool. Make your own shopping lists and stuff.
  • where's the page that shows how many chicks dumped him?
  • .. Of course you may remember a house which reesponded to and acted on commands from an outside force.

    We all remember the Amityville Horror don't we? :)

    Puhleeze.. the day I wire my doorbell to the net not to mention exposing my privacy online 24-7? No I don't think so.

    (Give him points for the concept.. but continuing it? nah. )

    ~Grell

    Error reading left brain. (A)bort, (R)etry,(F)rolic?
  • A couple of mikes, placed in strategic spots around a
    (house|room|studio), and connected to a cheap linux box,
    could be a good way to duplicate the voice UI from Star
    Trek. "Computer, lights!"

    Is there any GPL'ed voice recognition software out there?

  • He wants to save his code for possible commercial uses. Imagine if your company monitored the break-room fridge. And he's obviously not an OSS advocate, so maybe we should all boycott his house. Or something.
  • You must not have a lot to do where you live. I'd rather go out and do something a little more entertaining then shopping for food. (Not that I think connecting your trashcan to the net is normal, mind you.)
  • he runs all the data collection of a 95 box btw.
  • I must agree with this post. When Chistopher Cockerell invented the first hovercraft in 1957 I'm sure people thought that a guy connecting bean tins to his vacuum cleaner was pretty weird, but now hovercraft are pretty cool. All new technologies are discovered by people trying things that 'pointless' - I bet not many people banged rocks together until they found out you could make fire.....
  • You have to wonder about the picture of someone bending over in front of the doorbell...

  • Ooooh (Score:1)

    by joedoe ( 12577 )

    Isn't Visual Basic useful??
    Soooo many applications.../P.

    :-)

    joedoe

  • All you have to do is match up the product UPC with an ID number on NetGrocer (www.netgrocer.com). Your computer can then automatically order the items over the Internet.

    Of course, you'd probably have it save up a list of items and send out an order at a specific time of the week. Then you could modify the list as needed. You'd also know when to expect the package. Also, when you used a box of cereal, instead of replacing that exact brand, you might program it to select randomly from a list of cereals, or other breakfast food. (On NetGrocer you can only get non-perishable items.)

    Whatever the software to let you order groceries, it had better be open source!
  • Well, think on... Now you know what those little stickers "Designed for Microsoft Windows 9x" are meant for! Stick'em on your garbage can, toilet seat, hand gun, ...
  • In every group, there will always be those people who go to the extremes. There are just some things
    that the internet just isn't good for. This is one of those clear examples. Come on guys, we have something that no generation before has had, lets not act like fools with it :)
  • I like the barcode scanner, but if you were going to apply this setup to a retail kit of some kind I think having the lookup for the UPC local is a waste of rescoures. I was actually thinking that the scanner saves the UPCs and then encrypts them using a combo or PGP and acustomer entered PIN, send it SMTP and let the lookup happen on the grocers end not the client. Also the app would be simple and easy to port.

    If vegitarians eat Vegitables what do humanitarians eat?
  • Not to deviate from the subject *too*
    much, but isn't the net about erasing
    political borders?
  • Is there such a thing as
    overinformation? this
    guy seems to take the possibilities
    too far. feel free to disagree with
    me, but duration of the doorbell-
    ringing? a tad bit excessive for me.
  • Its being worked on in the US. The problem is the price of the barcode scanner. That will make it take longer to get into the hands of the consumer, but it will speed up the delevery process.

    For more info (nothing on barcode readers yet), check out www.netran.com [netran.com].
  • ..What do you do when you have toilet problems now? Do you need to call the "Tidy Bowl Man" for support?
    ..So you got the toilet hooked up eh? So just how long does it take for a "download" these days?

    Quick Thinking: What would you do if the wires fell into the toilet while you were letting one off? That would have quite a "shocking" "outcome".

    ..A quick question from the old lady here.... She wants to know if the toilet hook up reminds us guys to put the lid down when they are done.
  • hmmm so since he uses Windows for everything and connected it to the Toilet, does that make it a Microsoft Toilet?

    Now that's a Microsoft product I'd buy! Something I can literally shit on everyday. :)


    ---
    gr0k - he got juju eyeballs - http://www.juju.org [juju.org]

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