YWGAV

Back when I was ordering my security system from FrontPoint Security (Which utilizes Alarm.com), I knew that it was capable of X10 control of your lights. At the time, though, I didn’t really think much of it. You see – I stopped using X10 a few weeks ago when I upgraded all of my home automation components to Insteon. Thus, while I thought it was cool that the alarm system was capable of performing X10 control – I just didn’t see it as very useful.

A few months ago (and by few months I mean more than 3) I heard about a little gem of a website called Mint.com. At the time I heard about it, Mint was just entering it’s public beta period and so only offered a small amount of real usability and functionality. It took me an inordinate amount of time to do some of the most basic functionality and sometimes things would break for no reason.

I still gave it a shot, understanding it was a beta and those things are almost unavoidable. I also figured it would be something that would get better (and more usable) with time.

I apparently was correct.

Friday was a big day for me: my new home security system from FrontPoint Security Solutions arrived. All of the equipment came pre-configured, so all I had to do was take it out of the box and mount it in the areas I wanted coverage. They claimed that most installs took 20-30 minutes for the average user and I was anxious to put that number to the test.

I was quite happy to note that, about 20 minutes later when I finished installing the hardware, they were correct – it really is that easy and fast. Think about that for a minute: It took me 25 MINUTES to install my own home security system.

In my last post I questioned whether or not I should get a professionally installed home security system or whether I should buy my own equipment and do a homebrew security system monitored by a central station. I came to find some unfavorable reviews of that particular central station online (such as difficulty in reaching them via phone, delays in dispatching police or fire, etc).

Still, though, I was unimpressed with what companies like ADT, Brinks, et al had to offer. ADT had mixed reviews online – some people had no problems, others had a lot of problems. Brinks got good reviews for customer service and reliability (so, if you want a generic run of the mill security system, by all means look at Brinks) and even came recommended as reliable by a family friend who uses them.

As a relatively new homeowner, I’ve had to consider things I had never really thought about before. For instance, what colors I want decorating the guest bathroom, how best to clean a deck ( hot water, OxyClean and dawn soap), etc. On that long list of things “John totally didn’t even consider when he was buying a house” was home security. That’s somewhat ironic, given that my profession is security (though not directly of the physical sort), but true.

I wrote last week about the new home automation gear I’m installing in my new house – remote controllable light switches, a programmable and remote controllable thermostat, etc. Most of the new gear came in this weekend (they actually did a Saturday delivery – awesome!) and I got time to play with a little bit of it.

A while back I wrote about Home Automation, and how I was using it at my then residence to control a few lamps. While that was all good and fun, it still left a lot to be desired. I was really itching to do a more robust automation system, but due to circumstances (not owning the house), I really couldn’t make it all i wanted.

That all changed two weeks ago when I bought my first house. This nice long holiday weekend provided a perfect opportunity for me to start working on my home automation system. My good friend Jason gave me a handful of X10 capable standard toggle switches and toggle dimmer switches to get me started. When mixed with the wall-wart dimmers and relays that I used in my previous setup they provide a rather robust system.

I’ve been on Twitter for a while now, but had not found myself using it that often until recently, when the company I work for gave me a Blackberry and I discovered the Twitterberry app. Then, not a week and a half later, my friend Jason (who just recently signed up for Twitter) asks me [...]

The fine folks over at Gizmodo are reporting that AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega has strongly hinted that a 3G iPhone will be available within a few months. That would dovetail nicely with reports that the stock of iPhones available in Apple Retail Stores is dwindling, and AT&T seems to be unloading a [...]

Last week Apple released Safari 3.1 – an update to it’s (IMO) great browser. When they released it, though, waves of outrage started making their way through the blogosphere. Why? Because Apple chose to release Safari 3.1 for Windows via it’s Apple Software Update tool, and had it listed even for people who didn’t have [...]