Marmitek, specialists in the field of X-10 home automation, has introduced the CM15Pro computer interface, which along with the supplied ActiveHomePro software enables you to control and operate affordable home automation on your computer.

Marmitek brings comfort and safety to your home in an innovative manner, using the very latest techniques in the field of multimedia, video surveillance, home automation and security:

Once your settings are programmed in your computer, you can save them in the memory of the CM15Pro and it can be turned off:

• Your lighting and appliances are easily switched on and off with the CM15Pro and appropriate receivers.

The choice of settings is limited only by your imagination – random switching of your lighting, create a home movie theatre, control your exterior lighting, or have your coffee ready when you wake.
 
Using macros you can programme your preferred environment e.g. the main lighting in the living room only switches on when someone enters the room, its dark outside and the atmospheric lighting is off.
 
Furthermore the CM15Pro has more extended programming possibilities and a memory for about 1400 macros/timers, with which you can expand your home automation almost without limitation.

• The mutual compatibility of Marmitek products is one of the main benefits, allowing you to construct your own ideal system, adding the latest user options at any time in the future.

The recommended retail price for the pioneering CM15Pro (Computer module + ActiveHomePro Software) is £59.95 incl. VAT.

Web: http:// www.marmitek.com
 

Neighbourhood Watch, which exists to promote and support the voluntary work of 170,000 Neighbourhood Watch groups, has launched an online shop offering discounts on a range of household security products.

The aim is to provide affordable home security solutions, bringing peace of mind and protection to UK property-owners.

The number of break-ins in Britain is nowhere as high as it was a decade ago; even so, a home is burgled every two minutes, according to the latest recorded crime statistics and burglaries can cost a home around £1000 in stolen goods and damages.

Neighbourhood Watch has teamed up with Scottish and Southern Energy to offer discounts on the very latest monitored wireless alarm system to registered Neighbourhood Watch members:

• The home security system is connected to an advanced monitoring service to alert you the moment there is a problem at home.
• If an intruder, panic alert, or fire activates the alarm, your nominated contacts will be notified within seconds by phone, text and email.
• The hardware for this home security system is supplied free of charge and available on a two-year plan, at a special discounted monthly charge of £14.99 (that’s just 49p a day).

Also on offer online are discounted home personal security products from Helix, including personal attack alarms, security boxes and DIY household security devices.

Web:  http://www.neighbourhoodwatch.net/

Tel: (0800) 1979720 quoting NW1

A neat, easy to use, one-stop route to a smart home is demonstrated on the Morban and Cytech stand at The Smart Home Show at the National Exhibition Centre, from 10th-13th April, 2008.

Cytech Europe, UK distributor of Comfort Intelligent Home System and its system integrator Morban Intelligent Living, combine to provide demonstrations for householders and developers that explain how an integrated home control system links voice prompted security, with all aspects of smart home technology in one simple system.

Intelligent control of equipment within the home helps cut the amount of energy used by heating, lighting, TV and audio, domestic appliances and may help reduce escalating energy bills.

Morban provide a single solution that can include whole house lighting and mood lighting design and control, audio/visual control with HD distribution, the use of a media server providing music and movies throughout the house, zone heating display and control, communications and home security.

Remote operation of the intelligent home systems can be by mobile phone, text message or remote computer.

Cytech’s Comfort system provides an integrated Intruder Alarm/Home Automation system with an interactive voice menu, dialler to eight different numbers and an answering machine; the Comfort door station rings the home phones or calls a mobile if no one is home.

The Comfort system can also answer the phone and when programmed, dial out to a care worker in case of emergency.

Web: http://www.morban.co.uk

Tel: (0870) 141 7042

AlertMe the provider of people-friendly home security, launched the AlertMe intelligent home security and monitoring system as promised on 28th January.

This new system lowers the cost of home security and provides peace of mind and positive reassurance for homeowners, wishing to protect their homes and possessions, by mobile phone and the Internet.

AlertMe allows people to take proactive steps to secure their homes - often their greatest asset and investment - and an aspect of home protection that is often overlooked.

Cambridge U.K., Feb 19th 2008 – The AlertMe Company announced that their broadband home monitoring and security service is the first security system, to obtain the coveted product certification by the ZigBee Alliance.

“AlertMe is about people-friendly technology, which is easy to install even for non-technical users” said AlertMe CTO Paul Fellows.” “We’re delighted to have achieved certification as ZigBee is the perfect fit for our application - it gives us an open, standards-based and future-proof platform.”

We are now working with other ZigBee companies - and others to extend our platform and offer new services.”

AlertMe is an Internet-based service, which communicates with an in-home ZigBee network; each system incorporates a ZigBee Coordinator and twelve ZigBee Routers and End Devices installed around the home.

AlertMe is now available in the UK priced at £399. See our previous two articles for more information.

Web: http://www.alertme.com

Tel: (0845) 200 2873

BT, the UK’s largest supplier of Broadband Internet access, has been working with Intamac Systems the Internet monitoring and control specialist, to show the additional benefits of broadband.

Together they developed BT Homesafe, an innovative new IP wireless alarm system with CCTV capability for easy home installation.

The system provides people and their property with new levels of protection using broadband connectivity and at much lower cost than with conventional alarm systems.

Using Intamac technology, the BT Homesafe system:

• Can be managed over the web or a mobile phone and when activated is able to send personal alerts by text, email and phone messages.
• Homeowners can programme their system remotely via the easy-to-use secure Web portal and enable the system to automatically provide alerts, including informing them when their children are safe home from school, or to monitor elderly relatives in their own homes.
• Increase your personal safety –the panic alarm facility automatically messages all of your contacts if you feel vulnerable, without making your presence known by making a phone call.
• Accessories (up to 20) can monitor for fire, power failure and flooding and the system has a CCTV option, which allows individuals to view their property from anywhere in the world with low cost IP cameras that store pictures online.

You will need: Broadband Internet Connection (any provider), Telephone Line, Broadband Router with an available Ethernet port.

Retail price is £220 plus monitoring service £5 per month.

Web: http://www.bthomesafe.com

Tel: (0870) 111 7234

Loc8tor Ltd a dynamic UK based company, has produced a revolutionary invention, The Loc8tor – which is the first product of its type using miniaturised tags to keep track of everyday items that can be easily mislaid:

Never again will you have the anxiety of mislaying your keys, wallet / purse, mobile, or even your wandering child.

Never again be late for a meeting as you search for your briefcase, laptop or even your car that you were sure you parked on the third floor.

Loc8tor has two modes:

Locate - lets you find any tagged item up to a range of 600 feet (180 metres) using directional, audio, visual and vibration technology, guiding you to within 1 inch (2.5cms) of your lost item.

Alert - prevents things from getting lost in the first place: when a tagged item moves out of your pre-set “safety zone”, Loc8tor informs you immediately, what’s missing and directs you to where it’s gone.

There are two models in the range; both are completely portable, lightweight and easy to use, with tags similar to a postage stamp in size:
The Loc8tor comes with two homing tags and helps you find mislaid items. Priced at £59.99.

The Loc8tor Plus includes Locate and Alert modes, three homing tags and a panic tag that can be worn by a child, a dependent or pet.
Priced at £99.99.

For businesses an upgrade is available enabling the Loc8tor to be used as an Asset Protection device, so that staff are warned if an attempt is made to remove items from the premises.

Loc8tor is ideal for use at home or out and about and prevents that all too familiar feeling of frustration we all suffer from.

Web: http://www.loc8tor.co.uk

Tel: (0870) 111 7777

The latest criminal trend now common in the UK involves thieves overcoming your home security by ‘lock bumping’, without leaving any trace of access having been forced.

There are 22 million homes in the UK, which typically have three locks; of those, 65% are Yale type rim locks, which are at risk from ‘cylinder bumping’ or ‘lock bumping’.

Just nine easily obtained bump keys will open almost any cylinder lock in the UK and they are available legally as they are used by locksmiths.

You come home to find your door open and valuable possessions missing: When the police arrive they are unable to help, as there is no sign of a break in – you may have left your door open/unlocked.

If your house is burgled by this means it is unlikely that your insurers will approve a claim, again due to lack of evidence of forced entry.

If only cylinder locks secure your PVC doors, garage and other doors, then you need to take action; however, doors fitted with mortise locks, are not at risk.

A unique product to prevent this crime is now available, called Pickbuster ™ - a shock absorber for cylinder locks; the solution is squirted into your locks and secures them against lock bumping.

Pickbuster’s 5 Lock DIY Home Pack is ideal for the individual home, to protect all your locks: front and back doors, patio door, conservatory door, garage door and caravan door; the handy size bottle has been ergonomically designed to make it easy to use.

Available online, or at retailers priced at £19.99.

Web: http://www.pickbuster.co.uk/index.html

Tel: (0161) 763 5290

AlertMe is an intelligent home security and monitoring service that connects directly to you; it uses your broadband and smart sensors around your home to put you in control. (See our previous article)

This wireless alarm system alerts you to any incident and enables you to check it out or respond to a problem, via your mobile phone or the Internet.Your key fobs, sensors etc.enable you to securely talk to the Hub controller wirelessly using Zigbee technology.

The Hub keeps an eye on the home and communicates any activation to you.It also forwards encrypted information over the broadband line and the mobile phone network to the AlertMe servers.The servers then respond appropriately: either immediately forwarding an alert to your contacts, or keeping activity notes for you to view on your private AlertMe web pages.

If there is a problem, you and your chosen friends, family, and neighbours will then receive informative text messages.The nearest contact can then act to safely verify the problem; if it is a simple mistake, they can give the all clear, preventing the emergency services being troubled with a false alarm, or if a problem is confirmed, the police or fire service can be called.

AlertMe is affordable, friendly technology for everyone; it puts you in control, not someone in a distant call centre; easily personalized to suit your lifestyle and no expensive service technician required.

The Kit - Hub, 2 Alarm Detectors, 3 Door/Window Sensors, 2 Motion Sensors, 1 Panic Button, 3 Key Fobs and the Lamp/Status Indicator.

Web: http://www.alertme.com

Tel: (0845) 200 2873

Founded in 2006 and based in Cambridge, AlertMe.com the provider of people-friendly home security, is launching an intelligent way for people to directly protect, control and keep a close eye on their homes, wherever they may be, by mobile phone and the Internet.

AlertMe is an intuitive home monitoring system that can easily be set up within an hour, without the need for tools, drilling, wiring or waiting for servicemen to turn up.

People are then in complete control of their home security; they can personalise this wireless Alarm for their own concerns and to suit their lifestyle, whether they need to accommodate pets and visiting guests or a cleaner.

The direct alerting system, via text message, email or phone call, means people are no longer at the mercy of alarm call centres, or the fear that strangers in the street will ignore their noisy siren.

Friends, neighbours and family can be immediately alerted about incidents such as break-ins or fires and can take immediate action, which means people can avoid false alarms, as well as the resulting penalties and blacklisting by the police.

AlertMe offers security services and more, allowing people to further personalise it to fit with their lifestyle. It can inform them about normal activity, enabling them to check their home is OK while on holiday, or that children are home safely etc.

AlertMe will be available from January 2008 and is priced at £399 for the comprehensive kit in our picture, plus £10 per month for the service; this includes 24/7 monitoring, alerts, mobile SIM card for backup communications, automatic software updates, battery replacement alerts and customer support.

Web: http://www.alertme.com

Tel: (0845) 200 2873

If you are interested in increasing the value of your current home, saving up to 30% on a new home, or simply looking for ideas to get you started, a visit to The Homebuilding & Renovating Show is a must.

The event takes place over two days at the Newbury Showground on 23 and 24 June and there are lots of good reasons to encourage you to visit:

Over 120 exhibitors will attend, providing a real opportuiity to gain expert advice and view all the best products, innovations and the latest services.

Finding a suitable plot of land or a suitable renovation project is usually the first hurdle; so you can consult with Plotfinder and Plotsearch both of whom have databases with thousands of plots and projects for sale.

Smart Homes are becoming more popular as people are now installing state of the art technology to make their living environment as labour-free and safe as possible; therefore home automation will be well represented with systems on show from hi-tech sound to advanced security.

For those keen to get their hands dirty and save more money, there will be a number of useful and interesting demonstrations from exhibitors, including the latest in internal walling systems, paving and home security.

Tickets are £5 in advance or £8 on the door.

For more information and tickets, visit:

Web: http://www.homebuildingshow.co.uk
Tel: (0870) 906 2002.