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Look "Smart" with attractive user interfaces from Smart House (3/5/2006)

The user interface for any home automation system is a key feature. With this in mind, Smart House has considered both the aesthetics, and well as ease of use, in designing its smart interfaces. As a consequence Smart House(r) is a particularly attractive home control choice due to the appeal of key components such as the Harmony touch screen and the Harmony Quartz switch collection.

Affordable, stylish and practical, the Harmony touch screen unit allows you to control lights and appliances at your fingertips and to create schedules, events and scenes effortlessly from a central point. The touch screen provides centralised control throughout your home and makes a true design statement in any room within the property.

Information is displayed in both high luminance and high resolution, and thanks to a wide viewing angle, the screen can be viewed from just about any position. With a brushed stainless steel bezel, the screen is a functional yet highly attractive centre-piece to your automated home. Furthermore the touch screen is totally versatile as not only is it suitable for new builds, but also refurbishments and retrofits with existing structured cabling. The availability of a wall mounting kit allows the screen to be installed flush into stud walls or brickwork with an inset of only 60mm.

A perfect complement to the touch screen is the Harmony Quartz collection. Harmony Quartz is a collection of beautiful flush mounted glass switches which can either be used in with or without the touch screen. The Smart House(r) technology allows the Harmony Quartz switch to control any device connected to the Smart House system, such as lighting, automated window dressings and entertainment systems.

Crafted from pure glass with a smooth reflective face, the Quartz switch plates are available in 15 different colours and sit well within both modern and more traditional environments. These fully programmable control units also come with a choice of configuration combinations (2, 4 and 6 gang). LED buttons indicate operation of each switch. Furthermore the switches are exceptionally easy to program.

Further user interface options are available with Smart House(r). The Harmony Media Center range of products allows you to integrate Windows XP Media Centre with your home automation system. The Harmony Media Centre Plug-in enables you to control lighting, CCTV, appliances and much more in your home all from your television via the Media Center Remote Control.

A perfect solution to simplify and combine your media/entertainment and your home control. Dim your lights, switch on the kettle and sit back in front of your favourite movie. Draw back your curtains, fire up the toaster and turn on a little light listening all at the press of a button and all from the comfort of your sofa via your television! Set up time is minimal and the process simple.

Alternatively, with Smart House(r) your home can be controlled from a remote location using Harmony software. Log-in via an IP address, and the Harmony web server enables internet access, allowing you control and monitor your home from anywhere, at anytime. Remote control is also possible through a PDA.

www.SmartHouse.co.uk