Owen's X10 Blog

My Grandfather lives on the water near Seattle, in a place called Three Tree Point. It is quite a view to stand on his lawn and see Puget Sound. Over the years the family has received many emails from him with pictures of something amazing out in front of his house. I think the most recent picture I recall was of a wayward parrot that took refuge in a large tree on his property. It stayed for quite a while if I remember correctly. These pictures are always a surprise and typically a fun thing to receive.

Yeah what does this have to do with anything you ask? Well our new product, the X10 Sentinel, would be a vast improvement in his current setup. This camera can be mounted outdoors. Next time a seal crawls onto his deck he can zoom right up close to it; the camera has an amazing 22x Optical Zoom. He could even kick it up a notch and use the 2x Digital Zoom to get even closer. Oh yeah, did I mention he can do all of this from the comfort of his couch - without even going outside. I can just imagine getting an email with a close up still frame shot, with a link to live to view the spectacle over the internet, The Three Tree Point Webcam. And I’m sure he would also use it to analyze his own golf swing once he is done hitting a bucket of balls into the ocean every morning. It would also be a great way for his kids to check in on him… or for him to remind them his lawn needs mowing. Oh yeah, and he could use it for its original use – security.

So where can you get one of these cameras for yourself, or your grandpa? Well we have designed a new site – http://www.x10sentinel.com . This camera really has too many features to list in my blog so just give it a peek.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

June in Washington is starting to feel more like June in California. My body isn’t going through as big of a shock as many that I know are. My schooling at WSU, in Pullman Wa, gave me many chances to experience extreme temperatures. I stayed for a summer to finish a Calculus Course and saw just how hot it can get. I think it was over 100 degrees for about two straight weeks. The heat is quite a bit dryer in that part of the state, but anything above 105 degrees gets pretty scorching.

I was browsing our X10 Blogs and I noticed that Tony put a post about the weather as well. He is far more adept to all that X10 can control, but I too have an X10 on my fan. It’s a cheap Wal-Mart fan, but it doesn’t feel so cheap when I can click a button across the house to cool down my room before I dare walk upstairs. My apartment is very much like a hot air balloon. Heat rises, and well the top of our stairs is often unbearable.

I also noticed Marko’s new blog post. He posted a Google Calendar featuring important dates in the SEO world. That’s search engine optimization to the non Web Producer. You might not be that interested in SEO events, but take a closer look at Google calendars when you get the chance. These calendars can be posted online, shared with friends and families. They are great for groups of people to keep track of events. Maybe my mom can get rid of the seventeen paper calendars she has strewn around her house, and I can finally keep track of everyone’s birthdays.

It’s about time for me to trek down the I-5 desert. Wish me luck.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here it comes again…

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. A favorite comedian of mine, Jim Gaffigan, has a funny line about our national holiday. He says something to the affect that he needs to have at least a hotdog, bratwurst, and a steak if he is going to be blowing anything up. I used to enjoy lighting fireworks a lot when I was younger. My neighborhood is in a part of the county where we are still allowed. Now I’m more interested in being with friends and family in the sunshine. Maybe this year I’ll have a BBQ. It would be a perfect time to use my Lola. I could broadcast a whole patriotic party mix from my laptop upstairs to my stereo on the patio. Well, maybe not patriotic music – but something loud. I was going to use my minitimer again for some homebrewed beer, but I don’t have enough time for the beer to be ready. Too bad, I was going to try to keg it for the first time.

Anyway we are working on a new site – featuring a new product at X10. Keep your ears and eyes open… I’m sure Marko will tell you before I do.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks to my personal trainer, my X10 Home Automation Equipment has become more convenient than ever. Why? Well on Sunday he decided it would be a good day to get started on turning my legs back into something resembling muscle. I used to play Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, and Golf…now I click a mouse. Being young afforded me a lot of time to pursue sports and compete on recreational teams. I’m still young, but I have bills to pay and IRA funds to grow. So since I’ve left school my time for sports has grown smaller and smaller. With all of that being said – my legs are sore! I’ve been used to the soreness from working out since I’ve been a fan of the gym since high school. I never focused very much on legs. Squats, lunges, and the leg press have left my poor legs quite tender. I’m walking like I have little interaction with them. That’s why it’s nice when I get home that I don’t have to run all over my house. If I want the music on my computer to come on I grab my Lola remote and it’s instantly on my TV screen. When its time for bed instead of going to every light switch in the house I grab my remote and watch them turn off. The all lights off feature is pretty nice. As soon as I get ActiveHome I’ll never have to leave my computer chair again………….yikes scary thought.

If only X10 made some sort of module that I could place on the workout machines to make the resistance less, or to make my trainer disappear when I’m ready to quit. No pain, no gain though……right?

Posted by Owen Robinson at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fathers Day is this Sunday. Makes you think about your old man doesn’t it? Well what can I tell you about my dad? He is a great guy. He has always been a pretty popular man. I can remember being about 9 years old and taking a trip out into Federal Way. It seemed like every place we stopped, at least two people would stop him because they knew him or knew of him. I’m serious. It was rare to rent a movie at Movies and More without him seeing 6 people that wanted to chat. This is back in the day when he still worked for the Federal Way News. Yeah he is a writer. So is my brother, my uncle, his brother, my other uncle, and his brother. Oh yeah, and their father as well. As you can imagine when they all get together there is rarely an awkward silent moment. I write, a little, but its more about putting chords and keys together to make sounds in my life.

So he currently works for the United Way. Basically, if I’ve got it right, he talks to rich old guys all day helping them figure out where they might like to see their wealth spread out. He has started to pick up his passion for woodworking in the past few years as his children have grown older and moved out…hooray! He actually made me a pretty cool little shelf for my digital camera the other day. When I was 10 my mom won me 100 bucks from the radio because they were playing the name game and my name happened to come up – seems like it was my middle name though. I never saw the cash of course; my dad went out and bought me my first Nintendo with it. I was a little mad at first because I had plans to buy a years supply of chocolate milk – but the Nintendo was my second choice. The funny thing is how we kept catching him in the basement with tired eyes playing Tetris in the dark. He’s upgraded his Tetris to his laptop, but I still catch him playing.

So what do we like to do together? We both like to golf – but I’ll speak for the both of us when I say its more about being outside than trying to hit that damn ball. He loves to fish, and my interest in it is growing as well. There are not many things I can think of that are better in this world then standing knee deep in a Washington river. Leave the cell phone in the car, and the ipod on its dock. Let the wind play the old song you forget to listen to most days. He has always been supportive of my music aspirations, like I’ve said my parents are my biggest fans. They bought me my first electric guitar at an auction when I was 14. I’m not sure I have ever been as excited as I was that night, honestly. The electric guitar is like my megaphone that lets me get past my mumbly voice to say loud and clear what’s on my mind- An instant friend.

I’ll give you one more story. I think I was probably 7, so that would make my sister 9. My dad called us out to help him pick up the yard. He called us over to an old damp pile of shingles from an old roof. I’m sure he was giggling on the inside as we started to pull them up finding dollar bills under each one. Well I’m not sure my sister caught on, or maybe I just wanted it more, so I started pulling up shingles like a madman. Fifteen dollars later I was ready go buy all the basketball cards I could. My sister held her 5 dollars and was pretty content, but my dad made me even it out- 10 bucks a piece. I’m sure I squabbled for a bit but fair is fair.

I love and admire my father.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marko’s recent rant on American sports got me to thinking. No, not a direct response to his words but something I think about often- Seattle and Sports. I like to call it the Kendall Gill condition. I’m sure this happens in other cities or specifically to other stars but it sure seems to happen a lot. Kendall Gill was a moderate star in the NBA back in the 90’s. He was a decent shooter, great slasher, and strong finisher. Gill was a very good athlete. He came to Seattle in the early-mid nineties right around the peak of his career. After a short while with the Sonics his play began to suffer. He announced he was diagnosed with clinical depression. He never rebounded and was traded. A few years later he returned to playing good basketball, scoring 21 a game. So yeah once instance? Need I mention everyone’s favorite, Vin Baker?

Well the reason I’ve been thinking about it lately is because of the Mariners. I love the guy, but what has happened to Adrian Beltre? He came off of his best year in MLB hitting 48 home runs for LA by hitting 19 for the Mariners. That may be closer to his career average, but man – that’s a big swing. Richie Sexson, our other big bat, isn’t fairing all that well either. He had about 40 homeruns last season, but only 10 to speak of this year. Yes I know that homeruns aren’t the only factor to consider, but their batting averages aren’t much to gawk at either - .231 and .205 respectively.

The trend usually is that we sign these stars, they can’t handle the rain, they move on and return to glory. Shawn Kemp started, and for the most part finished his career in Seattle – so you can’t really count him. It’s only those who come in at their prime. Ray Allen has been the only real exception I’ve seen lately. He can be simply amazing, but until we get a permanent impact player in the middle – he may see his hopes of championships fade. Keep in mind I’m young – so I may not have seen the Dale Ellis’s of the past. I have high hopes for Chris Wilcox if we can keep him. He didn’t really come in from playing great basketball – he was in the shadows up until this point.

So, any ideas? Is it the rain or possibly newly found coffee addictions? I can’t explain it. I should finish by saying that I am hardly a fair-weather fan. I watched the Sonics let another season slip away. I was there the whole time. I still even have a few Mariners on my Yahoo Fantasy team.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At X10 we are always trying to figure out unique ways to simplify our daily lives. I have to say I’m quite pleased with the latest thing our guys have come up with. I blurred out their faces as to protect their identities. I caught them hooking up an ActiveEye Motion Sensor to the traffic signal outside our building. They must have used a lamp module to get the signal to change, but whatever they did it works. It’s been up there for about a week now and I have yet to sit at that light for longer than it takes to slow my car down. I’m telling you it’s the fastest changing light I’ve seen. It sure makes getting to lunch and home a lot speedier. It also makes me wonder what other uses there are for our motion sensor lighting kits. I’m sure I can come up with something cool at my house, so I’ll let you know. Has anyone else come up with any creative ideas for motion sensors?

P.S. Here is that picture I was talking about.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

I had a rather disturbing conversation with my mother the other day. She is getting ready to take a trip with my grandmother, to South Dakota. They will be visiting relatives that my mom hasn’t seen since she was a little girl. This of course isn’t what bothered me. We got to talking about my grandmother. She’s a great woman. I spent last year living next door to her at my uncle’s house. I’d stop by between classes, usually about twice a day. I was her go- to- guy when it came to making sure her computer was up and running so she could email all of her friends across the world. I was also very valuable in resetting alarm clocks and changing light bulbs.

So…my mom tells me that my grandmother has been keeping one of her portable phones on the kitchen floor. This is her safety measure so she can get a hold of someone if she falls. It made my heart sink quite a bit to think of such an occurrence and the solution she has in place. Almost as soon as my mom told me of this, I recalled the Personal Assistance Voice Dialer that we carry at work. It is very much like that “help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” system that most people are familiar with. This one is nice though; there are no monthly fees that my grandma would have to pay. In an emergency she would press her call button on the heart pendant she’d have around her neck. The system would then dial 4 emergency contacts – Julie, Dave, Beth and Becky I’d imagine. Instead of calling a call center it dials your loved ones directly. So I’m buying one for my Grandma ASAP. I’ll get it setup for her so that when she gets back from her trip her old solution can be scrapped for something that really works.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

After a two year hiatus from working out, I joined a gym yesterday. I know what you are thinking, two years is a long time. Well that was the last time I was in Pullman as a student where one of the nicest gyms in the state is included in tuition. I was probably in there at least four or five days a week. So after I transferred to WSU Vancouver for my senior year I was left without such an amenity. The Vancouver campus did have a room with a few treadmills and weight sets but there was no motivation for me to head over to campus and use such a small facility. Yeah that was lazy of me, but it really wasn’t appealing.

Now that I have settled into my job and my new place it is definitely time to get back on track. It is exciting to think about the idea of getting back into shape. It will also be nice to have another outlet of energy since working on graphics and websites all day keeps me glued to a chair. It will also be a good time to make use of my Protector Plus. The gym is only a few miles away so if I have a break in at home the Protector Plus will give me a ring on my cell phone and I can quickly return to asses the situation. I haven’t heard of any other alarm systems that call you directly. I can remember staying at friend’s houses as a kid and setting off their alarm as we snuck around the house at night. After a loud siren and angry parents eventually came a call from the alarm company. The angry parents soon became angrier as they were notified of the false alarm fee their company charged. I know that I couldn’t afford to pay extra money every time I accidentally set off my alarm. Did it just the other day actually. Early in the morning I opened the back door to step out on the patio for some air and boom there goes the siren. It seems that in my morning condition of grogginess I neglected to realize that the backdoor had a door sensor as well. So I cut the siren. That was it…no fines…

Posted by Owen Robinson at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

So Bud Light just isn’t doing it for you anymore? Yeah I know it kinda tastes like fizzy puddle water after a while. What are your options? You could always go down to your local Quick -E- Mart and grab all the beer that you can carry, and taste test until you are asleep on the couch. Or you could try something different, like brewing your own beer. I have been brewing my own for about 6 months now and have to say that my friends and I are quite pleased with the outcome. In 4 weeks time you can have a delicious and carbonated homebrewed beer. I’m sure a lot of people are already aware of home brewing and may have even had a bottle or two. I just thought it would be nice for newbie’s to the whole experience to get a little more information.

Working at X10, I am constantly trying to figure out new ways to use home automation to my benefit. For home brewing I had to go with the MiniTimer. You see during the brewing process there are several timing issues, and they vary depending on your method. Even for the simple two part beer kits you need to pay attention to boiling and cooling times. I’ll let you in on how I use the MiniTimer to brew using the simple two part brewing kits with the addition of finishing hops.

Lately I have been making a very tasty beer. I start with a Cooper’s Hopped Malt Extract Kit of the IPA variety, and a Dark Munton’s Dry Malt Extract. For the finishing hops I have been using Cascade Hops. So from what I’ve learned the most important lesson is to sanitize every piece of your brewing equipment thoroughly before it comes in contact with your product. Avoiding this process can lead to a whole slew of problems, off flavors, nasty beer, and improper process cycles.

So I grab my homebrew kit, which is basically a bucket, glass carboy, and 16 qt. brewing pot. Of course there are extras but you’ll find out when you go buy it! These kits often come with everything you need to brew beer for around $150. The next thing I grab is my MiniTimer and remote chime. I hook up the MiniTimer and plug in the chime. In my pot I pour the initial water and bring it to a boil. Next, I set the MiniTimer to ring the chime at the given intervals for the finishing hops, and to notify when the brewing should end. This means that at the twenty minute time interval the chime rings and I know its time to add just under half the hops. The second ring means I should add the final amount. And the last ring signals that the boil time is over, approximately 30 minutes from the start. The more complex process you choose to use, the more times you will need to have alerts set. You could always set a kitchen timer, watch your clock, and set the timer again each time you need to. This doesn’t make sense to me though because the MiniTimer is priced so reasonably that the benefit is immediate. After the boil is done you need to cool the “wort” (the name of the boiled brew) down in 30 minutes or less. Next, you transfer the beer into your bucket and add your yeast. Yes I am keeping the instructions simple but it really is. In your kit you will have an airlock. This airlock goes on top of your bucket and is filled with a sanitized liquid. The airlock will bubble during the fermentation process and should begin doing so within a day of the initial transfer. After a few days the bubbling will slow and when it gets down to about 2-3 a minute you should transfer the beer into your carboy. It will stay in the carboy until your process has reached 14 days total. Now you boil up your bottling sugar or dry malt in a little water, and pour it into your re-sanitized bucket. Siphon the beer back into the bucket and bottle your beer. Wait two more weeks and you’re home brewed beer is ready. I usually cheat and have one about a week after bottling.

That’s about it, if you have questions feel free – I breezed over a few points but if you are really interested you will get all kinds of great directions from your kit or local brew store employees.
OTR

Posted by Owen Robinson at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (167) | TrackBacks (0)

Jeeze, I complain about not having any books to read and almost instantaneously my family throws books at me. Well ok they didn’t really throw books at me, but both of my sisters had a bone to pick with me. All that attention was just the motivation I needed to get myself out to the bookstore, check that, three bookstores. The first one shouldn’t really count because it was in a mall. Yeah I went to the mall. I had to get shoes – I swear. I think it was one of those Walden Bookstores, but just after passing through the entry way I realized how inadequate those stores are.

So from the mall it was off to borders books. I strolled up to their nifty title search computer interface and quickly found the author I was looking for, Neal Pollack, would have to be ordered. I needed a book now, not 2-3 weeks. So I decided to go with a newer book from Nick Hornby – he typically writes a book that keeps my attention. A few hours after my purchase I ended up at Half Priced books. What a spectrum of bookstores I saw that day. I went from cheesy mall store, to yuppie Starbucks inside store, and finally to a store that also sells dungeons and dragons paraphernalia. It just so happened that my old roommate from freshman year in college worked there. I strolled up to the counter and asked him if he knew of the author I was after. I knew I’d better ask a person since this kind of store would not have any kind of futuristic book locating robot like Borders. He typed the name into some prehistoric Pentium 1 machine and after a few blips and bleeps he concurred that if they were to have the book it would be located in the Fiction section – thanks buddy – I replied sarcastically as I began my journey to the aisle labeled P. To my surprise there on the shelf was a book by none other than Neal Pollack. I grabbed it to the shelf and quickly completed my transaction. How ironic that I could get the book I wanted at a fraction of the price just by heading to the right source.

That is very much the way I think of our new website, www.newtox10.com. Unlike the mall store, and borders, Half Priced Books had a familiar face to it. Similarly, New To X10 is introducing a personal face to the world of home automation. My team is working on taking the site in this direction. Check out the site, and then visit it again a few times in the next couple of weeks – and you’ll see what I mean.

OTR

Posted by Owen Robinson at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Friday is here again. My Lola system should arrive tomorrow. I took advantage of the free shipping by adding a few socket rockets to my order. Those things are probably my favorite pieces of X10’s home automation lineup. They turn just about any of your household lights into automated lighting. Yeah, it can make a person lazy, but think about how convenient it would be to have one button that turns off all of your basement lights. I don’t think I have acquired enough of them to sync the lights in my entire house to whatever song is playing in itunes.

Any big plans for the weekend, you ask. Nah not really – the three day weekend left me with a cold. I camp for one night and that’s what I get. My latest batch of home brewed beer is just about old enough to uncap one and put my feet up. Oh I just had a great idea – I’ll go see X-Men3. The X-Men series seem to be the only superhero movies that I’m impressed with. I’d imagine it’s probably because of the cartoons and toys of them I enjoyed when I was younger. Now if they can figure out how to make a cool G.I. Joe movie, that’ll be something.

Nothing much to say today…next week I’ll tell you all how to incorporate the MiniTimer into your home brewing process!

Have a nice weekend.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I need a new book to read. In the last year or so I finally developed a taste for reading. I owe this fact to my sister, but more importantly to Chuck Palahniuk. You may or may not know but he wrote the book behind the infamous movie Fight Club. A year or two ago my sister handed me the book lullaby. I had a two hour train ride back to school so I figured I would give it a shot. Well let’s just say I was consumed, and the last page turned before the wheels on my train started to slow. I tend to be pretty A.D.D. when it comes to reading, but I was comprehending while moving at quite a pace. I think it has to do with his writing style. Palahniuk often seems less concerned with comma splices and complete sentences than he is with preparing a reader to be thrown off guard. I have since read every major novel that he has written. The only book I was not as thrilled with was his most recent, Haunted. I think there were too many characters, and possibly to little in the way of new environments and settings. That was the basis for much of the books conflict so I can’t complain too much.

So I’ve run out of his novels and really need that hour or so of reading before I sleep to clear my mind. Work has been flowing at an even faster pace than I’ve seen up to this point. We are launching a brand new website, www.NewToX10.com. Marko is putting the finishing touches on our initial effort as I write. He dropped me into the chilly water of coding today and I think I stayed afloat quite well. Today I learned all about the coding behind those sweet order buttons you click to have your Protector Plus sent to you. I worked on Forms, SSI’s, and Anchor Tags for the majority of the day. Produce, Produce, Produce…and then see if it works. I was nearly successful in all my efforts until I overlooked one small issue that Marko had tried to stamp into my brain. You can’t have the same form name twice on one page or the order button won’t have any idea what you want it to do. Right…but it all works now. I do enjoy the puzzle of troubleshooting. I have been troubleshooting Windows 2k for years now. Its fun to fix something that’s problem isn’t staring right at you. It’s not like a flat tire, or a loose hinge.

I’ve considered reading the Da Vinci Code before I see the movie just to understand what all of the fuss is about. The last time I picked up a book to see why people were freaking out about it was when I read Million Little Pieces by James Frye. I saw on the news that Oprah had been duped by this terrible man trying to make a profit. Frye wrote this book about his time spent in rehab. He first told Oprah that it was a memoir, but as soon as his facts were questioned he backed down saying it’s what he remembers. It seems like he was all over the news after that because Oprah had sponsored his book in her book club and now she felt used. I read the book and actually enjoyed it a lot. I have a problem with the fact that everyone was so surprised it wasn’t a memoir. If you read the book you’ll see that the author recalls every day of the ordeal down to the finest details. I have yet to meet someone with such ability, and would doubt someone in such a place recovering from heavy drug and alcohol use would be so capable. I enjoyed the book because the story seemed real, and was well written. Who cares if Oprah got duped? Not me.

Posted by Owen Robinson at 06:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)