|
INTERACTIVE TV RESEARCH - UITV.INFO
|
|
UITV.INFO >
papers > spinellis02
Diomidis Spinellis (2002).
The Information Furnace: User-friendly Home Control.
Proceedings of the 3rd International System Administration and Networking Conference {SANE 2002} pp.145--174.
http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/pubs/conf/2002-SANE-iFurnace/html/ifurnace.html
Abstract
The Information Furnace is a basement-installed PC-type device that integrates existing consumer home-control, infotainment, security, and communication technologies to transparently provide user-friendly access and value-added services. A modern home contains a large number of sophisticated devices and technologies. Access to these devices is currently provided through a wide variety of disparate interfaces. As a result, end-users face a bewildering array of confusing user-interfaces, access modes, and affordances. In addition, as most devices function in isolation, important opportunities to exploit synergies between their functionalities are lost. The information furnace distributes data, provides services, and controls an apartment's digital devices. Emphasis is placed on user-friendliness and on exploiting the synergies that inevitably come up when these technologies and services are housed under a single roof. The prototype implementation I outline integrates on a FreeBSD server the distribution of MP3-encoded music to DNARD/NetBSD thin clients, an answering machine, a burglar alarm, an Internet router, a fax server, a backup server, and intelligent control of a PBX.
About UITV.INFO | Editorial team | Questions and Answers | Contact | Privacy Policy | Help
Copyright
© 2002-2008 UITV.INFO. All rights are reserved by UITV.INFO or the respective Publishers and Authors.
Reproduction of material from UITV.INFO without permission is strictly prohibited.