Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Redshift
There is a fully open source equivalent to f.lux, called RedShift, available in most repositories. So in Debian, for example,
you'd use apt with:
apt-get install redshift
This works in exactly the same way as f.lux, as a userland application accepting a longitude and latitude
parameters and affecting the color of your monitor in the same way (although the specific colors used do vary slightly,
so you might want to experiment with both to see if you get better sleep patterns with one or the other).
Because it doesn't run as a daemon, you should invoke it thus:
redshift -l 51:0 &
If you need to disable it temporarily, then you need to send a USR1 signal:
kill -USR1 1195
Where 1195 is the process ID, naturally, which can be retrieved either by executing:
echo $!
immediately after the
redshift
command, or by searching for it in the process list:
ps ax | grep redshift
Networked Devices
Although X10, Z-Wave, and C-Bus both provide a good means of sending simple controls to simple devices, more
complex communication requires something better. More specifically, it requires something with more bandwidth.
When the command is “play this song,” it needs significantly more bandwidth. The most accessible way of supplying
this is through a local Ethernet network, because it can send commands and data at high speeds without the distance
limitations of USB, RS-232, or parallel cables. And, unlike X10, two-way communication is provided for free as part of
the specification.
Ethernet Devices
There are many devices that support communication through Ethernet, either to control it or to supply it with data.
Some can work on their own without additional hardware, such as personal video recorders (PVRs) and media
enclosures. Both consist of a method of storing the media and the technology for playback. Others require a server
to supply it with data. The functionality of the device, and its use within an automated home, is always improved by
utilizing networked capabilities. This means you will need a server, of some kind, for most future appliances. This
elicits the distinction of two necessary parts—a front end and a back end—connected by a local area network, be it
wired or wireless.
The front end, or head unit, will generally consist of a device connected to a nearby HiFi or TV in order to play
media located on a physically remote machine. Because such a unit is placed in the living room or bedroom, it should
be small, silent, and attractive. Preferably, it should also be fairly cheap, because one front-end unit is needed for
every room in the house that wants to participate in streamed media.
The back end, by contrast, is stored away from the main living areas (since it's generally a big PC with a noisy fan)
but able to supply media streams to all the head units within the house via the network.
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