We've been hearing about it for years: the home of the future that adjusts to your tastes and can be controlled remotely. A place where every appliance is connected to the local net; where energy is saved and system-wide preferences are adjusted with the touch of a button. This sort of domestic techno concerto may still be a long time coming for those who don't share the last name Gates, but Android is doing its part to bring such control to us mere mortals.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post that contained a brief mention of an Android-powered refrigerator. This sort of musing would be pretty standard fare for the Linux community -- who are accustomed to hearing about operating systems based on the Linux kernel being installed on everything from toasters to toothbrushes (hyperbole, folks) -- had it not been said by Google's Android lead, Mr. Andy Rubin.
And now we have have some more trustworthy bits on the Android-powered home in the form of an article by Elizabeth Woyke over at Forbes.com. She reports that a San Francisco-based company called Touch Revolution is working on a slew of products to be integrated in appliances from major manufacturers and released by the end of the year.
The products fall into three categories: home control, media control, and smart home phones. Implementation includes home security, locks, and lighting; entertainment, such as DVR management; HVAC, and...you get the point. Touch Revolution isn't talking about pricing just yet, or if/how these products can be introduced into pre-existing home systems. Time will tell.
Just in case you're brushing them off as another doomed start-up team with stars in their eyes, I should mention that TouchRev's founder, Mark Hamblin, spent five years at Apple, working on the iPhone and iPod Touch. He was, at one point, a senior product design engineer. I hope this isn't the last time I write about the company.
Be sure to hit up TouchRev's homepage for a video showcasing some of their products, with screens ranging from 4.3 to 10 inches.
