Introducing Home: On

We’re thrilled to announce the start of a new podcast at The Digital Media Zone, Home: On—a show focused on home control and automation topics for the enthusiast and do-it-yourself communities. Over the past few years, we’ve started covering home control topics and devices more on this site and on our other shows. This is an area that’s (finally) growing significantly with products like the Nest thermostat and Philips’ Hue lighting system finding their way onto shelves at local big box and electronics retailers.

Once relegated to the extremes of bargain-basement X10 devices, tech enthusiasts who wanted to experiment with home automation didn’t have much choice if they didn’t want to spend a fortune on high-end control systems. But that’s all changed now, and manufacturers of common devices for the home like dimmers, thermostats, and locks are starting to offer connected devices that can be integrated into any smart home system or controlled by their own apps.

Every other week, we’ll run through industry news, take a closer look at interesting products, share project ideas, or present topics for information and education purposes. I’ll be joined by a rotation of co-hosts and guests from the industry, including consumers, industry experts, and executives from companies offering smart products of their own.

This is a topic we’re passionate about at the DMZ, and we hope you’ll share our interest and enthusiasm with each new episode. And of course, we’d like to hear from you. If you’re a home automation system owner, installer, product manufacturer, or even just a DIY home control hobbyist, let us know! We’d love to talk with you about your involvement in this space and hear your ideas about how we can grow and improve the show over time.

Home: On is a semi-weekly show, and each episode will be about 30 minutes long. In our first few episodes, we talk about some of the news out of Lightfair—a trade show for the lighting industry where connected devices were front and center; we look at the protocols that smart devices use to communicate with each other and talk with a company that’s trying to bridge those protocols so you can integrate virtually any device into your home; we take a close look at some of the latest Nest thermostat updates; and we walk through a home automation project for your bathroom. And that’s just the start! Episode one deputs on June 3, so check back at The Digital Media Zone and in iTunes, the Zune Marketplace, or Stitcher Radio in just a few weeks for Home: On.

6/3 Update: Looking for the show? It’s right here!