Dim the Lights with Z-wave Adapter and Houseport for OS X

It's no secret that each and every one of us would rather sit on our arses doing nothing all, satisfying most of our needs remotely. Now we can, thanks to Wayne-Dalton who has crafted the WDUSB-10MAC, hailed as the world's first Z-Wave-enabled home control system, according to engadget.com.

Just so everyone's on the same level here, Z-Wave is an interoperable wireless communication protocol developed by Danish-based company Zensys and the Z-Wave Alliance. It was originally designed for low-power and low-bandwidth appliances, making it perfect for home automation and sensor networks.

Dalton's feat can enable Mac users to manage their home network, by simply plugging in the USB dongle and installing the Houseport software (bundled). Of course, that's just the final step to controlling "light switches, appliances, electronics, thermostats and other Z-Wave-enabled devices from their computers or through the internet," something possible only on Windows up until this point.

So, here's how you can basically use a Z-wave enabled device such as Dalton's WDUSB-10MAC, for your home automation needs:

- Control lighting remotely (dimming of both incandescent and magnetic lighting)
- Control projection screens drapes and blinds, just like in the movies
- Control or monitor a thermostat from a distance
- Control "scenes", which roughly translates into setting the level of several light switches at the same time
- Garage door opening

The Houseport app comes on a USB stick which docks in a Z-Wave base station, according to cepro.com. Launch automation scenes can be done remotely, as soon as the two pieces are plugged into the computer and installed. You can also gain access to the system via Internet, but you don't necessarily need the computer once the system is up and running.