The steady stream of useful INSTEON modules continues to flow out of Smarthome. And although I haven't had a chance to try some of their latest, it's great to see the momentum grow. A missing piece has been wireless window/door sensors, and now the TriggerLinc is shipping, which fills that gap.

I was slow to add these kind of sensors to my X10-based automation because they required a different receiver. But when I finally bit the bullet and deployed them, they made a huge difference in the responsiveness and sophistication of my system. They're much better than motion detectors (faster and more reliable) and they have energy-saving implications too. For example, when your a/c turns on, have the system check to see if all the windows are closed. Simple and effective.