Home automation is a hobby of mine. I haven't updated my personal website for my home automation but feel free to get some ideas.
http://www.sarceno.com/hal/hal.php
It's not that expensive. First I would recommend is to get yourself a good home automation program. I used HAL (Home automation living) but homesheer is also good. These are web base program that is also design for tablet, smartphone and PDA. SO whatever you can control on the PC you can control it remotely. You will also need to invest on a modem. Yes, modem is not obsolete for home automation. Using special voice grade modem, will allow you to use your cell phone to talk to your home pc.
Once you have a PC and the program then you can start buying your devices. Start with a few X10 ($25) or livingstone ($100) light control switch. Then, using the MIC on you PC, you can command the light to go on or off. You can do the same thing with a browser.
The next step is to put mic's all over your house and connect it to the PC MIC Input. (it's more complex but you got the point) This will make things voice activated for the whole house.
There a lot of things you can do with home automation
1) ONce you have the whole house mic implemented, connect the whole house speaker to the PC speaker output. Then you can do Voice activated to play music on the PC or as a PA system.
2) Change thermostat when you set the security alarm for night or day
3) Write a script that will capture the weather or traffic and play it on the PC as part of your alarm clock.
4) Voice activated TV (I got the schematic on my site-
http://www.sarceno.com/hal/project/video_equipment.gif)
5) Turn off the water sprinkle if it's raining. ($50)(
http://www.sarceno.com/hal/hal.php?ml=hal&dir=&sub=RainSensor)
6) AT night, make sure the garage door is close (< $50)(
http://www.sarceno.com/hal/hal.php?ml=hal&dir=&sub=GarageSensor
7) Announce on the whole house speaker that the washer or dryer is done. No more waiting. You can also get a text msg if you don't want it announce.
8) If the TV is still on after 10pm, automatically announce on the whole house speaker telling your kids to turn it off and go to bed.
9) Announce caller ID on the whole house or text (required voice grade modem)
10) Since you know when the light is on or off, you can start gathering statistic.
11) Here's one of my perl script gathering the data from weather.com
Me: Computer, How is the weather today?
Computer: As of 8:53 am, the temperature was 37 degrees. The Barometer is 29.84 with a humidity of 76 percent. The visibility is 10 miles and Dewpoint is at 30 degree. Sunrise at 7:16Aam and sunset at 4:46 pm. Today forecase, A mix of clouds and sun. High near 50F. Winds light and variable
Me: How about tonight?
Computer: Partly cloudy skies. Low 32F. Winds west southwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Me: And what about tomorrow?
Computer: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 51F. Winds north northwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour. And Tomorrow night A few clouds. Cold. Low 28F. Winds light and variable.
The limitation is that you have to say the exact phrase.
The imagination is up to you on what you can do. It sounds too futuristic but not really once you see how things are put together.
