MW Expo news for Smart Homes

With Macworld Expo 2008 this week, let's pool our attention and keep track of product announcements and news related to smart home technology.

AirFoil 3
The latest version of Rogue Amoeba's audio streaming program looks well-suited for the home technologist. With this new release, you can stream audio to other Macs in your network from a variety of sources. It's wireless, whole-house sound distribution for the rest of us. See Rogue Amoeba's website for more info.

PhoneValet Home Edition
Spinning off a home version of their office telephone automation powerhouse, Parliant's PhoneValet Home Edition supports voice mail, Caller ID automation, and a bunch of other features. It uses your Mac's built-in modem, or the external Apple USB modem, for communication with your telephone line. There's a compatibility checker you can download to make sure your modem is supported, too. See Parliant's website for more info.

BusySync 2.0
If you're using iCal for scheduling your home, whether for personal events or automated tasks, BusySync provides local-network synching. And the latest release, announced now but available in February, adds support for Google Calendar. This means you could maintain your home schedule while on the road, from any computer. See the BusyMac website for details.

EyeTV 3
Elgato's update to EyeTV adds sharing of recorded TV shows over the network, as well as a bunch of whizzy UI improvements. See the Elgato website for the scoop.

Phlink 4
I like to call this product a telephony tinkertoy set, and the new version adds even more things to utilize in building your own telephone automation system. A revamped UI and background network call notification is also included. See the Ovolab website for info.

I've started us off, and I'll add more as they come to my attention. If you've spotted a product that catches your eye, please leave a comment. Home and office automation and security products, and even those ergonomic chairs and dual-pane windows, are fair game.