Home Automated Living Releases 2.0

LAUREL, MD - Home Automated Living (HAL), the developer of home control software, delivers enhanced features with the newest release of HAL's software. HAL software and hardware products give users the ability to control their homes - by voice - from anywhere. Users may speak to any microphone connected to the PC, or to any phone anywhere to control lights, devices, appliances, thermostat, home theater, security, telephone and Internet with normal, conversational speech. HAL's speech interface is interactive. HAL confirms user commands and retrieves Internet information on demand. Users may call the home from anywhere and tell HAL to read new Email messages or to turn on the front door lights and adjust the thermostat, etc. HAL's new telephone management features including Call Intercept and Call Elimination give users the ability to block any and all unwanted phone calls. HAL will play a tone that tricks telemarketers into thinking your line has been disconnected so the telemarketers will remove your number from their call lists. HAL goes further, adding intelligence to enable users to route anonymous or other Caller-ID blocked calls to a separate voice mailbox informing them that unidentified callers are invited to leave a message. In addition, the user may create a 'blocked caller' list if there are calls you simply don't want to receive - HAL will disconnect the call. These new features supplement HAL's telephone management system including up to ten voice mailboxes, a phone directory and voice dialing - you may pick up any phone in your home and tell HAL to call any person or business in your directory. HAL will announce who is calling when the phone rings so you don't have to go to your phone to read the Caller-ID. With Version 2.0, users may customize the Caller-ID announced for specific incoming calls. HAL also has the ability to customize the answering machine greeting heard by specific incoming callers based on Caller-ID. The new version of HAL allows users to log all of the incoming and outgoing phone calls to and from your home. Most of these HAL telephone control features are found only in dedicated telephone management systems. The new HAL Version 2.0 strengthens the system's core home control features to bring greater manageability and ease of use to this powerful product. The new version will recognize a range of hardware automatically including switches from Leviton, Smarthome, Lightolier, and OnQ to name just a few. HAL will configure the system to optimize performance once you identify the hardware in a drop-down menu. HAL includes support for two-way reporting features, and gives users the ability to ask for the status of devices - by voice - from anywhere. Advanced users and professional installers will find more horsepower in HAL Version 2.0. These users will be able to employ their own custom programs to enable HAL to report specialized Internet information on demand. This new feature could allow a family to ask HAL to read that day's school lunch menu or to tell them what's playing at the local movie theater! This feature empowers sophisticated users to have HAL report any information that their own programming resources can provide. The new HAL Version 2.0 is really three upgrades in one. Users who have purchased the more human-sounding HALvoices or the HAL Digital Music Center (HALdmc) will find new and improved features for both of those products in this single release. HAL Version 2.0 delivers improved pronunciation, faster responses, and the ability to change the sound of the voice for specific responses. HALdmc gives you the ability to control your entire music collection by voice. HAL Version 2.0 adds new music control features as well as advanced control features for Digital Satellite music, CD changers and other external devices. Voice recognition for very large music collections is enhanced. HAL president Tim Shriver said, "HAL is committed to delivering the best home control technology available in our products. The new HAL Version 2.0 keeps HAL on the leading edge of home control and will give our users even greater satisfaction - and fun - as they control their homes from anywhere!"