Students using Android for home control and automation

This is just a quick post intended to emphasize the cool geekiness of open source software. Because if there's one thing I've been neglecting, that is it. All kidding aside, this really is important. Two computer science students have been working on a school project in which they use their G1 to turn home lights off and on, read the temperature inside the house, and receive alerts from a carbon monoxide detector.

I had just finished reading Adrianna's post (with vid) about the guy feeding his dog with an iPhone, when I stumbled onto the video below over at droideo.com. I love the idea of home automation and control from afar. Not only is it cool and fun, it's practical. And for these young men, a strong entrance into the world of technology.

The coders are Alex Neighbors and  Kit Hoffman - seniors at Oregon State University. The venture, as Alex states, is part of a Capstone Course requiring real-world applications for real-world clients - designed to allow them to "experience the joys and pains of software development." Maybe their work will spill over into a paid Market application? Potential entrepreneurs, right here.