This is a related area to multiboxing. Home automation.

What I am looking for is a device that can control AC power (through a relay most likely) using a USB device.

As in, press button on screen and lava lamp turns on. Yes I have a Lava Lamp and yes it rocks.

I should also be able to turn on the device on a set schedule (Turn on daily at 10 am). I need to have real time control - not something preprogrammed. I need to press a button on screen or some combination of keys to have it activate. Maybe activate for a period of time or activate until turned off... I need to be able to modify things. A slick GUI would be a plus as well. Be able to drag and drop different items on screen... which is why I am thinking home automation can do this. Maybe.

These two products can KIND of do this:

http://www.smarthome.com/2414u.html



But this is more of a "program it" device. I think. Plus it is Windows only

http://www.dataprobe.com/products/po...oot/index.html



This is an on/off/heartbeat device. I have one. It is expensive and is really only for remote rebooting and very little else.

What I need is something that is ideally multiplatform (whererulinuxsupport?) and is not statically programmed or turns on or off only.

Then there is this thing:

http://store.makezine.com/ProductDet...Show=TechSpecs
http://makezine.com/controller/



But it seems to require a TON of programming to get it working. It, like linux, seems flexible as anything you have ever seen... but well - I want a simple timer / on / off device. USB/eth controlled.

How hard is this to find? I KNOW something like this is out there.... maybe keep looking at the Zigbee/Z-Wave stuff?

There has GOT to be a simple USB to relay board out there SOMEWHERE with some software that can do the logic of timers and remote turn on/off.

Further research pulls up:

http://phidgets.com/



But these are more for sensing... not really what I am looking for.

So.... rather than continue to search and not really find what I am looking for..

Anybody out there able to point me in the right direction?