Some interesting things are:
1) SMS at a certain time: Typical uses like a TV program is on or whatever.
2) Tell me when the washer is finished washing.
This could be something like: The washer was ON, and then was OFF more than 5 minutes. The problem is detecting on. You would like to do it with a mostly non-invasive current sensor, but current draw isn't constant. Sometimes when I was, there is some juggling in the beginning, so not all off states should generate a message.
The dryer stopped would be considerably easier. I would find these functions useful, however, a small dedicated beast might be more suited. Hey, you might even be able to use a vibration sensor, after-all when it stops there isn't anymore vibration.
3) The water heater recovered. I have no idea how to do this one for say gas and/or water. Ultrasonic? gas sensor maybe? So, you use this sort of function to kknow when there might be "enough" hot water to take a shower.
4) Generate an inhibit signal. So, let;s say you had an automatic watering system, so this device talks to a weather service API and figures out the rain predictions. So, with any manufacturer's system, you should easily be able to install an inhibit sprinkling.
Now, let's go weird and it's an area of interest, but not an an area of interest. Embedded web servers seem to have to be smarter than a normal webserver when trying to implement say an IR remote control. One of the functions is the ability to change an IR signal dynamically depending on how long the button is held down. It's a wierd repeat mode. Some remotes send an entirely different sequence when the key is repeating. I know of a remote that sends two identical commands with a short space between them for "push once" and single commands with the short delay for "repeat" as I understand it.
I don't see this sort of functionality, nor do I have the foggiest idea how to do it.
Something like:
On keypress send X
If keypress is held down send Y continually until released/
I do have some home automation stuff in the works, but other stuff is taking precedence.
Some automation stuff that's planned is HOT water: A reciculator that is turned on with RF and PIR sensors. PIR for say bathroom and RF for kitchen. So, you enter the bathroom and the PIR sensor starts the recirculating system. In the kitchen, you would have to start it manually. The manufacturer doesn't offer a wireless doorbell xmitter
Door bell: A wireless doorbell based on "security alarm" transmitters/receiver. Somehow the doorbell might have to get more sophisticated because there is a person in a wheelchair in the house. An SMS in response to doorbell would be mildly useful.
Telephone: Line in use indicator. Possibly something that detects specific "ringtones" and uses an alternate signal like a strobe. The phone has a page mode which is now used and therefore it would not respond to a telephone ring, An SMS when the house phone rings could be useful. This is not planned, but just thought about.
Outdoor light: Make it UPB capable and operate-able from the car and kitchen. Unfortunately, I can't program the Homelink system to work X-10 receivers because it's one of the earlier ones. Eventually, I would be able to turn this light on from my cell. It's planned. At one time it worked under X-10, but I haven't installed UPB yet.
I have another outdoor light that is motion triggered, but it's a stupid light and triggers when it's not supposed to. This might turn to something different sometime in the distant future. i.e. UPB controlled and therfor controlled by the cell. Always on, always off and motion controlled.
Then there is a post lamp and a front door lamp that needs to be addressed. Astronomical timers, UPB and blink may come into play. Blink would happen when the medical alarm gets triggered.
The medical alarm trigger needs to be addressed too. Not really sure how, Kinda wish there was a local and monitored alarm mode from a single wearable transmitter.
In any event, the activation should generate blinking lights and an SMS.
Now that you got me thinking, I don't even know if it's possible, BUT... The base has the ability to talk back. It would be COOL, if you could say, use WIFI or zigbee and have multiple microphones. The base does support an extra location for talkback. Wouldn't it bee cool if more than one xmit/receiver could be used with echo cancellation, so that better coverage could be had?
Some ideas. Some not applicable, but ideas nonetheless. Brainstorming.