X10 - Home Automation System 9. There are also X-10 modules that install in place of wall switches to control lights, and there's one that can be used to set back a thermostat. These X10 folks make a really cool dongle called the Firecracker. Programs like bottlerocket and gtk-x10 allow Linux programs to control X10 devices using the Firecracker device.
Home is a computer controlled home automation system.
The software includes a circuit diagram for building the Phantom. Controller, a simple circuit board that attaches to your PC's parallel port. And with a little bit of electronics know-how, you can probably control nearly any device at any voltage by modifying the circuit board to meet your needs.