Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Darwin

I've been working from home and I have a new friend... a robin that insists on attacking our kitchen windows. He/she may be building a nest somewhere around the house, but he spends a lot of time flying into the windows. I've named him Darwin.

Friday, March 1, 2019

Picture Frame Phone Charger

It's pricey at over $55, but I really like the idea of this picture frame with a builtin wireless charger for your smart phone. It also keeps the phone upright so you can see notifications easily. I could see myself with one at the desk in my office and another one on the end table beside by chair in our family room.




Sunday, February 14, 2016

Happy Valentine's Day

I've spent mine repairing a leaky toilet. My favorite thing is to fix one problem only to create another. Oh well, I'm sure the hardware store staff missed me.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Tesla Energy

I'm pretty excited about Tesla Energy - not so much for the product itself, but for what I think it represents.  I hope there is a coming wave of battery technology that will have performance improvements and cost reductions.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Home Data Center

I've added a Dell Mini 10 running Ubuntu and have a Frankensteined desktop that has replaced the one that died a while back. So I am slowly moving in this direction - the home data center.



(Who am I kidding? I'm all about being a minimalist now and I grumble enough about my electric bill.)

Via Data Center Knowledge via Slashdot.org




Sunday, July 27, 2014

Triathlon

I completed a triathlon yesterday. I ran, swam, and mowed.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

WiFi Smoke Detectors

What's the next connected device in your house? How about your smoke detectors?

I can see all sorts of detectors... additional sensors for your thermostat, doors and locks (that I've mentioned before), garage doors, kitchen sensors for smells (is this milk still good?), lights being on/off, etc. Who knows, maybe your radio will be wireless someday.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Networked Devices at Home

I have marveled at how many devices I have on my network at the house. Beyond the usual smartphones, tablets, printers, game consoles, and even laptops; I now have my thermostat on my wireless. I can control the HVAC from anywhere via a webpage or app. It was pretty cool (no pun intended) to be on vacation and remotely change the heating/cooling schedule to save a few pennies since we were out of town. (I ended up not getting a Nest even though I still think it is neat.)

I had to get a new controller for my irrigation system - it was only as I was checking the thermostats program that I realized I should have asked about one with network connectivity. It would have saved a lot of running around the house - start zone 1, walk to check it, walk back to start zone 2, etc.

If I ever have to replace the cipher lock on my front door, maybe I need to upgrade to an August lock.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Jetsons

I like my Logitech Harmony Remote Control, but there would be something very cool and futuristic about controlling my TV via the iPad or my phone. Enter the Logitech Harmony Link. Toss a little flying saucer looking disc near your components, hook it up to your WiFi network, and start controlling your TV from your tablet/smartphone. Since you are working over WiFi, you can make changes from anywhere in the house. Next, I want to control the thermostats and lights. Stuff like this could bring the X10 dream to a reality for the masses.

Via LifeHacker