#smart-home
80 episodes
#5457: Pigeon Alerts on a Repurposed i5: Frigate Without the TPU
Daniel wants a pigeon notification, not a custom model. Frigate already ships with bird detection — the real work is masks, zones, and filters.
#5282: Wi-Fi IoT Without the Cloud Lock-In
Wi-Fi IoT ships locked to vendor clouds by default. Here's what it takes to break out — and where Wi-Fi is actually the right tool.
#5235: Wiring Smart Patio Lights Through Home Assistant
Picking a Zigbee RGB controller is the easy part — sizing the power supply and keeping mains water out is where patio lighting projects live or die.
#5078: When Shopping Lists Outgrow the Grocery Store
Why grocery list apps fail when you need drywall anchors, and what actually works for multi-store household shopping.
#5033: The Greatest Dumbest Home Assistant Automations
Doorbell goal horns, toilet dashboards, and a lamp that dims on guests. The ten most gloriously unnecessary smart home automations, ranked.
#5031: Circadian Lighting: Sunset vs. Your Body Clock
Is your smart home's "red light before bed" actually synced to your biology? We dig into chronobiology, latitude, and lighting design.
#4763: Red Light, Real Science: Sleep Hacks That Actually Work
ADHD circadian disruption, red light products, and smart home integration — a practical deep dive.
#4468: What a Log Scale Actually Does to Your Sensor Data
Log scales don't smooth data — they change the ruler you're measuring with. Here's when to use them and when they'll break.
#4425: DNS Blocking That Doesn't Break Everything
How to block ads and trackers at the network level without breaking your spouse's banking app or your kid's game.
#4362: Batteries vs. Wired: Smart Home Security for Renters
Coin cell batteries die silently. Here’s how to wire Zigbee sensors to mains power in a rental apartment.
#4273: UPS vs Generator: Where's the Line Now?
Lithium batteries are making home UPSs bigger and cheaper. But when does a generator still win?
#4230: Modbus to Smart Home: The Real Bridge Guide
Three gateways tested, three hurdles revealed. What actually works when bridging OT gear to Home Assistant.
#4225: Pigeon Eviction 101: Netting, Cameras & Israeli Law
A Jerusalem balcony pigeon problem meets wildlife law, toddler safety, and Reolink surveillance.
#4062: How to Keep a Baby's Room Comfortable With a Dumb AC
Smart sensors + dumb AC + PID control = better than a Nest for keeping your infant comfortable at night.
#3999: The VLAN Blind Spot: Why Your IoT Devices Still Talk to Each Other
VLANs isolate IoT from your main network, but devices inside can still attack each other. Client isolation is the missing piece.
#3918: NFC Tags vs. the "We're Out" Button
One tap to restock milk. Why is that so hard to find on Android?
#3823: How Cities Can Enforce Construction Noise with Real-Time Data
Can cities actually enforce noise limits with real-time sound data? We explore the tech, the gaps, and who's doing it right.
#3792: Cloud Brain, Local Fingers: Decoupled Home Assistant
Can Home Assistant run in the cloud while Zigbee stays local? We explore the decoupled control plane architecture.
#3539: Mapping a Room with Just Your Phone
Can your phone turn a video walkthrough into a measured 3D model? We break down the tools and the real-world limits.
#3245: Why Integrated LED Fixtures Are Beating Smart Bulbs
Smart bulbs cram radios into metal cages. Integrated fixtures solve that—and Matter makes it seamless.
#3221: Why Can't Your Partner Reach You? The Family Pager Problem
Smartphones have no reliable urgent notification channel for families. Here's why — and what might fix it.
#3173: Moving Secrets from Film Scouts & Museum Pros
Steal moving systems from film location scouts and museum registrars — professions that move entire worlds, not just boxes.
#3168: 30 BLE Tags for $60: DIY ADHD Object Tracking
Stop losing your stuff. Build a self-hosted BLE tracker system for 30 items at 1/8 the cost of commercial trackers.
#3058: How to Get 15 Hours of Light From Your UPS
Turn your UPS into an emergency light source with the right LED bulb, NUT, and Home Assistant automation.