Reliable UI Protect Doorbell Chimes
I was having reliability issues with the doorbell chimes I built when triggered via Home Assistant, so I found a better way to accomplish the goal.
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NGL, that looks cool, Ubiquiti
Obviously, we’ll have to reserve judgement, ’cause, you know… Ubiquiti… But, I can’t deny that the promises made in this recently released video outlining new hardware and features in Unifi Protect looks awesome. Especially the AI Port – that looks like a fantastic bit of magic.
Read moreWhy Don’t We Use Natural Gas In Passive House?
I’ve mentioned a few times that we’re building a passive house (fence just went up, Yay!). One of the “different” things about passive house is that everything is electric – everything. In a recent discussion around HVAC in passive houses, I mentioned that using natural gas (NG) would be a really bad idea. The other person asked, why. Having spent […]
Read moreSVS Drops the Bass; launches 17-Ultra R
There is no substitute for a excellent subwoofer in your setup when want to feel the music. SVS Sound is well known for delivering brilliant subs, for a reasonable price. I have SVS kit in my home theater / audio room – love it. The just announced 17-Ultra R is a step up in price compared to their previous generation […]
Read moreA2Z TYPHOON PRO First Look
I got tired of waiting for the NACS (J3400) to CCS adapter that Ford promised me back in February, so I picked up an A2Z TYPHOON PRO. It only took a month to get here :).
Read moreIt’s a cool idea, but I’ll pass, especially at that price…
Every so often I run across someone advocating for residential DC EV slow charging. It seems like a great concept if you have solar panels. Doing this would bypass the DC-AC-DC conversion between the PV and your car; unlocking sweet, sweet efficiency right? The problem is that while that is conceptually accurate, in practice it’s a more complicated, especially if […]
Read moreUnpacking some EV misconceptions
Yesterday, I made the mistake of clicking on an xkcd Facebook post and reading some of the comments. Today, you get to pay for my indiscretion 😛.
Read moreBuilding IoT AQ Sensors / Doorbell Chimes for Ubiquiti UI Protect in Home Assistant with ESPHome
In the previous video I mentioned that I built a variety of ESP32 media speakers in Home Assistant via ESPHome to use as doorbell chimes for Unifi Protect. This video walks through the different devices, including how I ended up putting Air Quality (AQ) sensors in most of the designs. Links to STL/Code below. Index Intro: 00:03 Home Assistant Protect […]
Read moreFord is terrible at credential management (PAAK rant)
In general I like my Ford Mach-E (or Mustang Mach-E, or MME, or whatever), but every now and again I run into a rough edge because Ford is really bad at technology. Today’s rough edge is in how they manage credentials for the Phone As a Key (PAAK) feature. For those who aren’t familiar, PAAK lets you use your phone […]
Read moreWSJ is really, really, really, bad at technology reporting
The reporting in this piece is so bad. I have to wonder if the pen tester here took advantage of the WSJ’s total lack of awareness around how this stuff works, or the WSJ’s editorial staff knowingly embellished a story about how bad Wallbox is at IoT Device design.
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