DIY Smart Gate or Garage Opener
Tired of guessing if your ‘smart’ gate actually closed? Learn how to turn a blind relay into a state-aware security system using Home Assistant Packages. No more phantom openings…just verified, rock-solid control.
Seven Sins of the Modern Smart Home
Constant smart home frustrations arise from unreliable, cloud-dependent gadgets that fail to deliver on their promise. The true solution is a local control smart home, which ensures reliability, protects privacy, and creates a secure, user-centric living space.
Choosing the Best Smart Home Hub for Local Control
Finding the best smart home hub means prioritizing local control. Our analysis compares Home Assistant, Hubitat Elevation, and Homey Pro to reveal which powerful, private, and reliable platform is the right choice for the reader’s home.
From Rosie the Robot to the Thinking Home
As real-life “Rosie the Robot” descendants emerge from companies like Tesla, we face a critical choice: will they be loyal servants or corporate spies? This article explores the battle for the soul of the home robot.
Digital Ghosts: The Insteon Story
Are you a “digital tenant” in your own smart home? The story of Insteon’s collapse and remarkable user-led revival is the ultimate case study in the risks of the cloud and the power of local control.
The Broken Promise of Alexa+
We’ve warned about the dangers of cloud dependency, and Amazon’s Alexa+ debacle just proved our point. Discover why this “upgrade” is the single most persuasive argument for a locally controlled, sovereign smart home.
Protecting Your Smart Home from Itself
A truly smart home should also be a guardian, protecting your devices from damage. Learn a core principle of smart home design with this elegant automation that prevents an expensive accident with your motorized blinds.
Weighted Confidence for Complex States
Level up your automations by building a sensor that thinks. This post details a “Weighted Confidence Sensor” that uses a scoring system to understand nuanced states, making your smart home more reliable and intelligent.