Blog
Getting started with your 3D Printer
Your new 3D printer has arrived and I bet you're excited to print something. I know I was when I got mine. Following the advice of Reddit, I printed a Benchy, but that might not have been the right move (print failed). To explain why and help you get started, here are...
Buying a 3D printer in 2024: Creality vs Prusa vs BambuLabs
I decided to buy a 3D printer to help me finish some projects at home. Buying a 3D printer requires some research, so I'm sharing mine here to help you. Why buy a 3D printer? If you've spoken to me over the past couple of years, you'll know I bought and renovated a...
Automating Velux Blinds with Home Assistant
I have two Velux windows in my roof, each with a battery-powered blind, charged by a built-in solar panel. Each blind has its own Velux KL312 remote which has three buttons: blind up, blind down and stop. The remotes can't be included in Home Assistant without an...
Upgrade Raspberry Pi 4 with an SSD drive
SD cards can fail when used in a Raspberry Pi. Failure isn't an option for me, since I use my Raspberry Pi 4 to run my smart home. In my older Raspberry Pi 2, the SD card failed and my whole smart home went offline. That was painful. To avoid making the same mistake...
How I built new habits: The 66 Day Habit Challenge
Building a new habit is hard. I usually stumble into habits, both good and bad. When I'm deliberate about a habit, it sticks for several days, but if I stumble off track - because of work, travel or life in general - I usually stay off track. Travel disrupts my...
My top 5 home automation projects
I've been automating my house since 2012. I started out with basic home 'automation' which turned the lights on and off at set times. Since I now spend a lot more time at home (thanks COVID!) I've implemented different home automations to help make life at home a...