Automating Blinds with a Retrofitted External Motor

It’d be a real stretch to say I needed to automate the blinds in my apartment, but it was fun, and I’m loving the result. Blinds open automatically at sunrise and close at sundown. It’s nice to wake up to the sun! I designed most of this setup myself, and wanted to share how I […]

Rescue Your Amazon Dash Buttons

Earlier this year, Amazon announced that they’ll discontinue Dash Buttons. I don’t know how successful Dash Buttons were for their intended use, but Home Automation hackers have loved (mis-)using them for everything from warming up their coffee pot to keeping track of bodily functions. Unfortunately for us hackers, Amazon is an unforgiving god. Not only […]

DIY Pet Treat Dispenser

When I first saw Internet-connected pet treat dispensers like PetCube, I laughed them off. “Who would ever want such a thing?” I have cats, but this just felt silly. Then we went on vacation and left our cats at home (we hired a sitter, of course). There was one day where our sitter’s car broke […]