Virgin Media have provided me with a test unit of their new Intelligent WiFi pods to review. They’re useful, but come with some annoying limitations. If you have a big home, put a pod in every room and you’ll have fast WiFi broadcast everywhere. Well, that’s the theory. Limitations The big limitation is that both…
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Five years ago, I wrote that I had 30 connected devices at home. How has that changed over the last half-decade? Some of my devices have consolidated. My Eufy security cameras have a hub – so despite having more cameras, They’re using fewer IP addresses. Similarly, I’ve replaced most of my LIFX bulbs with Zigbee…
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I hate the Internet of Things. It’s a load of overpriced junk, which abuses your privacy and demands a monthly fee in return. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to see this fall out of the eufyCam 2C box. There’s no monthly fee. The recordings stay in your home. The batteries last for ages. I…
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The good folk at Nooie have sent me their 360 WiFi camera to review. Cost is usually £50 – but check the bottom of this post for a discount code. The design is gorgeous – and award winning. It’s a sleek unit and, surprisingly, feels nice in the hand. It can store videos on an…
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I have a new Smart Meter to measure my electricity and gas usage. It’s the Honeywell AS302P. It’s a SMETS2 meter, which means it has a number of interesting features. ALCS (Auxiliary Load Control Switch) – this means that a car charger can be remotely started and stopped based on network demand. DCC connection –…
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My wife wasn’t allowed to go for a post-lunch nap yesterday. Our smarthome wouldn’t let her… OK! OK! It wasn’t as bad as all that. I built an Internet-connected electric blanket so I can yell at the Alexa to pre-warm the bed. One of the IoT switches needed a firmware update. All over and done…
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In my ongoing quest to open my house to hackers create the ultimate smarthome, I’ve added a new toy. A video doorbell! Why? I’ve got a tall house and can’t be bothered walking down several flights of stairs just to tell a peddler to piss off. And, when I’m away, it’s nice to know where…
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Tado is a brilliant smart thermostat. But their API is very poorly documented. This is an updated guide for 2019. I am indebted to Stephen C Phillips’ original documentation. Getting started You will need: A Tado (duh!) Your Username (usually your email address) Your Password A Client Secret Getting the client secret I’m using this…
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One evening, my wife turned to me in bed and said, “Winter is coming…” Well, what she actually said was “Get your frozen feet away from me, you cold-blooded monster!” The only way to save our marriage? HOOK OUR BED UP TO THE INTERNET! I couldn’t find an electric blanket with IoT connectivity – so…
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I’ve previously reviewed other Meross smart home devices, so now on to their MSL120 – an E27 screw cap bulb. The bulb has dimming and colour changing functions. Let’s crack on with a video! The app The Android app looks good – although a little rough around the edges, but it’s easy to set up…
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