Scripting a TV and Chromecast
This archived note is about scripting two ordinary devices: a Samsung TV and Google Chromecast. Both are controlled from Python as part of a smartly built dumb house.
Google Sheets: A Poor Man's Database
Collecting measured values is often the easier half of the task. Processing, storing, and displaying them reasonably is harder. This archived note shows how Google Sheets, Google Forms, and a little Python can work as a simple time-series database.
Measuring Temperature with 1-Wire Thermometers and Raspberry Pi
There are many tutorials on getting DS18B20-based 1-wire thermometers running, but practical experience with multiple sensors and subsequent data processing can still be useful. This archived article describes sensor choice, wiring, Raspberry Pi configuration, and simple Python reading.
A Smartly Built Dumb House
This archived article opens a mini-series on building a smart home without expensive smart wiring, central control systems, or cloud-connected devices. I describe why I preferred a decentralised 'dumb house with smart functions' and outline the subsystems used in my own installation.
A Children's Water System
Children's Day deserves a proper gift, and it is hard to beat the combination of sand and water. This first archived post from honzas.cz shows how I brought water to a playground with a sandbox and turned it into a shower, fountain, and slide accessory in one.