Smart Home

Real-world smart home builds with Home Assistant, sensors, and integrations that survive past the honeymoon period.

Bluetooth proxies under $20: room detection with ESP32-C3

Bluetooth proxies under $20: room detection with ESP32-C3

ESP32 boards flashed with ESPHome Bluetooth Proxy firmware relay BLE to Home Assistant over Wi-Fi for under $20, with room-level presence via Bermuda.

DIY smart doorbell for $25: skip Ring's $5/month subscription

DIY smart doorbell for $25: skip Ring's $5/month subscription

Build a DIY video doorbell for under $25 with an ESP32-CAM and ESPHome. Local streaming, push snapshots, motion clips. No cloud, no subscription.

Track package deliveries in Home Assistant with 17TRACK and automations

Track package deliveries in Home Assistant with 17TRACK and automations

Connect 17TRACK's 3,200+ shipping carriers to Home Assistant. Automate porch cameras, smart locks, and quiet-hours alerts as packages arrive.

Shelly relay garage automation: $20 install, zero warranty risk

Shelly relay garage automation: $20 install, zero warranty risk

Control your garage door with a Shelly relay, reed switch, and Home Assistant. Adds auto-close timers and arrival alerts without a new opener.

Home Assistant energy dashboard: 4 flows, solar, and battery tracking

Home Assistant energy dashboard: 4 flows, solar, and battery tracking

Track solar production, battery charge cycles, and home consumption in the Home Assistant Energy Dashboard without any third-party vendor cloud app.

AppDaemon 4.5 state machines: beyond YAML automations

AppDaemon 4.5 state machines: beyond YAML automations

Write Home Assistant automations in Python classes with AppDaemon. Get state machines, scheduling, async API calls, and logic beyond YAML limitations.