Blog Archives

The miracles of spray paint

OK, so this one’s not strictly speaking “home automation”, but it does fall under “home improvement“. I’ve always thought of spray paint as the tools of the trade for (graffiti) artists, but when faced with either spiffing up or throwing

Posted by Matt Chiste
September 17

Make your garage more comfortable with a motion-sensing fan

I do a lot of work in the garage, and Virginia summers can be hot, so I found a quick and easy solution: install a wall-mount fan in the back of the garage: I was a little worried that this

Posted by Matt Chiste
September 14

Leverage existing in-wall wires for low-voltage power

When I moved into my house, it had an old 1980s-style tape deck intercom system that I replaced with a custom Home Command Center. That meant the intercom units on the walls were basically just non-functional eye-sores: Recently I received

Posted by Matt Chiste
September 10

Mini Tool Kit

Behind every great project is a great set of tools. I’ve got a pretty varied collection of tools in my arsenal (albeit not as comprehensive as discussed in LifeHacker’s Essential Tools post), but the go-to set if find pulling out

Posted by Matt Chiste
June 24

Last minute gift idea: Worx semi-automatic screwdriver

You’ll never look at the screwdriver in your junk drawer the same way. Some time back I saw this Popular Science article that proclaimed “The SD SemiAutomatic is an entirely new take on the cordless driver”, and thought I’d check

Posted by Matt Chiste
December 20

Save money and energy by starting with a home energy audit

Months ago I got a somewhat “junk mail”-looking thing from LEAP (Local Energy Alliance Program), a non-profit home energy resource that “works with local government and utilities to help homeowners lower their bills and save money”. They promised a $250

Posted by Matt Chiste
September 14

Neato XV-11 – a robot vacuum cleaner ready for (light) duty

You’re here because you’re into home automation, right? It’s now the future, so why aren’t our homes solving all the world’s problems, and where are our robot butlers and maids? I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that. But

Posted by Matt Chiste
August 11
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