Infrared remote for HiFiBerry

March 15, 2019Devices, DIY, Solutions 1 Comment

There are situations where it is not very convenient to use the phone or tablet to control the music. Sometimes you just need to quickly change the volume, pause the playback or skip a song on a playlist, and this can be done much easier using a IR remote. Adding an infrared remote to the Raspberry … Read More

DoorBird intercom with Loxone

February 16, 2019Configuration, Devices, Solutions 38 Comments

I have been constantly postponing most of the construction finalizations in front and around the house, in order to complete the interior and garden in the back first. That took longer than I expected and as a result some of my initial plans were a bit re-shaped and diverted from the original intent. This was … Read More

Norm 69 lamp from Normann Copenhagen

December 25, 2018Design, Devices, Interior 8 Comments

It is a Christmas time so why not talk about some of the nice gifts. Today I have special one to talk about, it is very nice pendant classics, a design icon that never gets old. The Norm 69 from Normann Copenhagen is a sculptural pendant light that consists of 69 parts. It can be … Read More

24V DMX Dimmers

December 4, 2018Devices 11 Comments

Some of you might already noticed that Loxone silently discontinued few  products and one of the areas impacted are DMX products. Just a simple query to their web-shop reveals that there are no 24V DMX Dimmers any longer. The focus has moved towards Tree and Air products, leaving open standards aside. Same happened to EnOcean … Read More

Controlling Velux windows

October 20, 2018Devices, Interior, Solutions 37 Comments

No KUX, just Loxone Integration of Velux roof components into home automation systems has been often criticized in many smart home forums [1,2,3]. The usage of proprietary protocol is making this “black box” difficult to integrate and to interact with any other solutions. The overall architecture is a bit weird, utilizing a control unit KUX 100 … Read More

DMX dashboard

September 8, 2018Configuration, Devices, DIY, Ideas, Solutions 2 Comments

What I missed since the very beginning was some kind of an overview of the basic status of the house. I know, tablet, I do have one wall mounted in the living room as well, but by dashboard I mean something simpler, giving me the exact info about the things I need to know before … Read More

Outdoor power outlet

September 5, 2018Devices, Garden No Comments

Let’s start today with a more lightweight topic here. I have been searching for some nice garden power outlets, that can be placed permanently outside the house,  regardless of the weather conditions. Typical usage would be anything from electric lawn mower to birthday garden party 🙂 I do not need any extra functions there, like movement … Read More

Motorized door locks

November 20, 2017Devices, Solutions No Comments

Multi-point motorized door locks If you have read my article about finger print scanner integration this is the right follow-up for you. To enjoy the full experience of the keyless access system, motorized lock is what allows you to enter your home when you’re authorized and secures your door after closure.  I have found two different approaches providing similar … Read More

Finger scanner integration

September 3, 2017Devices, Sensors, Solutions 3 Comments

I am sure you know the situation when you lock yourself out while your keys were left inside. Or when your kids told you they lost the keys. With bio-metric door access you don’t have to worry about this. This is definitely my family favorite feature. Accessing your home using your finger as a key For key-less … Read More