Unpacking some EV misconceptions
Yesterday, I made the mistake of clicking on an xkcd Facebook post and reading some of the comments. Today, you get to pay for my indiscretion 😛.
Read moreAuthor: Andrew Van Til
Building IoT AQ Sensors / Doorbell Chimes for Ubiquiti UI Protect in Home Assistant with ESPHome
In the previous video I mentioned that I built a variety of ESP32 media speakers in Home Assistant via ESPHome to use as doorbell chimes for Unifi Protect. This video walks through the different devices, including how I ended up putting Air Quality (AQ) sensors in most of the designs. Links to STL/Code below. Index Intro: 00:03 Home Assistant Protect […]
Read moreUse Ubiquiti AI Theta Speaker As A Doorbell Chime
It annoys me that Ubiquiti doesn’t allow me to use the speaker in the AI Theta speakers. This video outlines one way to fix that oversight.
Read moreFord is terrible at credential management (PAAK rant)
In general I like my Ford Mach-E (or Mustang Mach-E, or MME, or whatever), but every now and again I run into a rough edge because Ford is really bad at technology. Today’s rough edge is in how they manage credentials for the Phone As a Key (PAAK) feature. For those who aren’t familiar, PAAK lets you use your phone […]
Read moreNextHaus Alliance Sustainable House Panel Q/A
Last night I participated in a panel discussion around building sustainable homes that was sponsored by NextHaus Alliance, the folks who are building our passive house. This is totally why I was included in the discussion. It makes sense to put your customers in front of a bunch of people and have them talk about why they selected your business, […]
Read moreWSJ is really, really, really, bad at technology reporting
The reporting in this piece is so bad. I have to wonder if the pen tester here took advantage of the WSJ’s total lack of awareness around how this stuff works, or the WSJ’s editorial staff knowingly embellished a story about how bad Wallbox is at IoT Device design.
Read moreEmporia Launches Improved Vue 3 Energy Monitor
Overall the Vue 3 looks like a solid refinement of the Vue 2. Including some of the points, like better terminal/port retention for the CT plugs. Pricing looks good, and I’m glad to see that the enhancements in the size and layout of the main device. It will be interesting to see how the improved accuracy compares to the previous […]
Read moreEVDANCE Tesla NACS to J1772 Adapter
Testing out the 60A version of EVDANCE’s NACS (Tesla) to J1772 adapter. Lets you use Level 2 Tesla chargers (EVSE) at hotels, parking lots, or sharing one at home. EVDANCE’s adapter is a clear leader in value for money, some of the competitive models are 3x the price.
Read moreHaier Learns an Important Lesson about Internet
I’m a little late to this party. TL;DR Haier tried to bully a FOSS developer who was making their product more useful, and got schooled. I love it.
Read moreIs SPAN Panel the Wrong Choice for All-Electric Homes?
The SPAN IO Smart Electric Service Panel is a really neat approach to solving some electrical service load issues. But there are several drawbacks that make it the wrong choice in many situations. Especially all-electric homes.
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