smart home

Smart Motorized Shades for Under $100 with Home Assistant

by

I’ve wanted to have motorized shades for a while now, and have not found an ‘off-the-shelf’ product that has the features I need, while remaining at an affordable price. The closest product that I’ve found is the IKEA ‘Fyrtur’ smart blinds. However, when pricing out my bedroom window which is almost 96″ wide, it would …

Read more

Tutorial: Home Assistant Presence Detection with iOS and [monitor]

by

First, I need to acknowledge that there’s numerous methods to get presence detection with Home Assistant, each with their own pros and cons. When evaluating the various detection methods, I focused on three key aspects: The detection needs to be reliable and consistent. When I’m home, I’m home. I did not want incorrect arrivals/departures if …

Read more