… It's essentially frictionless, and this is great for Amazon's bottom line, but can be terrible for so many consumers' budgets. Amazon doesn't need to know everything about me I'd like some level of privacy if possible Privacy and your data profile are other points of contention for many users. …
… Plus, the ESP32 even has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality built into every board, making it great for projects where you can't physically keep the microcontroller connected to your PC at all times. $9 at Amazon
… Instead, I bought one every time I undertook a smart home project to solve a problem. That number made me realize that ESP32 was no longer a hobbyist experiment for me. It had quietly become the backbone of my entire smart home. …
… This ‘walled garden’ approach means Amazon gets to act as the ultimate gatekeeper of your entertainment. If an indie developer builds a game-changing media player, an advanced file manager, or a lightweight, ad-free video client, you can’t have it. …
… Sure, there are better streaming devices out there, like Google's TV Streamer, the Apple TV 4K , and the Nvidia Shield , but these streamers cost way more than the $20-$30 base Amazon Fire TV Stick and even the $40-$60 higher-end Fire TV Stick 4K Max. …
… Instead, I used an Amazon Echo Plus with those Hue bulbs for years, until the smart speaker suddenly stopped working. That’s when I found Home Assistant. My colleague, Adam Conway, wrote about running Home Assistant using Zigbee , which pointed me to MQTT Broker and Zigbee2MQTT. …
… It's a solid-looking, clean menu that removes all of Amazon's annoying ads. …
… Related I run my entire smart home from a single mini PC with Home Assistant If you'd have told me my smart home would be controlled from one box I wouldn't have believed you When the “just works” smart home hubs show their limits Paying the price for convenience I started building my smart home wi… …
… It seems like my Amazon recommendation algorithm knows I'm into cords, because a few days ago, it suggested I buy something very strange — a $20 USB 3.5-inch floppy disk reader . …
… Meanwhile, Pi still earns its keep as a Linux box for other experiments. This migration taught me that sometimes the right tool is the cheaper one. ESP32 Brand AITRIP Connectivity Features UART, USB The ESP32 is a fantastic development board that combines solid specs with an affordable price. …