Smart Smoke Detection – Using First Alert ZSMOKE with SmartThings home automation

As I’ve switched my home automation from Vera to SmartThings I’ve also been expanding my network of z-wave devices at home. Since SmartThings does such a great job with different notification options I’ve also been looking more into monitoring our home for different kinds of damage or danger. One of the first tasks on the …

Price differences for the USA and Canada: Alcohol

Having lived in the US for over a decade there are quite a few cost of living differences I notice when I return to visit Canada. One of the more obvious differences between the two counties is the treatment of alcohol. The first and most obvious difference is how one purchases liquor or beer. In …

Hyperlapse video of a walk down the IB Pier

I’ve been playing around with the Hyperlapse app from Instagram and took it on a walk down the pier at Imperial Beach: This was hand-held and I didn’t make any efforts to keep the camera steady during my walk. I’m pretty impressed with the way it turned out and will definitely use it for some …

China building islands in the South China Sea

BBC News has a very interesting story about the ongoing territory disputes China and its neighbors are involved in. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes travels to the disputed area on a Filipino fishing boat to get some of the first photos and videos of China’s ambitious plans: Other countries that claim large chunks of the South China Sea …