Unless you’re a millionaire (in which case please give us money), chances are your home technology is not seamlessly integrated and filled with shiny. Turn your house into a futuristic tech haven this weekend with these projects.
Beef Up Your Existing Tech
Older tech can bring your home down. Take your low-tech devices and make them high-tech with projects such as these:
- Create a play-anything media centre from an old computer, a newly-built one, or a Raspberry Pi
- Turn your TV into a retro gaming station with XBMC or a Raspberry Pi
- Tell your TV to automatically mute when overxposed celebrities come on
- Turn your webcam into a streaming, motion-detecting surveillance system
- Control your microwave with a Raspberry Pi
- Use your home’s electrical wiring as an ethernet line with Powerline adapters
Gadget-ise Your Furniture
What? Your end table doesn’t charge gadgets, and your coffee table doesn’t play video games? What is this, 1820? OK, we’re just kidding — but these things are possible with the right furniture hacks. Try on these projects for size:
- Turn your nightstand into the ultimate charging station (or build inductive charging right into it)
- Create a tech-infused retro arcade coffee table for your living room
- Build a computer (or media centre) into your desk for easy upgrades and hidden cables
- Mount a tablet in your kitchen cabinet door (or just hang it on the wall with some hooks)
We’ve shared many other furniture hacks over the years, so check out our past Weekendhacker on the subject for more.
Automate Your Home
We’ve talked about the magic of home automation before, as well as how to get started. There’s nothing like controlling your home with your voice, or having your blinds automatically move themselves based on the time of day. If you’d like to turn your house into a true house of the future, these more advanced projects are what you’re looking for.
- Control everything in your home with Siri or Android voice commands
- Turn on a table lamp with a wave of your hand
- Get alerted when you receive new snail mail in your mailbox
- Feed your pets with a Raspberry Pi-controlled dish
- Get alerts when your dryer is finished
Have a good weekend!
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