Thing Too Tech

Soldered Inkplate 10 • Home Assistant • HomePlate  • Puppet  • AI Art Quick Take: I thought the Soldered Inkplate 10 would become another Home Assistant dashboard. It can certainly do that, but the thing I ended up keeping is much stranger. An always-there e-paper display that turns a daily quote into two pieces of AI-generated dog art. HomePlate and Puppet made it easy. Disclosure: Soldered provided the Inkplate 10 with enclosure and battery for me to test. This article reflects my own experience and opinions. When the Soldered Inkplate 10 showed up, I honestly wasn't sure what I would be getting. I knew it was a big e-paper display. I also knew I wanted to connect it to Home Assistant, duh. And I figured I'd end up with another dashboard somewhere in my office, showing important things that I could stare at while ignoring whatever I was supposed to be doing. That part worked just fine. But after a few weeks, the thing I ...

FlexiSpot E7 Pro • Home Assistant • ESPHome • DeskUp Quick Take: The FlexiSpot E7 Pro did something my old standing desk never managed: it actually got me standing. The stability and presets changed how I work before I ever made it smart. Then I added an ESP32, DeskUp and Home Assistant, and suddenly my desk could join automations, report what it was doing and even react when my coffee was ready. Disclosure: FlexiSpot provided the E7 Pro for review. This article reflects my own testing and opinions. If you purchase through my FlexiSpot affiliate links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The finished FlexiSpot E7 Pro in my office. In a land long ago and a time far away, I used to work in a traditional office. I had a big, sturdy desk. It felt official. It felt like I was going to work. And I never knew how much I loved that desk until long after I left it sitting in a dar...

UNIHIKER K10 Review — ESPHome, Home Assistant, and an AI-Powered Plant Caretaker Quick Take: The UNIHIKER K10 gave me a camera, sensors, screen and speaker in one little board. With ESPHome and Home Assistant, it became Nibble: an animated rabbit that checks on my plant, keeps a 30-entry AI-assisted photo journal and reads me a daily bulletin. A few adventures and headaches later, he's actually working. Disclosure: DFRobot provided the UNIHIKER K10 for review. This article reflects my own testing and opinions. Links to DFRobot use my affiliate link, which may earn me a commission. I'd been dreaming again, this time about an automation that could look at a recent photo of my plants, consider things like temperature, humidity, and light, and use AI to help determine when they need water. Eventually, I'd love to control how much water and additional light gets delivered based on that information. Maybe even incorporate watering and light...