This post describes how to build a HomeKit compatible electronic trip wire to detect motion. As opposed to the more common infrared motion detection, there aren’t many options for detecting movement by interrupting a line of sight between two points. There are some alternatives that use infrared diodes, but those are limited by a maximum distance of just a few inches/feet between the emitter and the receptor. This project attempts to solve that limitation by using a regular laser emitter and a photo transistor as a receptor, so that the maximum distance is only dependent on the laser’s output power and your ability of aiming it to the photo transistor from afar....

I’ve been fascinated by the GPS technology for years. There is something magical about being able to accurately pinpoint one’s position on the globe at any given time. Having that capability currently integrated in our phones is even more remarkable and something that we usually take for granted. The downside, however, is that accurately tracking our position is very taxing on our phones and severely impacts their battery life. I wanted a small standalone device capable of doing just that....

Introduction Ever since getting the iPad Pro 11”, I’ve been trying to get a more protective case than the ones offered by Apple. I’ve tried several options, from the cheap ones on Amazon (this one is actually pretty good) to the ones offered by Apple. After several tries, I settled on the The Muse by Zugu. Here are some of the reasons I like it: Perfect combination of protection, functionality and elegant design....

I’ve been on a long quest for the perfect true wireless bluetooth sports earbuds to replace my aging Jaybird X3s. By perfect, I mean: a. Cheap, but no so much so they sound terrible. More than $60 but less than $100. b. Bluetooth 5.0. c. Decent to good sound for the gym. d. Comfortable. e. Sweat proof. I knew from the beginning that it wasn’t an easy list to fulfill....

Background Information This is the fourth part - and perhaps the last one - of a series of posts on backing up photos while traveling using a Raspberry Pi (RPi) and iOS devices. Here are the links to previous posts. Part I: Initial setup and basic Python backup script. Part II: Using iOS today widgets to handle the backup process. Part III: Using the Raspberry Pi’s Sense HAT to handle the backup process....