Controlling the mains via the parallel port
Today I’m looking at controlling a 240V socket with the parallel port on my Linux desktop; this design can take the full 13A available and can control any device or extension lead with a 13A plug. I’m...
View ArticleControlling a fan with live weather updates
Spring has arrived, this means rooms get uncomfortably hot. A fan helps, but manually turning a fan on and off doesn’t work when I’m asleep or out. This results in waking up or arriving home to a...
View ArticleControlling the mains with bluetooth proximity
I’ve found another use for my parallel port controlled socket box; by using it in conjunction with a bluetooth dongle, I can detect when I have wandered out of the room. I can turn off a load of...
View ArticleRevisiting parallell port mains control
Since my last post on this topic, there has been quite a lot of interest; this post is to cover some slight tweaks to the box itself and to include some extra details. I’ve added a second parallel...
View ArticlePausing Banshee using bluetooth proximity
In my continued efforts to control everything with bluetooth proximity, I’ve successfully nailed another target: Banshee media player. Banshee is the default media player supplied with Ubuntu and has...
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