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Continue reading →: FitBit Aria
The FitBit Zip has been working well for tracking daily steps but I decided to get us a FitBit Aria scale so we could also track weight changes easily. I think the price is a bit high (about $130) considering what it does but overall it’s alright.
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Continue reading →: FitBit Zip
I haven’t started an exercise program yet but I figured it might help to pickup a pedometer so I can get an idea of how active I am on a daily basis. I figured this kind of device would give me a good idea of how much I walk throughout…
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Continue reading →: Using a Philips VOIP 080 Skyp VOIP Travel Phone (VOIP0801B/37) with a Mac (Mountain Lion)
The Short Version: The Philips VOIP0801B/37 Skype Phone is not fully compatible with Skype and Mountain Lion. The microphone and speaker work fine but the keypad does not. I’ve had a Skype account for some time though I’ve never used it very often. In general, it serves as little more…
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Continue reading →: Switching from a Full-Face Mask (Resmed Quattro FX) to a Nasal Pillow (RespCare Aloha)
I’ve been sleeping with a CPAP device for several years and during the entire time I’ve always used a full-face mask. It’s worked alright but I still have several bad nights every now and then along with several moderate sleep nights. I know what it’s like to have great sleep…
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Continue reading →: GE 45603 Z-Wave Technology Wireless Lighting Control Fluorescent Light and Appliance Module
Earlier this week I replaced two X10 modules in my Man Cave. I replaced an X10 slimline wall remote with a Z-Wave remote. As part of this replacement I also swapped out an X10 appliance module with a new GE 45603 Z-Wave Technology Wireless Lighting Control Fluorescent Light and Appliance…
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Continue reading →: Olive Garden Dressing
The last time we dropped by an Olive Garden to eat we picked up two bottles of the salad dressing to take home. We both really like it and have had several salads since so it was nearly gone. As luck would have it, I decided to look for some…
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Continue reading →: GE 45631 Z-Wave Wireless Keypad Controller
The light switch in my Man Cave is in an awkward position. Instead of being near the door it’s farther into the room on the other side of a fireplace mantel. Basically, this means that in order to turn on the light I had to stumble in the dark to…
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Continue reading →: Moving from mControl 3 (Windows) to Indigo 6 (OS X) for Home Automation
The Short Version: I moved VPN, home automation control, and video recording from an ASUS eeeBox PC (Windows) to my iMac (OS X Mountain Lion). VPN was changed from PPTP to L2TP using iVPN to control the server. Video recording is with the same program (Vitamin D Video Pro) using…
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Continue reading →: Upgrade Impressions: Replacing MacBook Pro and ASUS Eee PC Hard Drives with Seagate Hybrid Drives
Early last month I replaced the hard drive in my ASUS home automation PC with a Seagate Hybrid Drive (1 TB, 5,400 RPM, 2.5″). Since then I’ve noticed a slight improvement in performance. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to replace the drive in my work laptop…
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Continue reading →: Plugable USB 2.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Several months ago I lost some network ports on different devices due to a power surge from a nearby lightning strike. Unfortunately, one of the devices that took a hit was the ASUS system I’m using for managing home automation. After the surge I configured the system to use wifi…
Hello,
I’m Mike
Welcome to my blog, which I have maintained for several years, off and on, to share things that I’ve learned from numerous projects and various problem solving escapades. This is my way of giving something back to the online communities that have helped me learn more about a wide variety of topics.
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