51F and grey out. Yesterday was grey most of the afternoon with scattered showers. Every bayou I crossed was swollen with runoff.
Sleep glorious sleep! I feel like $100 bucks. If only I could keep my bladder from waking me, I could sleep like the dead.
Mixed bag today. I should go see a client and give them an invoice. They’d like to have the expense in this year, I’d like to get paid. Just a couple of niggling little networking issues remaining.
Well, kids to feed, sick wife to minister to. Better get going.
Keep stacking, nothing has changed for the better and the cracks are showing…
n
Two new security cameras installed bringing the total cameras to five. Four outdoors covering the two exterior doors to the pool, one covering the driveway and garage, one covering the front door. The Arlo system is quite nice. No wires as everything is wireless. Downside is everything is wireless and relies on a wireless router that must have power. Lose the wireless and you lose the cameras.
If a thief was desperate they would cut power to the house first before entering to steal. Most won’t take the time. Also the cameras would catch them along with the motion activated security lights on all corners of the house.
I have six line powered security lights, one on each corner of the house, one at the exterior lawnmower shed, one over the garage. I also have two solar powered LED lights at the front of the RV cover, one facing the entrance, one facing inside the structure.
Yes, a determined thief could bypass all of that. The object is not completely thwart any cretins, but to make my place an unattractive target and have them consider another venue for their dastardly deeds.
I also have three smart plugs in the house that are controlled by Alexa and Apple Homekit. These plugs control lights that are on a schedule and will go on and off at regular schedules when we are not at home.
The thermostat is also connected to the web and I can control the temperature when I am not at home. I have 5 additional sensors that detect movement and temperature. This allows the temperature to be averaged around the home. Only certain sensors work at night thus allowing me to keep the bedroom at a certain temperature and not be concerned with the rest of the house. When I leave for a couple of days I turn the temperature way down (winter) or way up (summer). About 30 minutes before I get home I tell the system to resume normal temperatures so when I get home the place is comfortable again.
I like all the automation but there is that concern about the hacking of my web connected devices. There is also the concern that these devices know my routine and when I am away. Some nefarious person could use that data to plan an invasion. The saving grace on that is that I don’t have much that is really valuable. Some drug head could sell the stuff for pennies on the dollar but drug heads are not smart enough to circumvent the systems in place.
Will I ever by 100% secure? Nope. Just have to be better than the house across the street.
Why Tesla is screwed long term — if the video is real, this woman has not a clue about what she just bought. She won’t be happy when she fully processes the experience at the gas station.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHPg2Mi2roI
The CA relations made it up to Seattle for Christmas. No word if they had the Model X trucked up there or used a different vehicle. No supercharger from Grants Pass to Eugene is still a problem in 40 degree weather.
@ray, sounds like a pretty good setup. I’m assuming you’ve also done the prudent things, like good doorknobs and locks, reinforced strike plates and jambs, clearing underbrush near the buildings, securing ladders and tools left outside, and getting rid of the spare key under the mat…..
n
No spare keys anywhere. An extra is hidden at a friend’s house about a mile away. Nothing left outside to steal as all garden tools, ladders, etc. are locked in the detached mower shed. Dead bolts on all doors with 3 inch screws into the framing. Both exterior doors are steel. No high shrubbery obscuring windows.
A determined thief could get in. The idea is to make another house an easier target. When I purchase expensive products the boxes are not put in the trash but are taken to the local collection center by myself. No sense advertising what I have.
I’ve got the Arlo 2 Pro cameras. Five total with four wired (I found 10+ USB extensions on Amazon) with the outdoor house mounted ones delivered power through the screen and window. The wireless I call “mobile” and stick it on the iron gate, indoor, etc. I have a free year of their “smart” monitoring which will detect animals, people and eventually individual faces.
My Apple Watch pops up a picture anytime one of the motion cameras detect something.
Security stuff – I really, really dislike the fact that everything goes to some company’s server. First, I don’t trust the companies not to (a) sell the data, (b) be secure against hacking, or (c) to take the server down someday, because they want to sell a different product. I want data to go to my server, and no one else’s.
There are OSS programs (including home automation, and even Alexa work-alikes) that do this, but they aren’t nearly as advanced – no companies throwing $billions at the development. I am hoping that, eventually, some competitors will spring up to address this market. Hasn’t happened yet, but surely most techies would welcome the option?
The thermostat is also connected to the web and I can control the temperature when I am not at home
The security risk of a smart thermostat is someone getting access to the unit and turning your heat off during freezing weather when you are not home.
I regret installing an HVAC system which requires the proprietary “communicating” thermostat and interface panel. When the upstairs unit gets replaced, I’m insisting upon keeping the traditional four wire thermostat control in place, even if the SEER rating is lower, and leaving installation of a smart thermostat to the next homeowner.
Even without a hacker being involved, I’ve had our Nexia crash several times for no apparent reason and once for a faulty AC drain line sensor. I’ll take a Honeywell programmable “dumb” thermostat anytime over the POS we currently have installed.
Headlines like this are why Musk should face his suit, and if he loses, should be fined a HUGE chunk of cash.
“British divers who saved 12 Thai boys trapped in a cave – including rescuer labelled a ‘pedo guy’ by Elon Musk – are rewarded by the Queen in her prestigious New Year’s honors list ”
No matter what this guy does, every headline about him will remind readers of the false and unsupported slur.
n
Oh my.
”
Women’s March Organizers Cancel California Rally Due to “Overwhelmingly White” Participants”
““Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community. Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.”
F you white women, get over there with your white men….
anyone doubt their true goals?
n
No matter what this guy does, every headline about him will remind readers of the false and unsupported slur.
I think the bigger lurking scandal is Musk may have based his comment on something he saw looking at the guy’s Google profile. I have no doubt that friends of friends in the Valley casually pass around confidential social media account information on individuals all the time.
One of my wife’s CA relatives is a VP at VMware/Dell, lives in The Valley, and knows a lot of people having been on the West Coast for 20+ years. I also have no doubt he’s seen my Gmail and search history. Maybe all of my in-laws have seen it thanks to him.
Does it bother me? There’s stuff in there that would be a lot harder for them to handle knowing about me than it would affect me if they knew. Some things can’t be unseen, kids. The Chinese relatives play a game of being Prog in public, but behind closed doors, they use the word “Colored” to describe African Americans and view their criminal enterprises as being okay because they’re feeding white guy vices in Seattle, not Chinese. Sphincters are puckered in that family.
happy 2019!
question, ineed a tracker gps with panic alarm on gsm, no recurrent fees, only panic button and if possible two way voice, my mother press the button and location is send to me by sms, or as bonus tracker downloadble.
ideas?
I researched a lot and mmmmm.
Hello Ayjblog! Long time since you commented!
nick
Over 300 pounds of scrap to the dealer. 271 lbs of steel- ~$5. Not gonna get rich off steel. The rest was some copper wire, and some aluminum, for about $21.
Eh, it has to leave my driveway, might as well get a tank full of gas for it.
n
WRT GPS trackers, communicators, mine has monthly fees as it SMS’s via Iridium satellites.
but I read! BTW Christmas wo snow on NY, what happened???
now trying to fix the tracker issue for my mom, (she lives 300 mi from me and she lives alone) we all age and I guess the good enough doesnt need iridium (thanks slim) nor recurret fees, something that has a push button and send an sms with location
And here is the thing, I thought before that there will be a lot of solutions but nope
Thanks a lot and maybe 2019 will accomplish all your desires