Here we have the Huawei Honor Band 5 Smart Bracelet – as you may know I’ve had dozns of these Smart bracelets and watches in the last couple of years – and my favourite up to now remains the Mi band 4 AMOLED Colour Screen Wristband, however a friend of…
Pocophone F1 with Pixel 4 Camera
I’ve had (and used constantly) my Xiaomi Pocophone F1 for many, many months now and hence I can speak with much authority on the subject. For those unaware of this smartphone, it comes from Xiaomi who produce a range of phones as other tech gadgets of note. Though not their…
A Better Raspberry Pi Case
Over the years I must’ve had every cheap plastic case going for my various Raspberry Pis, from clear cases through bright red expensive looking perspex, black, orange, you name it. Until now, sizes were pretty much universal and would even fit some of the Not-Raspberry PIs. But now, all change.…
A9 Mini WIFI HD 1080P Wireless IP Camera
Note: I’m having a re-think about this camera. I don’t think it is ONVIF compatible, the picture quality is variable and it seems to keep logging off then back in. It has just lot the job to my spare (and wonderful) Q8 camera. ACTUALLY, too late now but it was…
ijoou Smart Moxibustion Device
The ijoou-B02 is a USB-powered (5v-1amp) pearly white “Smart Moxibustion Device” made in China by Shenzen Baichuanai Technology – here’s their website… In short, two round heating units on which you fix replaceable adhesive pads (moxa patches) so you can stick the two units on your arms, back etc at…
A Blitzwolf Week including the SS1
Not a company I’ve ever associated with home control, Blitzwolf do some decent battery packs – but now they have a neat little IOT mains relay controller of their own. not to mention their own mains relay control board just like Sonoff (well, not really). So, first off the bat,…
Besiter 20,000maH Power Pack
This on’e a little more beefy than previous power packs I’ve recently looked at (I did sayI had a backlog). The Besiter 20000mAh QC3.0 Quick Charge Dual USB LED Display Power Bank is a solid-looking and only JUST pocket-sized battery pack able to handle type-C, micro-usb and full USB-S connections…
A95X Android 9 TV Box
Ok, that’s done. I am more grateful than you might imagine for a speedy delivery from China – Banggood sent me the latest A95X TV box which is around £37 inc post right now. But perhaps the main reason I’m grateful is we just arrived back in the UK from…
The life of a solar panel
Here’s something you don’t see in the garden solar light adverts.. what you’re seeing in the frosty photo below is not untypical weather for the Northeast of England from November through February. When I originally wrote this blog entry I’d had it up to here with cheap garden lights and…
Uninterruptible Power Field Day
I’ve been messing with uninterruptible power supply issues for years and with Raspberry Pi and similar needing (only at leak of course) 3A 5v power, I’ve looked at various alternatives. Here’s a thought for motorists who are IOT enthusiasts as well.. I just solved the issue of ninterruptible power for…
Sonoff Mini with Espurna versus the competition
You can’t get away from it, the iTead products are cheap – and sometimes that is very important. But are they the best solution for Home Control? Well, that depends. Sonoff products have always been inexpensive. But bear with me. At one time the company had a seemingly unbeatable grip…
Cheap Water/flood Sensor
Most DIY type will at one time or another have pondered water sensing – I wasted lots of time with cheap resistive garden sensors a few years go before realising that galvanic current would eventually kill them, then I hit on the capacitive sensors – and even one controlled by…