rmiles7721

Vera 3 Review Part I

So a few months back my old laptop that ran Homeseer, my home automation software, finally died.

I’ve used it for quite a long time and mostly ignored it. I’ve been running Homeseer for about 13 years now and ported my setup from a couple different PCs but always managed to save my configuration through the transfers and upgrades. This time I don’t have a backup unfortunately.

I’ve invested a lot of time and money into the system over the last decade and a half. Most of it is x10 hardware but there are a few other kludges in there as well. My weather system, a zwave module or two and a boatload of scripting. The last five years or so I’ve deactivated a good bit of it but left the core system up and running that I didn’t have to tinker with.

After my system died I figured it was time to move on to some newer technologies. Zwave is supposed to be more reliable and it’s wireless so I wanted to make sure that I could use something that was compatible with old and new. Homeseer is but I also wanted a dedicated controller as well.

After reading some (obviously not enough) reviews and docs I settled in the Vera 3 from MiCasa Verde. Quite a few of the other Tasker users I communicate with use the Vera and there is a plugin that let’s you communicate and hook Tasker up with it. Pretty cool.

The Vera (the lite version and the 3, which is what I purchased) are pretty cheap for HA hardware. According to their web site it’s compatible with Zwave, insteon and x10. I figured it would be a win/win. Something to help me move into new territory but still stay on a budget.

I received my unit last week and immediately set it up. Several things I noticed right off the bat. Initially you go to getvera.com and create and account, which redirects you back to the home network and finds your vera(s). This has its good and bad points which I’m not going to get into.

Anyway, I set up my account through them, found my unit and started the setup. I was able to add my one Zwave module with no problems but that’s where the ease of use ended. You’re supposed to be able to go to apps.mios.com and browse/download apps from there. Sort of like the Google Play store. Not a bad idea at all. Unfortunately even though my Vera was linked to my account when I tried to go to the external app store it told me I had no units linked to my account. The answer from their text support? Download the apps from within the Vera interface. That’s fine and dandy but NOT what I was trying to do. I guess that’s not something they are trying to fix.

Another glaring omission is there are absolutely NO help files or documents to access from the Vera. Apparently a previous firmware upgrade in the last two years broke the links and they just haven’t bothered to fix it. Tech support did say they are working on a new release within the next two weeks that fixes the issue. We’ll see I guess.

I’m tired and have to work in the morning so will finish the second part of the review then…

BBS Moving!

So I’m finally in the process of moving my BBS to it’s own dedicated box instead of the VM it’s been running on for the last year and a half.

In the meantime I’ll update the software and some of the plugins and maybe even get around to checking my damned netmail that I’ve been ignoring. Ugh. Between work, family and Ingress I haven’t had much time for the BBS.

I’ll also be running my Home Automation software from the same laptop as my old OLD laptop died a few months back. Shouldn’t be any issues there.

Tybee Island Eats

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Driftwood

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So this happened yesterday…

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One of my restaurants sits at a pretty bad intersection with no light. I opened the store in 94 and ran it for a few years, just picked it back up last month. It’s always been a really bad intersection but in the few years that I’ve been away from this particular store they’ve opened a movie theater and shopping center next door. Needless to say traffic hasn’t improved.
Luckily nobody was hurt but all three vehicles were pretty trashed. That’s the tailgate of the pickup in my parking lot. A wheel from one of them rolled across the parking lot just prior to me taking the pic and calling 911.

WordPress and Android

So I’ve thrown wp for Android on my new phablet. Will see if I can’t start updating again on a semi-regular basis lol.

I miss blogging but am spending less than 5-10% of my time on a PC now. Maybe this will prompt me to do a bit more.

Bassboomz Portable Bluetooth Speaker

So I got the opportunity recently to review the Bassboomz portable bluetooth speaker and as much as I love new gadgets I was eager to proceed.

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I received the unit earlier today while I was at work, thus the wife had already gotten hold of it before I managed to get home. She enjoys some of the gadgets almost as much as I do but I normally have to set them up first. As I said, my wife had already unboxed (half of the fun) the portable speaker and had it charging for me.

The Bassboomz speaker itself retails for around $130 US which while it seems a bit high to me is quite within the price realm of some of the other bluetooth speakers I’ve looked at, although a bit on the high side (more on that later).

The Bassboomz is compatible with your laptop, desktop, cell phone or tablet. Since you can hook up via line-in OR Bluetooth chances are you can use it with whatever you’ve got.

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Inside the box is the bluetooth speaker itself, a standard microUSB cord for charging, a 3.5mm line and directions to get set up. It’s actually pretty easy to set up with or without them but it’s always nice to have easy to follow directions included.

(more…)

Product Reviews

It’s been a while since I’ve done any type of product review here but I decided that it was time to throw the proverbial hat into the ring and start doing a few here and there. I don’t plan on doing many paid reviews anymore though and if I do you can be sure that it will be disclosed in the post.

Anyway, it’s not as if I post extensively any more. I would guess that about 90% of the content here is fed from my G+ feed as well as Twitter and Disqus.

Android App For Discriminating Females (and Some Guys Too!)

So…back in August I shared with you an Android app I had found called Pooplog. I had a good laugh when I came across that one but now I’ve found another app that takes the cake.

It’s called “the Predicktor”

What’s the Predicktor do? It predicts…well, penis size. Heh. Supposedly based on butt size among other things. Here’s a shot from one of the screens.

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I guess there’s just not much more to say about this. Oh yeah, watch the damned video.

 

Here’s a press release from the company:

Doctor-Led Company Unveils The Predicktor, a Mobile App That Predicts Penis Size

Ultimate conversation starter answers the question: “What’s in the package?”

TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – The Doctor Says Inc. today introducedThe Predicktor, a fun and factual mobile app that predicts penis size using personal stats like height and finger length.

How do you stack up to your friends? Is that a cell phone in your date’s pocket? The Predicktor (www.thepredicktor.com) has the answers.

The app’s calculator uses only physical attributes proven by scientific research to be associated with penis length and discards all others, like race.

“The Predicktor is an entertaining antidote to the widespread insecurity, anxiety and dissatisfaction among men over their penis size,” says Dr. Christopher Culligan , a family physician and CEO of mobile health app developer The Doctor Says.

The new app takes a prickly subject into the open, busts a few myths, and adds a few laughs on the way. To get the conversation going, it offers instant access to the facts. For example:

  • There is no scientific evidence to support a connection between race and penis size.
  • Porn stars are statistical outliers, not the norm; men are more likely to be over 6’3″ than to have a penis longer than 7.5 inches.
  • Gay men’s penises are longer and wider on average than straight men’s, according to a Kinsey Institute study.

The Predicktor is available immediately for Android smartphones viawww.thedoctorsays.com. A Blackberry version will be available later this week.

 

Some Things I Just Can’t Share on Facebook…

…although I’m not sure but I may have this site linked…Hmm…

 

What the hell…