Zigbee2MQTT lets you use thousands of Zigbee devices from every brand without any vendor bridge or cloud: a small USB radio stick, open-source software, and everything speaks to your own hub. Vendor lock-in ends at the door. Setup involves MQTT brokers and configuration files, and device support varies in polish. The backbone of serious local […]
ESPHome turns cheap ESP32 chips into private smart home devices using nothing but YAML: sensors, switches and plugs that talk only to your own Home Assistant, no vendor cloud and no firmware you cannot read. Open source and endlessly flexible. It assumes you enjoy flashing hardware and editing configuration files. The reward is smart home […]
Tasmota replaces the firmware of dozens of off-the-shelf smart plugs, bulbs and switches, cutting them off from their manufacturers’ clouds and putting full local control in MQTT and web commands. One of the great open-source home projects. Flashing requires specific device models and some patience with wires or tools, and updates are on you. Every […]
BellCrier breach check
Most people are, and never hear about it. BellCrier checks your email against known data breaches for free, then alerts you when it turns up in a new one, with exactly what leaked and how to fix it.
