A Linux smart home is about controlling and monitoring devices and information around your home using a standard personal computer, Linux, and its vast array of open source tools. You don’t have to be a master programmer to create one. If you like to tinker with Linux, Linux Smart Homes For Dummies will guide you through cool home automation projects that are as much fun to work on as they are to use. Home automation used to be limited to turning on lights and appliances, and maybe controlling your thermostat and lawn sprinkler, from your computer. While you still might not be able to create all the Jetsons’ toys, today you can also Build a wireless network Create and set up a weather station Automate your TV and sound system Spy on your pets when you’re not home Set up an answering system that knows what to do with calls Increase your home’s security If you know how to use Linux and a few basic development tools — Perl, the BASH shell, development libraries, and the GNU C compiler—Linux Smart Homes For Dummies will help you do all these tricks and more. For example, you can Discover the best sources for Linux-based home automation devices Set up a wireless network, create a wireless access point, build a bridge between wired and wireless networks, and route your own network traffic Build a personal video recorder with MythTV that will record to DVD, or set up a wireless streaming music system Create a smart phone system that takes messages and forwards them to your fax, modem, or answering machine Build a weather station that notifies you of severe weather alerts Control and secure your home automation network, and even check on your house when you’re away The bonus CD-ROM includes all kinds of cool open source software for your home automation projects. Linux Smart Homes For Dummies even includes lists of cool gadgets to check out and great ways to automate those boring household chores. A smart home’s a happy home!

Do you long to listen to your favorite CD from anywhere in your house? To set up a wireless network so you can access the Internet in any room? To install an iron-clad security system? To fire up the coffee pot while you’re still asleep and wake up with automated lighting? Smart home technology can help you do just that! Smart Homes For Dummies, Third Edition, shows you how easy it can be to create and live in a cutting-edge, fully connected home—without breaking your bank account. With this user-friendly guide, you’ll discover all the latest trends and gadgets in home networking, automation, and control that will help you make life more enjoyable and comfortable for your entire family. We help you plan for things such as flat-screen TVs, intercom systems, whole-home audio systems, gaming consoles, and satellite systems. We talk about your wiring (and wireless) options and introduce you to the latest technologies, such as VoIP and Bluetooth. You’ll see how to: Build your home network on a budget Turn your home into an entertainment center Access the Internet from any room Get VoIP on your phone network Boost in-home wireless and cell phone signals Connect your computer to your TV Secure your home and property Increase your home’s resale value Avoid common networking pitfalls And much, much more Complete with a resource list for more information and neat toys of the future, Smart Homes For Dummies is your plain-English, twenty-first century guide to a fully wired home!

Ready to control you house with your smartphone or tablet? Spivey shows you how to control thermostats, home security systems, and much more! Best of all, with these plain-English instructions, you can do it yourself!

Smart Home Automation with Linux and Raspberry Pi shows you how to automate your lights, curtains, music, and more, and control everything via a laptop or mobile phone. You'll learn how to use Linux, including Linux on Raspberry Pi, to control appliances and everything from kettles to curtains, including how to hack game consoles and even incorporate LEGO Mindstorms into your smart home schemes. You’ll discover the practicalities on wiring a house in terms of both and power and networking, along with the selection and placement of servers. There are also explanations on handling communication to (and from) your computer with speech, SMS, email, and web. Finally, you’ll see how your automated appliances can collaborate to become a smart home. Smart Home Automation with Linux was already an excellent resource for home automation, and in this second edition, Steven Goodwin will show you how a house can be fully controlled by its occupants, all using open source software and even open source hardware like Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

Smart Homes in easy steps shows you how to start to take advantage of the current smart technology that is beginning to revolutionise the way in which we run our homes! The idea of a smart home – using digital devices throughout the home that can be controlled by digital voice assistants, apps, smartphones and tablets – is not a science fiction vision of the future: it is very much part of the here and now, and available to all. Also known as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home devices can be used to automate tasks, save time and money, and to control devices in your home with a touch of a button – even when you are somewhere else. Smart Homes in easy steps takes the mystery out of all of the elements that are required to set up a smart home: it defines a smart home and shows what is needed to make a home smart: digital voice assistants, devices and apps. Initially, the book looks at the concept of a smart home and how it is now affordable and accessible enough for it to be a serious option for any household. Then, setting up items for a smart home is covered in detail – installing the devices, and also linking them to apps and digital voice assistants for controlling them. The book then examines the digital voice assistants that can be used in the home to control smart home devices, including detailed information about using the most popular options (and their related speakers): Alexa and the Amazon Echo; Google Assistant and the Google Home; and Siri and the Apple HomePod. The book then looks at specific areas of smart home devices, including installation and setup, and how to control them once they are up and running. Some of the areas that are covered in detail include: Smart lighting Smart heating Smart security systems Smart home cameras Smart locks Smart plugs Illustrated using Amazon Echo and Alexa; Google Assistant and Google Home; Apple HomePod and the Home app; and Nest. Smart Homes in easy steps is not a look into the future: it is a comprehensive yet concise, step-by-step guide on how to start transforming your home right now, using this exciting and now affordable technology – for smart learning! Contents: 1. About Smart Homes 2. About Digital Voice Assistants 3. Alexa and the Amazon Echo 4. Google Assistant and Google Home 5. HomePod and the Home app 6. Using Smart Devices 7. Smart Lighting 8. Smart Heating 9. Smart Security 10. More Smart Home Options 11. Looking Forward

Build revolutionary and incredibly useful home automation projects with the all-new Pi Zero About This Book Create and program home automation projects using the Raspberry Pi Zero board Connect your Raspberry Pi Zero to a cloud API, and then build a cloud dashboard to control your devices Integrate all the projects into a complex project to automate key aspects of your home: data monitoring, devices control, and security Who This Book Is For This book is for enthusiasts and programmers who want to build powerful and inexpensive home automation projects using the Raspberry Pi zero, and to transform their home into a smart home. It is for those who are new to the field of home automation, or who already have experience with other platforms such as Arduino. What You Will Learn Learn how to measure and store data using the Raspberry Pi Zero board Control LED lights, lamps, and other electrical applications Send automated notifications by e-mail, SMS, or push notifications Connect motion detectors, cameras, and alarms Create automated alerts using Raspberry Pi Zero boards Control devices using cloud-based services Build a complete home automation system using Pi Zero In Detail The release of the Raspberry Pi Zero has completely amazed the tech community. With the price, form factor, and being high on utility—the Raspberry Pi Zero is the perfect companion to support home automation projects and makes IoT even more accessible. With this book, you will be able to create and program home automation projects using the Raspberry Pi Zero board. The book will teach you how to build a thermostat that will automatically regulate the temperature in your home. Another important topic in home automation is controlling electrical appliances, and you will learn how to control LED Lights, lamps, and other electrical applications. Moving on, we will build a smart energy meter that can measure the power of the appliance, and you'll learn how to switch it on and off. You'll also see how to build simple security system, composed of alarms, a security camera, and motion detectors. At the end, you will integrate everything what you learned so far into a more complex project to automate the key aspects of your home. By the end, you will have deepened your knowledge of the Raspberry Pi Zero, and will know how to build autonomous home automation projects. Style and approach This book takes a step-by-step approach to automate your home like never before!