The Anonymous Widower

Ideas – Control Through a Computer Network

I have a pretty extensive computer network in my house and the buildings.  It’s all very standard stuff based on Cat5e cabling and a few switches. 

I have a couple of cameras on the network to watch over the horses and these work well.  Effectively they are cameras with an inbuilt web server that takes an address on the network.  You type in that address and you see the pictures.

But there do not appear to be many other devices, that work in a similar way. 

For instance, I would like a switch that could sit on the network and be used to switch exterior lights on and off at night.  Or more likely when I think there is something suspicious happening.  I would just click a small window on the computer screen.

There are other devices I would like to put on my network; speakers, weather sensors and level gauges for my gas tank.

I can’t find anything on the Internet, that you just plug in and start playing.

Go on!  Make my day build one.  I think you’ll sell lots!

September 13, 2009 Posted by | Computing, Design | , | Leave a comment

Stirling Moss

Stirling Moss has just been on Radio 5 talking about his new book, All My Races.

I was fourteen when I saw him bring off one of the most difficult wins of all time.  It was in Monaco in 1961.  He was on pole and managed to keep in front of the three Ferraris after taking the lead early on.  They were much more powerful cars and as they harried Stirling’s Lotus for lap after lap, it would only be a matter of time before they overwhelmed him.

But that time never came.  There’s a video with a few shots of the race.

I shall be buying the book.

September 13, 2009 Posted by | Sport | , | Leave a comment