Make 30: Smarter Homes

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MAKE 30: Smarter Homes

Until recently, home automation was gimmicky, finicky, and user-hostile. But today, thanks to a new crop of devices and technology standards, home automation is useful, fun, and maker-friendly. In the special section of MAKE Vol 30, we’ll show you: how to flip any switch in your home with a smartphone, home automation without programming, controlling your HVAC with an Arduino, a webcam security system, and a wall-mounted Notification Alert Generator (NAG) that plays timely reminders as you walk by. Plus, you'll build a build a finger gesture door lock, Arduino thermostat control, and more!

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Take a tour of Volume 30 with the editors of MAKE.

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= DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES

= SLIDESHOWS AND EXTRAS

Made on Earth

» Stick City by Goli Mohammadi

Scott Weaver made a giant sculpture of San Francisco out of toothpicks, called "Rolling Through the Bay." Page 18

» On-Demand Rainbows by Sean McIntyre

Reid Bingham and Sean McIntyre's "Rainbow Machine" has an arm fitted with colorful flashing LEDs that creates a rainbow in long-exposure photographs. Page 20

» Refine Your Own Wine by Jerry James Stone

Thanks to Netherlands-based designer Sabine Marcelis, the next great winemaker could very well be you! Page 21

» Mighty Mini Men of Metal by Sean Michael Ragan

Working primarily with a lathe and a milling machine, using a number of custom fixtures of his own design and construction, Mark Ho spent more than six years refining the design of his articulated metal armature before fixing it, in 2005, as "Zoho Artform No. 1." Page 22

» Brick Tower of Superpower by Jerry James Stone

Using more than 2,000 Legos and some mad computer skills, Mike Schropp of Livonia, Mich., built a fully operational supercomputer that’s not only awesome, but helps in the fight against diseases like cancer and HIV. Page 23

» Miniature Motion by Craig Couden

Without an everyday reference for a sense of scale, Szymon Klimek’s intricate mechanical creations could easily be mistaken for twice their true size. Page 24

» Please Seat Yourself by Gregory Hayes

Randy Geile designs inexpensive wheelchairs using readily available parts. Page 25

1+2+3

» Stain PVC Any Color by Sean Michael Ragan

PVC pipe is great, but it's kinda ugly – it only comes in white, gray, sometimes black, and clear. Learn how to stain it any color you'd like! Page 117

» Sound Sucker by William Gurstelle

Make a "sound sucker" using a mug, Jello, and hollow stirring straws. Page 125

Maker

» The High-Tech Hobbits of Trout Gulch by Jon Kalish

These cutting-edge animators are creating a live-in hackerspace in a California forest. Page 30

» My TV Stinks! by Alex Kauffmann

Incorporating smell into digital projects. Page 36

SPECIAL SECTION:

» Home Automation by Bob Parks

Tap into the elements of intelligence for smart homes. Page 40

» Homemade Home Security by David Bodnar

Build a 4-camera surveillance system and watch from any web browser. Page 44

» The Electronic Nag by George Tempesta

Build a Notification Alert Generator that pesters you to do your chores. Page 50

» Networked Smart Thermostat by Eric Merrill

Control your home's heating and cooling from anywhere. Page 54

» Notify Me Now! by Goli Mohammadi

One young maker's home security system. Page 59

» X10 Arduino Macro Module by Jim Newell

Maximize your X10 control by tapping into a vast open source code library. Page 60

» 12,000-Mile Universal Remote by Jordan Husney

Flip any switch from your smartphone! Page 66

» Keybanging by William Gurstelle

Enjoy code-free home automation using prop controllers. Page 72

» Home Smart Home

A roundup of home automation projects and ideas.

Thirsty Twinkling
You've Got (Snail) Mail
Super House
Phone Home
Sensitive Buildings
Geeked Out Gardening
Is it Hot in Here?
Your TV Remote is so 20th Century!
For the Birds
Mi Casa Es Su Casa
Taproom
Merry and Bright
Wicked Sketches
Automation from the Outside In
Page 76

Projects

» The Towel by Breck Baldwin

Build a robust R/C flying-wing airplane that's fun to fly and great to learn on. Page 82

» Pipe Dreams by Phil Bowie, Larry Cotton

Build sturdy furnishings with PVC pipe and a few tricks. Page 96

» Yakitori Grill by Bob Knetzger

Get cookin' with this Japanese-style skewer grill. Page 108

Welcome

» George Jetson's Wild Ride by Mark Frauenfelder

New wireless protocols and cellphone-based interfaces make it easier than ever to control your castle. Page 11

Maker's Calendar

» Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle

Our favorite events from around the world. Page 15

Making it Legal

» What's in Your Toolbox? by Ryan P.C. Lawson

Just like you protect your eyes and hands with glasses and gloves, you protect your assets with a company. Page 17

Soapbox

» Zen and the Art of Making by Phillip Torrone

If you don’t know the boundaries of something, for a brief time your ideas are boundless. Page 28

Skill Builder

» IR Remote Hacking by Tom Lauwers

How to capture, view, clone, and generate infrared signals. Page 118

DIY: Toys

» Go, Supercap Racer, Go! by Marc de Vinck

Maker Shed's new kit. Build it, juice it up, and let 'er rip! Page 126

DIY: Home

» Stickstand by Tara Wheeler

Go hands-free and mount your tablet on a monopod. Page 130

DIY: Circuits

» The Eternal Flame by Steve Hoefer

Build simple, nearly indestructible LED lanterns. Page 132

» Mr. Coffee Autopsy by Thomas Arey

Scrounging parts from a dead coffee maker. Page 134

DIY: Vehicles

» Cellphone Car Ignition by Eric Merrill

Remote-start your ride from any distance. Page 136

DIY: Science

» Bacteria Battery by Ashley Franks

Microbial fuel cells generate electricity from "metal-breathing" bacteria in ordinary mud. Page 140

» Hydraulic Ram Pump by Matthew Gryczan

Clever invention pumps water uphill with more water. Page 143

Country Scientist

» Using Sensors with Data Loggers by Forrest Mims III

Data logging is the automatic collection and saving of information. Page 146

What I Made

» What I Made by Scott Bedford

Turn a dimmer switch into a cool day and night dial. Page 150

Toys, Tricks, and Teasers

» Things You Can't Make by Donald E. Simanek

Simple tricks of illusion make the impossible a reality. Page 152

Dangerous Things

» Melt Glass by Julie Spiegler, Gever Tulley

Harness the superheat of fire. Page 155

Howtoons

» The Measure of a Man by Saul Griffith

Make a ruler by using some standard thing you know the dimensions of, like a sheet of letter-sized paper. Page 156

Electronics: Fun and Fundamentals

» Magic 8 Box by Charles Platt

Use rotary encoders to make a digital fortune teller. Page 158

Toolbox

» Toolbox

Paint your couch, get hypnotized, consolidate yoru remotes, control your robot army, and design in 3D for free. Page 162

Eureka!

» Pop! by Roy Doty

Page 164

Remaking History

» The Oliver: A Leg-Powered Hammer by William Gurstelle

Build the treadle hammer that helped build medieval Europe. Page 170

Make Money

» Silver Bells by Tom Parker

Make a 90% pure silver jingle bell from 2 quarters and a dime. Page 172

Homebrew

» My Own DIY Gravity Balancer

Gilles Robin built a device to help him navigate his steep 30-degree lawn using two pneumatic jacks and some pulleys. Page 176