Home Hacking Projects for Geeks

Description

Home Hacking Projects for Geeks presents a wide range of projects from automating of light switches, to building home theaters using Windows or Linux-based PCs, to building home security systems that rival those offered by professional security consultants. The thirteen projects in the book are divided into three categories: Home Automation, Home Entertainment Systems, and Security, designed to appeal to hackers of all ability levels.

Full Description

Take a geek and a PC, add one soldering iron, a home, and a copy of Home Hacking Projects for Geeks, and you'll give new meaning to the term, "home improvement." From fearless neophytes to tool-wielding masterminds, the home hacker in any geek will find new inspiration and plenty of hands-on guidance to take on a variety of home-transforming projects once relegated to the world of sci-fi. This fun new guide combines creativity with electricity and power tools to achieve cool--and sometimes even practical--home automation projects. Never again will you have to flip a light switch when you enter a room or use a key to open your front door. With a few off-the-shelf devices, some homemade hardware, and a little imagination, you can be living in your own high-tech habitat. Home Hacking Projects for Geeks shows hackers of all ability levels how to take on a wide range of projects, from the relatively small but energy-conscious automating of light switches, to building home theaters using Windows or Linux-based PCs, to more complicated projects like building home security systems that rival those offered by professional security consultants. Each project includes a conceptual diagram, a "What You Need List" and a small "Project Stats" section that describes the relative difficulty, time involved, and cost of the project. What's more, each project is a workable, practical way to improve your home--something unique that you can customize for your individual needs. The thirteen projects in Home Hacking Projects for Geeks are divided into three categories: Home Automation, Home Entertainment Systems, and Security, and include projects such as:

Remotely Monitor Your Pet
Make Your House Talk
Remotely Control Your Computer's MP3 player
Create Time-Shifted FM Radio
Watch Your House Across the Network
Build a Home Security System

If you've ever thought the Jetsons had it made, or looked around your house and thought, "I could make that better " then you're ready for Home Hacking Projects for Geeks.

Table of Contents

Home Automation
1. Chapter 1 Automate a Light
  1. Project Overview
  2. Light Switch
  3. Motion Detection
  4. Wrapping Up
  5. Extensions
  6. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
2. Chapter 2 Automate Your Porch Light
  1. Project Overview
  2. Light Switch
  3. Motion Detection
  4. Logic and Timer
  5. Understanding the Script
  6. Wrapping Up
  7. Extensions
  8. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  9. Exhibit B: Script Source Code
  10. Exhibit C: Software Versions
3. Chapter 3 Remotely Monitor a Pet
  1. Project Overview
  2. Motion Detection
  3. Image Capture
  4. Understanding the Script
  5. Image Retrieval
  6. Wrapping Up
  7. Extensions
  8. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  9. Exhibit B: Software Versions Used
4. Chapter 4 Make Your House Talk
  1. Project Overview
  2. Weather Information
  3. Speech Interface
  4. Whole-House Audio
  5. Scheduling and Logic
  6. Wrapping Up
  7. Extensions
  8. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  9. Exhibit B: Software Versions
Home Entertainment
1. Chapter 5 Remotely Control Your Computer
  1. Project Overview
  2. The Infrared Receiver
  3. Infrared Signal Processor (Linux)
  4. Infrared Signal Processor (Windows)
  5. Wrapping Up
  6. Extensions
  7. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  8. Exhibit B: Ready-Made IR Receivers
2. Chapter 6 Control Your Home Theater
  1. Project Overview
  2. The IR Transceiver
  3. The IR Signal Processor
  4. Wrapping Up
  5. Extensions
  6. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
3. Chapter 7 Build a Windows-Based Home Theater PC
  1. Project Overview
  2. The Hardware Platform
  3. The Software Platform
  4. The User Interface
  5. The Services Layer
  6. Wrapping Up
  7. Extensions
  8. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  9. Exhibit B: Drivers and Software Versions
4. Chapter 8 Build a Linux-Based Home Theater PC
  1. The Platform
  2. The Services Layer
  3. The User Interface
  4. Wrapping Up
  5. Extensions
  6. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  7. Exhibit B: Remote Configuration (.lircrc)
  8. Exhibit C: Drivers and Software Versions
5. Chapter 9 Create Time-Shifted FM Radio
  1. Project Overview
  2. FM Receiver
  3. Audio Recorder
  4. Audio Playback
  5. Whole-House Audio
  6. Whole-House Control Distribution
  7. Scheduling and Buffering
  8. Wrapping Up
  9. Extensions
  10. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  11. Exhibit B: Software Versions
6. Chapter 10 Access Your Entire Media Collection Over the Internet
  1. Project Overview
  2. The Media Player
  3. The Backing Store
  4. The Web Interface
  5. Wrapping Up
  6. Extensions
  7. Exhibit A: default.asp
  8. Exhibit B: display.asp
  9. Exhibit C: playlist.asp
Home Security
1. Chapter 11 Keyless Entry Welcome Home
  1. Project Overview
  2. Linking the Physical Plant to the Control Medium
  3. The Control Medium
  4. The Controlled Devices
  5. The Intelligent Dispatcher
  6. Wrapping Up
  7. Extensions
  8. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  9. Exhibit B: Script Source Code
2. Chapter 12 Watch Your House Across the Network
  1. Project Overview
  2. Video Cameras
  3. Video Capture
  4. Video Transfer
  5. Video Playback
  6. Playback Control
  7. Wrapping Up
  8. Extensions
  9. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  10. Exhibit B: Software Versions
3. Chapter 13 Build a Security System
  1. Project Overview
  2. Intrusion Detection
  3. Intrusion Deterrence
  4. Gathering Evidence
  5. Arming
  6. Monitoring and Alerting
  7. Wrapping Up
  8. Extensions
  9. Exhibit A: Bill of Materials
  10. Exhibit B: Software Versions

Colophon

Product Details

Title:

Home Hacking Projects for Geeks

By:

Eric Faulkner, Tony Northrup

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print Release:

December 2004

Ebook Release:

June 2009

Pages:

336

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-00405-7

| ISBN 10:

0-596-00405-2

Ebook ISBN:

978-0-596-10391-0

| ISBN 10:

0-596-10391-3

Customer Reviews

About the Authors

Eric Faulkner

Eric's Love affair with technology began as a child with his first electronics project kits from Radio Shack. In his early teens, a friend's Texas Instruments TI99/4A intoduced him to computers and programming, thus sealing his fate to be a lifelong geek. Professionally, Eric's experience is diverse. He worked for a voice messaging pioneer in the 80s. He spent three years in the Army working with nerve agents. He designed fully automated manufacturing facilities for the precast concrete industry. Then he went to college. These days Eric makes a living as a technology consultant and systems engineer. He also finds time for writing, teaching, and editing. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Alyssa, their daughter, Lily, and Lily's grandparents Will and Jean.

View Eric Faulkner's full profile page.
Tony Northrup

Tony Northrup, a Boston-area network security consultant and technology author, developed his interest in home automation after renting an apartment where every light was controlled by pulling a string. Tony turned to home automation products to add light switches without needing to hire an electrician or cutting into the drywall. Tony later bought a house and now uses computers to control and monitor virtually every system in his home: electrical, home theater, security, and even plumbing. Tony's wife, Erica, ensures his home hacking projects are user-friendly and reliable, while his cat, Sammy, mangles every project within paw's reach.

View Tony Northrup's full profile page.

Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. Emily Quill was the production editor and copyeditor for Home Hacking Projects for Geeks. Sada Preisch was the proofreader. Rick Schlott and Emily Quill did the typesetting and page makeup. Marlowe Shaeffer, Sarah Sherman, and Claire Cloutier provided quality control. Mary Agner provided production assistance. Julie Hawks wrote the index.

Edie Freedman designed the cover of this book using Adobe Photoshop CS and Adobe InDesign CS. The cover image is an original photograph by Edie Freedman. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with Adobe InDesign CS using Linotype Birka and Adobe Formata Condensed fonts.

Melanie Wang designed the interior layout using Adobe InDesign CS, based on a series design by David Futato. This book was converted from Microsoft Word to InDesign CS by Julie Hawks. The text and heading fonts are Linotype Birka and Adobe Formata Condensed, and the code font is TheSans Mono Condensed from LucasFont. The illustrations and screenshots that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand MX and Adobe Photoshop 7. The "geek" illustrations that appear at the beginning of each chapter were created by Mark Frauenfelder.

O'Reilly Books & Videos

Home Hacking Projects for Geeks

Home Automation

Chapter 1 Automate a Light

Chapter 2 Automate Your Porch Light

Chapter 3 Remotely Monitor a Pet

Chapter 4 Make Your House Talk

Home Entertainment

Chapter 5 Remotely Control Your Computer

Chapter 6 Control Your Home Theater

Chapter 7 Build a Windows-Based Home Theater PC

Chapter 8 Build a Linux-Based Home Theater PC

Chapter 9 Create Time-Shifted FM Radio

Chapter 10 Access Your Entire Media Collection Over the Internet

Home Security

Chapter 11 Keyless Entry Welcome Home

Chapter 12 Watch Your House Across the Network

Chapter 13 Build a Security System

Colophon

Eric Faulkner

Tony Northrup