I hope these Arduinos get here soon, the light switch came last week and is fitted and waiting to be controlled!

I am curious. In what situations will you remotely control your lights? I tried to count the times I wished I didn't have to go over and press a switch on the wall like some sort of schmuck but so far it's none. No times. But I bet people said that about the TV remote, and well, who's a schmuck now? Those potentially-existing people that I bet on, that's who.

Part of buying just one switch is to see how useful it is.

Current ideas are switching between "moods" if I'm watching TV or a film. Once I can control the switch(es) via RPi/Arduino I will easily be able to that through XBMC.

So, I'd pop the living room lights into my Film mode which might be to turn off the big light and switch on a lamp, or turn everything off all together.

Forgetting to turn a light off when you go out and being able to turn it off using your phone.

Being able to set timers for your regular lights.

If you have suitable bulbs you could even have your bedroom light slowly getting brighter like one of those SAD/Light alarms.

No idea whether I'll make use in those ways but they're possibilities.

I guess at the moment I use little timer plugs for a couple of lamps when we're away on holiday. Maybe I would get right into this! I do also turn a lamp on and a main light off for films! Although usually that's how things already are.

Pah, I didn't watch the video.

Looking at the 'features' section here all bit the write protect notch could be compromised on card.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital

Well the Arduinos that weren't pre-soldered arrived first. My soldering is pretty bloody shoddy. Annoyingly I thought they had pre-soldered Serial pins but nothing at all was soldered.

Hopefully I'll be able to control the switch tonight.

Soldering is bitchin' hard!

It works! The clicking is unrelated.

Now if we can just get automation to work for having a crap and getting a beer from the fridge the ultimate dream of never having to get off our butts will become a reality.

IT'S THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE!!1!11!@@!!!@

One day Nigel, one day we will live in this Utopia.

Thanks to those in the vanguard, like yourself Antoine, I hope to see that glorious day! Or, rather, sit in it.

Nice one!  I've been meaning to work on mine but I've felt/been so tired this month.  There have been a few days that I've went to bed on Friday night and woke up Sunday morning! I can think of at least two times this month that I've done that.  I hope I can get my mojo back soon!

whoa. You OK Ken? That is some serious sleep catching-up! 

Do you wake up like really really hungry?

I keep doing quick reply to all instead of quick reply lately. Not getting enough sleep!

Haha. Sleep. I've forgotten what that is recently. And rest. Especially with two girls now. <yawn>

Very clever. What have you got planned next?

That's some sleep! How's the new job?

To buy a house to fit all this stuff in.

Definitely happy with how it works now I've added it to my online home automation remote.

How much do you plan to get working through it?

I did wonder if it was possible to have out bedroom led strip voice activated.

When you say nothing was soldered, you just mean the header pins, right?