Smart Home Hacks

Chapter 4. Bedroom

Hacks 47–53

You might think the bedroom is the last place in the house you want a computer, and almost everyone would agree, but the hacks in this chapter enable you to benefit from computer-based automation without having to turn your sanctuary into an office.

In fact, bedroom-related hacks are among the subtlest, and most interesting, in this book. You’ll learn how your home can gently urge you from bed in the morning [Hack #47], help you navigate a dark house during the middle of the night [Hack #49], and play pleasing chimes [Hack #53]. These hacks are sure to delight your whole family.

Educate Your Alarm Clock

Create a set-it-and-forget-it alarm clock for each individual in your home. It goes off only on workdays, and even can nag a reluctant riser to make sure she gets up.

How many times have you gone to bed, only to have to get up a few minutes later to double-check that you set the alarm clock? Or, how about that early-morning weekday alarm setting you always forget to turn off, disrupting your blissful Saturday morning slumber? And what about those days when you need to get up extra early? You find yourself setting and resetting the alarm clock several times a week.

Those days are in the past if you have a smart home, with just a few prerequisites:

• A house that knows who is at home [Hack #70]

• A whole-house sound system [Hack #28] or a computer in the bedroom

• A motion detector [Hack #6]

If you don’t have all these pieces yet, you can adapt the hack to meet your ...