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C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

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Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#21
post #5
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what manner? I can't say I have an opinion about the way DC lighting looks, but if it made for easier work with the solar power of an already custom-beyond-reason job, why not?

He says it "feels" different. I think it's very unlikely that people can perceive AC power cycles.

This is not true.

Try the following experiment. Find a mercury-vapor street light or other mercury vapor light. Holding your eyes straight ahead, quickly move your head to one side or the other. You will actually see the flicker. If you can find one, you can do the same experiment with a drive-in theater from a distance of, say, a mile. However, that is a much lower rate--24 frames a second.

I think the same effect can be observed with sodium lamps.

Florescent lighting is worse. While it also goes on and off 120 times a second when being fed with 60-cycle AC, there are often sub-harmonics that give amplitude changes at a lower, more easily perceived frequency.

So it is not unreasonable that one can observe AC power cycles, even if only occasionally.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#22
post #2

Reminds me a bit of Paul Lutus http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1681247 Automated homes seem to be like video phones: common in science-fiction, we now have them, but they (curiously) aren't used that much.

Smart and automated homes are closely related to my research so I'll chime in on this. Even though the technology exists to do lots of cool things no one has built a modular system that you can mix and match pieces to.

Right now each "smart" feature would be completely separate from the rest so you can't amortize the cost of each one. So if you want a home security system, an automatic door and window locker, and an item tracking system you will need to pay for and install three separate systems. Since the utility of some of those systems just isn't that great people only install the system that has the highest economic benefit -- the home security system. Everything else costs too much for too little benefit.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#23
"C++ programming pioneer"? I'd never heard of him before. From the headline I thought they were talking about Bjarne or somebody like that.

And 10,000 lines is not a lot. What's so special about this guy's C++ code?

Sorry to be negative, but the article sounds full of hype.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#24
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why ?

Unless he has high-tech stoves, it is pretty polluting. Smoke contains many toxic chemicals. http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/is-burning-wood-f...

Hardly anything wrong with them as far as I can tell, provided you don't have neighbours. I would suspect that all the wood people burn in North America as fuel is greatly offset by all the forest fires people in North America put out. Large-scale adoption of course is not a bright idea, but that's not what this guy is doing.

(And it is carbon neutral, so if you're going to burn something, better wood than fossil fuels from that standpoint.)

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#25
post #2

Reminds me a bit of Paul Lutus http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1681247 Automated homes seem to be like video phones: common in science-fiction, we now have them, but they (curiously) aren't used that much.

Video chat has much better adoption for close relationships with people that don't live near by. Family moving away, long distance dating etc. Overall communication is a lot more nuanced than most people think. Just consider text messages.

What science fiction in 1920 thought people would hold phones that let them call other people and instead chose to write the message down and then send it. Yet, often people find text messages far more useful than a phone call.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#26

"C++ programming pioneer"? I'd never heard of him before. From the headline I thought they were talking about Bjarne or somebody like that. And 10,000 lines is not a lot. What's so special about this guy's C++ code? Sorry to be negative, but the article sounds full of hype.

The 10,000 lines of code are for controlling the systems in his house.

I would guess he wrote a lot more in his career.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#28
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless he has high-tech stoves, it is pretty polluting. Smoke contains many toxic chemicals. http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/is-burning-wood-f...

Hardly anything wrong with them as far as I can tell, provided you don't have neighbours. I would suspect that all the wood people burn in North America as fuel is greatly offset by all the forest fires people in North America put out. Large-scale adoption of course is not a bright idea, but that's not what this guy is doing. (And it is carbon neutral, so if you're going to burn something, better wood than fossil fue…

Your still burning fossil fuels to get the wood chopped and into your house.

Granted, if your burning something for heat it's the best option. But, with that much passive solar and the fact he is living in California he could probably get by using more insulation and basically never need to use a wood stove. I mean just look at all those single pane windows.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#29
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why ?

Unless he has high-tech stoves, it is pretty polluting. Smoke contains many toxic chemicals. http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/is-burning-wood-f...

The described Pollution only exists if don't know how to start and run a wood stove. (like running it low on oxygen & overloaded with wood). Most people who own such a stove know how to operate it right, for the simple reason that it saves money (less material burned) and work (less ash produced). If you run an mis-adjusted oil-burner with a dirty nozzle you get (at least) the same level of pollution.

Re: C++ programming pioneer hacks off-grid, DIY, smart home

#30
Look at the pictures of the house (cf. comment by topbanana), the house is beautiful, just a pleasure to look at the clean minimalism.

This goes in the same direction than this house: http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm Corresponding HN discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=619511

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