Forums Forums Wirral Information Ask - Wiki Wirral Any ideas?

Some weeks back I came across an ad for a cheap Chinese device that links to your wi-fi and allows you to switch things on via your smartphone from anywhere in the world.

It was so inexpensive I bought one and it does what it says on the tin! I can now switch a table lamp on an off from almost anywhere on the planet. But I have never felt the need to do this in all my life, so it doesn't really meet a need. I cannot for the life of me imagine some traveler trudging across the Kalahari, suddenly possessed with the urge to switch his bedside light, thousands of miles, away off or on.

I've chucked it into a drawer and I guess I'll forget about it in time, but try as I might, I cannot think of any sensible application of this, technological marvel that it undoubtedly is. Hence this post. Can anyone think of anything sensible it could be used for?

The only times I've found remote operation of any use is when I'm outside and a device is switched on from indoors and even then its down to when I'm doing maintenance or testing something, especially if I'm up ladders, it all pretty local stuff rather than distant.

Technological solutions to problems that don't yet exist are always frustrating, I remember the guy that invented a highly sensitive accurate cheap humidity sensor, he ended up running competitions to try and find applications for the invention.

I wish I'd known. The ones that controlled the fan in my bathroom didn't seem to last very long. I gave up eventually in favour of an IR sensor and a timer.

I've fitted a few Airvent/Anda humidistat extractors they are the cheaper brand name of Vent Axia and I've not had any problem with them, I even have two new ones sitting here that I'm about to fit in my workshop. They also have the automatic grill which eliminates the flapping-in-the-wind syndrome, been very pleased with them and reasonably quiet.

They come in various configurations (on-with-light, pull-cord, humidistat, automatic-vents), they are the ones that have the green logo at bottom in this list https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...rvent.TRS0&_nkw=airvent&_sacat=0

Or pick up the model number from their website http://www.anda.co.uk/products/ventilation

Thanks but the problem has been solved now. I think its a better way of doing it anyway as I can use a cheap simple fan and replace it when it wears out.

Not quite sure if this is the same but my fishing club is looking at some solar or battery operated security CCTV at our ponds that triggers an app on a smartphone when it detects movement and can be viewed remotely on the smartphone.

That's quite a challenge, if there isn't internet present at the site they will have to stream it through a mobile phone which could work out expensive.

Video movement detection on CCTV is a nightmare for false alarms, I tried it for a few months, changing settings etc and ended up with switching it off. Even other intrusion detectors can have a large amount of false alarms in the open, think of the number of times you see flood lights going on outside houses.

Then there is the security of the equipment if it is outdoors, even solar panels get robbed these days.

I was speaking with someone the other day who owns a large lake, he has given up re-stocking his lake because of poachers.

Im not techy enough to bother do anything about it, but when we're away, I always wonder if the fact our light (on a timer) goes on at precisely the same time every evening whether its dark enough to warrant it or not , is a dead give away the house is empty should anyone be monitoring it with a view to breaking in . A random on and off remotely would be a lot better I think. Also Id quite like to switch on our watering system just when the weather requires it , and it would be nice to draw the curtains randomly , and switch on the heating at will, so the place is warm when I get home after a long trek back home .