What on earth is NeuralCastle?
Hello! I'm thrilled you've found your way to my little digital castle. NeuralCastle is where I document my interest in home automation, smart tech, and sustainable living. They say an Englishman's home is his castle, and I'm determined to make mine a smart one. Fair warning: once you start diving into the world of smart homes, it's hard to stop! I'm on a long-term mission to build my dream castle – one that's intelligent, sustainable, and potentially completely off-grid (or at least minimal dependency). And unlike most smart home setups out there today, I want everything running locally, no cloud services calling the shots.
What's This All About?
Look, I get it – technology should make our lives easier, not more complicated. I’m often guilty of forgetting this... I've fallen deep down the rabbit hole of home automation, and I'm loving every minute of it. My ultimate dream? Building a home that's not just modern and efficient, but truly smart. I'm talking about a space that anticipates needs, optimises energy use, and just... works. No fumbling with apps or shouting at unresponsive devices.
Where I'm At Right Now
Currently, I'm juggling two homes (or should I say, outposts of my smart castle?), each running its own Home Assistant setup. It's been a wild ride of trial and error, with different devices scattered everywhere – from energy monitors to security cameras. Both setups are completely different, which has taught me a ton about what works (and what definitely doesn't).
I'm also a bit of an EV advocate (my poor car is seeing quite a few miles between the two homes), so I'm particularly interested in how home automation can play nice with electric vehicles. Think smart charging schedules, solar integration (not there yet) – the whole nine yards. While I wouldn't call myself an expert, I'm a passionate tinkerer who loves figuring things out and sharing the knowledge.
What You'll Find Here
This blog is basically my digital notebook. Here's what you can expect:
- The honest truth about my automation hits and misses (trust me, there are plenty of both)
- Step-by-step guides when I figure something out that might help others
- Real talk about smart devices – what's worth your money and what's just marketing hype
- Whatever catches my attention in the world of home tech and sustainable living
- Cool stuff I've found around the web – because we're all learning together here
My goal? To help you avoid the pitfalls I've stumbled into and maybe inspire you to try something new in your own smart home journey, whether you're just starting with a single smart bulb or going all-in on home automation.
Thanks for stopping by! I'm excited to share this journey with you as I transform my humble abode into a sustainable, intelligent castle. I'd love to hear about your own adventures in smart home tech. Drop a comment, shoot me an email, or just lurk around – whatever works for you!
Stay tuned for more soon!