Turning a doorbell switch into a home security camera...and still retain its original function

Today there is an off-the-shelf solution for practically every average-Joe-grade idea one may have. There is always the chance that when one thinks of something that could have a practical purpose and cover a specific need, that there is already a product in the market that will do that function.

Even though home automation may still be in its infancy, today we see a market practically flooded of solutions that one way or another aim to respond in terms of comfort, or to help improve the home experience, or even to enhance the safety and security of its occupants.

Trying to make the most out of Home Assistant + rooted Xiaomi vacuum cleaner + Valetudo

After some time using HA (Hass.io), and even longer using the Xiaomi Roborock (first generation) vacuum cleaner, I kind of felt a certain discomfort in keeping this robot in a stock setup. Sticking to the original firmware meant having a device that is permanently connected to a chinese cloud service, and without the user awareness it sends many megabytes of data daily to this service. Also it meant that integration and features via a platform such as Home Assistant, are limited.

One feature that I fancied for some time was the ability to define zones, and instuct the robot to go to these predefined zones on demand.

The hurdles of fixing a puncture in a Xiaomi M365 scooter

I can say that I am pretty seasoned at fixing bicycle tires. It dates back to my childhood, where numerous times I had to fix the punctures by patching the inner tubes. I still remember the patching kits featuring an assortment of patches of different sizes and shapes, sanding paper, and the rubber cement.

Never had much trouble in separating the tire from the rim, and putting it back together, after having fixed the puncture. The same applies for fixing the tires of more recent MTBs, where upon following the usual technique no major obstacle arises in accomplishing these tasks.

But now, just after a bit over 100 Km into using my Xiaomi M365 scooter, I found a rattling noise in the front tire while riding it. Went on to take a look, and found a thumb tack, fully buried in the tire. As I started removing it, I could hear the air escaping. Decided to leave it there just so that I could ride the scooter back home.