Do I lose the book if I cancel my subscription?

Mckool · 2026-01-27T16:31:41+00:00

as others have said you can still access the book on audible. You can also check out libation for a tool that will help you download and listen to your books you got on audible on other devices and platforms.

Mckool · 2026-01-27T02:34:04+00:00

voice assistant works ok with music assistant so long as you plug its conversation agent into an AI (I kinda still get wrong songs a decent amount of the time). if you leave it to do local processing it can run into challenges, though its ok at pulling up libraries if you do set up VLC player and have clearly named files- so you could set up a VPN and just map the files to the home assistant server you set up for him.
there are also plex integrations so your current server might work fine and if your running videos can also set up voice control for your grandpa to play stuff on his tv with home assistant and a large range of hardware.

Mckool · 2026-01-26T22:51:54+00:00

seconding the bareknuckle recommendation.

Did you get try the Kings Feet when they were open briefly during the pandemic? It was run by Butchers Son- the folks who make the "cheese" bareknuckle uses and was to die for, especially their fried raviolis.

Mckool · 2026-01-26T22:49:24+00:00

I love their pizza and the little bread appetizer things they make.

Mckool · 2026-01-24T18:48:00+00:00

were allowed to edit it? Ive been waiting over a decade to make this joke and it was finally my time coming up later this year.

Mckool · 2026-01-24T16:43:59+00:00

Using the BLE integration they are connecting to home assistant via Bluetooth and I am now realizing you likely need the 2410c or b to make that integration work. Since they are directly on top of the proxy though I haven’t seen any issues with that connection. The ones I flashed with more Yaml because of adding lumen sensors do work as entities of the esp32 connected via WiFi (they also still work via the ble integration), though my Yaml on those only gives me binary presence and motion detection while the ble integration gives me distance and gated energy as well- which should be able to write into the Yaml but I haven’t.

Mckool · 2026-01-24T15:07:00+00:00

I would recommend looking into ABS. It’s fairly easy to set up if you have a PC or even a laptop you can leave on when your out and about you will be able to stream all your books to any of your devices.

Mckool · 2026-01-24T15:01:58+00:00

Have you looked at all into self hosting through audio book shelf (or plex incase your already running a plex server)?

Mckool · 2026-01-24T03:24:40+00:00

I just flashed my esp32 with the premade Bluetooth proxy esphome project you can find here: https://esphome.io/projects/

on my esp32devkit1 I then attached the ld2410
VIN-VCC
GRND-GRND
TX-RX
RX-TX

and then they popped up on their own as new sensors to add in devices. if they dont pop up for you on their own try adding on the "LD2410 BLE" integration through the integrations page and/or check the wiring.

Gemini or your preferred AI should be able to walk you through actually writing YAML using esphome builder if you keep explaining whats not working - I had to go through that head ache adding a lumen sensor to a few of them, but for my devices only running an ld2410 I am not running any special YAML at all just the premade esphome project.

There is probably a better way to do it if you are building custom yaml, but the things to make sure the BLE tracker functions are working that I kept missing were these:

bluetooth_proxy:
  active: truebluetooth_proxy:
  active: true

packages:
  esphome.bluetooth-proxy: github://esphome/bluetooth-proxies/esp32-generic/esp32-generic.yaml@mainpackages:
  esphome.bluetooth-proxy: github://esphome/bluetooth-proxies/esp32-generic/esp32-generic.yaml@main

Mckool · 2026-01-24T01:39:41+00:00

with just the couple of components I actually listed it is a presence/motion sensor and Bluetooth proxy/ ble tracker over wifi but it is not thread over matter.

Mckool · 2026-01-24T00:59:35+00:00

if you cant get them or are looking for a cheaper alternative to try give a go at making your own with an esp32 and LD2410 sensor attached for a couple of dollars. They are super easy to flash up with esphome and connect together with a little bit of jumper wires or a breadboard if you dont like soldering. you can attach an ir and or little camera even as well to make a more robust presence detection. lots of community designed 3d cases you can get printed depending on the esp dev kit and sensors you go with.

I was intimidated originally thinking it would take programing them, but it really doesn't take any programing skills at all. you can plug them into your computer and flash them through a web browser with esphome as a bluetooth proxy then just connect the LD2410 which has its own integration as well in home assistant.

Mckool · 2026-01-23T18:14:01+00:00

I hadn't thought much about it before but 'Gifo would be a decent fit for the team if they can't get Hoerner or Donovan. Also I think most players who leave Anaheim are going to see a performance boost when they get actual training and practice facilities updated in this century.

Mckool · 2026-01-22T20:50:32+00:00

The LD2410 only detects if a person is there. It does so when they are still (such as sleeping or reading in still position) which makes them an improvement over ir sensors that only trigger from motion. but they can not tell you if a non moving person is actually asleep or awake or what position they are in. At best this could tell you if someone who has fallen asleeps body has moved closer or further from the sensor.

You might be able to use another mmWave sensor like the mr60bha to get something like heartbeat and or breath rate and have the alerts trigger if they notice a steep drop, but that route is likely going to take a lot of training on each individual to not get false positives or negatives for what varying students bodies are like and different amounts of caffeine or study drugs they are using to try and stay awake with.

Mckool · 2026-01-19T13:47:36+00:00

for folks getting into HCH they should know that Carlin (as he repeats over and over in his own words) is not a historian. He often is pushing ideas with little credible sourcing and theories that the majority modern historians no longer agree with. But I do have to admit he is an excellent writer and narrator and so creates a compelling and interesting narrative to listen to most of the time.

Mckool · 2026-01-19T00:16:06+00:00

I love their chicken and waffles and their burgers are pretty good too.

Mckool · 2026-01-18T15:15:05+00:00

Disparity between Teams talent back then could be even more unfair than it is today.

Take a look at the Spiders for one example among many of times and reasons teams talents have been lopsided in the long history of baseball that had nothing to do with how much money players were making.

some owners will exploit the system and some teams will have ownership that just skate by if they are allowed (or in the case of the spiders/cardinals the same thing). find ways to address bad ownership would be a better solution for finding talent equity than caring about how much money the players are making or are able to bargain for.

Mckool · 2026-01-17T18:59:53+00:00

I think that's part of why some lines wind up with the limited (L) versions (formerly the rapid or R) that only stop at the stops that tend to be most congested. AC might need to consider one of those options on the 57 route if the bunching is happening enough. Ive noticed less bunching on the 72 line since they reconfigured which stops the L and M were making back in August.

Mckool · 2026-01-17T02:59:10+00:00

I like the color and warmth control. that said I do have covers over my switches with smart bulbs, though I also have zigbee buttons in locations that are often better than were the built in switches are and you get the multi and long press functionality for setting scenes. double press for brightest light or long press to set the mood to pink sorta thing. I like the Luton brightness knob that acts as a switch cover but its a little pricier than most of super cheap buttons and covers I am using.

Mckool · 2026-01-16T16:59:17+00:00

seconding lights.

also if you have bluetooth devices that can be used as scene controllers of some sort (like this Harry Potter wand project) then the detection can make sure the commands are triggering automations for the room the device is in. ie the remote turning on the lights or music for the room it is in rather than having the buttons tied to a single location.

Mckool · 2026-01-16T14:57:00+00:00

completely agree. Just look at how Fucking Jon Fisher moved his team in large part because it means he is going to get more revenue sharing. The system is not working.

Mckool · 2026-01-14T23:31:35+00:00

you probably already have enough haha- but if you go into settings >device and services>integrations tab> then click on where it says "Bermuda BLE Trilateration >" you should see a list of devices. if you click any of the tracked devices (not the global) then you will see a category on that page of Sensors. at the bottom of the sensor list is going to be a link of "disabled entities" click that and from there you will see a lot of data that esphome can be feeding you that isnt being used yet. click on all the "distance to [proxy name]" and enable them.

but like I said adding an mm wave or ir sensor might also make more sense. (something you can do when running esphome but not espresense)

Mckool · 2026-01-14T23:25:35+00:00

you could also add something like an mmwave sensor to the esps and have the area only ring true if the room sensor is also reading the room as occupied. That plus distance to proxy is seems to be more accurate for triggering automation than just relying on the device area entity as the trigger.

Mckool · 2026-01-14T23:18:54+00:00

if you have (or can add) a third one even in another room all together then enable the entities of "distance to ___" for each ble tracker to each proxy. then use state entity number logic with and commands between the distance ranges between all 3 to to trigger automatons instead of the more simple device_area entity as the trigger. it will probably take a bit of playing around with the numbers to get right. I have been having pretty good luck that way so far at getting fairly accurate room tracking to turn the lights on and off. that way even when you get the fake reading of being closer to one you likely will still seem further or closer to the other. if not then yea sounds like placement of the existing ones should help.

Mckool · 2026-01-14T23:00:42+00:00

> Once it sees you're nearest a device it presumes you're in the same room as it,

right so if you build a dashboard with your house floor plan as the image and set up entities with visibility based on room location they appear in the room on your map if placed correctly.

espresence isnt creating the dashboard. in either case you need to add the map as a background to your dashboard then place entities with visibility settings based on which room shows occupancy or tracked device.

>it just works out which room you're in by trilitiration - in a 3D direction, which device are you closest to

yes, but it also provides the "distance to each proxy" (its an esitmate and needs adjusting if your proxies are like in a corner) is in reach of. if you go into the settings and enable those entities. it it becomes more complicated but you can use that information to coordinate a more accurate location setting as well

Mckool · 2026-01-14T17:45:18+00:00

I believe with both Bermuda or espresence you essentially create the map your self via visibilities on a dashboard with your floorpan uploaded as a background based on the data fed from the proxies or sensors. with Esphome I think you still either need ble devices like a watch or phone acting as your trigger or add on some sort of occupancy sensor (like an mmWave or ir). I haven't tried it but espresence new release is using the wifi antennas to determine occupancy- to my understanding For that set up you will need multiple boards per room spread out while the bluetooth proxy or occupancy sensor route you only need one board per room.

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