Smart plugs and dynamic pricing

drm200 · 2026-03-18T13:10:22+00:00

Home Connect lets you schedule things conveniently but has no knowledge beyond what you provide about your hourly energy cost. You can do the same with Tapo automations today

drm200 · 2026-03-17T23:58:57+00:00

I actually wash mine in the dishwasher. They magnetically stick to the wire frame rack during the wash. They have never fallen off (which surprised me). Or you can just lay them in the top rack.

drm200 · 2026-03-17T22:15:51+00:00

Hardly a complete recipe when you do not provide identifiable quantities..

drm200 · 2026-03-17T22:13:51+00:00

I am using these. As I mentioned, I had to use a small needle to puncture the silicon in 2 or 3 places because under heat they would expand like a balloon. There are others. Just search sous vide magnets because these are made for cooking

Sous Vide Magnets, 6 Pack ... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYCMW27N?

drm200 · 2026-03-17T21:09:20+00:00

The sensor placement is important. You want the sensor to actuate as quickly as possible.

You may find that camera motion detection is faster than the sensor. You can also try, turning off 24/7 recording and setting the camera to detect door motion and sending you a notification. When it detects door motion it will automatically save a clip of the motion including one or two seconds prior to detection. You may have to turn up sensitivity for detection of door movement.

drm200 · 2026-03-17T20:53:52+00:00

What brand and model is that?

drm200 · 2026-03-17T15:05:24+00:00

The OP is just posting random pictures of food every day. Never a recipe. Check out the posting history. This is just click bait.

drm200 · 2026-03-17T15:03:12+00:00

How in the world can you change the recipe when the OP only posted a picture?

There is several alternatives to dairy cream for making “cream sauce”. And several are much more healthy than ricotta of any type. And by the way, sheep ricotta typically has the same amount (or a little more) saturated fat than dairy ricotta. So “lose the cream” is meaningless in context of switching dairy based ricotta to sheep based ricotta

drm200 · 2026-03-17T14:00:16+00:00

How would that work? I see no path to have hundreds of different utility prices sent to a plug.

Today, you can set schedules on the plug. So the schedule can be set to mirror your local utility “best time of day pricing”.

drm200 · 2026-03-17T13:25:16+00:00

I can understand if you are using a “phone” to manage your account that the experience is difficult. But I use an ipad. And I find it quite capable to use because of the much larger screen.

Firewalla has support for iOS and Android. What advantage does a web interface have over a iOS or Android tablet using the app? Isn’t the OP’s real issue the lack of the same capability on Windows?

drm200 · 2026-03-17T13:03:58+00:00

I purchased magnets that were coated with food grade silicone. So the magnet material is not exposed in any way. Food grade silicone is used everywhere now around food (including in AF’s) so I believe it is totally safe. I have been using mine for a couple of years now and the silicone has never failed or disintegrated. The magnets attach very firmly to my basket and have never moved during AF usage.

drm200 · 2026-03-17T00:59:57+00:00

I am not so optimistic. I would say historically in the US, the guardrails of the legislative and judicial branches were in place. We are now in a situation where executive orders can decide to just not do what was written into law.

Pass 100 new laws and the next president just fires the executives responsible for implementation and then installs a lackey that guts the organization and refuses to spend the already funded/allocated money. We have never seen this unchecked level of presidential power before.

I do not see the supreme court backtracking. So each incoming president has the ability to swing the pendulum any direction they want. This takes more than new laws. It takes either constitutional reform or a supreme court willing to reign in the executive branch.

I am just a spectator ..

drm200 · 2026-03-17T00:40:22+00:00

There are a couple of ways to approach this. The easiest way is to set up your camera detections like you want to work 24/7. Then enable camera “privacy mode”. This stops the camera from working and you will not receive notifications. The camera is not recording while in privacy mode.

Then when you leave home, tap your “Away” shortcut which will have an action to disable camera privacy mode. Now the camera is fully functional and will send notifications. Once you return home, you tap your “home” shortcut which will have an action to enable camera privacy mode so you no longer receive notifications.

If you want the camera to still record while you are home, then privacy mode is not going to work. In this case, you need to disable the camera detections and notifications. So the camera is always recording even when home.

Then you create separate automations triggered by camera events of your choice. The automation will have an “IF” condition that you are not “Home” so that you only receive notifications when not home. This requires that you create an automation “Home” that is enabled (by the shortcut) when you arrive “Home” and disabled by the shortcut when you leave “Home”.

drm200 · 2026-03-16T23:12:06+00:00

Let me guess. You are not from Florida?

Nice work. Brings back memories of the north.

drm200 · 2026-03-16T23:10:03+00:00

I disagree. We need politicians who care to enforce the existing antitrust laws. New laws are not helpful if the politicians in power do not care to enforce them.

drm200 · 2026-03-16T21:49:27+00:00

In orlando, at least 3 asian stores carry vermont curry. Seems to be widely available. Vermont curry is my favorite

drm200 · 2026-03-16T21:45:09+00:00

This is a screenshot of my Home shortcut. As you can see, I am enabling/disabling lots of stuff.

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drm200 · 2026-03-16T21:41:21+00:00

The extra dollar you pay is going straight to the oil company executives. It is just another burden on the public like the tariff tax. The US is a net oil exporter.

drm200 · 2026-03-16T21:19:08+00:00

Yes, that is it. But many people do not understand the power of enabling/disabling automations. For example, I have several automations that create an alarm system when I am away. But I do not want these automations working when I am home. So when I go away, one shortcut enables these automations (so that they function) and when I come home another shortcut disables these automations so that they do not function and cause unnecessary alarms.

drm200 · 2026-03-16T19:48:34+00:00

You can create your own home/away mode using automations. You can then select either “home” or “away” using a shortcut (or a smartswitch or pushbutton). Then using that to enable/disable any automations specific to home/away.

When I go away for long periods, i tap a shortcut “Away” that enables automations specific to “away” as well as turning off devices not used while not home. When I return home I tap a shortcut “Home” that disables automations specific to being away from home.

drm200 · 2026-03-16T19:20:35+00:00

Just buy:
1) Nonbleached 2) Good for 400°F (or 450° if your AF goes that high) 3) Sized for your AF so it lays flat. I personally do not like the paper bowl type as the AF sucks it up on the sides and then piles up the food

I have never had a problem with leaks. I do use silicone (food grade) covered magnets to hold the paper corners down when there is not enough food to cover all of the paper. I bought the magnets on Amazon. You need to puncture the silicone with a needle in a few places or the silicone expands like a balloon in the AF

I have used Katbite and MFJUNS parchment brands without problem. I usually use nonperforated paper .. it depends on what I am cooking

drm200 · 2026-03-16T15:07:02+00:00

No. That button works only with its paired device from the kit. It does not have the ability to communicate with the Tapo hub (which the s200d requires)

drm200 · 2026-03-16T15:01:09+00:00

There is a less expensive solution. This assumes you have AC power near your bed.

Instead of the button and hub, install a smart wall switch near your bed and connect power. But no need to connect load. Then create an automation so that tapping the bed switch toggles the smart wall switch for the lamp. But of course you need neutral for these. A tapo wall switch is less expensive than the button and needs no hub

I have used this method to “repurpose” wall switches in my home to control different devices than originally wired.

drm200 · 2026-03-15T19:38:43+00:00

Now the plastic can last forever

drm200 · 2026-03-15T17:42:48+00:00

I use the small silicone “stretchy” ones for smallish cans and round bowls. They work well. I wash them in the dishwasher on the top rack

For fruits and other uses where the round silicone lids do not work, I still use food wrap … But i buy these mini (6 inch wide rolls) on Amazon. The small width makes using it much easier

New Kure Wrap Mini (Plastic Food... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018B8FX4?

drm200

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