Geek House: 10 Hardware Hacking Projects for Around Home

309 Pages·2005·7.95 MB·English

by  Barry Press

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Geek House
10 Hardware Hacking Projects
for Around Home
Barry Press and Marcia Press
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Geek House
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Geek House
10 Hardware Hacking Projects
for Around Home
Barry Press and Marcia Press
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Geek House:10 Hardware Hacking Projects for Around Home
Published by
Wiley Publishing,Inc.
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Indianapolis,IN 46256
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing,Inc.,Indianapolis,Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN-13:978-0-7645-7956-1
ISBN-10:0-7645-57956-8
Manufactured in the United States of America
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The Evil Overlord Listis Copyright 1996–1997 by Peter Anspach.
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About the Authors
Barry and Marcia Pressare the authors of several successful computer and networking books,
including PC Toys,PC Upgrade and Repair Bible,and Teach YourselfPCs.
They have written weekly columns on hardware and Linux for the Adrenaline Vault gaming
Web site (see www.avault.com/hardware/index.asp?reviews=hardgameand
www.avault.com/hardware/index.asp?reviews=penguingame).
Barry is an engineer with experience in software and digital design,networking,artificial intel-
ligence,and computer applications.He works as the chief engineer at a large aerospace com-
munications company.
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Credits
Executive Editor Project Coordinator
Chris Webb Erin Smith
Development Editor Graphics and Production Specialists
Adaobi Obi Tulton Karl Brandt
April Farling
Technical Editor Kelly Emkow
William Shaw Lauren Goddard
Jennifer Heleine
Production Editor Brent Savage
William A.Barton Rashell Smith
Copy Editor Quality Control Technician
Luann Rouff John Greenough
Jessica Kramer
Editorial Manager
Mary Beth Wakefield Proofreading and Indexing
TECHBOOKS Production Services
Vice President & Executive Group
Publisher
Richard Swadley
Vice President and Publisher
Joseph B.Wikert
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Contents at a Glance
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Part I: In the Basement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1:X-10 Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2:Wireless RS-232 Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Part II: In the Den or Family Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter 3:Home Television Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 4:Security Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Chapter 5:Television Mute on Phone Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Part III: In the Kitchen and Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Chapter 6:Anything Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Chapter 7:Kitchen PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Chapter 8:Automated BBQ Temperature Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Part IV: In the Garage and Out the Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Chapter 9:Automated Sprinkler Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Chapter 10:Car PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Chapter 11:Hacking on Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Appendix A:Working with Your PC:Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Appendix B:Working with Your PC:Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Appendix C:What’s on the Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267