Old tablet in a drawer can make a great dashboard for Home Assistant or another smart home setup. The problem is that after years of use it gets slow, comes loaded with manufacturer bloatware, and animations slow it down even further. In this article, I'll show you how to use ADB to remove unnecessary preinstalled apps, turn off graphical effects in Developer options, and what else can help breathe new life into an old piece of hardware.

Smart home lighting today offers far more than simple on/off control. This article compares the basic types of control and dimming – the classic on/off switch, push-button dimming (push dim), triac dimmers based on phase-cutting, and the professional DALI protocol – and explains when each system is the right fit. We'll also touch on preparing the wiring for a given type during rough construction or renovation, so you can avoid demolition work later on. The article includes a comparison table of the technologies and answers to the most frequently asked questions.