Smart Home

Smart home tech promises to make life easier — but the gap between the marketing pitch and what actually works in a real Asian home is enormous. Most guides are written for US or European setups, assume unlimited budgets, and gloss over the ecosystem lock-in that leaves you stranded when the cloud shuts down.

This section covers the honest reality: which hubs actually work with your ISP’s CGNAT, how to get Tuya and Home Assistant to talk to each other without a PhD, and whether a smart lock, presence sensor, or energy monitor is worth the hassle. I test these in a real Malaysian home, with the actual limitations (intermittent electricity, humid climate, limited local support) that reviews from overseas never mention.

If you’re starting out, try the overview: Is your smart home actually smart?

14 articles

Flooded by Ads, How to Manage?

2 minute read

A guide on managing excessive ads on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and mobile apps using Pi-hole, VPNs, and browser extensions.