Home Security
If there’s one thing I need to do immediately, one place to optimize right away, it’s to put new batteries in my doorbell.
Because the doorbell has a visual function, it can detect who passes by or loiters at the door, and it records video, clearly showing who came and what they did.
I have an e-bike and a camera at my door. I don’t know if it was the wind, if the camera itself tilted, or if someone deliberately moved it, so I need the doorbell to check.
I suspect it’s the person across the street, but I have no evidence.
My camera runs on a Python script I wrote; it’s not a complete surveillance system. It seems I need to find time to try deploying an open-source surveillance system on Linux.
Regarding the battery issue, I added a USB battery box and stuck it to the door, but it seems the doorbell itself has a problem. Even with continuous charging, the doorbell isn’t receiving power, which prevents it from connecting to the internet and functioning properly.
But buying another doorbell is too expensive and not cost-effective.
Traffic Safety
Every time I ride my e-bike, there are always all sorts of hazards; one wrong move and I could get hit.
I need a dash cam. It should start recording as soon as I leave the house.
Today, I was almost hit by a small four-wheeled vehicle on the road. Damn, it was speeding like crazy, not even slowing down. At that moment, I couldn’t quickly grab my phone to record; the other party would have already fled. Only continuous recording can provide evidence.
Especially with e-bikes, it’s even more important to find a way to record.
Also, for high beams at night, I need to put reflective stickers on my vehicle. The brighter the other party’s lights, the brighter the reflective stickers will shine. If they’re not blind, they should know to turn off their high beams. If they insist on using high beams, then any problems caused by the reflection are their own fault.
Of course, it would be best if I also had a flashing high beam to remind some jerks to turn off their high beams, especially large trucks.
I also saw reflective stickers on other people’s wheels; I don’t know if they’re solar-powered or if they have their own lighting effect.
DIY
Commercial products are recommended first, with DIY as a backup.
I’ll say it a million times: commercial products, while convenient, lack freedom. They might have data, but it’s not necessarily accessible to you.
For minor issues, you can see your own data, but when major problems arise, like accidents or human-caused incidents, commercial products might even delete data from the cloud, control public opinion, leaving you with no evidence. Plus, there are privacy concerns. Commercial products will definitely have backdoors, whether for maintenance, access control, or those mandated by security agencies, and ordinary people won’t know about them.
Because products without backdoors won’t be sold; otherwise, security agencies couldn’t control them. Hackers also crack them online. Almost all commercial cameras can be easily viewed by strangers, for example, scenes of you at home without clothes, and your audio recordings, etc.
This is why I tinker with homelabs. Their significance lies in being free, not worrying about being unusable without internet, having privacy, not worrying about data going to the cloud, being usable offline, and being able to add small features myself. If a major incident truly occurs, I don’t have to worry about data being secretly deleted or having to pay to view it.
Tips
Additionally, make sure to put privacy film on your windows. This can block sunlight and also prevent others from looking into your room through the window.
Conversely, you can openly look outside.