Recent content by JimMurphy

Update - the Qubino competition closed at 14:00 CET (15:00 CAT).  The last 15 minutes were hectic, as there were 3 of us fighting for the 3rd prize all on 35 likes! Unfortunately 1 guy finished on 39 to take 3rd, I finished on 38 to take 4th and the 5th guy had 36 likes. So I needed 2 more votes...

OK guys, I'm wondering if some of you guys can do me a favour since it is the season of goodwill! :-) I have entered a Qubino competition in an attempt to win a smart energy meter.  The 3 people with the highest number of likes to their comment gets the chance to choose a Qubino module. ...

Yes, SA makes a great long-haul destination if you earn in USD, GBP or EUR as it has depreciated significantly over the past year or so.  My parents were saying their UK papers were advertising to come to Johannesburg on holiday, but I didn't think it was that great up there.  You are about 6000...

Well I haven't been able to find permanent employment since relocating to SA.  I get the odd contract job here and there, but not enough to sustain us.  My 1st choice was taking a permanent job, 2nd choice contracting and a distant 3rd was setting up my own business here.  It is looking more...

Voice control does seem to be what manufacturers seem to be promoting this year.  Oomi is supposed to be supporting a very basic form of voice control - it sounds like users will still need to press a button first to put Oomi into the listening mode rather than have it continually listening for...

Hi Pete,   I just bought a few switched plugs, Aeon multi-sensors and Fibaro switches for my UK home.  I just used the Aeotec stick as the controller and I also had a Duwi remote control.  I wasn't doing anything complicated - just having table lamps coming on automatically at dusk and switching...

Oomi are still saying they are going to start shipping the kit this month to the original backers.  The January shipping is for people who place a new order now.   The timescales that Oomi were working to were a bit ambitious.  It looks like they had most of the hardware ready, but they delayed...

@Pete I bought the platinum kit at $738 ($699 plus $39 international shipping).  Oomi raised the prices of all their kits by $100 after the Indiegogo campaign closed, so that is why the platinum kits are now $799.  I also bought 2 external sirens at $84 ($69 plus $15 shipping).  So the Oomi...

The Oomi system is using 5th generation Z-wave technology.  They also support Wi-fi, although some people are moaning as they are just using wireless N rather than the newer and faster AC for the wi-fi.  There is also support for Bluetooth.  Talking of videos, they recently made one...

Not blowing my own trumpet, but I also do voluntary work in the local community.  I'm part of a 6 person team plus a lead facilitator that runs the Paradigm Shift course at our church.  This involves going out to the poor black areas to show their local entrepreneurs about how the Bible...

Thank you Wayne!  Yes I did win $2,000 for my design for an environmentally friendly trike in the Water4Africa campaign.  This can all be confirmed if people had a spare 30 minutes and attempted to Google for good, rather than looking for skeletons in my closet...

  Another pearl of wisdom?  Thanks!  :rofl:   Can I have a guess about what you do?  Could it be writing technical documents for Chinese companies? :-)

Hi Bal,   A nice balanced post, much like your Cocoon name.  So there are some people in the Coccoon community who aren't totally paranoid.  Like you I am also an engineer (well a sort of mixture of physicist and engineer).  I have tended to find that when given the choice I choose to pursue...

  ChrisCicc, unfortunately it is difficult on an on-line forum to say something "tongue-in-cheek" and convey this to others.  You know, also a bit like trying to convey irony to the average American - it usually goes way over their head they don't understand it and only interpret what is said as...

I should ask for a job at Oomi at this rate! :-)   http://igg.me/at/Oomi/x/10685619   Get your orders in quickly, as I heard a whisper that Oomi were going to put their prices up!  It's now or never folks!