Home-Assistant on Rusty Bower

Fleet-Managing Fire Tablets from Kubernetes

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I have three Amazon Fire tablets mounted around the house running Fully Kiosk Browser as Home Assistant dashboards. They’re cheap ($35-50 each during sales), they have decent screens, and Fully Kiosk turns them into locked-down kiosks that show a dashboard and nothing else.

Unit-Testing Home Automations That Run in Kubernetes

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Home automations are code that controls physical things. When they break, the consequences aren’t a 500 error — they’re a garage door that won’t close in a snowstorm, or window shades that open at 3 AM, or a tablet that charges to 100% and stays plugged in for months until the battery swells.

Building a Home Assistant Dashboard with Whole Home Audio Control

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My Home Assistant dashboard has evolved significantly over the past year. What started as the default auto-generated cards has become a carefully organized interface that my whole family actually uses. Here’s how I built it, with a focus on the whole home audio system that ties everything together.

Optimizing Z-Wave Thermostats for Home Assistant Control

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I have six Honeywell T6 Pro Z-Wave thermostats throughout my house controlling a multi-zone HVAC system. Out of the box, these thermostats have their own scheduling and “smart” features that conflict with Home Assistant automations. Here’s how I configured them to let HA take full control.