4 ms·

I've been wanting a "house tablet" for a while - something to interact with my (app only) heating controls and play music on spotify. Has anyone found an accept

I've been wanting a "house tablet" for a while - something to interact with my (app only) heating controls and play music on spotify. Has anyone found an acceptable setup? I had an old Android tablet permanently wall mounted for a while, but it was too slow (single core). I'd love an "appliance" style android tablet - but these don't seem to exist.

ilyt 4y ago
I'd love something like that but with some low power screen (e-paper? One of those super low power memory LCDs) and running 2 weeks off charge. Just so it can be constantly on and display status while not requiring tethering.
- sh4rks 4y ago
  Connecting a screen to a raspberry pi could be an idea
  - thedanbob 4y ago
    I’ve got a raspberry pi in a touchscreen case that I bought for my 3D printer but frequently gets repurposed for home automation. When we have someone house sitting while we’re away I set it up with a dedicated Home Assistant screen so they can turn on the garage lights from the house.
  - ilyt 4y ago
    Power usage. It is fine for stationary stuff but no chance you gonna have that had any sensible battery life. And even if you get to like a day, having to remember to put yet another device on charger every day is PITA. I actually was building kind of monitoring screen; idea was to just leave it connected to ethernet and boot off network so it doesn't have any problems with SD durability or need any installation in case I wanted to have more than one.
    - silversmith 4y ago
      I currently have an old windows tablet on the wall, with fullscreen browser running and connected to a charger 24/7 - the power drain amounts to less than 10EUR a year. I'm looking into turning off the screen based on motion sensors, but... the payout just isn't as much as it seems at first.
izacus 4y ago
Both Android and iOS devices can be put into so-called Kiosk mode when they run a single app without other chrome. Is that not acceptable? The cheapest fire tablet is fine for the use-case.
- leoedin 4y ago
  It's not a software problem - it's a hardware problem. A tablet is designed to be a portable, handheld device - I want a wall mounted (or maybe tabletop), permanently powered device. I have no need for a battery. There does appear to be a few Lenovo tablets which come with a permanent dock - maybe that's the solution?
  - pasc1878 4y ago
    The current rumours seem to be that Apple and Google are working on that https://gizmodo.com/apple-ipad-could-get-smart-home-dock-upgrade-1849668314 https://gizmodo.com/apple-ipad-could-get-smart-home-dock-upg...
harry8 4y ago
Owntone does Spotify premium accounts and serves up a web page you can use to control it. Itunes remote app as provided by Apple or "Retune" app on droid also work to control. Any additional airplay speakers (or shairport-sync) can control to have the sound coming out of them aka multiroom. Owntone integrates nicely with home assistant if you want to go there too. If you can run a light webpage with the tablet it should be enough. Owntone and homeassistant need to run somewhere else on your network like on a pi, or an old laptop. Your app only heating controls may well also integrate with homeassistant, a hell of a lot of that kind of stuff does. Homeassistant also serves up a light web page as a control interface. There's phone & tablet apps too. Worth a look, imho.
kab0b 4y ago
I haven't done the touchscreen side of it, but have been thinking about switching to touch screen, currently my setup is just a display for infomation. I'm currently running a raspberry pi with a 15" portable monitor (Here is one that is actually a touchscreen as well, mine aren't. https://www.amazon.com/ADPOP-Portable-15-6-External-Extender/dp/B0BC1JK4Z4 https://www.amazon.com/ADPOP-Portable-15-6-External-Extender...) For software I'm using magic-mirror, and then use that to link into my calendar, Home-assistant, weather etc. There are some input modules that can be added, so that might enable some touch-features. I'm just renting right now, so I just have the Pi mounted in a case by the plug with some of those 3M picture frame strips and run the HDMI to the monitor (also mounted with picture frame strips) hidden in a track, If I owned, I'd bring the plug up behind the monitor, and flush the PI in wall and then wrap the monitor around a frame or something.

ilyt 4y ago

I'd love something like that but with some low power screen (e-paper? One of those super low power memory LCDs) and running 2 weeks off charge. Just so it can be constantly on and display status while not requiring tethering.

sh4rks 4y ago
Connecting a screen to a raspberry pi could be an idea
- thedanbob 4y ago
  I’ve got a raspberry pi in a touchscreen case that I bought for my 3D printer but frequently gets repurposed for home automation. When we have someone house sitting while we’re away I set it up with a dedicated Home Assistant screen so they can turn on the garage lights from the house.
- ilyt 4y ago
  Power usage. It is fine for stationary stuff but no chance you gonna have that had any sensible battery life. And even if you get to like a day, having to remember to put yet another device on charger every day is PITA. I actually was building kind of monitoring screen; idea was to just leave it connected to ethernet and boot off network so it doesn't have any problems with SD durability or need any installation in case I wanted to have more than one.
  - silversmith 4y ago
    I currently have an old windows tablet on the wall, with fullscreen browser running and connected to a charger 24/7 - the power drain amounts to less than 10EUR a year. I'm looking into turning off the screen based on motion sensors, but... the payout just isn't as much as it seems at first.

izacus 4y ago

Both Android and iOS devices can be put into so-called Kiosk mode when they run a single app without other chrome. Is that not acceptable? The cheapest fire tablet is fine for the use-case.

leoedin 4y ago
It's not a software problem - it's a hardware problem. A tablet is designed to be a portable, handheld device - I want a wall mounted (or maybe tabletop), permanently powered device. I have no need for a battery. There does appear to be a few Lenovo tablets which come with a permanent dock - maybe that's the solution?
- pasc1878 4y ago
  The current rumours seem to be that Apple and Google are working on that https://gizmodo.com/apple-ipad-could-get-smart-home-dock-upgrade-1849668314 https://gizmodo.com/apple-ipad-could-get-smart-home-dock-upg...

harry8 4y ago

Owntone does Spotify premium accounts and serves up a web page you can use to control it. Itunes remote app as provided by Apple or "Retune" app on droid also work to control. Any additional airplay speakers (or shairport-sync) can control to have the sound coming out of them aka multiroom. Owntone integrates nicely with home assistant if you want to go there too. If you can run a light webpage with the tablet it should be enough. Owntone and homeassistant need to run somewhere else on your network like on a pi, or an old laptop. Your app only heating controls may well also integrate with homeassistant, a hell of a lot of that kind of stuff does. Homeassistant also serves up a light web page as a control interface. There's phone & tablet apps too. Worth a look, imho.

kab0b 4y ago

I haven't done the touchscreen side of it, but have been thinking about switching to touch screen, currently my setup is just a display for infomation. I'm currently running a raspberry pi with a 15" portable monitor (Here is one that is actually a touchscreen as well, mine aren't. https://www.amazon.com/ADPOP-Portable-15-6-External-Extender/dp/B0BC1JK4Z4 https://www.amazon.com/ADPOP-Portable-15-6-External-Extender...) For software I'm using magic-mirror, and then use that to link into my calendar, Home-assistant, weather etc. There are some input modules that can be added, so that might enable some touch-features. I'm just renting right now, so I just have the Pi mounted in a case by the plug with some of those 3M picture frame strips and run the HDMI to the monitor (also mounted with picture frame strips) hidden in a track, If I owned, I'd bring the plug up behind the monitor, and flush the PI in wall and then wrap the monitor around a frame or something.