I’ve been in software since 1968, starting out writing assembler code as a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs, where I worked on telecommunications switching systems, cellular switching, and billing software. That foundation gave me a deep appreciation for systems that just work — reliably, efficiently, and at scale.

My journey into home automation goes all the way back to the X-10 days, when “smart home” meant carefully timing your lamp modules and hoping the power line signal made it through. From there I moved on to Insteon systems, becoming one of the only certified Insteon installers in Central Florida at the time. I’ve programmed and configured HomeSeer, Insteon, Universal Devices (ISY), and eventually made the move to Home Assistant, which is where I live now.

Today I run a very extensive smart home configuration — multiple automation platforms, presence detection, security cameras, local AI inference, and more. Over the years I’ve also set up smart home systems for several other homes, so I understand what works in the real world, not just on paper.

Always happy to share what I’ve learned and pick up something new along the way.