You can use your old laptop to make a smart home hub
An old netbook can automate the devices that otherwise aren't interested in talking to one another.
Virticle Desk · Edited to Virticle Standards
September 26, 2026
4 minute read
The human is the plot.
In short: You can use your old laptop to make a smart home hub
What moved
You Can Use Your Old Laptop To Make A Smart Home Hub You don’t need a Raspberry Pi or mini PC to start experimenting with Home Assistant. That crappy old laptop collecting dust in your closet might have another use after all. With some open-source software and a little patience, you can give it a second life as a smart home control system.
This cleared Virticle’s weekday bar because it looks consequential for someone who is not giving a keynote — not because it won a thread.
Why a human should care
Ask what default, power relation, or daily ritual actually changed. If the answer is still “a demo,” this would not ship on Friday either.
Source
Source → Engadget
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