v1605

Wireguard is good if you don't want easy access to notifications or location based automations. Otherwise you need to always make sure the VPN is on.

Lots of good info here I'm not going to repeat, but I think if you're going to open home assistant to the public Internet, you should not use duckdns. It's better to get your own domain and set up a reverse proxy to use https. Or if it's too technical, subscribe to nabu casa and let them handle it for you.

Sounds like Scientology

I think the laws need to clarify the difference between just hosting vs suggesting content. Tik Tok should be responsible since it suggested the dangerous video, unlike if it was just hosted on an AWS server.

Flickering like this usually occurs when the controller and lights are not using the same ground.

It's possible these don't enter boot mode by default. Try grounding gpio pin 0.

Science isn’t about WHY. It’s about WHY NOT.

Yeah I have to look into this more. I did some sample prints that I sanded and stained but wasn't super happy with the results.

My first thought would be an air quality sensor but I'm not sure how sensitive they would be to food smells. I've never used one but there are plenty of examples online.

A fallback would be a timer, if you know when your neighbor usually cooks, you could turn your fan on during those times with some buffer.

I have all the TV inputs automated via voice commands. Eg. If you say "let's watch plex", tv turns on if off, input switches, HDMI switch changes, and Plex launches on the shield.

I've had no issues with zooz products, if I had to guess I'd say they are trying to cover themselves from an automation starting a fire. Those two outdoor plugs are also not rated for below freezing, so the Enbrighten seems like a better fit.

I can't speak to the Feit brand so you'll have to look how to control those, so the home assistant forums are your best bet for integrating those. Wemo brand does have an integration, so it should not be too hard to use those. As far as presence detection, these athom sensors have worked well for me, however I have not used them in bedroom where people are in bed sleeping.

Yes home assistant allows you to take actions based on the state of other smart devices. For example, when I turn on my foyer light, that also trigger my hallway lights to turn on.