Project: Simple Arduino-Controlled, No-Pump Plant Watering via Make

Now here is a project I could really use here in my own greenhouse. It’s basic setup is great, but it also allows a lot of room for expansion and improvement, so it is a great learning project, too. I think it is always important to start with a simple project and experience some success so you are more inclined to fiddle with it and improve it in the future.

For me, I could see adding additional sensors for multiple pots, a solenoid value for controlling water from a hosepipe, alerts, alarms and more. What could you do with this project? Let me know in the comments!

Simple Arduino-Controlled, No-Pump Plant Watering

I love this simple and clever design. It basically uses a microcontroller-powered servo motor to pinch a watering hose on/off on a gravity-fed plant watering system. No pump required. To control the system, the Norwegian maker, Eirik, used a SparkFun Arduino-compatible RedBoard. To tell when the plants are thirsty, he uses a $5 SparkFun Moisture Sensor.

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Build your own projects with these Arduino parts and more!

Arduino Boards and Components via Amazon

Arduino Boards and Components via eBay

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Microsoft release Outlook.com email services to replace Hotmail

Today Microsoft released its new email service Outlook.com to replace its Hotmail brand. This new streamlined Metro interface design looks good and functions well so far. You can use your existing Microsoft account to log in and then choose an email alias (i.e. douglaswelch@outlook.com) for your new email address. Here are several articles that discuss Outlook.com... Goodbye, Hotmail; Hello, Outlook.com [REVIEW] Outlook Is a Completely New, Feature-Filled Webmail Service from Microsoft Go Get Your @Outlook Email Address Quick Before Someone Else Does I will post links to more articles and reviews as they appear.

Shared calendars are one part of an organized family

by Douglas E. Welch , techiq@welchwrite.com 206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line As a parent with a school-age child, I often hear other parents bemoaning their disorganized existence. Along with the busy schedules of two working parents you might have art classes, karate classes, Little League, soccer and more. Add in more than one kid and organizing your life can quickly become a nightmare. This is exactly why one of my most important organizing devices is a shared calendar that reflects all the activities and events for everyone in the household...and I do mean everything. If someone -- is required to be somewhere -- at sometime, it goes into the calendar. If we are given a calendar that reflects all the events for a particular activity (say, Little League), all these events immediately go into the calendar, along with notations on whether we are providing the team snack, working in the snack bar, etc. Even events that occur anytime during the day, like family birthdays, and other rem

TechIQ Gift Guide #15: Sams Teach Yourself Wordpress 3 in 10 minutes

#15 Sams Teach Yourself Wordpress 3 in 10 minutes Chuck Tomasi , fellow Friends in Tech member and co-author of Podcasting for Dummies , along with another Friends in Tech member and podcasting partner, Kreg Steppe , have a new book out that would be a great gift for anyone interested in blogging and New Media. Wordpress is my first recommendation when someone wants to get started with blogging, but it can be a little intimidating. It is very powerful and with power comes complexity. That said, this book can help to jumpstart your Wordpress knowledge and help you be productive. There is also a companion podcast to the book, Wordpress in 10, available from the author's web site. From Amazon.com... "Sams Teach Yourself WordPress in 10 Minutes gives you straightforward, practical answers when you need fast results. By working through its 10-minute lessons, you’ll learn everything you need to build great blogs with WordPress and WordPress.org, and reach any audience by web brows

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