WEEKLY WHEATIES #2525

Automated Routines, Tech Headlines, Global Lists

Jun 23, 2025

In this newsletter:

📝 Post: Automation Magic: Routines That Run Themselves
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Tech Headlines
😎 Pick of the Week: Global Lists
📦 Featured Product: Meta Smart Glasses

📝 Automation Magic: Routines That Run Themselves

Finally! Not that we’ve talked about all the automations - web, desktop, mobile, and home - let’s put it all together. Meaning, in many cases, the web apps and mobile apps can talk to your home and vice versa. Please also understand, this is an ever-growing niche, and I possibly can’t cover every situation, software, or hardware.

For example, by tying in some of the software to hardware, just about any automation you can think of can be created. Then, they can be set on a schedule, based on location (of your phone - and by extension vehicle), by execution from you pressing a physical button, or within an app or shortcut. The kicker is making all of the devices and software systems in place talk to each other. As mentioned in other posts linked above, it helps to start your home automation setups by picking one of the big three: Amazon, Apple, or Google.

A problem with connecting too many of the control systems is just learning the tricks and quirks of each. Meaning, knowing how to start a command correctly. Saying the exact same phrase to Alexa, Siri, and Google could all have different outcomes in your home or on your device.

However, within the last couple of years, a new standard called Matter has helped make a multi-system setup feasible. Matter is simply a new open protocol or standard that allows all smart home-type devices to communicate with each other through its system. It works through IP addresses, which makes communication straightforward - as every device that would be in use would have a unique IP address.

Most devices purchased today will show the Matter logo on the packaging, noting that it is compatible. This will be printed right next to a “Works with Alexa/Apple Homekit/Google Home” if also noted. This can be beneficial moving forward, as Matter devices can work on any system if you ever decide to switch. Most, if not all, hardware devices I’ve shared throughout this series are Matter compatible.

So what does this type of system look like? Well, anything you’d like, essentially! I’ll share one of my most-used routines. Every night when I get ready to go, I have a routine that runs once I say “Alexa, good night!” The following things take place:

The bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen lights turn off
The bedroom fan turns on
The front porch light turns on
The thermostat gets set to the desired temperature
The smart switch on the back porch turns the fan off
The smart switch in the living room turns a lamp (or the Christmas tree) off
The garage closes
The Apple TV turns off
Finally, Alexa plays rain sounds from the bedside Echo speaker

While this routine is run from a command, others can be run based on location, time, and calendar-based reasons, as discussed before. Combining them could do a few things, too. For example, a routine could look like: When I leave work, if it’s between 4:30-5:30 pm, and my calendar is empty for the rest of the day, set the thermostat to 72 degrees.

There are also other devices, commands, or routines I never explicitly mentioned, but they are interchangeable with the ones discussed. These can include: alarm systems, door/window sensors, motion sensors, and much more. Machine learning, or even AI nowadays, can also help create new routines or automatically modify set routines.

What are some routines you use on a normal basis?

🗞️ ICYMI: Tech Headlines

😎 POTW: Global Lists

If you’re looking to travel the globe, how about a few lists to help you rate or rank countries or cities you may be considering?

📦 Featured Product

If you want a smart device that can go everywhere you go (other than your phone), how about a pair of Meta Ray-Ban Glasses? These smart reading or sunglasses have hands-free interactions to capture photos and videos, listen to music, make calls, interact with the Meta AI assistant, start a smart routine, translate conversations, and more. Meta also just announced a partnership to produce a new line of Performance AI Glasses by Oakley. These are built for performance with a longer battery life and a higher resolution camera.