I do more or less agree with you, but: > what's the point of building something badly that you can buy COTS from any hardware store for only slightly more than

I do more or less agree with you, but: > what's the point of building something badly that you can buy COTS from any hardware store for only slightly more than what she spend on this thing? Tinkering. Hacking. Learning. > turn AC on and off through cutting off power) will wreak havoc on her AC I don't know alot about AC's (I generally eschew them), but there is one line in the article: Make sure that your AC is always set to be ‘on’, we’re bypassing the air conditioner’s normal on/off control system. I can't image they've got a complicated startup sequence if they've got an "always-on" setting? Or am I wrong?