Why Not Use Shelly Cloud (And Why That's the Highest Compliment I Can Pay It)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:01 -0800

I disable the cloud on every Shelly plug in my house. And that is exactly why I love Shelly.

Stay with me, because that sounds backwards. A friend called me on a different version of it: “You’re the local-LAN guy, but you use Ubiquiti’s UniFi cloud API to run your networks. Pick a lane.” Fair hit. It looks inconsistent. It isn’t — I was just naming the principle wrong.

My Office Has an On-Air Light (And Yes, It's a Robot)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:01 -0800

The lamp on my office shelf glows solid red the instant my camera goes live, and turns off the second the meeting ends. Nobody has to knock and wonder. My wife, a kid, the dog-walker — anyone who glances in knows I’m on camera without me saying a word. And by my own stubborn definition, that little bulb is a robot.

Maker on Greg Herlein

Why Not Use Shelly Cloud (And Why That's the Highest Compliment I Can Pay It)

My Office Has an On-Air Light (And Yes, It's a Robot)