Turning an old tablet into an Android-powered smart mirror is surprisingly easy [VIDEO]
If you’ve been in this Android thing for awhile now, there’s a good chance you have an old tablet buried in a desk somewhere. Whether it was one a cheap Chinese model given to you as a gift, or something you gave your kids and they quickly forgot about, you can give it new life as a smart mirror in your home and it’s surprisingly easier than you might think.
The folks at Adafruit walked us through the entire process which pretty much involves installing Hannah Mitt’s HomeMirror app on Github and slapping an old tablet behind a cheap, plastic 2-way mirror. Here are the materials you’re going to need before you start followed by the how-to video:
Android-powered smart mirror
- Plastic 2-way mirror (see-through)
- Double-sided tape
- Velcro tape
- Black construction paper
- Packing tape
- Scissors
- Long enough USB cord to run to your mirror’s desired location
Placement is everything, so the most ideal location would probably be somewhere near the door so you can quickly check for boogers while seeing relevant information before you head out. Also, you don’t even have to use the above HomeMirror app, pretty much any other would do providing it’s high contrast. Anyone think this is cool enough to try out?