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Another Internet Griswold's Controllable Christmas Lights

Posted by timothy on from the moving-toward-the-source dept.

An anonymous reader writes: For over a decade, Alek's Controllable Christmas Lights have been a festive online holiday tradition for millions of Internet users world-wide, so it was sadly the end of an era last year, when the Griswold wanna-be hung up his Santa Hat in 2014. But with the "Internet of Things" being the rage these days, it didn't take long for another Griswold to emerge from the North Pole, or at least pretty darn close to it. Ken Woods from Fairbanks, Alaska has his house online 24 hours a day with a dozen ON/OFF buttons that Internet users can use to toggle his lights with a click of a mouse. Here's a video of it in action and he uses Amazon EC2 to power it online. (While that all looks real, low-UID /.'ers will remember that Alek did a simulation from 2002-2004 using Perl code to switch between a series of images. Looks like the prankster dusted off that code for the Control Christmas Lights.com website.) I, for one, welcome our new Griswold Overlords with a big HO-HO-HO.

46 comments

  1. Time to DOS by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 2

    What's better than putting a bunch of GET-based URLs that control lights on the Internet? Putting them on SlashDot.

    1. Re:Time to DOS by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 0


      <head>
      <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="1">
      </head>
      <FRAMESET>
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=1f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=2f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=3f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=4f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=5f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=6f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=7f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet1?action=8f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=1f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=2f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=3f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=4f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=5f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=6f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=7f">
          <FRAME src="http://christmasinfairbanks.com/outlet2?action=8f">
          <NOFRAMES>
              <p>Frames Are Not Working</p>
          </NOFRAMES>
      </FRAMESET>
      </html>

    2. Re:Time to DOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Eh, very few read Slashdot these days.

    3. Re:Time to DOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Netcraft confirms it! Er... wait... Alexa confirms it!

    4. Re:Time to DOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A Hidden switch.. The person that created this seems to have left out one or... maybe two of the lights you can control....

      So... /.ers use come common sense and your geek skills and see if you can find the url..... I did :)

    5. Re:Time to DOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

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  2. Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Given that you can buy several brands of light switches off of the shelf in home depot now that are internet controllable, how is this even fascinating anymore? I went to the page and it looks like something from the early 90's, and basically the queue is so backed up the lights are just constantly turning on and off. I mean in my own house I can turn the lights on and off through voice, and even that I don't really consider impressive anymore. Seems like time to come up with something new, or a new take on it.

    Maybe I am just being grinchy, but I was doing stuff like this back in the 90's and now it just seems a bit lame. Kudo's for them having fun with it, but I so desperately want to re-write that web page for them in angular or something so it doesn't make my head hurt....

    So slashdotters, what would be 'the next thing' that would be far more interesting with the capabilities we have today? We should be able to come up with something pretty neat given the tools at our disposal.

    1. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remotely access Santa's 3D printer to print out own gifts online?

    2. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Simply don't go to the site and don't use it? No need to poo poo on everyone's parade.

    3. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Translation:

      "I'm not impressed so nobody should do it. Now get off my lawn"

    4. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe I am just being grinchy...

      You sir, are being neither grinchy nor grinchier. You are the grinchiest.

    5. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hi. I'm the guy that runs that site. (want/need proof? name it.) If I were Superman and saved the whole world from a meteorite, there would always be one guy that was like, "He's just some dumb space alien. NASA could have taken care of it, had he given them the chance. But he's always gotta come in and steal the glory."

      You're that guy.

    6. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by fropenn · · Score: 1

      Post a sign on your house that can be viewed through the webcam that would only be understandable by regular /. users. That would be proof enough :)

    7. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      A sign with the AC's post number (#51165329) would work.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    8. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by kenwoods · · Score: 1

      https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4lq...

    9. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by kenwoods · · Score: 3, Informative

      Proof: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4lq...

    10. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 2

      Now that would be cool.... Choose your object, donate to charity, and watch it print then delivered. Would have to make the donation large enough to cover the costs of printing/shipping, but that would be very different and VERY cool.

    11. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by rockout · · Score: 1

      Maybe I am just being grinchy,

      "maybe"?

      --
      I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.
    12. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by rockout · · Score: 1

      Nice work!

      --
      I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.
    13. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 1

      Nope, not impressed, and why is this newsworthy???? AC, it simply is not don't do it, but why is this gracing the pages of 'News for Nerds' who have been doing this for a very long time. Besides that, I really wanted to see what slashdotters could come up with that WOULD be news for nerds (See the 3d printing idea above). I am betting a number of people on here could come up with the next internet sensation that was very original and clever.

      Again, do what you want, don't care. Likewise, I think it is OK to question why it is news for nerds....

    14. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 1

      Didn't need proof, figured you did it. Mine are controllable from my phone as well, just not publishing the urls :-). I see you posted the proof below already. I would just suggest doing a quick angular/bootstrap front end to it that was mobile friendly. Heck, if you aren't sure how to do it I could probably help you out real quick. Would have more of a twitter like feel to it then. Of course not sure how that would affect bandwidth but with compressed js can't imagine it would do it much as people would not have to refresh the rest of the page.

    15. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you are Ken Woods who works at Geologic Communications? Married to Rebecca, right? Good job, ken!

    16. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by kenwoods · · Score: 1

      Sweet! I'm glad you have ideas on how to improve the site. As it's in heavy production right now, I'm not going to massively incorporate changes. I don't have a dev version of the site, as it was never intended to get any bigger than "friends and family" Friend of a friend of a friend picked it up at ABC, and then it exploded in popularity from there. Thanks for your thoughts, regardless. We'll look into changes for next year. I'm currently limited by the 320K outbound channel we have locally, so it's hard to do much. Nice to see that the slashdot effect is still valid, though. https://www.dropbox.com/s/5fqn...

    17. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 1

      I'm serious on helping you out, BTW. Always willing to do that. It would actually likely reduce your overall bandwidth as you can grab the bootstrap and angualar js codes from their source site, rather than yours. Also will reduce button pushes to a single JS based query push to your server. The whole page would not refresh (although now it probably is hitting their browser cache mostly anyways). So basically the only thing you would push down to their site from yours is a compressed controller script, and a simple angular page. You still eat the video, however, which I am sure is most of your bandwidth. It would also allow you to 'grey out' the buttons once pushed until the request was received so people would know when their action was received. Might reduce multi presses. Just thoughts having developed some very high volume web based stuff in the past. Again, wasn't trying to poo-poo the idea so much but wanted to stir the pot and see what 'the next cool idea' could be.

      Merry Christmas!

    18. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hi. You're smoking crack if you think you're going to make that site any smaller with Angular. It's got a total of 30 lines of javascript powering it and it isn't refreshing the page when you click on links, it's changing the source of an iframe. It doesn't even have any external CSS or Javascript.

      His approach may look pretty ghetto-y, but it's tiny and probably works on ancient browsers.

    19. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 1

      Again, it would probably be like thirty lines of js download from HIS site.... I wouldn't source all the other stuff. UI bootstrap comes from THEIR site again as well. I don't know that it would be much larger or smaller, but I think you would get less 'button pounding' on the CGI if you greyed out the button each time they push it until the request comes back. Also, would look great, work on phones. But heck, you are entitled to your opinion. I don't think the controller for activating those cgi's would be over 30 lines of js code either, if you do it correctly. Let's see:

      function LightController($scope, $http) {
      $scope.requestInProgress=false;
      function controlLight(lightnum, turnOn) { var postData = {}; postData.lightNum=lightnum; postData.turnOn=turnOn; $scope.requestInProgress=true;
      $http.post("http://wherever.com", postData).success(function() {$scope.requestInProgress=false;}); }

      There is a whole angular controller that would do the work using post (could change to a get instead), and also give you the ability to grey out the button. I even added some line breaks. If you do angular right, it is not that many lines from YOUR site.

    20. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by kenwoods · · Score: 1

      Congratulations on finding (and using) www.google.com

    21. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by GrumpySteen · · Score: 1

      It's better than yet another livejournal post from Bennet Haselton.

    22. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      I was surprised that the post compared your setup to the Griswolds, yours at least is tasteful.

      Good work, and thank you for sharing your geekiness.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    23. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by BitZtream · · Score: 1

      If the frameworks a page is written in are making your head hurt and you aren't actively maintaining/developing for the page I'd say you might want to consider the problem to be a personal one since you seem to be focused on something that shouldn't matter to you since its not your problem.

      And for the record ... you do know the original guy was a HOAX right? There were no lights or webcam just static pictures that were swapped in as needed and in the summary ... it points out ... its using the same old code ... so probably no ACTUAL lights here either.

      Congratulations, you've been trolled by a second hand troll from 13 years ago.

      Turn in your UID.

      --
      Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    24. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by clifwlkr · · Score: 1

      Congrats, you didn't actually read the thread. See the picture of him in front of it moments later with a Slashdot post number... Also, you know the original WAS a hoax, then he went and did it for real, right?

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

      So who is trolled now?

    25. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by bfpierce · · Score: 2

      "Maybe I am just being grinchy" I think the proper term would be hipster-grinchy?

    26. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The cool thing about it was the tradition. I had been stopping by Alek's website every christmas day for quite a few years now. And he did it for charity.

      You are right about the queue, though. I don't think I was ever sure whether it had been me who lighted or deflated something.

    27. Re:Is this interesting anymore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe I am just being grinchy, ...

      Yes :)

  3. "911, what's your emergency?" by Boss,+Pointy+Haired · · Score: 1

    Fire!

    "What's happened?"

    Well...

  4. GCI data caps will kill them by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    $1.00 a GB.

    1. Re:GCI data caps will kill them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's assuming a lot, don't you think?

  5. QW Home Automation by weiqj · · Score: 0

    QW Home Automation has built-in App engine. http://qwhomeautomation.com/do... Christmas light controller is just an App. We believe it will have significant impact to the industry.

    1. Re:QW Home Automation by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      >> Following Ocam's razor approach

      Who? :)

      >> Visual Lambda

      Your scripting language supports Lambda expressions, then, I assume.

    2. Re:QW Home Automation by weiqj · · Score: 0

      Visual Lambda name is inherited from a scripting engine line years ago. I like that name. It's basically a Lua VM, with some modifications.

    3. Re:QW Home Automation by weiqj · · Score: 0

      Anyways, point me any other IoT App Engine that is more versatile than this one if you can. :)

  6. IT'S A YARD OF LIES!!!! All code not switches... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone notice the speed at which the balloon blows back up or deflates? I think this is just a bunch of still images that toggle with the on/off switches and not really controlling switching mechanisms.

  7. it's fake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The premise of using internet control is fake.

    This image is on a loop and people are donating money to this fool for a fake..

    Buyer beware..

  8. How To Get Rid Of Hickey Marks by harsh123 · · Score: 1

    It is not just difficult for girls to hide their hickey. It might be a trade mark, all mine mark or the ‘yes I made out’ mark for a lot of guys, but they still somewhere somehow have to hide it. The bruise might be good to look at for yourself, but out there in the professional world where you are still building an image for yourself it might not be a good idea. It is definitely a no no to keep it on and not do something about it. The only options you have are to hide it or get rid of it.