I’ve added Amazon Dash buttons to Castle Keep recently, but they are far from perfect. I’ve been on the look-out for an alternative solution, that would allow me to do more with less and won’t needing an agent on the Castle Keep server just to accept commands.

… and along comes Knocki.

When I first saw Knocki, I thought it was some sort of bluetooth speaker, but after reading through the Kickstarter campaign, I realised it was the solution I was looking for – tap the coffee table three times to turn the TV on/off or double tap my beside table to switch my bedside lamp on/off.

It would allow me to simplify my home automation capabilities, while reducing the number of devices I would have to manage. The only issue is the price. At $79 per Knocki (versus $5 per Amazon Dash button) I’d be facing a greater outlay for the same level of functionality.

I can certainly understand why a non-geek DIYer would like the Knocki, but a little code and a few server scripts will save me almost $175 in my current usage.

But that’s just me, check out the video below, and make up your own mind.