If you really want to disable that Guided Access pop-up message, I think there's a way to do it. It's called "Single App Mode". You use Apple's Configurator to enable it through a configuration profile, and it literally locks the iPad into booting directly into that app, and you cannot disable it without connecting the iPad to (presumably the same?) computer and removing the profile.

The downsides are:

1. You have to put the iPad into supervised mode, which requires a full factory reset through the Configurator. This is because it enables a bunch of enterprise controls that they don't want enabled without the user's knowledge, such as the ability to configure a global HTTP proxy, etc.

2. As I mentioned before, there is literally no way out of the app other than removing the configuration profile. This sounds like it interferes with your use case, but maybe it's a worthwhile tradeoff for you?

3. Probably something else I didn't think of.

Here are a couple articles I found that mention how to do this:

[0] and [1] are articles from some app that this feature is useful for, explaining how to do it for that app.

[0]: http://support.kioskproapp.com/knowledgebase/articles/413366...

[1]: http://support.kioskproapp.com/knowledgebase/articles/315259

Disclaimer: I have never tried this myself, I have simply happened to have heard of it. I found the two articles above because I knew the term to Google (not a shot at you, sometimes you just need to know the right search). There may be some unintended consequences because it's an enterprise feature and all.

Ever have a look at OpenHab[1]? It's a bit finicky at first but would make a dashboard with whatever you want on it, either in a browser or using their native app. There's also a really cool automation guide I saw recently[2].

I really want to do something like this when I get my old house back this summer. Thanks for the inspiration!

[1] - http://www.openhab.org/

[2] - http://www.homeautomationforgeeks.com/index.shtml

For the lighting, you should totally make a "party" mode that involves sending color-changing messages to all the lights, over and over. Bonus points if the colors fade into eachother.

Have you looked at [Moves](http://moves-app.com/) for the pedometer app? I used it to get location history in one of my recent side projects.

I think it's a great concept. The aging tablets are perfect for "smart home" displays.

I've fantasied a dashboard of tasks and chores I need to do when I get home from work.