Control your household lamps and your garage doors via the internet

There are times we forget to turn off the lights when we leave the house, or worse, we left the garage door open! Sure we can automate the lights on/off but that leaves control over a timing device without the satisfaction of a personal control. Knowing myself (a control-geek), I wanted that control and the challenge of building the system. I found this: http://connect.iobridge.com/tutorials/open-and-close-your-garage-door-over-the-internet/.
I ordered the items, hacked a few items (the garage door remote) and did a little soldering. Previously, I installed a garage-door monitoring sensor that would turn-on a lamp (by the TV) when the door is left open. The sensor triggers a code and sends it to the receiver which turns the lamp on or off. This signal can also be used to automatically send email to a recipient verifying the status of the garage door.
The camera was located in the garage but have moved it (see view on the right)  facing directly to house where a full-view of the house can be seen. Camera location: the mailbox. So comes the idea to build a mailbox housing the wifi camera. Since the mailbox is about 25 yards from the house, running an electrical wire would be too expensive or too dangerous. So a 15-watt solar panel provides the charge to the 12 volt battery used to power the camera. The camera idea came to reality. See photos below.

Camera located at the post of the mailbox.

View showing proximity of the mailbox to the house.

It is about 25 meters. 

The battery is hidden in the flower pot.

(see image generated on the right).