171–180 of 338 posts
Since I don't see it mentioned here I would like to suggest z-wave (protocol) and the accompanying ecosystem as an alternative. I have multiple lights, power plugs and sensors operating on z-wave being controlled by Home Assistant. None of these require me to log into a third party app or service.
A couple of months later the same thing happend with a Mi Band smart watch. The app required to create an account.
Personally I won't be buying any smart devices ever again.
Has anyone else noticed the proliferation of having to sign up for a service or account just to use the product that you paid for?
When I bought my no-brand coloured smartlight a few years ago I explicitly passed up on Philips Hue because it now seemed to require some smartphone app, and I just wanted to use a remote control. It's simpler to use, faster to use, has a lot less moving parts, and generally "always works". While there are some use cases where an app might be a bit more convenient, I'm willing to bet that if you asked people on the s…
They still do switches, what remotes are you referring to?
"What's the worst that could happen, if we let MBA-types take over engineering?" "Even your home's light bulbs will require an Internet-connected computer account that spies on you."
I don't recall any of this short-sighted, anti-consumer nonsense when I earned my MBA. I do remember a focus on ethics and doing right by the consumer. There was a lot of corporate social responsibility stuff that I thought was going to be a drag and then it ended up being pretty informative. I suspect MBA-types often get a bad rap because pretty much everyone has had a shitty boss before and that person may have had…
"What's the worst that could happen, if we let MBA-types take over engineering?" "Even your home's light bulbs will require an Internet-connected computer account that spies on you."
I don't recall any of this short-sighted, anti-consumer nonsense when I earned my MBA. I do remember a focus on ethics and doing right by the consumer. There was a lot of corporate social responsibility stuff that I thought was going to be a drag and then it ended up being pretty informative. I suspect MBA-types often get a bad rap because pretty much everyone has had a shitty boss before and that person may have had…
Does anyone have a recommendation for a replacement bridge that works with home assistant? It seems I’ll be throwing out the hue bridge and never buying a phillips product again.
Hue isn't really a Phillips product. Signify is the company you want to avoid.
They should use their influence with Signify to get them to take a long term view. Right now I regret buying more expensive "Philips" light bulbs, sync boxes and other hardware.
I'm pissed off that I bought one product and they've retrospectively changed the terms of usage.