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Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

gizmodo.com

21–30 of 154 posts

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#21
post #4

Having each light bulb intelligent seems like overkill, I can see a per circuit setup where you replace the light switch. First off its not going to go bad like a bulb which will be replaced eventually; even LEDs which still die too soon. Really, who came up with this light bulb idea...its just daft. Security motion detectors can be used to double effect here as well, you would naturally have them facing doors so the…

Current circuit layouts are wasteful, you have to run enormous amounts of wire between the outlets and the switches, just to be able to control the lights. Much better to just run power directly to the outlets.

The control logic should ideally go into the socket, but with 50k hour lifetimes of LED bulbs, the lost efficiently of putting it in one over the other place is trivial. Also remember that putting the controls on the bulb makes it a trivially user-serviceable part, where putting it in the socket technically requires a electrician to install it (you and I are probably comfortable servicing domestic electrical installations, the average consumer isn't, and shouldn't be) - especially in these early days, when neither standards, features or protocols are anywhere near finalised, investing a couple of hundred dollars in bulbs is much better than investing thousands in electricians fees.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#22
post #12

I really don't grok why I should want to use my smartphone to move up and down my wifi connected blinders. Yet that's all I see when all of this is pictured: gimmicks. I want to see a demo of a room alarm clock: with rising light (in brightness and temperature), birds chirping, room getting warmer, music/radio a while later.. and the same for going to bed.

>I want to see a demo of a room alarm clock: with rising light (in brightness and temperature), birds chirping, room getting warmer, music/radio a while later.. and the same for going to bed.

There's one of those in the latest Black Mirror. I won't tell you the stomach-knotting twist in the tale ;)

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#23
post #4

Having each light bulb intelligent seems like overkill, I can see a per circuit setup where you replace the light switch. First off its not going to go bad like a bulb which will be replaced eventually; even LEDs which still die too soon. Really, who came up with this light bulb idea...its just daft. Security motion detectors can be used to double effect here as well, you would naturally have them facing doors so the…

Well Phillips pushing the Hue is pretty far from daft in their perspective. Get people to shell out hundreds to replace bulbs instead of a 1/10th of that.

Remember, Phillips is the reason incandescent bulbs had their lifespans intentionally cut in half for planned obsolescence.[1]

1.http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/history/the-great-lightbu...

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#24
post #12

I really don't grok why I should want to use my smartphone to move up and down my wifi connected blinders. Yet that's all I see when all of this is pictured: gimmicks. I want to see a demo of a room alarm clock: with rising light (in brightness and temperature), birds chirping, room getting warmer, music/radio a while later.. and the same for going to bed.

Well yeah, but we can't do any of that stuff until we've figured out how to make the lights turn on and off reliably.

And some of the first computer peripherals were printers and we still haven't gotten those to work reliably.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#25
post #23
post #4

Having each light bulb intelligent seems like overkill, I can see a per circuit setup where you replace the light switch. First off its not going to go bad like a bulb which will be replaced eventually; even LEDs which still die too soon. Really, who came up with this light bulb idea...its just daft. Security motion detectors can be used to double effect here as well, you would naturally have them facing doors so the…

Well Phillips pushing the Hue is pretty far from daft in their perspective. Get people to shell out hundreds to replace bulbs instead of a 1/10th of that. Remember, Phillips is the reason incandescent bulbs had their lifespans intentionally cut in half for planned obsolescence.[1] 1. http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/history/the-great-lightbu...

> Remember, Phillips is the reason incandescent bulbs had their lifespans intentionally cut in half for planned obsolescence.

Because all companies have the same management and culture as they did 90 years ago.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#26

I have a similar problem with Chromecast and Youtube. My friends literally cannot understand why I would rather use the YouTube client built into the TV and control it with the TV remote, rather than cast to chromecast and control with my phone. Controlling the TV with my phone is cumbersome. It takes time to unlock it,to find the app, to send the command and have chromecast react. What if someone rings and I want to…

This isn't as much of a problem if you use Chromecast with a tablet. Also, you can actually connect multiple devices with a Chromecast.

I think it's better to think of Chromecast as a wireless display device for your {smartphone,tablet,browser} than a displayless smart-TV. It's just a tool to turn your TV into a dumb client for your smart device of choice.

If you want something that extends your TV rather than something that lets you use your TV to extend other devices, you're better off with an Amazon Fire box or equivalent.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#27
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well Phillips pushing the Hue is pretty far from daft in their perspective. Get people to shell out hundreds to replace bulbs instead of a 1/10th of that. Remember, Phillips is the reason incandescent bulbs had their lifespans intentionally cut in half for planned obsolescence.[1] 1. http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/history/the-great-lightbu...

> Remember, Phillips is the reason incandescent bulbs had their lifespans intentionally cut in half for planned obsolescence. Because all companies have the same management and culture as they did 90 years ago.

They didn't make any steps to reverse that decision in those 90 years, so it's safe to assume they're at least indifferent to it.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#28
Sounds like my experience with Nest last summer. Got the thermostat, can't get it connected to my wireless. Support basically tells me to get bent until I go into full IT guy mode and prove its an issue with the unit. Replacement unit comes, doesn't work at all (first one was at least a nice looking thermostat with no connected features). Third unit comes and it's been fine ever since.

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to get their smoke detector. One day it randomly detects smoke and will not shut the hell up about it even after resetting, replacing batteries, etc. Nest offered to replace it - I just put my old "dumb" detector back up.

I will say it's pretty damn embarrassing to buy this stuff and have it fail so spectacularly, at least my roommate wasn't here to see me seriously losing my mind trying to shut up the Protect.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well yeah, but we can't do any of that stuff until we've figured out how to make the lights turn on and off reliably.

And some of the first computer peripherals were printers and we still haven't gotten those to work reliably.

We will have self aware AI before we have reliable printers.

Re: Why Is My Smart Home So Dumb?

#30
post #28

Sounds like my experience with Nest last summer. Got the thermostat, can't get it connected to my wireless. Support basically tells me to get bent until I go into full IT guy mode and prove its an issue with the unit. Replacement unit comes, doesn't work at all (first one was at least a nice looking thermostat with no connected features). Third unit comes and it's been fine ever since. For some reason I thought it wo…

That smoke detector story makes me think it could even be dangerous, no?. Could opposite happen and the device fail to detect smoke?
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