Smart Home

Anyone else delving into this? For Christmas I outfitted the house with Amazon Echos and Hue bulbs and added some NEST cameras inside and out. I think I enjoy the Cameras for the sheer sake of knowing what my three boys are doing when I am not home.... fabrication of fact is no longer an option for them.

I have enjoyed setting zones on the lighting for when I wake in the morning and we arrive home at various times during the day. Albeit, Saying "Alexa turn off living room fan" isn't any faster or more convenient than flipping a switch in most cases.

I have an Impetuous personality, when I do something I go all in, to my benefit and or detriment.

Overall I have enjoyed the Echos for multiple purposes, the shopping list feature and some of the skills are most useful. Speaker is decent enough for music at least for me.

What say you? Anyone else dabbling in the smart-home craze?

nope. being in the IT profession, most IoT (internet of things) devices are terribly engineered for security and riddled with problems. no thanks!

I have two Echo(s) one regular one Dot.

One is in my bedroom which is used primarily for checking weather, listening to radio or nighttime music, creating shopping list and occasional ebook/podcast.

The one in kitchen is used primarily for reading out recipe (but seldom). I thought about setting up some 'smart' switches for bulb and such but don't think that's necessary in my one bedroom apartment.

I have installed one wifi digital album over at my parent's home (11000 miles away) where I remotely set slideshows. They are enjoying that immensely.

Sorry, I have no interest. I can easily do manually the things that I need done that these smart hubs can do and I don't need most of what they are capable of. Also, like Andrew, I have read a few articles about security weaknesses. Perhaps, someday, they will be important additions to the average home but for now I see them as not much more than an answer in search of a problem.

Absolutely not. I'm in total agreement with Freddy here. Although we did receive an Echo for Christmas from my mother-in-law after repeatedly stating that we didn't want one. Anyway, wife hooked it up out of curiosity and the only thing I ever see us using it for is music.

We have noticed an increase in home fires since our utility installed smart meters throughout their distribution area. Or maybe we're just more in tune to it? Anyway, my research told me that smart meters are incompatible with some appliances and it was a lottery we didn't want to enter. We pay a monthly penalty to keep our old meter and keep their smart crap out of our home. It's a shame when one must pay a premium to prevent the power company from burning ones home down.

I'll pass on other smart home items. I'll stay old school manual.

Sorry, I didn't mean to rain on your parade, but I'm an old fart and I want no one in my home unless I invite them. I choose not to. I saw the documentary film "I Robot" and I saw what can happen.

After the equifax breach do you really think anything you do or say is private? I’ve come to the conclusion me wandering around the house In my bath towel (who the hell would ever want to see that) has long been visible before the smarthome craze (see enemy of the state with gene hackman and will Smith)

Privacy is dead.... has been for a long time.... if I can have the lights on when I come home and spy on three boys when I’m at work to make sure they aren’t going ape.... and put sensors on my gun safe to know if it’s ever opened and the same with the scotch case and garage doors.... I’ll take it

Privacy may be more difficult than it used to be, but I'm not going down without a fight. Any of these devices that captures data is unwelcome. I wish everyone the best who enjoys them, but I do think many, if not most, people are unaware of the sheer scope of data being collected--and the consequences down the road.

Umm, no. I can walk around my home in the nude (who would want to see that and why would I?) with absolute privacy*. I don't allow any intrusions into my home. No unintended video, and no audio. It's my and my wifes "cave", free from intrusion from anyone we don't invite in and they are few and very good friends.

Heck, If I wanted to pee off the deck at mid day I could and not upset anyone. It's precisely why we live where we live... for the privacy and freedom. I guard it jealously because I lived the other way and rejected it decades ago. So sorry that other folks don't understand that they don't need to live under the microscope of the hive, but they allowed it into their private life by invitation. Outside isn't private and one can't control what others see if it's put on display.

ShadowsDad

Your thoughts on this are very valid and I totally see your point. Always watching, always listening, I'm pretty sure this is how SKYNET started

Good discussion on this everyone! Love the rationale and respectful banter on all topics in this forum.... it's refreshing frankly.