Only if you are Apple centric.
As they need iCloud and Apple you are not really in control.
Get a system that links to a personal server and you can access remotely. That way you do have control.
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Amazon shuts down customer’s smart home
- Thread starter russell_314
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Only if you are Apple centric.
As they need iCloud and Apple you are not really in control.
Get a system that links to a personal server and you can access remotely. That way you do have control.
None of this makes any sense and is probably 100% false.
If you knew anything at all about the way Amazon treats delivery service partners vs. customers, you would know that nothing like this could or would ever happen. Amazon won't even blacklist customers who have dangerous pets that maul drivers without multiple chances and full investigation.
"Oh a customer said something mean to a driver, let's turn off their thermostat" sounds incredibly real, trust me .../s
True to both points: Apple centric and needs iCloud.
However, having a personal server is not necessarily an easy thing for many people. Even though I'm pretty tech savvy, I am not comfortable enough to have my own personal server that is accessible from outside my intranet. There are all these network configurations that are needed and I fear my lack of knowledge would result in intrusion into my intranet. No thank you.
Sure, for someone savvy enough and comfortable enough with it, go ahead and run your own personal server accessible from the internet. For people like me, that seems more potential for other types of network headaches that I much rather not fuss around with.
No, he means the people victim blaming those who got screwed by companies (”should’ve known better”) should stop that and focus on holding the companies accountable for poor practices.
That can't actually happen. I have a lot of smart home stuff, including door locks which you can open from the Apple Home App, or using a keypad on the lock. You can't change the code on the lock from the Home app. You also can't disable the lock from the Home app. You need to use the manufacturers app to do those things.
So what does happen if you have an Apple home item (I don't anymore and can't say what they are) and a "theif" locks you out of your AppleID and iCloud? How does that affect your ability to use, or reset the access codes and control of these devices?
So basically what I said-- we should all ignore the fact that claims of being screwed by a company here is incredibly suspect and instead leave truth to the side and use this story as a parable to discuss how evil corporations are.
Let's all agree on the conclusion, but nobody should question the premise.
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I really don't understand how millennials can pose the problem of home automation.
I've been using HomeKit since it's available, I don't even know when, it will be almost 10 years, first I learned to use Siri and then CarPlay, along with the Shortcut routines (which I used before it was acquired by Apple) and, on Macs, especially at work, Automator.
In the house I have lights, motion sensors, temperature, humidity, power sockets, all simple systems that manage simple appliances (because the real problem is to make two or more AIs talk to each other) and interact with each other: everything that is possible to automate, without becoming ridiculous (I don't automate an espresso machine that I have to load every time).
The lights only turn on when the external brightness is less than a certain parameter, if someone is in the house, if there is movement in the room, with any time limits. If the humidity exceeds a certain threshold, the dehumidifier is turned on, otherwise the heating. If the washing machine is working it suspend the dishwasher and so on. I will have explained a thousand times to my guests that to turn on a light you just have to move one hand or ask Siri to do it, from their devices or from the HomePods, every time they look for the switch.
I understand that digital-born homes can prove to be a problem, but technology, before than selling products, should serve to make lives simpler, even if they seem worse or assisted.
To overcome the fear of being a victim of your own home, just leave analogue switches: between an AI and a human, whoever controls the electricity wins.
For now.
I've been using HomeKit since it's available, I don't even know when, it will be almost 10 years, first I learned to use Siri and then CarPlay, along with the Shortcut routines (which I used before it was acquired by Apple) and, on Macs, especially at work, Automator.
In the house I have lights, motion sensors, temperature, humidity, power sockets, all simple systems that manage simple appliances (because the real problem is to make two or more AIs talk to each other) and interact with each other: everything that is possible to automate, without becoming ridiculous (I don't automate an espresso machine that I have to load every time).
The lights only turn on when the external brightness is less than a certain parameter, if someone is in the house, if there is movement in the room, with any time limits. If the humidity exceeds a certain threshold, the dehumidifier is turned on, otherwise the heating. If the washing machine is working it suspend the dishwasher and so on. I will have explained a thousand times to my guests that to turn on a light you just have to move one hand or ask Siri to do it, from their devices or from the HomePods, every time they look for the switch.
I understand that digital-born homes can prove to be a problem, but technology, before than selling products, should serve to make lives simpler, even if they seem worse or assisted.
To overcome the fear of being a victim of your own home, just leave analogue switches: between an AI and a human, whoever controls the electricity wins.
For now.
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I don’t see what he stands to gain lying about this but the source is suspect as you pointed out.
The Apple Home app is just another level of control. I try to buy smart devices that have physical controls as well, like Lutron switches. That lets you create schedules, control items with Siri, or just push the button on the wall. If you were to get locked out of your Apple account, the button on the wall still works. Same with smart thermostats. They’re just regular thermostats that can also receive commands over the internet.
Most smart devices can be reset locally. On an Ecobee thermostat for example, you can factory reset it from the device itself. For many smart bulbs, you can reset them locally, but that can be a pain and time consuming, especially if you have a lot of them.
If you have a smart home device that can only be controlled by a smart speaker, that could be a problem for you. For example, you can buy smart bulbs from Amazon that use an Echo dot as a hub. If you get locked out of your Amazon account, you won’t be able to control those bulbs remotely. Most bulbs will turn on or off if you flip the switch on/off quickly.
I do have a set of LED strip lights from Meross that I regret buying as they can only be controlled from an app or a speaker. I have a Nanoleaf LED strip light that has a button on it so you can at least turn it on and off without an app.
Create a new Apple ID and re-add your devices using the HomeKit codes.
I have a smart thermostat which I use to put the heating on before we get home, or make sure its off when we've left and forgotten to check etc.
I also have a Ring doorbell and alarm.
Otherwise nothing else - I do not have switches and lights on smart devices. I dont see the point. In fact, we were on vacation 2 weeks ago and I used a trusty old mechanical timer to switch a lamp on/off on a schedule!
I also have a Ring doorbell and alarm.
Otherwise nothing else - I do not have switches and lights on smart devices. I dont see the point. In fact, we were on vacation 2 weeks ago and I used a trusty old mechanical timer to switch a lamp on/off on a schedule!
HVAC - something that can draw 1000's of watts.
"Smart" HVAC couldn't possible add more than an additional 10 watts in an absolute worst-case scenario...
And that's completely ignoring the efficiency gains that smart devices make possible.
I use the term HVAC to cover anything heater or AC related.
So let us say a duct-less mini split AC with a wifi component.
Typical ACs should last 1-2 decades.
Let us say the wifi part breaks down nearing a decade. Would LG, Samsung or even Carrier have that spare part on hand or will you be forced to buy a whole new AC just for that 1 faulty part? That is what is happening with TVs these days. Assuming it breaks after a decade do they have the parts on hand at ~$100 + labor?
I love having the latest and greatest like anyone else but things that do not need an internet connection... I rather pass.
The only "smart" thing I'd value with an AV is it keeping a record on its power consumption and other telemetrics. But other than that... it's just e-waste.
I rather have an AC that reduces my power consumption by >2/3rd my previous model than being able to wifi start it 1 hr before I arrive.
Depending on what you get, you still have a physical buttons. My lights and thermostat still have physical buttons that I can use manually. No need to use the voice. I use the voice a lot and have a lot of scenes setup with my lights, but they ALL can be manually turned off, dimmed, or turned on.
If my ring camera goes down, load and behold I have still have a window in my door that I can still look out. If I lose connectivity to the internet, amazingly, I can still turn on my lights on/off/dim via the normal switches you probably have now or control my thermostat via the buttons.
Now if we lose connectivity via electrical outage, we are both in the same boat.
I agreed with you... but Amazon has now confirmed the story.
To be really honest it baffles me that anyone would want to be so reliant on a single company.... but then again I live in a place where power outages are pretty common so we are setup for pretty much any event.
"Without challenging any of the published claims, an Amazon spokesperson said, "We work hard to provide customers with a great experience while also ensuring drivers who deliver Amazon packages feel safe. In this case, we learned through our investigation that the customer did not act inappropriately, and we’re working directly with the customer to resolve their concerns while also looking at ways to prevent a similar situation from happening again."
The Register asked Amazon to clarify whether Jackson's account was suspended solely based on a claim made by its driver. We've not heard back."
I gotta say, that's kinda of baffling... It would be more gratifying if Amazon actually explained what the hell happened, but this is clearly not a denial (and a quick search shows a nearly verbatim response given to other news outlets).
I guess I can add this to my reasons to distrust Alexa without fear that I've given in to confirmation bias...