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At what point is this just a matter of complexity growing beyond its masters' capacity to manage it? Computers interacting with all sorts of analog systems are

At what point is this just a matter of complexity growing beyond its masters' capacity to manage it? Computers interacting with all sorts of analog systems are going to have a million edge cases. But it's just beginning. Give them the ability to interact with other connected objects, and your potential problems proliferate. Add a smart garage door opener, and you may not figure out how that's connected to your thermostat cranking the heat too high, or who's to blame. Seriously — listen to this: http://iotpodcast.com/2015/12/episode-36-a-total-breakdown-in-connected-gadgets-this-week-and-the-hiku-review/ http://iotpodcast.com/2015/12/episode-36-a-total-breakdown-i...

kuschku 11y ago
But that is not the case. Any non-hip, non-fancy, non-SV thermostat control system doesn't have these bugs. Sure, those systems don't come in fancy design, but they will work offline, they will work in every edge case, and they'll cost twice of what Nest costs. Treating IoT devices as if they'd be consumer software, with updates every week and constant internet access has never worked, and probably never will.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  And ironically, IoT devices could be much more reliable if not done by the SaaS startup playbook. Just don't be greedy and stop with the cloud bullshit. A lot of IoT devices are just some hobby-grade projects put in nice packaging and launched into stratosphere on investor-fuel marketing boosters.
  - ocdtrekkie 11y ago
    I certainly can't complain about my INSTEON thermostat. It won't win any design awards, and doesn't have a color screen or a touchscreen. But it works well, and I can interface my computer with it. It also works when the Internet is down.
- ocdtrekkie 11y ago
  As my new 3DS game had to get a software update before I could play it, I realized software engineers did a lot better job releasing working software before there was a way to fix your bad software post-release.
michaelt 11y ago
is this just a matter of complexity growing beyond its masters' capacity to manage it? No, this is stuff we know how to get right if it's a priority for the business. Back in the 1990s if Microsoft released a new version of Windows they would test compatibility with other vendors' software - and often adapted Windows to maintain compatibility of vendors were relying on some eccentric behaviour. What you do is build a test lab. You buy 100 routers covering a range of chipsets and manufacturers. Plug them into a network and a software-controlled power switch. Every time you do a revision of your hardware you keep a few back for the test lab. Then every time you do a revision of the software, you deploy it to all the hardware, and you test it one at a time on every one of the routers. Customer's having problems with hardware so old you can't get it for your lab? Ask the customer for theirs, and offer them something better in trade. You do the same with furnaces - although you probably need many fewer units in your test lab because the interfaces are a lot simpler. The main reason not to do this is cost - a company might think spending $200,000 on a test lab has lower returns than spending that money on adverts or product discounts.

kuschku 11y ago

But that is not the case. Any non-hip, non-fancy, non-SV thermostat control system doesn't have these bugs. Sure, those systems don't come in fancy design, but they will work offline, they will work in every edge case, and they'll cost twice of what Nest costs. Treating IoT devices as if they'd be consumer software, with updates every week and constant internet access has never worked, and probably never will.

TeMPOraL 11y ago
And ironically, IoT devices could be much more reliable if not done by the SaaS startup playbook. Just don't be greedy and stop with the cloud bullshit. A lot of IoT devices are just some hobby-grade projects put in nice packaging and launched into stratosphere on investor-fuel marketing boosters.
- ocdtrekkie 11y ago
  I certainly can't complain about my INSTEON thermostat. It won't win any design awards, and doesn't have a color screen or a touchscreen. But it works well, and I can interface my computer with it. It also works when the Internet is down.
ocdtrekkie 11y ago
As my new 3DS game had to get a software update before I could play it, I realized software engineers did a lot better job releasing working software before there was a way to fix your bad software post-release.

michaelt 11y ago

is this just a matter of complexity growing beyond its masters' capacity to manage it? No, this is stuff we know how to get right if it's a priority for the business. Back in the 1990s if Microsoft released a new version of Windows they would test compatibility with other vendors' software - and often adapted Windows to maintain compatibility of vendors were relying on some eccentric behaviour. What you do is build a test lab. You buy 100 routers covering a range of chipsets and manufacturers. Plug them into a network and a software-controlled power switch. Every time you do a revision of your hardware you keep a few back for the test lab. Then every time you do a revision of the software, you deploy it to all the hardware, and you test it one at a time on every one of the routers. Customer's having problems with hardware so old you can't get it for your lab? Ask the customer for theirs, and offer them something better in trade. You do the same with furnaces - although you probably need many fewer units in your test lab because the interfaces are a lot simpler. The main reason not to do this is cost - a company might think spending $200,000 on a test lab has lower returns than spending that money on adverts or product discounts.