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I don't know if I would exactly call the ability to monitor/adjust the set temperature in your home from in bed without having to get up and walk to the thermos

I don't know if I would exactly call the ability to monitor/adjust the set temperature in your home from in bed without having to get up and walk to the thermostat on the other side of the house a gimmick. It's also handy when you're on the couch and have a child and/or a couple cats sleeping on you that you don't want to disturb. It even functions to reduce low-level irrational anxieties when traveling [Is my house on fire right now? Okay, thermostat's still connected and temperature looks normal, I can stop worrying about that for the moment.] I'm as wary of this continuing mass privacy invasion as anyone, but the reason it's getting traction is because it offers new functionalities people value that are decidedly not just gimmicks.

jpindar 7y ago
"Is my house on fire right now?" may sound paranoid, but "Has my house lost power due to the blizzard, and if so, is it getting cold enough to burst the pipes?" doesn't.
- manigandham 7y ago
  If you lost power how is it reporting anything? And how do you turn on the heat without power?
  - jpindar 7y ago
    OK, if the power is out you wouldn't know the temperature. Although in theory you could build a battery powered cellular system. But like slfnflctd said, if it doesn't report that the situation is normal, there's likely to be a problem. If there's no power and it's cold enough to matter, you go there (or call a neighbor or handyman) to either start a generator, start up a kerosene heater, or drain the pipes.
iamaelephant 7y ago
> I don't know if I would exactly call the ability to monitor/adjust the set temperature in your home from in bed without having to get up and walk to the thermostat on the other side of the house a gimmick Really?
manigandham 7y ago
How often are you changing temperature? The whole point of smart thermostats is that the temp is maintained automatically. I haven't touched mine in a long time as the schedule is set, and walking a few feet for the occasional tweak isn't really a big deal. I think most of these gadgets cause people to fiddle with them more than they need to be because you have the option to do so.

jpindar 7y ago

"Is my house on fire right now?" may sound paranoid, but "Has my house lost power due to the blizzard, and if so, is it getting cold enough to burst the pipes?" doesn't.

manigandham 7y ago
If you lost power how is it reporting anything? And how do you turn on the heat without power?
- jpindar 7y ago
  OK, if the power is out you wouldn't know the temperature. Although in theory you could build a battery powered cellular system. But like slfnflctd said, if it doesn't report that the situation is normal, there's likely to be a problem. If there's no power and it's cold enough to matter, you go there (or call a neighbor or handyman) to either start a generator, start up a kerosene heater, or drain the pipes.

iamaelephant 7y ago

> I don't know if I would exactly call the ability to monitor/adjust the set temperature in your home from in bed without having to get up and walk to the thermostat on the other side of the house a gimmick Really?

manigandham 7y ago

How often are you changing temperature? The whole point of smart thermostats is that the temp is maintained automatically. I haven't touched mine in a long time as the schedule is set, and walking a few feet for the occasional tweak isn't really a big deal. I think most of these gadgets cause people to fiddle with them more than they need to be because you have the option to do so.