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The trick with a well-implemented smart home system is to consider failure modes in the design phase. I made my own "smart-kettle"[1] which does work with Alex

by luma 7y ago

The trick with a well-implemented smart home system is to consider failure modes in the design phase. I made my own "smart-kettle"[1] which does work with Alexa but when the Internet is down it reverts to a regular kettle with regular buttons. Similarly, smart lights are often problematic for a range of reasons. Most need to use an app to control them, or some incantation for Alexa to do the same, neither of which are discoverable (or maybe even accessible) to someone in your house who isn't you. If you have them connected to a regular light switch, they stop being "smart" when someone uses the light switch on the wall to turn them off. All of these problems are easily addressed by using smart switches instead of smart lights. Everybody knows how to use a light switch, and any failure of your "smart" systems means the light switch still works like every other light switch out there (meaning, get off your butt, walk over to the switch and it turns lights on and off). This concept holds true in my house for garage door openers, door locks, fireplace controls, and a whole raft of other stuff. The existing systems function like they should to a user who knows how a garage door opener (or whatever) is traditionally supposed to work. In addition, they get some extra functionality[2] if everything is up and working as designed. If things aren't working... well you have to press the garage door opener button like it's 2010. [1] https://hackaday.io/project/20217-iotea-kettle https://hackaday.io/project/20217-iotea-kettle [2] https://github.com/aderusha/MQTTCarPresence https://github.com/aderusha/MQTTCarPresence

zabzonk 7y ago
> I made my own "smart-kettle" Not obvious what fills it with water.
Slartie 7y ago
> All of these problems are easily addressed by using smart switches instead of smart lights. This is so true. I really wonder about all the people installing these WiFi enabled light bulbs into lamps that end up being connected to some regular dumb switch next to the door in the wall...what's your rationale for putting the "smarts" in the bulb and not the switch, the device whose sole purpose has always been to stop and start power distribution to a dumb bulb that just glows when it gets powered? The failure mode of augmented switches, if the smart control stuff for some reason doesn't work or is not accessible, is super obvious and simple: they just revert to being a switch on the wall. And it's not just about that, it's also often just more convenient to enable the light the old-fashioned way by touching a rectangle when entering a room. I'm very satisfied with my light setup, allowing control of the living room lights via programmed conditions as well as by a Logitech Harmony remote. But most other members of my family tend to ignore these and just like to use the switch. Sometimes I do as well, like when entering or exiting the room, but I wouldn't want to miss the additional remote control options. With the smarts in the switch (and the home control server behind it wiring it all together), we're all satisfied.
- dasil003 7y ago
  "I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs" –Mitch Hedberg
  - waste_monk 7y ago
    I imagine they haven't seen the various videos and news articles about escalator failures where people get pulled into the machinery and shredded alive. Particularly in China, there was a rash of news about it after that video came out where the woman narrowly managed to push her child to safety before being dragged feet first into the machinery when the safety grate failed. You essentially get turned into (raw) human pulled pork. Very unpleasant.
    - bryanrasmussen 7y ago
      Mitch Hedberg was a comedian who died in 2005 https://duckduckgo.com/?q=MITCH+HEDBERG&t=ffab&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?q=MITCH+HEDBERG&t=ffab&ia=web so first he was probably just making a joke, and two he probably didn't see the videos because he died before the ubiquity of YouTube.
- Swenrekcah 7y ago
  Two things come to mind: 1) Smart switches don’t add colors to your bulbs. 2) Bulbs are a lot easier (or at least less intimidating) to install than switches. Although I do agree that the smart switch sounds smarter than the smart bulb.
- dunmalg 7y ago
  >what's your rationale for putting the "smarts" in the bulb and not the switch People are afraid of electricity and don't want to replace a switch. Anyone can replace a light bulb though, so it's default solution for the kind of person that doesn't own a screwdriver. It's definitely an inferior approach, but I suppose it fulfills the needs of a certain segment of the market.
  - 7y ago
ghaff 7y ago
>The trick with a well-implemented smart home system is to consider failure modes in the design phase. I mostly don't object to optional "smart"/Bluetooth/WiFi features. I'll use them or not use them as I see fit. What I really object to is if some perfectly good appliance no longer can be used because the manufacturer stopped updating an application and now it doesn't work with the latest iOS version or whatever.

by luma 7y ago

zabzonk 7y ago

> I made my own "smart-kettle" Not obvious what fills it with water.

Slartie 7y ago

> All of these problems are easily addressed by using smart switches instead of smart lights. This is so true. I really wonder about all the people installing these WiFi enabled light bulbs into lamps that end up being connected to some regular dumb switch next to the door in the wall...what's your rationale for putting the "smarts" in the bulb and not the switch, the device whose sole purpose has always been to stop and start power distribution to a dumb bulb that just glows when it gets powered? The failure mode of augmented switches, if the smart control stuff for some reason doesn't work or is not accessible, is super obvious and simple: they just revert to being a switch on the wall. And it's not just about that, it's also often just more convenient to enable the light the old-fashioned way by touching a rectangle when entering a room. I'm very satisfied with my light setup, allowing control of the living room lights via programmed conditions as well as by a Logitech Harmony remote. But most other members of my family tend to ignore these and just like to use the switch. Sometimes I do as well, like when entering or exiting the room, but I wouldn't want to miss the additional remote control options. With the smarts in the switch (and the home control server behind it wiring it all together), we're all satisfied.

dasil003 7y ago
"I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs" –Mitch Hedberg
- waste_monk 7y ago
  I imagine they haven't seen the various videos and news articles about escalator failures where people get pulled into the machinery and shredded alive. Particularly in China, there was a rash of news about it after that video came out where the woman narrowly managed to push her child to safety before being dragged feet first into the machinery when the safety grate failed. You essentially get turned into (raw) human pulled pork. Very unpleasant.
  - bryanrasmussen 7y ago
    Mitch Hedberg was a comedian who died in 2005 https://duckduckgo.com/?q=MITCH+HEDBERG&t=ffab&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?q=MITCH+HEDBERG&t=ffab&ia=web so first he was probably just making a joke, and two he probably didn't see the videos because he died before the ubiquity of YouTube.
Swenrekcah 7y ago
Two things come to mind: 1) Smart switches don’t add colors to your bulbs. 2) Bulbs are a lot easier (or at least less intimidating) to install than switches. Although I do agree that the smart switch sounds smarter than the smart bulb.
dunmalg 7y ago
>what's your rationale for putting the "smarts" in the bulb and not the switch People are afraid of electricity and don't want to replace a switch. Anyone can replace a light bulb though, so it's default solution for the kind of person that doesn't own a screwdriver. It's definitely an inferior approach, but I suppose it fulfills the needs of a certain segment of the market.
- 7y ago

ghaff 7y ago

>The trick with a well-implemented smart home system is to consider failure modes in the design phase. I mostly don't object to optional "smart"/Bluetooth/WiFi features. I'll use them or not use them as I see fit. What I really object to is if some perfectly good appliance no longer can be used because the manufacturer stopped updating an application and now it doesn't work with the latest iOS version or whatever.