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Ask HN: What does a ‘Smart Home’ mean to you?

uberman 6y ago
To me it means the owner was smart enough not install IOT snooping devices. I resisted as long as I could but one day I came home to find my family had enabled the wifi on our tv and installed Disney+
politelemon 6y ago
From what is sold, advertised and extolled: A 'smart' home is a privacy-invasive, locked-in ecosystem which provides questionable, novelty benefits at best. To me a true smart home would be out of the way, not make itself an object of attention, not something that changes my behaviours, and not have me beholden to a corporation; I argue that smart homes today are not smart at all, just normal devices with different interfaces. A smart-smart home would know when to vacuum, not vacuum on a schedule. It would know when to take the rubbish out, to keep the lights off if I'm sleeping in, and if I want some coffee. It would do all of this offline, without dialling home and without my life collapsing if the system fails or the power goes out. If this sounds too far fetched, that's because it's really smart!
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago
  i agree that the house would learn from us. and yes, privacy invasive. eta: i dont think computers can yet deal with households that include young children or pets.
gregjor 6y ago
Trying to connect to and talk to devices that don't understand, then turning things on and off manually. Updates that happen at bad times and can brick the device. Companies, police, government agencies, and hackers snooping what goes on in my home. I don't use any "smart home" stuff except for a Nest thermostat.
jelliclesfarm 6y ago
if i have to break it down: 1. smart perimeter(outside lighting, garden watering, reminders for garden maint, boundaries, pest alerts, security cams, gate alarm if applicable.) 2. smart kitchen(smart fridge, smart pantry that auto orders, smart cooking unit) 3. smart bathrooms/spa/gym/grooming areas(self cleaning toilet, shower stall, floors etc.) 4. smart housekeeping(floors, laundry reminders, dusting, mopping, ceilings, windows) 5. smart maint. schedule (quarterly check ups on plumbing, electricity, wiring, connections, gutters etc.) 6. smart winterisation scheduling(where applicable) 7. smart security(cameras, alarm system, visitor logging) 8. utility tracking(lights, water, gas etc)

To me it means the owner was smart enough not install IOT snooping devices. I resisted as long as I could but one day I came home to find my family had enabled the wifi on our tv and installed Disney+

politelemon 6y ago

From what is sold, advertised and extolled: A 'smart' home is a privacy-invasive, locked-in ecosystem which provides questionable, novelty benefits at best. To me a true smart home would be out of the way, not make itself an object of attention, not something that changes my behaviours, and not have me beholden to a corporation; I argue that smart homes today are not smart at all, just normal devices with different interfaces. A smart-smart home would know when to vacuum, not vacuum on a schedule. It would know when to take the rubbish out, to keep the lights off if I'm sleeping in, and if I want some coffee. It would do all of this offline, without dialling home and without my life collapsing if the system fails or the power goes out. If this sounds too far fetched, that's because it's really smart!

jelliclesfarm 6y ago
i agree that the house would learn from us. and yes, privacy invasive. eta: i dont think computers can yet deal with households that include young children or pets.

gregjor 6y ago

Trying to connect to and talk to devices that don't understand, then turning things on and off manually. Updates that happen at bad times and can brick the device. Companies, police, government agencies, and hackers snooping what goes on in my home. I don't use any "smart home" stuff except for a Nest thermostat.

jelliclesfarm 6y ago

if i have to break it down: 1. smart perimeter(outside lighting, garden watering, reminders for garden maint, boundaries, pest alerts, security cams, gate alarm if applicable.) 2. smart kitchen(smart fridge, smart pantry that auto orders, smart cooking unit) 3. smart bathrooms/spa/gym/grooming areas(self cleaning toilet, shower stall, floors etc.) 4. smart housekeeping(floors, laundry reminders, dusting, mopping, ceilings, windows) 5. smart maint. schedule (quarterly check ups on plumbing, electricity, wiring, connections, gutters etc.) 6. smart winterisation scheduling(where applicable) 7. smart security(cameras, alarm system, visitor logging) 8. utility tracking(lights, water, gas etc)