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> I am at a complete loss why this should not be smart enough. The technical overhead some people introduce into their lives just to avoid pressing a button to

> I am at a complete loss why this should not be smart enough. The technical overhead some people introduce into their lives just to avoid pressing a button to turn of the light is mindblowing to me. My leg is currently broken and I'm on crutches. At this point I'm really glad that I installed voice-controlled lighting in my house. Good reminder that things that seem trivial are very much not to people with disabilities.

SubiculumCode 5y ago
Impairments to mobility are a good topic for this discussion. The question is though, are the smart tech sufficiently better than a simple remote? --Best wishes in the healing process.
- FinalBriefing 5y ago
  Not to say a dedicated remote isn't useful, but phones are really convenient. You generally have your phone with you, so you don't need to keep track of a separate device or devices. Unlike a TV remote, which is used near your TV, a house remote needs to be used anywhere. Everyone in your household can have their own remote (phone), so there's no passing the device around. The types of controls are varied, and a color touch screen is generally the best option. Light switches, dimmer lights, colored lights, fan controls, AC controls, etc. While I can imagine creating a remote that handles all these different devices, it's going to be a challenge to create hardware that services all these different devices intuitively.
  - JohnFen 5y ago
    > Not to say a dedicated remote isn't useful, but phones are really convenient. True, but phones present a much higher security risk than remote controls.
    - kwhitefoot 5y ago
      > phones present a much higher security risk Only because the manufacturers insist on networking the devices instead of using Bluetooth.
  - pcwalton 5y ago
    I always forget where remote controls are. Granted, I forget where my phone is too, but at least that's only one thing to search for.

SubiculumCode 5y ago

Impairments to mobility are a good topic for this discussion. The question is though, are the smart tech sufficiently better than a simple remote? --Best wishes in the healing process.

FinalBriefing 5y ago
Not to say a dedicated remote isn't useful, but phones are really convenient. You generally have your phone with you, so you don't need to keep track of a separate device or devices. Unlike a TV remote, which is used near your TV, a house remote needs to be used anywhere. Everyone in your household can have their own remote (phone), so there's no passing the device around. The types of controls are varied, and a color touch screen is generally the best option. Light switches, dimmer lights, colored lights, fan controls, AC controls, etc. While I can imagine creating a remote that handles all these different devices, it's going to be a challenge to create hardware that services all these different devices intuitively.
- JohnFen 5y ago
  > Not to say a dedicated remote isn't useful, but phones are really convenient. True, but phones present a much higher security risk than remote controls.
  - kwhitefoot 5y ago
    > phones present a much higher security risk Only because the manufacturers insist on networking the devices instead of using Bluetooth.
- pcwalton 5y ago
  I always forget where remote controls are. Granted, I forget where my phone is too, but at least that's only one thing to search for.