The Danger of the IoT

Got to be careful with that IoT.

 

IoT: Neo Smart Jar

So there was the crockpot and now there are smart jars. I don't see them getting much traction at $99 for a pair.

Via The Blaze.

Nest Thermostat

Interesting take on actually living with the Nest thermostat:

"When I first got my Nest I felt like I had super powers because it connected to Wi-Fi and enabled me to adjust my home’s temperature using the Nest website or tablet app. This was unheard of for a thermostat at that time. But this positive feature has been eclipsed by negative elements that commandeered control. (And control is what you really want when it comes to using a device.) 

A learning device implies that it will not only pick up on what you usually do, but it will also: 1) allow you to change, and 2) absorb those changes. My Nest learned quite well, but then stopped learning. It remembered but it didn’t look for variations or adapt. It was the equivalent of a printed textbook: Facts, correct or not, become law if written in there and thus will be taught that way until the school chooses a different textbook. 

When I turned the dial to increase the heat to 66 degrees, rather than responding by making the house warmer, or by informing me that it is now working toward this, it read, "in 1 hour and 20 minutes 66 degrees until 10:00PM.” The next day the house temperature plummeted to a punishing 50 degrees (I realize I may be spoiled) for no reason I was privy to. Here, by the way, is another usability heuristic not heeded: visibility of system status."

That article makes me happier with my Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats. They are very easy to control. It's not flashy, but they just seem to work. I've had one for a long time now and the second one for about a month. Defining a schedule is fairly straightforward, but the temporary overrides are trivial to make. It has controls at the thermostat or you can make changes via the web or the app.

IoT: Keen Smart Vent

Sounds like a great idea... the Keen Smart Vent. I've got problems with hot and cold areas in my house. (It's much better since I've replaced both HVAC systems in the last 8 months or so.) I'd love to see if it could actually lower utility bills rather than just even out the temperatures.

Skynet Begins

Internet enabled... crock-pot.

IoT with Google Nest

It is amazing the connections that will be possible with the IoT and devices like Google Nest.

Some of the “Works With Nest” automations which Nest is talking about: 

• Mercedes-Benz cars can alert a Nest thermostat to when you’ll arrive home so that it can begin adjusting the temperature while you’re on your way.

• Logitech Harmony universal remotes can be programmed to control a Nest thermostat.

• A Nest thermostat can tell a Whirlpool washer and dryer that you’re not at home, allowing them to switch to slower, more energy-efficient cycles.

• When your Jawbone Up24 wristband knows you’ve woken up, it can tell a Nest thermostat so that it can tweak the temperature.

• LIFX light bulbs can flash if your Nest Protect smoke detector goes off, and fool prowlers by turning on and off randomly when your Nest thermostat tells them that you’re not around.

• The excellent IFTTT service for DIY automation works with the Nest thermostat and Nest Protect smoke detector, letting you write your own recipes, such as one which alerts the neighbors by text message if smoke is detected at your home.

• Starting this fall, the Google Now smartphone app will let the Nest thermostat know when you’re on the way home, and will allow you to set it through an “OK Google” spoken command.

IoT: Honeywell Lyric Thermostat

Forget the NSA, your thermostat is watching you.

"The Lyric has a motion sensor, too–one which it uses to put itself into an interactive mode when it notices you’ve approached. But for monitoring whether you’re at home at all, Honeywell’s thermostat leverages its iOS and Android apps. Your phone tracks your location via GPS and reports it back to the thermostat, so the Lyric knows if you’re around the house or at a distant location. And if it notices that you’re headed home, it can begin to adjust itself so that the temperature is ideal by the time you arrive."

IoT: WiFan

The Internet of Things is coming... Internet enabled fans. You can pre-order it now for around a cool $1,000.

Via Uncrate

Open Source Thermostat

Build an open-source thermostat. (Via Bunnie Studios)

Can I also get an open-source refrigerator?

Internet of Things and Security

I've seen several articles about the Internet of Things (IoT) being big in 2014. I am, in general a fan of the advantages of connected devices and the cloud, but I'm not unaware of the problems.

Bruce talks about the security issues of the IoT and routers:

"And the Internet of Things will only make this problem worse, as the Internet -- as well as our homes and bodies -- becomes flooded with new embedded devices that will be equally poorly maintained and unpatchable. But routers and modems pose a particular problem, because they're: (1) between users and the Internet, so turning them off is increasingly not an option; (2) more powerful and more general in function than other embedded devices; (3) the one 24/7 computing device in the house, and are a natural place for lots of new features."

Hans pointed out an example of a security issue on my post about the WRT54G router.

Part of my hope is that companies will take this issues more seriously. Security should be planned just as any other requirement for the application or tool. The market should severely punish companies like SnapChat that approach security issues with arrogance. And Nest had a painful, confusing experience when some of their smart/connected thermostat users were left without heat. I'm sure it will get worse before it gets better, but like given time I expect these devices will mature... or we will quit using them. At least the ones we have a choice in.

And maybe I don't want my toothbrush connected after all.