Dometica: heaven or hell?

[Kaat72]

With Google taking over Nest Labs dometica/home control solutions are another step closer to affordable reality, maybe. It can improve safety, and comfort. Assist people who need help, to live relatively independent as long as possible.
The lush of managing your coffee maker, lights, curtains, audio and what more from your bedside? Or on your way home.
Our homes for elderly are filled with dometica. Care takers are warned when someone leaves their bed in the middle of the night, or for bed peeing, or if some one pushes a button for personal assistance in their room. Even with a tag in a bracelet for the walkers (elderly with dementia) and cams here and there.
How do you fore see this future? Or is it there yet in your home?
Heaven or hell?

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/13/5305282/google-purchases-nest-for-3-2-billion

 

[olbriar]

I've worked in some multi million dollar homes that are very apple engineered. They are very cool. Mostly audio and video related but climate, lights, and security are included. I'm ready for Google to cut into that market... and make it affordable for the common guy like me.

 

[Kaat72]

I can even see the advantages of a cam/app system establishing a mobile convo with someone ringing my door bell when I am not home.
'Please courier/post man, can you leave that package with my neighbours at number...?'

 

[Unforgiven]

OK Google, where is my left sock?

 

[zuben el genub]

No thanks. I'm the human and will take my own chances. I don't want anything eventually telling me when I can make coffee, when I can use the stove, or when I can watch TV.

This isn't necessarily Google, but the power companies will start by controlling brownouts, and eventually more and more to avoid upgrading infrastructure to those unable to afford it. Once everything is connected, it will be connected to a grid somewhere.

Here's a short article about the mindset of some investors.
http://news.techeye.net/business/activist-wants-to-stop-juniper-being-nice-to-staff

 

[Slug]

The lush of managing your coffee maker, lights, curtains, audio and what more from your bedside? Or on your way home.

I'm all for it! My coffee machine already has an auto-on facility, but the thought of being able to control my living environment completely without leaving the cosy comfort of my duvet on these cold winter mornings is enticing.

In a similar vein, Samsung demonstrated their S-Voice tech in partnership with BMW in the latter's new all-electric i-series autos at CES. An app on their Gear smartwatch allows monitoring of charge levels, control of doors/windows/climate control and even locating the car in a large carpark by simply asking it to "speak" to you.

It's very early days right now, but I see a huge potential for improving lives (and lifestyles) if the tech is developed and utilised properly.

 

[lunatic59]

I'm a big fan of using technology to expand and enhance our lifestyles, but it comes with a caveat. It must be implemented well, be secure and simple enough for the general consumer market when it hits the streets.

I think back on the introduction of VCR's to the mass market. They all had the ability to record according to a schedule, but the vast majority never were simply because of the poor or complicated interfaces. The joke was always that the clock was flashing 12:00 o'clock.

My in-laws would be the beta-test team. They are as qualified to operate technology as I am to perform surgery on a Klingon ... in the dark ... with my right arm handcuffed to my left ankle. After installation (by a professional) if they could successfully turn off the porch light and adjust the thermostat without accidentally streaming their bathroom cam on YouTube or sending launch codes to an abandoned missile silo, then it might be okay. Most importantly, though would be if they could do it without calling me and saying "the doohickey on the whatsis isn't working" or "how do you make the dishwasher know I put the cat in it for it's bath?"

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

-- attr. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

 

[zuben el genub]

You can't program a hungry cat or baby that wants its feeding now! So just get up.
I was raised with kerosene heaters we had to light in the morning. No overnight heat.
To warm a bed you boiled water and filled a hot water bottle.

I got up at 3A for years to get kid on ice by 4:30, or myself.

 

[olbriar]

There are many of us still around that lived some very basic beginnings. For me, at least, it gives me a great appreciation for technology geared toward making life more comfortable. I have zero problem using and enjoying the technology at hand and well look forward to things to come.

 

[mikedt]

Does this mean we're finally going to get the internet connected smart refrigerator, that automatically orders the eggs and milk when we're running low?

You can't program a hungry cat or baby that wants its feeding now! So just get up.
I was raised with kerosene heaters we had to light in the morning. No overnight heat.
To warm a bed you boiled water and filled a hot water bottle.

I got up at 3A for years to get kid on ice by 4:30, or myself.

Depending on where I'm staying, might have to remember to plug the electric blanket in, otherwise getting into a freezing bed. And saying "Okay Google, put more wood in the stove." doesn't really work.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I'm looking forward to it. Being in the Security business I'm already familiar with opening doors from miles away after checking who is standing in front of it on a camera all done over a EDGE data connection on a netbook. Now that we're up to 4G LTE and WiFi is becoming pretty ubiquitous I think the sky is the limit on what we'll be able to do.

 

[huh]

husband is a techy nerd so I live in a "connected" home...not that I ever use it..
I don't even lock my doors...I double dog dare anyone to even try to...
oh ...whoops ramble

 

[zuben el genub]

Taking advantage of goodies is OK. But if you lose every connection, you would be wise to have a backup. Those who garden, can do astronomy without go-to scopes, weather watch, hunt wild food by the Euell Gibbons methods have a good chance of doing OK.

My father was a weather watcher. He farmed and knew the sequences of a storm.
He was also a pretty good herbalist and naturalist. Mostly from observing, too. He had to quit school in the 3rd grade, yet he wasn't illiterate. He took me on nature walks almost every Sunday.

Kids like the stuff. I took my kid on many a walk. We looked at clouds, plants, watched birds and animals. We would usually have a couple of the neighborhood kids along. So get your local weather on your device, but then go outside and check for yourself. Keep a weather diary, and you might be able to see what's coming if you lose connections. Same if you garden. See how and where plants grow and behave.
If you have covenants about yard, there are plenty of veggies you can container. You can even grow these on a balcony. Seed companies have these listed, and there are plenty of books on growing your own stuff.

Enjoy your devices, but don't only entertain yourself or use the convenience. Educate yourself along with it.

Here's another bit: use a salt shaker
Google Can Buy Nest, But It Can't Buy Our Trust | Wired Opinion | Wired.com

Just remember if you lose power, you had better have a backup plan, and Google cannot stop you from garnering your own information and storing it yourself via any self-contained device like a notebook, old recording device, you name it.