Seems like a lot of people aren't really convinced of the value of this kind of tech (and maybe of IoT in general), and I'll admit that I'm a little skeptical of parts of it as well. I don't really see the value in linking devices to each other (eg I don't need my shower to automatically turn on after my alarm goes off), and I don't need to be able to read HN on my fridge, but I do think there's a lot of value in making the smart phone a remote control for the physical world. I think it'd be awesome if none of my devices (thermostat, TV, TV peripherals, lights, door lock, sound system, etc) needed their own physical interfaces but I could just control them all with my phone. My phone is already my remote control for a bunch of other things, like transportation (Uber), food (Seamless), money (Venmo), shipping stuff (Shyp), love (Tinder - just kidding?), etc, so why not have it control my physical devices too?
Agreed. I really don't understand people who are against this sort of research. A light switch will still work as a light switch does now if you don't program it. There's another layer of complexity in the product design to go wrong, and add cost, but so long as when things break they still work in "dumb" mode and the cost added is minimal then a smart switch that you can program is a win for those people who want it and has practically no effect on those who don't.
Being anti-IoT seems like sour grapes; thinking "I don't want this in my life so no one should have it" is completely irrational.
I agree. This is just research, and not a market ready product. And research is really necessary in IoT, not just to figure out what is useful and what isn't, but also to figure out security and privacy concerns with everything being connected.
> I think it'd be awesome if none of my devices (thermostat, TV, TV peripherals, lights,
> door lock, sound system, etc) needed their own physical interfaces but I could just
> control them all with my phone.
Awesome, maybe, but why? This is IoT in a nutshell. Let's add connectivity where there is articulable value, and where it actually makes the core task simpler. Usually, adding a remote interface makes things more complex even as it adds functionality. So have a good reason.
