Smart Home

We have noticed an increase in home fires since our utility installed smart meters throughout their distribution area. Or maybe we're just more in tune to it? Anyway, my research told me that smart meters are incompatible with some appliances and it was a lottery we didn't want to enter. We pay a monthly penalty to keep our old meter and keep their smart crap out of our home. It's a shame when one must pay a premium to prevent the power company from burning ones home down.

I'll pass on other smart home items. I'll stay old school manual.

Sorry, I didn't mean to rain on your parade, but I'm an old fart and I want no one in my home unless I invite them. I choose not to. I saw the documentary film "I Robot" and I saw what can happen.

Sounds like a protection racket

Interesting thread - I've been considering doing the wifi thermostat and some lighting. The thermostat for energy efficiency and remote monitoring and control and the lighting for the ability to set moods or "scenes" I'm not a fan of harsh light (vampirism?) and I suppose that dimmer switches would be cheaper. The wifi door locks I don't think are where they need to be yet and I suspect thats where the security issues might be - is that the case andrewjs18 or are the security issues broader than that?

A friend has installed wifi security cameras at his 92 year old father's house but only on the outside of the house for security reasons so they can see whats going on. His dad refused any cameras in the house. I've been discussing doing something similar with my brother as our dad is 89 and lives alone and I can see where it would be good for security reasons and also if he falls down and can't reach a phone. Haven't talked to dad about and I'm not sure how it will go over. Probably not good and he might suggest if we're so interested in whats going on at his house why doesn't one of us move in with him.

The whole Alexa / Echo digital assistant thing creeps me out - Hal from 2001 A Space Odyssey

HAL 9000: I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.

I'm afraid I can't do that Dave.

I purchased a Google Home for myself plus son and daughter. Currently, in the running for father of the year - received thank you texts from both.

Foy myself, replaced my 20 year old Sony analog clock radio that would drift out of tune until I started my annual replacement search. Also purchased one light and bruises on shins have healed.

ShadowsDad

Your thoughts on this are very valid and I totally see your point.  Always watching, always listening, I'm pretty sure this is how SKYNET started  

Good discussion on this everyone!  Love the rationale and respectful banter on all topics in this forum.... it's refreshing frankly.

steeleshaves, I think some, though not all, thoughts on this may have something to do with age.  At 72, I am reasonably healthy and live a pretty independent life.  However, what if, as I age, I need more help for my own health and safety such as those who want to keep an eye on their elderly parents?  My nearest relatives live 120 miles from me so perhaps some of these hubs might serve a very good purpose.  However, even though they are family, I find the loss of my privacy through electronics like these very troubling.  Also, because of my age, I can remember when computers in homes, the internet, and telephones in our pockets weren’t even a dream outside of a Dick Tracy comic strip and life was quite comfortable so the desire for them isn’t as strong as it may be for younger people.  To be sure, I enjoy the convenience of my modern electronics and am obviously using one of them now.  However, I just think things are moving mind boggling fast, too fast in the case of my loss of privacy, and yes, I believe my privacy is probably gone.

Where age doesn’t really come into it is what I mentioned earlier in this thread.  I simply have no need for much of what a hub can do.  I am quite happy walking from one room to another to turn on an individual light.  When I want music, it’s not a hardship to walk over to the radio or stereo/CD player (yes, I still listen to CDs) and turn it on.

For now, the choice is ours to make as individuals but for how much longer?  That is my biggest concern.

Now I understand when folks use the word privacy. Yes, lots of info' in our lives is no longer private, but lots of it is also public domain information that anyone can find just by digging. You can thank Congress for allowing it. There are companies who sell data... Last I heard that was called conversion to use anything belonging to someone else and without their permission make money from it. But again, Congress passed laws allowing it years ago. At least as far as public domain info' there's no hiding anymore. That's why I don't want that stuff in my home, they don't need any more data. I don't need Alexa constantly listening in or someone tapping into my private conversations through it. I even keep the cameras taped over on my Kindle. Tape is on the one facing me and a case covers the one facing away and it requires deliberate effort to use the camera.

If someone hasn't yet, google your own name and see what comes up. Why give more info' for anyone to use? You have no control over who gets it and not all users of the data have your best interests at heart.

Interesting thread - I've been considering doing the wifi thermostat and some lighting.  The thermostat for energy efficiency and remote monitoring and control and the lighting for the ability to set moods or "scenes"  I'm not a fan of harsh light (vampirism?) and I suppose that dimmer switches would be cheaper.  The wifi door locks I don't think are where they need to be yet and I suspect thats where the security issues might be - is that the case andrewjs18  or are the security issues broader than that?  

A friend has installed wifi security cameras at his 92 year old father's house but only on the outside of the house for security reasons so they can see whats going on.  His dad refused any cameras in the house.  I've been discussing doing something similar with my brother as our dad is 89 and lives alone and I can see where it would be good for security reasons and also if he falls down and can't reach a phone.  Haven't talked to dad about and I'm not sure how it will go over.  Probably not good and he might suggest if we're so interested in whats going on at his house why doesn't one of us move in with him.  

The whole Alexa / Echo digital assistant thing creeps me out - Hal from 2001 A Space Odyssey

HAL 9000: I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.

I'm afraid I can't do that Dave.

in general, the cheaper IoT things are, the less a company/engineering team will put into making sure the devices they're putting out are secure.

https://www.cylance.com/en_us/blog/inter...ecure.html

this one is a few years old but still valid:
https://www.wired.com/2014/01/theres-no-...e-problem/

pretty good read here:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/01/some...iot-stuff/

I purchased a Google Home for myself plus son and daughter.  Currently, in the running for father of the year - received thank you texts from both.

Foy myself, replaced my 20 year old Sony analog clock radio that would drift out of tune until I started my annual replacement search.  Also purchased one light and bruises on shins have healed.

Google Home actually sent the texts.

Now I understand when folks use the word privacy. Yes, lots of info' in our lives is no longer private, but lots of it is also public domain information that anyone can find just by digging. You can thank Congress for allowing it. There are companies who sell data... Last I heard that was called conversion to use anything belonging to someone else and without their permission make money from it. But again, Congress passed laws allowing it years ago. At least as far as public domain info' there's no hiding anymore. That's why I don't want that stuff in my home, they don't need any more data. I don't need Alexa constantly listening in or someone tapping into my private conversations through it. I even keep the cameras taped over on my Kindle. Tape is on the one facing me and a case covers the one facing away and it requires deliberate effort to use the camera.

If someone hasn't yet, google your own name and see what comes up. Why give more info' for anyone to use? You have no control over who gets it and not all users of the data have your best interests at heart.

I googled myself and I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad. There seems to be a large number of people with whom I share my first and last name and after going through 5 pages of google search results I hadn't turned up yet. The creepiest part was the pages of obituaries in my name. I guess I can hide in plain sight. Maybe I should reach out and we could start a forum of people with the same name and see what else we might have in common.

add your age and town and state. I still can't guarantee that you'll see yourself though.

When I google myself, I have fairly unique name, I get pages and pages of hits due to my business. The info' can be quite in depth. I've seen posts regarding me and my products around the globe. I've seen my samples being resold in countries that I can't send to but others obviously did.

If you saw the websites that promise detailed data if they're for free they are also worth trying. The more info' you supply the better the results. There is at least one site that strings one along for minutes while it "analyses the data". Just ditch that site without waiting for results. Computers work much faster than that, it's just stringing you along to make it appear that huge things are happening before they ask for money.