Observer makes copy pissing on Smart Home tech
While I can see the author’s point (“Smart Home” technology doesn’t play nice together), I’m not convinced his approach is valid. Yes, the market is fragmented. Yes, there is a serious lack of agreement on standards. Yes, it can be very, very frustrating. But, it’s a new thing. We are very much still in the early adopter phase. I’d rather have this Darwinian experiement where the strong and agile survive than something handed to me by Comcast, Verizon, or ADT.
More importantly. If you just want something that works. Stop whinging and do your homework before buying. Pick a holistic solution. Sure there might be compromises, and you won’t get the best-of-breed flavor of the month, but it will work. Or, if you don’t want to revise – get a Z-Wave + IP system (like the Vera). Been around for ages, works great.
With every new smart device I add to my home, it gets a little dumber.
The thermostats don’t talk to the lights. The security cameras don’t talk to the alarm system, which doesn’t talk to the garage door. The networked speakers talk to each other—but not to the TV sitting a few feet away. Just about every device has its own app for my smartphone, but since none of them work with each other, I’ve got 15 apps controlling 15 functions.
Home automation, the Internet of Things, call it what you will: For consumers, it’s an unholy mess. And every company that thinks it’s the one to bring order out of chaos has so far made the problem worse, not better.