I don't really see the appeal in the google control my house gig... is it that hard to turn a light on? or is it more the wank factor?
I'm a bit of a tech geek who has been investigating "smart home" options (just... not the mainstream products available). Some reasons why I like the idea:
1. Being able to remotely control lights, ideally with a pre-set program, so that when you're away from home it still looks like there's activity
2. Being able to turn the air conditioning/heating/front light on before you arrive home so the house is more comfortable in various climates/after dark/whatever
3. Being able to control blinds to automatically raise/lower at given times of day to block heat from the sun and maximise energy efficiency/etc.
The reason I don't have something like this already? Because it is damn expensive, particularly to retrofit. And privacy concerns. I don't love the idea of having a microphone front and centre in my house listening to every conversation I have and uploading it to the Cloud, somewhere, where I have no control over how it is stored, for how long, or what is done with it. And I need to be convinced that some of the options aren't easily hack-able, and that vulnerabilities are checked for, identified, and addressed promptly.
"There have been a couple of interesting cases in America where, for example, a gentleman asserted that he was woken up and his home was on fire and he had rushed out," Bond University's Kate Mathews-Hunt says.
"In actual fact his Fitbit data showed that he had been engaged in heavy labour, which I think included removing quite a lot of things out of his home, and so his insurance claim was effectively impugned on that basis, that his story didn't hang together.
"So it's an incredibly interesting area, but it is also problematic."
Best way to solve this issue is don't attempt to defraud an insurance company while wearing a smart device (or probably even having your phone in your pocket - I imagine the "health" type apps would save accelerometer data...?)
In all seriousness, tech isn't bad or something to be afraid of. But understanding it is power. What data is collected? How and where is it stored? Is that data shared, and if so under what circumstances? Its amazing how many people use certain devices, apps or features without fully understanding these points. Ignorance is bliss... until it comes back to bite you.
