[chbot] Wifi Controlled Power Sockets / Internet of Things

[Nick Rout]

On Fri, May 22, 2015 at 9:14 AM, Volker Kuhlmann <list0570 at paradise.net.nz>
wrote:

> On Thu 21 May 2015 18:12:24 NZST +1200, Nick Rout wrote:
>
> > Yes I don't know why every home control software has to 'connect to
> > the cloud' to make it work from outside your LAN.
>
> I can see two big reasons:
>
> 1) It has to work for granny etc, who doesn't know how to configure
> inbound access (or what a router is in the first place), so it's easier
> to move the action to an area you have complete control over and don't
> have to answer granny's questions or deal with the user's LAN network
> problems.
>
> 2) Once you have all the user data under your control, you are free to
> satisfy your business model, investors, grow the business and leverage
> marketroidal effluent to maximum effect by milking all your users, most
> of which never see any privacy problems or couldn't give a hoot anyway
> with their lazy bums.
>
> Consequently all the "cool exciting" home bla bla things are just
> expensive paperweights as far as I am concerned. There's no way past DIY
> if you want it done properly.
>

Yeah I know why they do it. I looked at wifi controlled heat  pumps a while
ago and they all seem to do the same - connect to the cloud and keep you
attached to the manufacturer's ecosystem.

I also wonder what happens when some of the smaller players go broke or
lose interest, and suddenly no one can turn their waffle makers off or make
sure their vibrators are on charge from the office. Where will the world be
then huh?

I do have a philips hue lighting system which can connect to the 'cloud',
but you don't need to in order to control your lights. I much prefer that.
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