Christopher Mims, Tech Columnist for the Wall Street Journal, wrote an article on smart homes in the June 22, 2014 edition. He visited with SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson, who has turned his home into a smart home with the help of smart devices and apps. A device on his wrist registers movement when he wakes up and communicates this wirelessly to his iPhone, which passes the signal to home-controlling software in the cloud. Lights come on. The coffee maker starts brewing. The thermostat adjusts the temperature and the security system shuts off.
Mims isn't convinced this is all worth doing. He says, "...other than people who have very specific reasons to add automation to their homes, I have no idea why anyone would do it, even if the equipment were free. As countless reviewers have noted...even when smart-home technology works as advertised, the complexity it adds to everyday life outweighs any convenience it might provide." Mims did, however, find some compelling aspects of this technology in Hawkinson's home and has high hopes for the future. You can read his entire article at http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-im-not-in-a-hurry-for-a-smart-home-1403479741
What do you think about smart homes? Would you ever add such technology to your home?
No comments:
Post a Comment