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Internet-Enabled Thermostat
ptorrone writes "Engadget has a little write-up of what is supposed to be the world's first Internet-enabled thermostat from Proliphix, which has an Ethernet port and a built-in web server and can be controlled from virtually any standard browser. So how long until everything in the home has its own IP address and script kiddies decide to get their kicks messing with your air conditioning during a heat wave?"
Yes, I rather think it is.
We can make hell freeze over...
Hey I got some a new windows installed today!
Cool, double glazing?
No.... longhorn..
Sounds like a company that makes prophylactix... err, I mean prophylactics.
Honey, I shrunk the Cygwin
For 25 cents, you could buy a themal resistor from Radio Shack and just push it into your joystick port.
Karma Clown
I believe Internet Explorer automatically opens up windows.
The real question is: How long with this equipment until script kiddies cause a heat wave?
My house came with a wireless gizmo that allows the power company to cut out my air conditioning during a peak power crisis. In return, I save a couple of bucks a month on my bill. (They claim that they haven't had to activate this system in many years. We'll see.)
I wouldn't be surprised if these things were found to be totally insecure. However, I'm not too worried because it's basically a case of "Security through would anyone actually bother?". If it worked via the Internet, it might be different though. At least with the radio, would-be hackers would have to emerge from their parents' basements to set up an antenna, which will probably thwart most of them.
They're called "girlfriends"
You know that the DOJ will want to be able to view your household temperature without you knowing it (PATRIOT ACT). You see, they'll check the temp to see how warm you're keeping your house. If it matches too closely with the temperatures of the climates of countries that host terrorism, you'll get a visit from the Feds. It'll be the same thing for web contolled lighting - gee, this guy keeps his lights on the exact same time as daylight in Irag, and the same temp. We need to investigate!
NOW all that's left is converting my leather Lay-Z-Boy into a toilet. Then I won't even have to care that my muscles are atrophying!
is if it runs in IIS and uses plaintext passwords!
My heating bill would look like the Nat'l Deficit.
This
Now I can know how hot it REALLY is in those live orgy rooms...
Shopping list: Norton AV for thermostat, Ad-aware for fridge, personal firewall for bathtub, VPN driver for airco...
10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then
I was going to comment, but she just came in and delivered me a nice cold one.
You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
640k oughta be enough for anybody...
'nuff said
I thought this too. Yet my family insists on turning all the thermostats in the house to 'off' in the summer, even though they will automatically keep the heat off until needed (oddly cold mornings are a real pain; be nice to have a device to turn the heat on for me when that happens).
"Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
A beowulf cluster of...oh wait, think of the power bills...