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Don't Want Google In Your House? Here Are a Few Home-Tech Startups To Watch
curtwoodward writes: Google bought Nest. Then Nest bought Dropcam. Then Nest opened up its platform to tech partners, including... Google. This may not creep everyone out, but for those who don't like the idea of Google's all-seeing eye owning their smart-home devices, there are some small, independent companies developing alternatives. Maybe they'll survive long enough to get acquired by a company that doesn't make 90 percent of its money from advertising — right?
... how about a company that has a more lofty goal than "getting acquired" for once?
Which has more power: the hammer, or the anvil?
I like my home just the way it is. If it's called a "dumb-home" then so be it.
Posting a summary of your own blog post? Poor form, sir.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
I rather make my own devices and sensors. Much more fun and they will do exactly what you want them to do.
there's another real option here. the apple framework with iOS and homekit. Yes, it will be a nanny-state sand box where you can only use hardware and software that are approved. but you won't be tracked for advertising. Apple has the best privacy policy of any big company. they legitimately don't care what you do, as long as you buy their expensive shizz.
Yeah, I'm eagerly awaiting the day when attackers are able to exploit my smart fridge to remotely unlock the smart lock on my smart door. And the inevitable automatic firmware update that bricks my smart air conditioner.
Why does everything need to be a web appliance? My crockpot should convert electricity into heat and produce delicious stews and roasts. It doesn't need to use my search history to suggest new recipes, I have a PC that can do that.
On the bright side, I'm looking forward to the instructions on how to run Debian on my blender.
But if Google were to be reviled as much as Microsoft one day, you will be condemned for selling out. Then again, folks would use you as an example of Google's abusive business practices and consider you a victim - while you cry all the way to the bank with your millions for being "ripped off" by a major player.
You don't need a 'smart home', you need a 'common sense homeowner'. Besides which there are already 'smart home' systems out there that don't need to be connected to the goddamn Internet, just use those.
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
Remember: With a normal company you are the customer buying their products. With Google ~you~ are the product they sell to advertisers. They gather and sell your information, you are the product.
Procrastination; I'll think of a sig tomorrow.
Internet connected smart home devices solve this problem.
PtP connected devices make more sense. I don't need a middleman to turn my home's thermostat down.
Have gnu, will travel.
The Utility companies want the ability to turn down your thermostat when they feel it's necessary. Or turn up your thermostat, if it's summertime. At this point in places they offer some sort of a 'price break' if you enable this.
Let's wait awhile. Before too long, it will be 'anti-social' if you don't voluntarily let them take this control. Eventually it will become mandatory, or over-the-top expensive not to get into that pricing arrangement. You want to be a decent person, don't you, citizen?
Can't wait for our Utility Overlords to dictate no lighting when I go take a piss at 3:00 am for the good of the hivemind.
Just the opposite, 3AM is a low usage time in most places - they'll dictate that when the motion sensor goes off that you are walking into the bathroom, every light in your house goes on, and the temperature on the 'fridge goes down a few degrees to chill that late-night snack you're going to surely be getting soon.
All of the so called "alternatives" listed in TFA basically operate on the same crappy model of your gear connecting to vendor owned servers over the Internet to facilitate access.
When a vendor decides to change their terms of service, change service pricing model, go out of business or EOL product no longer worth their time supporting your screwed to say nothing of potential risks involved should vendor's systems become compromised...which ... never happens... regularly...
If I can't connect directly to manage my own gear I paid for without vendor being involved then no sale.
Realistically, your choices are:
* Facebook and their ilk, who will sell your individually identifiable data without a second thought.
* Google, who will absolutely sell your info, probably aggregated. At least they're upfront about it.
* Apple, who views their non-release of your data as a market differentiator and thus a valuable part of their brand.
As long as people choose Apple for privacy, Apple will value privacy and not sell their data.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
The Utility companies want the ability
Then they can pay for my fiber to the home connection.
Have gnu, will travel.