Techno bells and whistles: do you use them?

[amadeus]

This is split from the most recent coronavirus thread about IoT stuff.

Do you use anything that wouldn’t be on an appliance, say, in 1990? I mean like refrigerators with cameras in them or really any old device that could be connected to the internet.

The closest thing I have is a timer on my thermostat, but that is set from home and connected only to a remote control that comes standard with the AC.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I recently received a new glucometer that I can hook up to a laptop to run it.

This would be handy because the idiots who make those things make it nearly impossible for people with arthritis to actually remove the part that needs removing so they can change the batteries.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Ring doorbell? No fancy tech on our washer, stove, frig, furnace, blender, clothes line.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

I abhor home automation.

 

[Samson]

I once made a thermostat that was connected to the internet, but it was totally overengineered and I gave up on it.

 

[Arwon]

My CPAP machine is on the line, I think

 

[amadeus]

I recently received a new glucometer that I can hook up to a laptop to run it.

I’d say this falls into accessibility rather than a bell and whistle. Now if it had an app that you could upload your blood sugar status to Instagram, that would be more along the lines of “...why?”

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I’d say this falls into accessibility rather than a bell and whistle. Now if it had an app that you could upload your blood sugar status to Instagram, that would be more along the lines of “...why?”

Why would I want my blood sugar status on social media? It's of no importance to anyone but me, my doctor, and anyone who happens to be around me if I suddenly feel abnormally dizzy, lightheaded, start stumbling, and can't speak coherently.

(no, it doesn't mean I'm drunk; it likely means I'm hypoglycemic and need something sweet NOW, like hard candy or fruit juice)

 

[amadeus]

Why would I want my blood sugar status on social media?

I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a maker that integrated it into their devices. That’s really the idea of the thread—do you find any kinds of these functions useful, or just superfluous?

I had a neighbor who hooked everything up and had almost any device imaginable. He was also very much an evangelist for that sort of thing, and I don’t think it had ever registered with him that... I just never saw the need to hook up all my appliances to an app. I can turn the lights off from my bed? I can just get up and do it. My quality of life isn’t going to go up that much, if at all.

 

[Farm Boy]

1990... I'm coming after all of you without chords on your drills.

Actually, now that I think about it, the kiddo's drill(xmas present from an uncle) is chordless. I'm still constantly amazed by batteries.

 

[AmazonQueen]

I do have a TV remote, thats the limit of my home automation.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Oh I forgot, my hearing aids do connect to my cell phone and I can adjust them with it and get phone calls through them. That is good tech.

 

[pob]

You can buy a dongle for my Samsung washing machine to have it connect to wifi. The dongle costs nearly as much as the washing machine and doesn't really add anything interesting. The washing machine itself is pretty terrible too (not my purchasing choice): it has very limited temperature and cycle options, but hey, at least it can keep itself busy during the soaking cycle by reading its email or join skynet when the household appliances finally gain sentience and rebel.

 

[amadeus]

1990... I'm coming after all of you without chords on your drills.

The first cordless drill was sold by Black & Decker in 1961. You’re 29 years too late!

 

[Farm Boy]

They still sort of sucked tho, and weren't cheap. Mobile farm drill up through the 80s on our end(we aren't carpenters, that's for sure):

Spoiler :

 

[Gorbles]

I mean, most onboard computers on things like ovens and washing machines are literally onboard computers, compared to what they used to be. Memory to store instructions, and so on. But they're also standard on most ovens.

Do we count temperature gauges on fridges? I don't have that on mine, my parents do on theirs.

That said, do I go in for the Internet of Things? Nope. For anyone that uses Twitter (anachronistic given the thread title, but hey), I recommend this gem of an account if you want to know about the really dumb and bad things that go on in the Internet of Unspeakable (Things).

A lot of my friends (especially the more audiophile types) are into things like connected speaker setups and the like, which are about the safest thing I'd consider. But still too rich for my blood, and I've got a good decade or more of my kids breaking things to consider that yet

I would sooner set an Amazon Alexa on fire (even it was gifted to me) than carry it into my house. Even if it was turned off. I trust the widgets they plug into smart fridges and the like roughly a similar amount.

It's not that these things couldn't be good. Or that they couldn't be useful. But they're made to turn a profit and what's better for that than inflating costs with little doodads that require additional maintenance and let your vendor brick the hardware at the touch of a button? I'm not exaggerating. Once again, I refer to the linked Twitter account.

 

[amadeus]

That’s why I like cars with the crank windows. Window goes up, window goes down—you can’t explain that!

Also, the swear filter hates your link. Anyone curious: the word is an anagram of “hits.”

 

[Gorbles]

Haha, I wondered if the swear would get picked up in the HTML. I forgot to check after I posted, my bad.

 

[amadeus]

I had the same problem talking about Panasonic founder Konosuke ＭＡＴＳＵＳＨＩＴＡ because of the filter.

 

[Josu]

I have a roomba vaccum cleaner which I can run remotely
I also have a Network-Attached Storage which I can access remotely and program downloads from my mobile, for example I can download a torrent file to my mobile being in the office and start the download in the storage which is at home.
My cats' feeder is as well automated, they can only eat from their own bowl.
I also have an aquarium which light plan is automated.

My flat is also equiped with remote home automation, lights, thermostat , presence,flood and fire alarm whith alerts in the mobile, but is not configured as landline is required. I do not have landline, and if having would not configure the automation.

I won't buy an IoT fridge, washing machine or dishwasher until there are only this kind of mobiles in the market. I don't consider them providing value to the product.