Bob's mention of home automation

[RogerS]

Talking of which I think humanity has really lost the plot. I saw yesterday that Osram have a bulb that you can control with your mobile phone. WTF?

I find it profoundly depressing that companies and humans can devote the time and effort into designing/producing something as utterly pointless as this in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Malc2098]

My old boss used to turn his electric blanket on by his smartfone when on the way home from one evening out with his missus! Two technologies, decades apart!

 

[Rod]

Could be a Burglar deterrent?
Keep switching lights on and off.

Rod

 

[RogerS]

Could be a Burglar deterrent?
Keep switching lights on and off.

Rod

I don't think so. Who in their right mind is going to suddenly think..'Ooh, I must turn my lights on to deter a burglar'...simple timeswitches will do that or any of the myriad of home security systems.

 

[Woolf]

Saw this article on BBC website yesterday.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36995288

Did this precipitate your post?

 

[Robert]

Lots of companies have lighting you control from your phone now. you program colour changes and light levels, switching sequences etc. On and off is only a small part of what they do. (and no I don't have any)

 

[RogerS]

Saw this article on BBC website yesterday.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36995288

Did this precipitate your post?

Yes it was. As an aside the reference to the vulnerability of your PCs etc as a result of poor security in the IoT is a point well made, as I have banged on about this in the past. But the warning will fall on deaf ears.

 

[AndyP]

Talking of which I think humanity has really lost the plot. I saw yesterday that Osram have a bulb that you can control with your mobile phone. WTF?

I find it profoundly depressing that companies and humans can devote the time and effort into designing/producing something as utterly pointless as this in the grand scheme of things.

I though the same thing when I read the article. It is the way of IT. Solutions searching for a demand rather than demand driving solutions.

 

[RogerS]

Talking of which I think humanity has really lost the plot. I saw yesterday that Osram have a bulb that you can control with your mobile phone. WTF?

I find it profoundly depressing that companies and humans can devote the time and effort into designing/producing something as utterly pointless as this in the grand scheme of things.

I though the same thing when I read the article. It is the way of IT. Solutions searching for a demand rather than demand driving solutions.

This time it's much deeper that that, I think, in what, to my mind, is a dehumanisation. Popped into a pub the other night and it was deathly quiet. Not because of lack of customers but you'd see groups of young blokes - eyes down on the little screen. In another corner, a group of girls. Again, eyes down glued to those stupid little screens. No social interaction whatsoever - either within the two groups or banter between the two groups.

In a cafe recently, I saw a mother with a two-year old child desperate for some interaction with her mother. And the mother was doing what ? Eyes down fiddling about with her bloody smartphone.

There are plenty of dystopian science-fiction stories around. Looks as if they are coming to pass.

 

[AndyP]

I had to take all 3 of my girls to the local Decathlon last week to get some wellies for one of them. I sent the oldest off to look for the head torches. She came back 5 minutes later to say she couldn't find them. I sent her off again telling her to try harder. After 5 minutes she returned, no joy but she had found 2 new Pokermons in the store!!

The head torches BTW were right next to the central aisle. She must have walked past them at least 4 times.

 

[woodstalker]

I liked this novel solution:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-36943686

theres a similar thing where i work meaning no phone signal in the building which probably increases productivity, however the free wifi negates this