{"id":116514,"date":"2015-01-11T11:00:14","date_gmt":"2015-01-11T09:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=116514"},"modified":"2015-01-09T16:05:30","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T14:05:30","slug":"a-better-life-through-smart-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/gadgets\/116514-a-better-life-through-smart-devices.html","title":{"rendered":"A better life through smart devices"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual consumer electronics show running<\/a> in Las Vegas this week has highlighted what Industry at least, believes is our technology-enabled future. This year, it seems to lie totally with the move from computers and mobile phones, to the Internet of Things.<\/p>\n

What this effectively means is that every electronic device we currently interact with, becomes “smart” by getting a computer chip and a connection to the Internet. Those chips in turn, can respond to sensors, communicate with other devices, and control the devices they are embedded in.<\/p>\n

This year’s CES 2015 has mainly featured electronic smartness moving into cars, onto our bodies as wearables, and into the home, with Internet-enabled everything from power plugs to washing machines.<\/p>\n

The surge of interest from Industry in home automation in particular, clearly shows that they believe this is what we need in our lives. Samsung has pledged<\/a> that by 2017, 90% of its products will be smart devices.<\/p>\n

They will also have a device called the SmartThings Hub<\/a> that connects all of these devices, provides additional intelligence, and allows them to interact with each other and services on the cloud. This is a big bet for Samsung who last year started to lose its dominance in the smartphone market.<\/p>\n

Along with the devices, company spokespeople have been trying to construct the narrative around why consumers will feel the need to pay a premium for a smart device in the home.<\/p>\n

The “Limitless Possibilities” outlined by SmartThings<\/a> for example, includes automatically starting the coffee machine when you wake up.<\/p>\n

This is hardly revolutionary or new. A patent for devices that brewed tea or coffee was granted as far back as 1902<\/a>. Admittedly, a device<\/a> like the Smarter WiFi Coffee Machine will allow you to start the brewing process from your phone, but this is hardly a massive advance on the basic functionality after 110 years.<\/p>\n

Other “limitless possibilities” listed by SmartThings also fall short of convincing, reflecting what has been both already imagined, and even put into practice, for many years; automated lights, remote controls for air conditioners and heaters and home security that can be monitored remotely.<\/p>\n

The other major challenge facing home automation even once people have imagined the possibilities and paid a premium for them, is the safety and security of these devices. In what was a warning shot for Industry, US Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez’s spoke <\/a> at CES of the need to have security and privacy “designed into” Internet of Things devices from the outset.<\/p>\n

The FTC’s concerns were about the collection and use of private data, including the scope for carrying out data analysis on all of the data collected by the devices.<\/p>\n

Even if the companies offering smart devices didn’t use this data inappropriately, just collecting it poses a risk of others getting hold of it through what seems like all-to-frequent hacking. Ramirez also expressed concern about the inherent security of the devices themselves, leaving them open to access and control by hackers.<\/p>\n

Companies like Bitdefender are trying to address<\/a> the security issue by creating a hardware device called Box<\/a>, that seeks to protect Internet of Things devices in the home.<\/p>\n

Although a good start, it only serves to increase the cost and complexity of implementing smart devices in the home.<\/p>\n

Consulting firm Accenture has reported<\/a> that 83% of consumers have experienced difficulties in setting up and using smart devices. They also reported that 25% of smart thermostat owners found it too difficult to use.<\/p>\n

CES 2015 is a showcase of what products Industry believes we will be buying in the near to short-term future. In some cases, these are easy bets as consumers are given no choice.<\/p>\n

Cars will come with better mobile device integration and increasingly with direct connections to the Internet. In other cases, consumers will ultimately decide if a technological strategy will succeed. In the case of past CES events, failed Industry bets included<\/a> 3D televisions which didn’t prove popular with the public.<\/p>\n

Of course there are situations where home automation may have a role including making daily life easier for those who have disabilities, or for people who are caring for the elderly. Whether it permeates into everyday life however is a long bet and there is still not a compelling argument for surrounding ourselves with Internet-enabled devices.<\/p>\n

On a personal note, my Samsung air conditioning units are Internet-enabled and can be controlled remotely from my phone. However, other than showing people how I can access them when I am away from the home, I have rarely thought to use that functionality in the past year. But perhaps this is because I am incapable of thinking of the “limitless possibilities” this capability brings.<\/p>\n