Why #AlwaysOn #HomeAutomation Needs an [OFF] Button: #IoT #Wiretapping #PrivacyPolicies #DataMining #DoNotTrack #Supercookies

As commercial entities rush to Internet-enable everything (can the smartflush toilet be far away?) consumers should hit the [PAUSE] button and examine the cost of all this "convenience". One should always remember that technology often outpaces legality (and unfortunately, ethics); if something can be achieved with technology, it likely will be, with or without license.

When the Internet first became the domain of commerce, online shopping early adopters were the first to test the waters and bear a share of the cost. As more and more people --- across various socio-economic strata --- went online, businesses realized that potential consumers could be drawn in by offering something for "free." There is no such thing as a free lunch; the exchange always consists of the consumer giving over some detail/s in order to obtain said freebie. Sometimes it's merely a name and address, but increasingly it's become a request for more and more extensive demographic information. (Fill out this survey, get a free pack of gum. Oh, did we forget to mention the gum is extra sticky and will track you for the rest of your life?)

Once businesses realized that consumers were willing to trade all sorts of data in exchange for a perceived "freebie," commercial exploitation of the Internet commenced in full measure. The Age of Freemium Enterprise was born. A entire global enterprise ecosystem has sprung up based upon the repackaging and selling of you (your data). Some of the biggest Internet tech companies make most of their money from advertising and advertising is lucrative for these companies because they take the Freemium Model to extremes: Offer a consumer a free service, get reams of personal information in return; tack on another free service, get more data; rinse and repeat. And because they realize that the average user is either too lazy or too ill-informed to bother to "unjoin" something included at signup, these companies use opt-in as the default --- you have to take action to opt-out --- automatically gaining access to tons of data, often from unwitting consumers.

The Freemium Model soon evolved into the Convenience Factor Model: Consumers were willing to pay for a service or gadget with perceived convenience for everyday life tasks and still give access to their data in return. (Yes, we literally buy into being spied upon with the advent of smart devices.) And the big boys took notice. Companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon have expanded into the home automation market because it's a most hallowed step, an open doorway into your most private space, granting access to information that previously might have been off limits. All via a consumer invitation to come on in.

Companies can now get real-time stats on your security setup (smart doorbells and smart cameras), your energy consumption (smart thermostats and smart meters), your entertainment choices (smart TVs, radios and gaming systems), your food consumption (smart refrigerators and smart crock pots) and even your linguistic patterns, random ruminations, shopping habits, and personal preferences (smart hubs or smart assistants) and much more --- all attached to location data and to a person or household. (There's a reason you're encouraged to sign-in with your often long-standing personal account to use all these new home automation tools and services offered by the behemoth tech firms.) Consumers are being quantified at every level and on every front.

Previously, much of this data could be intimated by tracking web search and online browsing habits, but it was an incomplete picture. IoT devices deployed in the home are allowing businesses to fill in those data gaps --- currently with little to no oversight as the arena is so new. For advertising and consumer sales dependent businesses, this is much better than the ill-advised supercookie Verizon used. (I'm paying you for what?) Better than stating "websites are not required to adhere to a Do Not Track request." Not only are many of these smart devices designed to be "Always On" but consumers are being sold on the idea that this is for the sake of our convenience, for our benefit, to help make our lives easier. Yes, it's a great boon for advertisers, vendors, and the data miners who feed them.

Think about it. Not only is an "Always On" smart device with an omnidirectional microphone and/or camera essentially an unhidden wiretap or voyeuristic eavesdropping box that can potentially record everything, but we're being told to think it's merely a cute toy or a dead helpful essential gadget. The convenience of getting on demand answers and actions, is supposed to blind us to the IoT connected home trade off. Namely, that "All Your Base Are Belong to Us." I would caution anyone to be aware to what data you are granting access when using any so-called smart device. (I've touched on this subject before, but the IoT consumer market is so new that the learning curve is still expanding.)

This can be difficult because some companies do not disclose how their device/s tracks your information or the disclosure is limited or buried in reams of other jargon. (Vizio is currently all over the news for surreptitiously tracking the viewing habits of its Smart TV users for years and selling the data, all without consumer consent. Samsung pulled a similar stunt several years ago with its early Smart TVs and so did LG to mention but a few cases.) Recall what I said earlier about technology often outpacing legality and ethics? It is apparently too tempting for a commercial entity to gain near unfettered access to you in the intimate setting of your home and not go overboard. Any web camera or Internet-connected Mic not only presents a potential security risk from hackers but also from the very purveyors of the devices. You would do well to never trust any device that is programmed to automatically phone home.

I'm not telling you to abstain. (Though certainly that is a choice, the ultimate opt-out. While it may keep you relatively safe at home, the outside world is now rife with Internet-connected devices. Cameras and microphones are everywhere in the public sphere. Short of moving to Mars, it helps to have an auxiliary plan.) I'm not saying these devices have no use. We all like convenience and the idea of tasks being accomplished for us effortlessly. I'm a techie, a tech geek and an engineer. I love my tech toys, too. I'm simply saying be aware, be educated, be proactive, especially when allowing any device with its own brain into your castle. (I'm an AI advocate, not a patsy.) As a consumer, the responsibility assuredly rests upon the individual to safeguard his own information. Do not count on a "business that depends on access to as much of your data as possible in order to insure its bottom line" being altruistic. Do not count on human decency. Better safe, than sorry.

You are the commodity. Realize this and act accordingly. Always check privacy policies and disclosures about how your information is collected and used (and if this isn't stated upfront contact the vendor), check the vendor reputation, keep abreast of the industry news and legislation that governs how companies can use your data (become active in lobbying for government regulations & consumer protections, if necessary), check device/s settings and controls (whether you're allowed to opt-out or limit data collection, turn off or limit device Internet access without affecting functionality), consider setting up a separate user account only for your device distinct from your personal account/s (I often do this) and if all else fails to stem the flow of your information remember to use the [OFF] button or simply unplug the thing when not in use.

Know that if a vendor, any vendor, tells you that having an "Always On" device in your home is not an invasion of your privacy, this vendor is full of it. It may not automatically be a nefarious intrusion, but it is still a third-party potentially gleaning access to things where previously the expectation of privacy was the default. Consumers should pause and come to terms with this before rushing head first into the coming dawn of data siphoning and purchasing the shop vac for it.

NOTE: I know that the popular refrain used by many folks whenever someone sounds an alarm regarding the potential for third-party observation in certain areas (police cameras in the streets, for instance) is "Doesn't bother me, I have nothing to hide" as if anyone concerned with personal privacy must be wanted by the law and on the lam. Instead, my concern is for the potential for misuse. Once your data is out there it's rather difficult to call it back, therefore any safeguard must occur prior. If you trust a third party with your data and later find out a fourth party hacked it, you may not have anything to hide per say, but you might still find yourself taken advantage of. But by all means, feel free to remain cavalier in your attitudes, it's what keeps unscrupulous businesses, identity thieves and other unsavory characters in the green. Just saying.

#HomeAutomation 101: Avoid #FutureShock Employ Basic #IoT #Security Now - A Separate #WiFi #Network #Firewall Go #Intranet

I believe in the smart home, connected home concept. I think that basic home automation will be as common as water & power in the future, specifically because utilities will become (are becoming) the first mainstream commercial early adopters of the technology. When you move into a new residence, you'll get your utilities and by default these will be routed through smart "pipes" (monitored with smart sensors) to smart meters and controlled via interfaces like smart thermostats. This will occur, and not because of altruism, but instead because of the nature of business.

Utilities will employ (are employing) smart infrastructure because of the pinpoint data that it provides per user. Data that in turn becomes a gold mine, insuring return on investment or ROI ---data mining will generate income streams that compensate for smart infrastructure deployment and maintenance costs --- as well as the bottom line (utilities will be able to customize services by user, upsell with greater ease, more accurately predict usage patterns across the service market, and depending upon government regulations and corporate privacy policies share slices of customer data with cohorts and competitors alike for a fee).

It behooves utilities to go "smart." In example, think of what having a smart power grid means. The power grid becomes a "living, breathing thing" rife with feedback at every juncture. When the power company can say with confidence user A will bill X amount for nine months of the year and X amount times 3 for three months of the year and respond to fluctuations in real time, it changes the landscape. The amount and types of data generated by smart utilities systems will affect everything in the utility industries supply chain from energy futures to the price that customers pay. This is happening. Smart Utilities will be the standard. Unless planning to go completely off-grid, customers have little choice but to get on board. The user's option this arena is to insure the safeguard of information shared by advocating for industry regulations, verifying privacy policies and opting in or out where allowed (including changing providers, if applicable).

The second phase of home automation comprises what you allow inside your residence. The level of integration of everyday objects into the "network" is more open to individual determination. Do you want a smart bed, smart crock pot, smart blinds? These are the decisions to be made per user, though the desire to "keep up with the Joneses" may influence the decision making process. And again, it will be up to the individual to police his shared data and to protect his residence from virtual intruders (with the same alacrity he uses for the potential physical ones).

The average person looks at home security and plans obvious things like alarm systems, locks, lights, reinforced doors, burglar bars, fences, landscaping, etc., in the modern age however, nearly every one of these things can be a smart device. (The home security industry is also an IoT early adopter.) So a person may have an internet connected security system he can monitor via his smartphone in real time. He may have smart lights, a smart doorbell, smart motion sensors all potentially feeding data to commercial purveyors. (Not all home automation is internet-connected, it can be merely mechanical or operate on a closed network if the user decides. The industry advocates IoT because it wants access to your data. Remember this.)

Because the advent of IoT is so new, many people haven't thought about securing these things. People tend to lock their doors when they leave home, yet many of those same people leave the passwords for internet-connected devices set to the default. These same people often don't consider basic security for their WiFi network. It's like leaving your door wide open. Virtual intruders are all but invited to poke around, to commandeer all those unsecured IoT devices for nefarious purposes (slave devices used in DDOS attacks, for instance), to hack into your personal computer, etc..

However, taking a few simple steps could minimize the likelihood of such a breach. First, setup a basic firewall for your WiFi Network, if you haven't already. Second, make certain that any IoT devices which connect to the internet have distinct passwords, if configurable. (If you cannot set a password, then use what settings are available for the device to limit it's ability to connect online. If all else fails, simply turn off the device and unplug it when not in use. Remember that "Always On" devices equate to vunerable points in your network.) Third, consider using a separate WiFi Network reserved only for IoT devices. (Do not use your personal computer or smartphone on this IoT network.) This way if any IoT device is compromised it does not make an easy entry point to the sensitive files held on your personal computing devices. And finally, for devices that allow it, consider going full intranet allowing devices to communicate only on a local network without an internet access point.

Remember, securing your home is your responsibility. Don't lock your doors and leave all the virtual windows wide open.

Mundane Yet Mesmerizing: The First Wave of the #Robot Revolution #AI #Automation #Robotics #ProductDevelopment

While reading the Sunday paper [AJC 29/01/17], I noticed two articles on robotics being used to automate common tasks. The first concerned a European company called Starship Technologies that is developing rolling robots about the size of a large cooler to make parcel deliveries. (A pilot program is launching in the US and Europe.) The second was an overview of some retail friendly automation ideas on display at the National Retail Federation's Big Show, including a discussion of Softbank Robotics, an Asian conglomerate, that plans to integrate its Pepper humanoid robot into the retail environment with the hope of automating many common customer service inquiries. Taken together, the articles provide a snapshot of where mainstream uses of robots will first occur, namely in automating tasks that tend to be mundane and repetitive --- jobs often thought of as mundane and/or menial.

Getting a delivery is a fairly routine occurrence in many quarters. (For a time, shipping company UPS dubbed itself merely "Brown" --- the distinctive color of its employee uniforms --- because its drivers are so ubiquitous everyone understood the reference.) But getting a delivery made by a robot will wow many onlookers. Of course, as the technology develops robots will take on more complex tasks in our everyday life and we will become more accustomed to their presence. It remains to be seen whether one day we will be taken over by so-called smart robots powered by their own thoughts as predicted in many a sci-fi script (and some academic hypothesis). Are we developing our own robot overlords? I think not.

In spite of the dire warnings sounded by a few prominent scientists and engineers, I would like to think that human ingenuity will always outweigh programmed intelligence. This does not mean that AI robots won't accumulate more "knowledge" than the average human or that an AI program cannot outstrip a human in a specific, even complex arena (as has been demonstrated with chess). I simply believe that the totality of human engineering (our complex body systems and our still evolving brain organ) is more intricate than anything which humans can engineer. The robots will have to prove me wrong. (The possibility that things may go horribly wrong should not prevent our developing AI robots, but it should impart circumspection into said development.) Humans are the most fantastic machines in existence, but certainly man-made robots are cool.

On a personal level, I plan to use automation to an advantage in my home (and my business). I want to employ robots for many tasks from mowing the lawn to vacuuming the floors. The use of robots and/or artificial intelligence systems will allow me to manage the homestead without needing a lot of manpower. Home automation will allow for the creation of a one man run estate. I am fascinated by the promise of AI and what it could mean for reclaiming individual independence. I already use a Smart Assistant (Amazon's Alexa platform) and Smart Appliances. I do not fear the future, as a techie early adopter, I embrace it. And if need be, I will be one of the first to rally against Skynet ...should that day arrive.

Fly the Unfriendly Skies: #UAV Commercial Pilot's License #Drones #FAA #DroneDatabase

I love flying. I became fascinated with all manner of flying machines at a very young age. I dreamt of being a fighter pilot when I grew up and was very disappointed to learn that women were still being barred from such service at the time I graduated from high school. (This is the main reason I did not go to a military academy, though I was heavily recruited by all of them due to my ASVAB scores being off the charts.) I thought to get my pilot's license instead, but got sidetracked by life. I still may get it one day, but my interest in flying machines has recently migrated towards drones.

There are so many practical uses for a drone on an estate. For example, I plan to use drones to inspect fields and crops on my farm, to aid with safety and security (one can survey the property for damage after a storm, for instance), and to monitor areas that could be cumbersome to reach otherwise (rooftops, border fencing, etc.). While I'm a moderately proficient hobbyist, I want to become an expert (commercial level pilot) and have begun researching the FAA qualifications for obtaining a professional drone pilot's license and looking for educational & training opportunities.

To this end, I was pleased to discover last night that a local library will be offering a class on drones. (I think I might have found out too late to attend, I plan to call later today during business hours to see what's required.) Regardless whether this particular class works out for me, I hope to eventually figure out a regimen that will get me properly trained and licensed. Additionally, I also wish to acquire a small fleet of drones to employ upon my private property, automating a list of tasks that previously would have required several people to undertake.

Would You Ride in #AutonomousVehicles? #SelfDrivingCars #OnBoardComputers #EV #AI

I don't drive. It's not that I don't get cars --- I am an engineer and a gearhead --- it's that I never had reason to learn how. Don't get me wrong, I understand the logistics, but it takes practice to become comfortable with and proficient at operating a vehicle, and I've never really had the opportunity to practice.

(I grew up in a small town where pretty much everything was within walking distance. I had an over protective mother who drove me wherever I needed to go when the car was working in order to assure herself of my safety and keep an eye on my activities. We were poor and often any vehicles to which we had access were unreliable. Most of the guys with whom I grew up had cars and willingly chauffeured me around. I learned to rely on my feet to take me where I needed to go. All of these things contributed to my not learning to drive prior to going off to college. And then the college environment brought its own set of limitations. Starting with the fact that freshmen weren't allowed to bring cars and it was a fairly self-contained private campus. Taken all together, I was never pressed to learn how to drive, or more accurately, to put in the time to become accustomed to driving. I am also a big proponent of public transportation.)

With the Age of Autonomous Vehicles nearly upon us, I've decided that I'm OK with being driven and am waiting for self-driving car actuality. Recently, I saw a survey asking "if you would ride in a self-driving vehicle" and a good portion of respondents said "no." There's always an adoption curve with new technology, wherein the layman has to become accustomed to it, but I'm often a bleeding edge early adopter where tech is concerned, so I say bring it on, I can't wait! Autonomous Vehicles will provide a chance for me to become self-sufficient in one of the few areas where I need to rely on others. Being a green technology advocate, my self-driving automobile will, of course, also be an electric vehicle that I will charge via designer solar panels that I plan to have installed on my home. (And yes, I do lust after the Tesla Model S.)

The future of transportation is coming, or it may already be here, depending on whom you ask. It's going to be a watershed for people like me, who want to reclaim our independence.

NOTE: Above, I use the term car loosely, as a stand-in for any vehicle, be it a truck, bus, plane or train.

Data Hog? #AmazonEcho on a Metered Connection? Without Internet Altogether? Not so fast...

As a new Amazon Echo owner, I have been debating whether I should embrace "always on". Beyond the Big Brother security and privacy concerns of having constant eavesdropping by Amazon and worse still personal recordings plumbed by unscrupulous third-party data-miners, I wondered how much data does Alexa eat? And the answer seems to be that she is a glutton.

Cursory research returned numerous complaints of users suddenly blowing through data caps. Apparently, learning a user's habits, predicting his likes, ordering items and checking the latest sports scores takes a unbelievable amount of bandwidth. I'm talking upwards of 50GBs IN A DAY, if reports are accurate.

Ridiculous! (I would NOT advise using Alexa on a metered connection. If you must try it, make certain to turn the unit off completely when not actively using it. As an alternative, consider using the Alexa app only, which you must select to activate in the case of the Amazon Fire Tablet.)

So far, I've only come across one mention of someone using an Echo sans Internet (as a Bluetooth speaker), but I want to know if Alexa can be employed strictly across a local intranet, without needing to phone home (i.e., report back to Amazon). I don't care about generating orders or asking random questions, my interest is in using Alexa to control "smart" things and this could be made an entirely localized activity, so I'm currently experimenting and testing limits, still early in the setup phase.

Thanks @Target for Helping Make My #Holidays Brighter! That $10.00 #HolidayDecorations #Coupon. #PhilipsMiniLights @EnergyStar

Out of the blue, Target sent me an email titled, "Surprise! Coupon for $10 off holiday decorations inside." The coupon was one-time use, excluded food and beverage items, and expired on the 17th, but had no minimum purchase requirements. What? $10.00 in free merchandise, you say?

Word of this promotion spread fast online and led to much begging on the part of many of those who said they did not receive a coupon. Who knows what criteria put me on the recipient list? I simply said, "Thank the Maker," when I discovered said coupon in my inbox and planned a trip to Target.

I am an online shopper of old. I avoid Brick & Mortar like the plague with few exceptions, one being an in-store only deal too good to pass up.

After browsing m.target.com, I decided I might acquire a couple holiday lights sets. There were some Philips 100 Mini Lights strings rated for indoor/outdoor use that looked promising. They listed a limited 3-Year Guarantee, an Energy Star rating, multiple color options and a $4.99 MSRP. (I would have preferred an LED light string, but at least these incandescent bulbs carried an Energy Star label.)

I also noticed a Westinghouse 2-Outlet Indoor Wireless Remote Control for $10.99, which really got me excited, but I wasn't certain it would qualify as "holiday decorations" though it was shown on a page with holiday decor items in an old Target circular from the week prior, advertised as a way to control your lights and such I suppose.

I made the Westinghouse gadget my first choice and the lights my backup plan. Then my sister happened to mention that she was about to go out shopping when we were chatting, so I asked her if she could go by Target for me. I sent my short list and $10.00 holiday decorations coupon with her. (Saved me a trip. It was bear cold and blustery as all Hell outdoors.) I always try to write down exact items on a list whenever I ask someone else to pick up anything. Cuts down on confusion. Minimizes what's required of him (or her).

Philips Mini Lights

Philips Mini Lights

At the store however, my sister couldn't find my first choice, the Westinghouse Wireless Remote, and with this being the busy holiday season, also couldn't locate any Target employee to help her look for it. Frustrated, she moved on, and was able to locate the Philips Mini Lights sets. She came back from the store with a multicolored string and a red, green, white tricolor string. (As each box was $4.99, the net cost was $0.00.) Score!

I was disappointed that I did not get an opportunity to check out the Westinghouse Wireless Remote gadget, but I was still happy to get some free holiday lights.

Thanks, Target! Happy Holidays!

No Need to Reinvent the Wheel #AlexaDev #AlexaSkills

Of course, now that I have an Amazon Echo (and the Alexa app on my Fire Tablet), I can't go two seconds without coming across an Alexa Skill. People send them to me, often unsolicited.

Alexa Can Learn: Skills are add-on code snippets that allow Alexa to do new things. Amazon opened the Alexa platform to third-party developers, so there have been a lot of skills created. As with any newly emerging tech, people play around with it. Some skills are mundane, some silly, and others are dead useful. Browse the Alexa app to see what's available. No need to reinvent the wheel. If you need Alexa to do a specific thing/s, chances are someone else might have needed that same ability and there may be a skill for it already in existence. Users can rate Alexa Skills that have been accepted to the platform, so check ratings to find out what others think. Be aware that using a third-party service could mean that Amazon will share your basic user data with said third-party. ALWAYS read privacy policies and terms of use and be aware to which conditions you're agreeing. No commercial entity is entirely altruistic despite catchy mottoes like "Don't Be Evil", so YOU must be the safeguard of your own data. Weigh the trade-offs and limit sharing, when necessary. (This includes what you share with Amazon.com.) Turn off the mic. It's hysterical that the idea of "Always On" is used as a selling point. 1984, much?

The other day I received an eNewsletter from some Purina brand that offered an Alexa Skill to determine "What dog breed is right for you?" My girl (a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix and former stray who rules the roost) looked at me and cocked her head to say, "As if." Guess we're not getting a puppy for Christmas!

Between skills and IFTTT triggers, Alexa will be able to help me run my household quite efficiently once I've configured everything to my liking. I'm still playing around with the litany of things I'll be able to do with Alexa, testing this and that and having a loads of fun in the process. Oh, the Places We'll Go....

My #HomeAutomation Intranet Hub #AmazonEcho + @IFTTT

Recently, I registered for an IFTTT account [ifttt.com/amazon_alexa] for my new Amazon Echo. I plan to use my Amazon Echo mainly as a SmartRemote to control household appliances, etc. This is the aspect of having an automated personal assistant that excites me.

Amazon Echo > Google Home

Who cares if Google Home supposedly has better search capabilities? I know how to conduct searches, I don't need to ask Alexa for random factoids. I enjoy researching things and don't like to be spoon fed data. But to each his own. For my current needs, Amazon Echo > Google Home. Amazon's two-year head start means Alexa is integrated into so many more products, Google needs to play catch up.

#HomeAutomation Intranet Brain FTW! #AmazonEcho #Prize

I spent time over the last several months looking at home automation options. I determined that I wanted to automate security, locks, lights, blinds, thermostat, media center and any SmartKitchen appliances --- at the very least. Based on the current market of smart assistants (AI engines), I also determined that Amazon's Alexa platform is compatible with and in many cases integrated into most of these consumer product categories. Thus, I thought it worthwhile to acquire an Amazon Echo. (I planned to use it as the hub around which to build my home automation intranet.)

In addition to being DIY crafty (a natural born engineer), I'm also $ thrifty (a natural born economist), and as a result, LOVE contests and smart shopping deals. My motto could be: Why spend money on something if you can get it for free or very, very cheap? I knew with the holiday season upon us chances to win various "hot ticket gifts" would abound. I spent a few minutes on Twitter searching for contests featuring either an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. I probably entered 10 or so, most only requiring a tweet.

Obviously, random drawing contests are hit or miss. Depends on the number of entries received, the cycle of the moon, the crow of the cock, etc., etc., but as the saying goes "you can't win, if you don't enter". I'll throw my name into the proverbial hat, if entering is simple (a fill out a form, send a tweet sort of thing). I don't jump through any hoops for merely the chance to win.

However, I prefer contests of skill. Because I'm damn good at skill based contests. It's the nature of the beast. If the entry requires some talent (essays, equations, design sketches, etc.), I like my chances. I wasn't the star student in EVERY academic subject in secondary school, for nothing. I'm like "Bring it"! So I also entered a contest that asked me to tell a story built around a set theme for a chance to win an Amazon Echo. And what do you think happened?

My Prize

Roughly within a week of deciding I needed an Amazon Echo, I'd won one, told the contest organizers which color I wanted (blackety black black black) and accepted delivery of my prize. It came direct delivery from Amazon.com in a beautiful gift bag with a lovely card attached.

My niece, the one who calls me "the luckiest aunt on the planet" could only laugh when I told her about my new toy and ask me for the umpteenth time to pick some lotto numbers. I keep trying to get her to understand that my "luck" doesn't work like that. But yeah, I am laughing.

Having acquired a Brain, I can begin sewing together the Body Politic of my home automation network. Why do I feel like Doctor Frankenstein... wait a minute, did the label on that jar the brain came out of read "Abby Normal"? Oh, that's merely Amazon attempting to give Alexa a sense of humor. I got jokes, folks.

#DIY #IoT #SmartRemote: #BlackFriday Score @BestBuy $9.99 #Smartphone! Control #SmartCast #GoogleCast #AmazonEcho

It seems nearly everything can be controlled by an app nowadays. There's an app for that and there's an app for this. And while the idea of such convenience is great, controlling everything at the home or estate level could become a pain for a multiuser household. Think about it. So-called dumb TVs didn't care who was turning the channel --- a child could do it unassisted --- but a SmartTV may need to be paired with an app in order to create an optimal viewing experience.

If you're a bachelor, it's not a big deal to download an app to your personal smartphone that controls your new HDTV. But what do you do when your bros visit to hang out and binge watch? Pass around your phone (with all those private selfies)? Expect everyone download another (useless) app to his own phone merely to control the TV at your house? Neither are ideal solutions.

In honor of Throwback Thursday, here's a "tech growing pain" flashback: Remember when all the streaming services launched under an assumption that each person would have an individual digital library that was his alone. Yeah, it was ridiculous to assume that people in the same household would login/logout of the same app on a family TV to watch the very same content or that each person in a household would buy a copy of the one show everybody watches. Obviously a family or household would share content across devices. Amazingly, this was the default mode in a "dumb" home. It took a while, and a lot of complaints from people like me, but most services now have family plans which allow for some form of "household" content sharing, which should have been the standard to begin with...

In addition to often lax security (Mirai IoT botnet DDOS attack, anyone?) and sketchy consumer privacy policies (All your base are belong to us?), the idea of a single user app to item 1-to-1 pairing is one more shortsighted oversight in the push to make everything Internet-connected. (Oversights of this nature are what I call "tech growing pains", where the advent of tech in a specific arena has to catch up to the actuality of usage. This "phenomenon" frequently occurs in the area of consumer products. Developers often seem to remark, "we never imagined people would use our product for thus and so." Product development tends to be rather myopic this way.)

The issue at hand: If you need an app to control X (where X is something that anyone in the house might need or want to use) then where should the app reside so that anyone authorized may access it?

Luckily, however, there is a simple solution: An IoT connected SmartHome needs at least one (multiuser) SmartRemote. You can buy one. It can be a bit pricey. Alternatively, some of the new high-end products that rely on app control come with a SmartRemote included. (High-end series of Vizio SmartCast TVs, for instance, include a free Vizio SmartCast Tablet Remote.) Or you can go the crafty tech geek way....

I decided it would make more sense to simply acquire a cheap smartphone/s and turn it into a DIY SmartRemote rather than clutter up my business or personal smartphone with home automation apps and create a security nightmare by allowing children, neighbors or guests to have unfettered access to my private mobile ostensibly to turn the television or peek into the refrigerator.

A handheld DIY SmartRemote can be loaded with any apps necessary, left unlocked and kept in a common area so that anyone in the house can make use of it. It doesn't need an active phone service, only WiFi and perhaps Bluetooth. Almost any smartphone will suffice --- you might have an old one (or several) sitting around leftover after you last upgraded, repurpose it. The caveat being to make certain that whatever smartphone you employ for this task has an OS version can support the apps you need to load and that it has enough storage space to hold said apps. (You may need to update the OS on an older model phone, if you're able, in order to make it compatible with newly released apps and/or add an external MicroSD card to expand storage capacity.)

The salient point here is that a smartphone is really just a handheld computer. "Telephony? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." (I kid. I kid.) However, due to its ubiquitous nature the price of smartphones has dropped dramatically (on the low end of the Android market at least) compared to what "real" handheld computers cost. Of course, said ubiquitousness of smartphones has led to their becoming the latest "disposable" electronics item. To combat this horror, collect old unused smartphones from friends and family, if you're able, and turn these into SmartRemotes. Help alleviate the tech garbage glut by repurposing items whenever possible! And recycle, when items become obsolete.

Due to the fact that I'm a hard core recycler/reuser and work diligently to "green" my tech habits, my household actually didn't have any old smartphones not in already in use for some means (woe is me, I know). Not to worry, due to market saturation, you can find new Android smartphones for dirt cheap, if you keep an eye out. Black Friday sales tend to feature prominently in this quest. To this end, I scoured the Black Friday circulars and online notices for this year's sales and found a winner!

Alcatel IDEAL Android Smartphone

Best Buy advertised an Alcatel IDEAL Android Smartphone (AT&T GoPhone Prepaid Service) 8GB WiFi Bluetooth Lollipop for only $9.99 plus tax, available online or in-store. So I nabbed one. Considering that I recently redeemed for a Vizio SmartCast HDTV (reward) and won an Amazon Echo in a contest, I realized I'm at the point where a dedicated SmartRemote was in order. (I was totally willing to invest $10 on a DIY SmartRemote.) I'm only getting started with home automation, planning its integration into my home as I design, build and renovate, so this is merely a first foray, so to speak. As my SmartHome setup expands and alters, so will its needs.

For now, however, this Alcatel smartphone will work for the four or five "smart" things I have going. I happen to have an 8GB MicroSD card (freebie find) that I'll pop in it to expand the storage space a bit, since the OS alone takes up roughly half its built-in capacity. I plan to install the Vizio SmartCast app, the Amazon Alexa app and the various Google Cast compatible streaming service apps that I use regularly for starters. (All these apps are free to download, but may require a subscription to use, of course.) Once configured, it'll probably sit on an end table near the telly in my home theater (room). My little niece can use it to cast cartoons onto the big screen. And if she drops it on the floor or gets sticky fingered residue on it, it's all good.

I don't need to sacrifice my personal smartphone on the altar of IoT home automation. And neither should you.

_____

NOTES: Depending on the extent of automation in your household, you may only need one "omni" SmartRemote responsible for controlling the three tasks the average person automates (lights, music/TV, security). If, however, you happen to be a massive tech geek like I am wherein practically every thing in the house that can be automated will be automated, then merely having one remote quickly becomes very inefficient. (Engineers loathe inefficiency.)

If you only have "one remote to control them all" but own several hundred things that can be remote controlled, you'd be stuck scrolling through hundreds of apps to find the specific one needed to control your SmartCrockPot or your Home Theater --- and this cuts down the convenience factor to roughly nil.

Geeks like me will have "thematic" SmartRemotes stationed throughout the home. There will be a Kitchen SmartRemote that only has SmartKitchen Appliance apps loaded onto it, a MediaCenter SmartRemote with only entertainment and media device apps installed, etc., etc.. Each remote will "live" in the room/s that it controls. Such a thematic SmartRemote might even be built into the wall, others might be handheld and portable depending upon need.

This is the future, I envision. My Castle Modern. I've got dreams, dreams...

I'm Building a Home (AKA CM)

Your home is your castle, but this ain’t the Dark Ages.

Enter the era of Home Enlightenment.

Welcome to Castle Modern, the enlightened household built by Knowledge. 

In the seemingly never-ending quest to design, build and/or renovate the perfect abode, it pays to discover as much as possible — and to use what one learns to an advantage. (Plumb the past in order to inform the future, then implement the result/s.) Be it landscape engineering, home automation, home improvement, antique shopping, green energy or urban farming. Whatever it takes to make your house a home perfect for you (or in this case, me). This is a life's journey!

Join me as I review products, undertake DIY projects, ponder world issues that affect one's ability to live well and generally work toward creating my own Private Idaho.