A Not so Smart Home
I noticed a disturbing trend six months ago when I was shopping around for “Smart Home” accessories. On any of the sites that sorted the products by Rating or Popularity there was a always a clear winner (note website above). A physical light switch.
Now that Apple has entered the market too I was expecting them of all people to see the fatal flaw in these Smart Home devices. Having lived with Siri running my snazzy lights and plugs in my living room for the past six months there is one thing I really hate about it. You must have your phone with you (or be within shouting distance of it) or be wearing a Smart watch. I don’t have Alexa or Google Home, but I have been in other people’s homes who have them and screaming across the room, is still a must.
Enter the 21st Century solution. A physical light switch that you can place on a wall (at least Philip’s version uses the force of your tap to generate the electricity to send the signal but they aren’t all as Smart). This kind of thinking is backwards. Install Smart lights. Enjoy the novelty of them for about a week. Then you want a hard switch on the wall. In a location that makes sense (where your original light switch is).
For now, when I’m up early to get the kids ready for school, it’s dark. I’m just out of bed and I haven’t put on my Apple Watch or brought my phone downstairs with me. It’s too early to shout across the room to the iPad and wake everyone up.
Instead I curse quietly to myself, in the dark, and wish I had one of those new fangled fancy light switches.