Nest rival: Smartmobes will decide who survives the Internet of Stuff war

iot landfill

I love the idea of smart devices; it is a pity that so many are stuck in with an intermediary mystery server.

While it is impressive to control my heat settings from half way around the world, it should be noted that there were off the shelf devices for doing this 40 years ago which didn’t require intermediaries. They were quite popular in my area to prepare your cabin for a winter visit; but outside of that, the primary use case has to be playing pranks on your family. Truly a capability in search of requirement.

I would be more impressed with a modern thermostat which let me fondle it without leaving the comfort of my bed, and didn’t require an intermediary. I don’t know, exactly, why I am not keen on having my thermostat usage patterns bounced off a mystery server; but the inability of these companies to explain why it is necessary feeds my aversion.

Well I managed to dumb down my phone

so I guess I'm safe for now!

My wireless (433MHz) thermostat

which was installed when I put a new heating boiler in, has a less than wonderful interface, but basically needs touching twice a year. It's bright enough to have four time zones through a day, so I get different temperatures for sleep, wake up, at work, and evening. In late spring I slide the switch to 'off' and the boiler just provides hot water; in autumn I turn it on again.

With no aircon and no complex heat pump system - just hot water radiators - I'm struggling to see a use case.

I was in Aldi the other day and got Bluetooth scales, because they were priced as much as ordinary scales and I needed some.

Of course, you can download an app, hook it up to the scales, and it works out your BMI, fat etc etc etc ... yes, it has a pair of sensors, you are supposed to use it barefoot.

Anyway, instead of storing the data on the phone, it stores the data in the cloud. WTF ? The manual reads: "The data is stored in the cloud in case you lose your phone." Apparently, they never heard of "backup".

So, dumb scales they will remain.

When someone does an internal server version...

...I'll buy in. Even if it's a propietary RasPi image (other cheap hardware is available).

But I'm not having a thermostat that relies on an internet connection - If I want to control it remotely I'll either sort out my own VPN, or connect to your service explicitly. I don't want it connecting to/reliant upon a server I don't control/cannot spoof.

Heck - if it connects by DNS name and I can configure my own (and therefore divert it using my own DNS server) then that's fine too...

Apart from remote control (something I can't imagine using more than once to prove it worked), this seems like a less effective solution than programmable thermostatic radiator valves being fitted in each room.

Sure, this can take readings from multiple rooms if you spring for $79 for each extra sensor. And then what. It can do "turn on" or "turn off".

Thermostatic valves on the other hand can control the temperature in each room. On a timer. So if one room heats up faster than another, no need to worry about the wasted heat, the valve will cut the heat to that radiator.

The one thing missing is that these PTRV need to also be wireless, so that they can individually demand heat, no central thermostat at all, just that a room knows it's too cold and demands the boiler comes on. When no room is demanding heat, the boiler goes off.

Combined with the 5/2 24hr programmable timer you can have the bedroom warm slightly at 0700 on weekdays, and at 0900 on weekends, the bathroom the same, living room from 1700 on weekdays until 2100 or whatever is your preference, and each with it's own target temperature.