Other Smart Home

[Bubz27]

So, who's got one? I'm talking smart speakers, bulbs, plugs etc.

With my birthday coming up (DM me for my gofundme page), I'm dropping hints that's what I want to start getting sorted. Been tracking the Google Home products and the Mx has dropped £100 in price and the Mini has gone half price. Already have a few things set up on smart plugs as well.

https://store.google.com/

Maybe we can use this thread for deals and ideas? And people sharing what they've already got?

 

[Wumminator]

Very interesting.

I’m trying to go down this route. I will follow this thread.

 

[Bubz27]

Very interesting.

I’m trying to go down this route. I will follow this thread.

It's been quite handy having a few smart plugs around the house. Got one on a fan and one on a lamp. Quite easy to set up via Google Home app. Will get a few more of these as well.

Smart Plug WiFi Outlet TECKIN Mini Plug Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT, Wireless Socket Remote Control Timer Plug Switch, No Hub Required 2 Packs (Upgrade Version) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MD79FS9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eXHiDbHA0W03A


Also, I think I'll eventually kit out the house (or at least downstairs) with Philips Hue. Could anyone recommend anything else?

 

[VeevaVee]

My mate has a Google Home Mini and it takes longer to fire up when you speak to it than the Alexa my mum has. Maybe it's because he shouts it as loud as possible and it's difficult to understand though.

 

[Andy_Cole]

So I have Sonos in most rooms, Echo dot’s, and Hue lights. It works wonderfully.

The great thing about Alexa is you can create rooms, so you can just say turn on the lights, or play some chilled jazz and it knows what room you’re talking about.

I also have smart alarm and Ring CCTV but they don’t work with Alexa.

 

[Buster15]

Hmm. I know someone who is in cyber security and he tells me that it is quite easy to hack into things like Alexa and eves drop/listen to what is going on.
Now. I realise that sounds a bit extreme for the average house but the same can be said for smart tv.

 

[Bubz27]

So I have Sonos in most rooms, Echo dot’s, and Hue lights. It works wonderfully.

The great thing about Alexa is you can create rooms, so you can just say turn on the lights, or play some chilled jazz and it knows what room you’re talking about.

I also have smart alarm and Ring CCTV but they don’t work with Alexa.

Yeah we going to get Ring too. And I'd love Sonos, it's just too pricey for me.

You can create rooms with Google too I think, but you have to say "Play jazz in the living room".

 

[Bubz27]

Hmm. I know someone who is in cyber security and he tells me that it is quite easy to hack into things like Alexa and eves drop/listen to what is going on.
Now. I realise that sounds a bit extreme for the average house but the same can be said for smart tv.

What about phone hacking?

 

[Andy_Cole]

Yeah we going to get Ring too. And I'd love Sonos, it's just too pricey for me.

You can create rooms with Google too I think, but you have to say "Play jazz in the living room".

Yeh I’ve had Sonos for years since their tech was revolutionary. Doesn’t seem that special anymore. Could do something similar by buying Echo’s.

 

[Bubz27]

Yeh I’ve had Sonos for years since their tech was revolutionary. Doesn’t seem that special anymore. Could do something similar by buying Echo’s.

Yeah, that's what I'm planning with Home Minis and one Max as my base speaker.

 

[Amar__]

I left the installation for couple of main lights in and around the house, garage and driveway doors and heating, and blinds for one smaller part of the house(I am not sure I will put blinds in use though). I really don't see a point for installing every little thing like fan, fridge, TV, etc. and using it with my phone or some smart remote to control it. I am not too much into music either so I gave up from Smart Stereo too, even though I can see a point in that.

 

[arthurka]

Its a trap, they are spying on us. 1984 should have tought us something.

 

[Bubz27]

Got a Mini today and it is a bit of fun. I can see, I don't think the novelty will wear off either, even if for the fact I'll use it for music around the house as I'm generally always listening to music.

Set up a few routines which have been cool. "Hey Google, goodnight." Turns off my lamp, turns off my fan (in the living room, in the bedroom it turns it on), asks me what time I want my alarm and plays the music/'night time' sounds of my choice.

Still working to get voice match working properly for everyone, although I think that's more an issue for some people using technology. They don't have Assistant working properly on their phones.

I guess this isn't as popular as I expected it to be but anyone have any routines set up that are useful?

 

[VorZakone]

For some reason I can't get excited about all these things. I feel like I would still do things manually instead of speaking.

 

[Bubz27]

For some reason I can't get excited about all these things. I feel like I would still do things manually instead of speaking.

But that's boring.

 

[jojojo]

I've got a Google home mini and an Alexa Echo Dot. They can both do voice controls to my Samsung Smartthings kit - a hub based setup that can link to various bits and pieces, like smart plugs, proximity switches, temperature sensors etc.

The Echo Dot sits in one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/VAUX-Cordless-Speaker-Portable-Carbon-Black/dp/B06XH96736
That gives it a better speaker, and can go outside in the garden or whatever.

I've got a professional interest in the gadgetry, so I'm more interested in the things that make it unreliable/hard to setup/use rather than what it does do.

For me personally, mostly my gadgets get used as music players, radios, kitchen timers, light switches etc. I turn them off if I'm feeling sensitive about privacy - but then I think of my phone that knows a lot more about me and that seldom gets turned off. So yeah, 1984 it is.

 

[Bubz27]

I've got a Google home mini and an Alexa Echo Dot. They can both do voice controls to my Samsung Smartthings kit - a hub based setup that can link to various bits and pieces, like smart plugs, proximity switches, temperature sensors etc.

The Echo Dot sits in one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/VAUX-Cordless-Speaker-Portable-Carbon-Black/dp/B06XH96736
That gives it a better speaker, and can go outside in the garden or whatever.

I've got a professional interest in the gadgetry, so I'm more interested in the things that make it unreliable/hard to setup/use rather than what it does do.

For me personally, mostly my gadgets get used as music players, radios, kitchen timers, light switches etc. I turn them off if I'm feeling sensitive about privacy - but then I think of my phone that knows a lot more about me and that seldom gets turned off. So yeah, 1984 it is.

Do you know, if I get a Samsung Smart Things, does that act as a bridge for everything? Like if I get Philips Hue bulbs, all I'll need is the Smart Things and a Google Home?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I got smart light bulbs and they're ok but reckon, on balance, they've caused more hassle than they've saved. Definitely struggling to see the upside of this sort of tech.

The one and only thing I've got which has been a definite positive was a smart hub for heating/hot water. It is good to be able to turn the heating or hot water on/off when I'm not at home. In winter anyway. Not life changing. Just good.

 

[stepic]

i just see no point to most of it. it's not exactly hard to flick on a light switch. when does anyone ever just want random jazz to start playing in a room? if i listen to music it's through my headphones at home.

 

[jojojo]

Do you know, if I get a Samsung Smart Things, does that act as a bridge for everything? Like if I get Philips Hue bulbs, all I'll need is the Smart Things and a Google Home?

You need the Hue Ethernet bridge I think.

The hue bulbs didn't really appeal to me, do I've no first hand experience with them. I'm not sure what Smartthings would offer there compared to talking directly to the hue hub from Alexa say. Though I guess it would mean you could incorporate it more easily into - door opens, turn on lights type sequences.

 

[Bubz27]

The hue bulbs didn't really appeal to me,

Just the hue bulbs or smart bulbs in particular?

 

[GBBQ]

I got smart light bulbs and they're ok but reckon, on balance, they've caused more hassle than they've saved. Definitely struggling to see the upside of this sort of tech.

The one and only thing I've got which has been a definite positive was a smart hub for heating/hot water. It is good to be able to turn the heating or hot water on/off when I'm not at home. In winter anyway. Not life changing. Just good.

Same, i got an echo and hue bulbs. The hue bridge is unplugged and the alexa is in a drawer somewhere. Its really just a novelty and not worth it for the potential for hacking.

The Nest thermostat is great though.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Same, i got an echo and hue bulbs. The hue bridge is unplugged and the alexa is in a drawer somewhere. Its really just a novelty and not worth it for the potential for hacking.

The Nest thermostat is great though.

I caught myself rebooting my wifi network in order to switch on a light which didn't respond to me flicking a switch and realised what I was doing was fecking madness.

A bit like yer man who spent 11 hours trying to make a cup of tea with a wifi enabled kettle.

 

[SirAF]

Not too much, but I do have a couple of wifi heaters as well as the Elgato Eve Degree.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

I’ve got a few things. Whole house is Philips Hue, Nest heating, curtains, Sonos, TV and just use a few dots that are scattered around the house.
It is handy, and I like the security setting you can set up with the lights and curtains alternating times of when they go off and on or close when I’m away on holiday or at work.

Supposedly you can set a command so when you say Alexa “killzone” or your chosen command word. You could turn all your lights red or create a strobe effect whilst the Sonos blasts “Killing in the Name” or maybe just jungle sounds would be creepier.

It can be entertaining but now I’m having a little issue with her understanding the light commands as she always says “there are many lights which one do you want” even though I’ve explicitly said the dungeon.

 

[Massive Spanner]

@Pogue Mahone I've been looking into the Nest. Are you on a Gas boiler or wha'? Difficult to install?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

@Pogue Mahone I've been looking into the Nest. Are you on a Gas boiler or wha'? Difficult to install?

I didn’t get a Nest. Seemed too complicated for what I needed. Went with a Climote instead. I’ve a gas boiler. The Climote replaces the timer that switches on/off hot water and heating. No need for any input from thermostats in every room.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

it's not exactly hard to flick on a light switch.

If you are sitting comfortably in the couch watching a good show and want to turn off the lights, you have to get up and ruin the moment of comfort.

I don't have this, but I can see some advantages.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

If you are sitting comfortably in the couch watching a good show and want to turn off the lights, you have to get up and ruin the moment of comfort.

I don't have this, but I can see some advantages.

Weight gain, for example.

 

[Brophs]

We've got Hive for the heating and hot water and we find it great. Being able to turn on the water for a shower when you're leaving football, or turn on the heating an hour or two before we arrive home in winter having been away for a few days, is incredibly handy, for us at least.

 

[jojojo]

Just the hue bulbs or smart bulbs in particular?

To be honest, I couldn't think of any reason why I'd want them beyond the novelty value.

Where I want to do something genuinely remote - like an outbuilding light or a gate lamp, given the costs and the hassle factor I can't see enough advantages over conventional PIR type devices. But that's me, and that's an, "at this point in time," thing.

In more general terms though - Smart devices do all sorts of weird things that wouldn't be acceptable in normal consumer electronics. It's not unusual for a hub to decide that it will update its firmware on the middle of the night for example - and if the update fails then it might need rebooting and even reconfiguration the next day.

Devices can drop off the system without throwing up an alarm, so you don't know it's happened until you try and use them or you realise that a humidity reading isn't updating, or a sensor isn't showing an open window. Manual overrides are really essential but even when fitted they are often hard to use or poorly designed. It's still a young technology, with a relatively small user base - you have to enjoy the guinea pig aspect.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...cordings-users-privacy?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[sglowrider]

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...cordings-users-privacy?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Any all that fuss about Huawei when there are homegrown snoops.

 

[Wicked_Badger]

I’ve got a few Sonos & echo’s around the house along with a Tado thermostat, around 15 Hue bulbs, Arlo Pro 2 system, Canary security camera, a few Samsung SmartThings devices & some smart plugs. Built it up slowly over the last few years as it’s expensive.

It all works neatly together (most of the time) & I value the security more than anything. Knowing what’s going on around my house when I’m away (bit of paranoia after getting robbed when we were on our honeymoon a few years ago led to this!), being able to have lights mimic me being home & being able to record/sound the alarm if need be make it worth it.

The Tado thermostat is cool. We’ve got it zoned so our bedroom doesn’t get too hot which is nice. The Sonos speakers are just awesome sound quality and nice to have multi room music.

 

[Smores]

I've got a few smart plugs and smart hulbs as well as echo etc.

We've got lamps and one of those electric fires set to come on and off per a schedule and it's wonderful tbh. If you have stuff in an awkward location it's very useful. Don't see the point for main room lights though.

Stick your echo in the kitchen and you've got a nice radio, kitchen timer, ability to call others while you cook etc.

 

[altodevil]

Moved into a house that had Hive heating - they left the hub and the thing over the boiler but no thermostat. So currently cannot set any heating schedules or temperatures. Effectively held hostage by British Gas (Hive) into buying a new thermostat for silly money which I don't want. How can they get away with this practice? My boiler is literally in a chastity belt.

 

[Bobade]

Moved into a house that had Hive heating - they left the hub and the thing over the boiler but no thermostat. So currently cannot set any heating schedules or temperatures. Effectively held hostage by British Gas (Hive) into buying a new thermostat for silly money which I don't want. How can they get away with this practice? My boiler is literally in a chastity belt.

Isn't it just the previous owners who have mugged you off there? You could just have the chastity belt removed and a stupid thermostat installed?

 

[SilentWitness]

Moved into a house that had Hive heating - they left the hub and the thing over the boiler but no thermostat. So currently cannot set any heating schedules or temperatures. Effectively held hostage by British Gas (Hive) into buying a new thermostat for silly money which I don't want. How can they get away with this practice? My boiler is literally in a chastity belt.

Is it not possible to connect to it through the app? We barely touch our thermostat and do it all through the app.

 

[mitChley]

Is it not possible to connect to it through the app? We barely touch our thermostat and do it all through the app.

When we bought our house you could only tie one account/app per thermostat. Rang Hive to found out how and you have to buy a new wall unit to be able to use a new account, cost about £80 I think. We could still use the wall unit though.

 

[Moby]

Why the feck is this in the Entertainment Forum?