Wasn't really till seeing this home assistant demo they have (<a href="https://www.loom.com/share/18c4dbcf8db546dfb2d7f2ef018e78e4" rel="nofollow">https://www.loom.com/share/18c4dbcf8db546dfb2d7f2ef018e78e4) that the value really clicked for me.
Side note - just like most people don't need an intelligent personal assistant to manage and respond their emails and book their flights, most people also don't need smart homes. Century old toggle switches are more than enough in a 3 room apartment or 5 room house unless you have a mention.
My primary beef with smart home (having tried it) is that every person that visits your home ends up confused about some element of it. A light switch that goes up and down is universally understood.
Also a quick NFC sticker in each room taking you to a small HTML site containing settings (temp, ventilation, lights, shutters, setting a alarm by the lights) has been golden.
No one wants to: download Shelly app + AC app + look for ventilation IR controller + figure out how casting works for the TV + figure out how to use the Shelly app to turn lights into an alarm. It's too much friction for little gain. But a quick tap? Great.
But tapping your phone on a NFC sticker bringing all those controls together per room in stead of per category (all lights in Shelly app. Person in room #1 has no interests in the lights in room #4 at the same time.).
IF you tap it while not on Wifi yet it just tells you to connect to Wifi. :-)
One "all house" sticker next to the front door allows any last person leaving or first person entering to put the entire house in active / idle mode.
Works wonders. And as soon as local AI is quick enough the stickers will be a microphone!
That's clever and all - solid setup, good work. But I still think you either overestimate the average house guest or have particularly savvy/young house guests.
cfowles · · focus · HN ↗
Seems really cool.
wg0 · · focus · HN ↗
Side note - just like most people don't need an intelligent personal assistant to manage and respond their emails and book their flights, most people also don't need smart homes. Century old toggle switches are more than enough in a 3 room apartment or 5 room house unless you have a mention.
qingcharles · · focus · HN ↗
apexalpha · · focus · HN ↗
There's no reason to not do both.
Also a quick NFC sticker in each room taking you to a small HTML site containing settings (temp, ventilation, lights, shutters, setting a alarm by the lights) has been golden.
No one wants to: download Shelly app + AC app + look for ventilation IR controller + figure out how casting works for the TV + figure out how to use the Shelly app to turn lights into an alarm. It's too much friction for little gain. But a quick tap? Great.
But tapping your phone on a NFC sticker bringing all those controls together per room in stead of per category (all lights in Shelly app. Person in room #1 has no interests in the lights in room #4 at the same time.).
IF you tap it while not on Wifi yet it just tells you to connect to Wifi. :-)
One "all house" sticker next to the front door allows any last person leaving or first person entering to put the entire house in active / idle mode.
Works wonders. And as soon as local AI is quick enough the stickers will be a microphone!
throwaway314155 · · focus · HN ↗
apexalpha · · focus · HN ↗
The regular-ceiling-lights-as-alarm service gets positive feedback. Weird how smarthome companies never market that, seems easy win.
Atreiden · · focus · HN ↗
apexalpha · · focus · HN ↗
Then after 20 min an actual alarm goes off, just in case.