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And people managed to live without electricity or indoor plumbing for centuries. So what. I prefer to live to a ripe old age with more comfort and convenience than our ancient ancestors. You simply picked an arbitrary line in the sand and said, "this line, I won't cross it."
Interesting article and a warning for those who are looking to buy a new house.
I thought about posting it on Real Estate Forum, but it has much less traffic than here.
These days, smart technology can be found within virtually any quotidian object in a home: televisions, fridges, voice assistants, doorbells, coffee makers, thermostats, lights, alarm clocks, vacuums, toothbrushes and more. According to a 2022 report from the technology company Plume, households in the United States had an average of 20 internet-connected devices.
So, what might happen when you buy a home already equipped with some of the smart features?
There is something to be aware of. Read here:
Can you post the relevant portion? NYT is behind a paywall.
I bought a house with a Gen 2 Nest learning thermostat, it was pretty intuitive and easy to reset. Ive replaced it with a Gen 3 as that works better with my home routines via google home.
Some smart things in the IoT are really great, some are dumb (IMO).
I love my mix of smart cameras, light controllers, home alarm and event sensors (water spill, water leak, fire, C02, etc....)
My thermostat can trigger all 5 ceiling fans in the house if I like, for the duration of the furnace running in the winter, and I reverse it for A/C season.
I have power consumption monitors that show all devices in the house, with specific monitoring of high power use items like my hot tub and A/C condensing unit.
What I dont want, or wont have, is anything with a microphone in it inside my house like an Echo or Google smart hub. The convenience and energy saving of smart devices is great!
ALL??? I don't think so. It is still difficult to find a home security camera that doesn't require WiFi. Many of the popular models require an Internet connection in order to function properly.
But yes, there are FEW options:
Because l am living overseas 6-7 months of a year. Sometimes longer. So, l need to adjust the thermostat accordingly but at the same time optimal to the local temperatures. It saves money.
I have had Nest thermostats in my primary home, my office and rentals. I have gotten the higher end (?gen III) ones and they are very good. I got my friend who is a HVAC person to install it. Once it is up and running it is very easy. It knows when people will come in to the office and start the heat or cooling an hour earlier.
I can check all thermostats ( except my rentals) from the Nest app. Like some here, I have had staff leave the office without turning down thermostats. Most times the Nest learns and knows that the AC or heat should not be running at 8PM. But should it fail or you need to turn it down by 5.30 PM it is very easy to turn it down and put it into Eco mode from anywhere in the world.
I think I got it from my utility when they offer steep discounts. Mine were around $100 or so per thermostat.
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