Smart home devices should work without the internet

(docodethatmatters.com)

11 points | by skittleson 52 minutes ago

2 comments

  • skittleson 52 minutes ago
    Author here. This is ten years of home automation rules, led by one: nothing core should depend on a vendor's server. Setup core is Tasmota, MQTT and Node-RED on a Pi. I've given this talk a few times and started working on a third for the agentic era. What's the most pointless internet dependency you've found in a device?
    • bluefirebrand 2 minutes ago
      Basically any appliance is completely ridiculous to require an internet connection imo. When are you going to need to use a stove or dishwasher without being home? What value do you actually get from having a smart fridge that you can view analytics about from your phone?
    • guhcampos 4 minutes ago
      This is absolutely great stuff, but I think I caught you red-handed there. Alexa Routines break your fundamental rule!
  • hypfer 3 minutes ago
    I'm not really sure what this is doing on HN tbh, but regardless of that.

    __

    I suspect that for resilience reasons alone, we might see a shift towards connecting less stuff to the public internet.

    Not because consumers would complain. No one cares about consumers - including consumers themselves. But because of the threat to the stability of the system, internet connected stuff poses.

    The fridge meltdowns are an example of that, but you can equally stun an enemy economy by just messing with the smart lights in people's homes, as it is the people who work.. or don't because they're tired.