onesea Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Has anyone got any experience? For an age we have had a hall light on timer, I spent half my life adjusting it as nights got brighter/ darker. When I bought my misses the new lamp (the one I was instructed to buy) in the hall to replace the old for Christmas, I bought a smart plug. Now set for sunset to sunrise with times to suit. With setting to turn on when I come home on late shift, I am impressed. Now I have learned to tell my phone its bed time, TV turns off on a 2 minute delay giving me chance to turn side lights out smart light comes on for 5 minutes to see me upstairs. So much so I have learned how to get our thermostat on to google home Bosch Easy Control. Now the Android TV am I missing something I can turn it off, however if I ask it to tune to specific channel by voice 90% of time it jumps to YouTube It wont turn off but not turn on to command. Can you connect an Amazon Firestick? What gadgets would you recommend? Present we have a iQ Smart Wi-Fi plug with power meter works through app an called: TuyaSmart The next would be 2 Dimmer Switches for lounge do they all need an earth? Are they easy ish to wire in? Night Light? upstairs hall. I know door bell would come into it but to be honest the people I have met with them seem to become obsessed with knowing who's at the door and IMHO Guests are welcome to brave the dogs. Today even out first dog walker was shocked, she cam back looking bedraggled like they had given her a work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husoi Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I have a Honeywell thermostat that I can control with the phone and a samsung smartthings home hub. I make good use of the thermostat and the feature that recognises that I've left home and turns down the temp. The smartthings only good feature is the smart plugs that you can turn on and off with the phone. Other than that is useless. Have a manhattan freeview box that I quite like, allows to rewind shows and go on all main free VOD channels and youtube. Have a surveillance camera that I can watch on the phone other than that. a pretty dumb hoose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 We have hive heating, smart lightbulbs, ring doorbell. Smart TV. We also have Google home boxes in most of the rooms of the house. Quite nice to say " hey Google switch heating off" if it gets too hot. It's also fun being able to broadcast a message to my daughter in her room without shouting up the stairs! I do like as well being able to say goodnight/goodmorning and have TV, lamps etc switch themselves on or off as required. Was great when we had Christmas tree and lights up as I could turn everything off with one voice command. My brother in Canada has gone one step further. He has electric curtains! He had great fun apparently terrifying his mother in law who was house sitting the dogs. Using his phone he had her think she was in a haunted house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) I looked at some of this stuff and then figured it's only doing things I can do already by flicking a switch. Maybe it's getting old but I just don't see the point. As a somewhat related aside - we had a slightly amusing incident during one of our carol services when the lady reading one of the passages missed the opening line. She paused, said 'Sorry' and then tried to begin again. At which point it all went haywire. She had new a hearing aid which was linked to her smartphone. When she said 'sorry' her phone heard it as 'Siri' so activated her hearing aid and started asking her what she wanted. Which totally distracted her so she had to stop and disconnect all the tech and then start over. We used to have the heating controlled via wifi and our phones. It was hopeless, always going wrong, so I disconnected it. Edited January 12, 2021 by Mississippi Bullfrog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husoi Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I'm with you @Mississippi Bullfrog I don't want to have a house that is smarter than me I like the wifi camera so I get warning if someone gets close and I like the smart thermostat that runs the heating with no need to remember to turn it down every time I leave home. Things like "smart" washing machines that the only thing they do is being annoying I don't see the point. A washing machine is smart if would collect the clothes to be washed, sort them by colour and type, put the detergent and all the other stuff, turns itself on and wat the end puts the clothes to dry. Now, the last time I check that's called a maid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 There are things I could be tempted by remote control for oven so you can come home to pre warmed oven. If I had a drive with gates gates without doubt. Washing machine I have had one that told me how many minutes to go it was nightmare every time I wanted to go out the answer was it will only be 10 minutes. The idea of turning lights out on command and waking up tuning tellys on for news, kettle to boil and turning lights on is attractive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, onesea said: There are things I could be tempted by remote control for oven so you can come home to pre warmed oven. If I had a drive with gates gates without doubt. Washing machine I have had one that told me how many minutes to go it was nightmare every time I wanted to go out the answer was it will only be 10 minutes. The idea of turning lights out on command and waking up tuning tellys on for news, kettle to boil and turning lights on is attractive. I have a drive with gates. A piece of old rope holds them open. Works brilliantly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Westerly Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) My house is completely dumb, much like me. Nothing connected to anything, no apps controlling anything and no TV either. Somehow we manage to struggle on with light switches and such. A real hardship so it is. Edited January 12, 2021 by S-Westerly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Forgot. I have a smart smoke alarm too. It messages my phone when it goes off and best of all it stops beeping if you shout STOP at it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 We have just got a harmen karden smart speaker with google home built in and its great I keep saying to the wife that we should get more stuff but she just keeps saying its lazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 @Stu A little bit poorer here: 3 X smart lightbulbs 3 X smart plugs Google Nest G2 mini, Will let you know how we get on @Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Just now, onesea said: @Stu A little bit poorer here: 3 X smart lightbulbs 3 X smart plugs Google Nest G2 mini, Will let you know how we get on @Stu I am poorer still!! the speaker cost me nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Stu said: I am poorer still!! the speaker cost me nothing A friend got a smart speaker with her smart phone. It arrived before Christmas, it's still in the box unopened apparently it makes great foot stool.. Edited January 12, 2021 by onesea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 11 minutes ago, onesea said: A friend got a smart speaker with her smart phone. It arrived before Christmas, it's still in the box unopened apparently it makes great foot stool.. If it was a samsung phone it will be the same speaker! The mother in law got it and gave me it If it is I would steal it off them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 8 minutes ago, Stu said: If it was a samsung phone it will be the same speaker! The mother in law got it and gave me it If it is I would steal it off them Is this how you got your speaker ehhh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 1 minute ago, Bender said: Is this how you got your speaker ehhh? I never stole it! it was donated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Bet that line get used alot next to where you live, cause you don't live in Hull do you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 25 minutes ago, Bender said: Bet that line get used alot next to where you live, cause you don't live in Hull do you No the bast*rds from the dodgy estates come round here borrowing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I've had that in the past, it's not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James in Brum Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 I have all the ‘listening’ functions on my phone off usually. Recently I have had Siri on on my phone but may turn off again. It all feels like 1984 to me only it’s not the state but private enterprise listening in to our every move and everyone is paying for the privilege. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianco2564 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 I can't see the point of any of it, its just an expensive gadget that I can live without. Spend a ton of money so you can switch a light on while you are out, no thanks, rather spend that on one of the bikes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerontious Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie man Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 We have gadgets, but the ones I most like is the Blink smart camera set up. One at the front door the other covering the garage. Linked to our phones and echo show, the cameras have built in speakers, great for speaking to the delivery driver without opening the door or watching them throw the parcel over the fence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHorton Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 I'm begrudgingly beginning to accept some stuff but I do ask myself do I need it. I have found the app and thermostat in my new intergas boiler v useful, this saves money as if you use it properly you use less heat. I have a ring camera front and rear we live in a cul Dr sac with a little rat run alley at the end. After 1 week it helped spook a prowler at 2.30 am on my driveway, the alarm and audio did the trick no issue since. I have a Google best mini speaker it was a freebie and i see no use in that I'd rather just use it as a smartspeaker with Spotify. Never say never some has uses just depends on your domestic setup. I work nights a lot so house unattended so like the peace of mind of the cameras and handy for deliveries if I'm out. The boiler app helps me prevent the step daughter cranking the heating up to 28 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 1 minute ago, MikeHorton said: After 1 week it helped spook a prowler at 2.30 am on my driveway I have my doorbell set up to notify my phone at movement for the same reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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