Google (owner of Nest) knows enough about me (where I shop, what I am interested in, music I listen to, where I live) that I do not think they need to know what temperature I keep my house.
@PyxienTX Why do you care if they know what temperature it is? That seems a pretty insignificant item of concern compared to everything else they know.
@dopperpod It isn't specifically the temperature. It is all the little inanities that make up your life. What time you get home, where you live, what time you go to work, what days you work... It is a valid concern. However, I know you probably have the GPS active on your phone, so they already know all that stuff about you. I like to keep some things private.
@dopperpod@PyxienTX home temp by itself can be a concern. Some groups and media try to "shame" people publically over their power or water usage already (and the smart meters make that info even more available). You like your house cooler than the EPA blessed 78F in the summer? You evil earth-hating carbon polluting scum! Good thing your Nest helped us find out about your noxious habits...
@duodec Plausible, but wouldn't work on me. I don't give a shit how someone else thinks I should live. My concern is how little privacy we all have these days. And that very few people are concerned puzzles me.
@hallmike Stalking is not legal. While you may be able to discern some things from stalking, it would not make my life an open book. I am not in the habit of telling strangers where I buy clothes, what music I listen to, where I work (and hours, too), and what I am interested in.
I really considered a Nest, when I was looking at a new thermostat, but whole programmable thing would never work, because our schedules vary so much and if we let the house cool off, I can see it taking longer to warm up than the heater would have run if we left it warmer, all day. Plus, having a snake in the house, I need to keep it warmer, so he doesn't get cold, even with his heat lamps. My dogs don't care about cold. They love the snow and cold weather.
@JerseyFrank My ratio is the opposite with 80% insteon and 20% standard. The 20% is in the bathrooms and closets and other locations that I don't care to automate. I use the Insteon Hub for remote access. I wish I could install a thermostat but my A/C unit is a real good one with multiple compressors and to control them properly it requires a specific thermostat from the A/C manufacturer. At least it is programmable but not accessible remotely.
I bought Nest thermostats before the Google buyout. I was a LIFX Kickstarter backer. Most of the light switches in my house are INSTEON. It's all controlled through Indigo. There wasn't enough "yes" in the poll for me.
After I first got the Nest, a friend came over with his 12-year-old son. I showed his son the Nest. He ran over to my friend and said, "Dad! Look at this! It's like they live in a space ship!" I think that sums up my attraction to all of this.
I am rambling here to give meh data on what to buy a crap ton of and sell to us.
I have a nest thermostat, I used to have 10 of the nest protects.... but then they turned off the wave feature... and since I was starting to see so many complaints about the type of sensors (not just in the nest protects but several brands) malfunctioning, I took advantage of the buy-back offer and sold them all back to nest (at a profit, since I got several of them on sale).
All the home automation devices in my house are z-wave so meh... if you see some cheap wall switches or micro switches buy em up and save us z-wavers some cash :D
@zippyus not really, unless you want remote control. The main advantage of a nest is that it programs itself. You just set the temp when you are hot or cold and it will eventually get it all figured out.
I'm not crazy about figuring out how to use new things, and so I'll probably wait until my son or daughter gets one, and count on them to hook mine up and show me how to use it. I already have a Honeywell thermostat that I can control with my iPhone, though, and it's the ginchiest.
I'm interested in automation and remote control, but not at Nest prices. I've been very happy with my CT-50 wifi thermostat for the past 2+ years. It may not have the creepy eye that sees me when I walk past it like the Nest, but can still program and control it anywhere my phone & tablets have internet access.
@kuoh The upside of the creepy eye is that it will automatically turn off the heat when it determines that you aren't home. And turn it on when you walk in the door (if you forget to turn it on on your way home).
@SSteve My CT-50 does the same thing by using my phone's GPS. I might not mind the creepy eye if it were cheaper, but it was over 4x the cost back when I was looking. Guess we'll find out what Meh can get them for.
I'm very interested in "smart-home" technology as well as automation and remote sensing/control. There are some privacy concerns as well as opening the new frontier of potentially having your home "hacked," which is a disturbing concept. However, I think the benefits outweigh the problems, and I am patiently watching this area of technology, hoping that innovation and advancement will drive prices down in the near future.
Nest is NOT High-Tech. It is a programmable thermostat that takes months to program. Either give me a web interface, or just let me manually change it. Not to mention the only advantage of the "high tech" stuff for the HVAC is the ability to monitor the temperature in each room and redirect airflow to make the home temp consistent.
Our house came with a nest already installed and it's a lazy persons dream. I do enjoy how it knows were not home, and it's easy to build a schedule using my phone, but being to hot or cold in bed and being able to change the temp is worth 10 times the price of admission.
I had an X-10 set back in the day. They had a master controller that hooked up to a computer, and dimmers/switches galore. Also motion sensors. I did learn you shouldn't hook a dimmer up to something with a dimmer, though; It got all flickery.
@PocketBrain I still use X10 controllers around the house for lighting. My biggest fear is that one day the controllers that run them will die, and there will be no replacements. Then I'll have to move into the 21st century.
i considered a NEST, but not at the $249 price point. luckily, i was able to get in on their field trial last year and got a free unit for the low cost of doing a survey every month or so and reporting any bugs i notice. i didn't tell my wife i had gotten it and just installed it while she wasn't home. she only noticed it when she got close and the display turned on. creeped her right the fuck out. i really, really, really wish it had lit up and said "what are you doing" in the HAL9000 voice. sure, i would have spent a couple nights on the couch, but it would have been worth it.
The fundamental issue is that a lot of this stuff doesn't work together. I want one interface for everything. Right now it's more trouble than it's worth. One interface/app for some lights, one for some of the others. One for the thermostat. One for the garage door. One for the security cameras.
I was hoping Apple would do something useful with homekit but that's a bust so far.
I'm with Headly on this one - I've no interest in using half a dozen apps to control my thermostat, lights, coffeemaker, garage door, etc.... The price point is also problematic. We are having a wi-fi capable programmable thermostat installed by our electric utility today FOR FREE - it replaces the last programmable thermostat they installed 5 years ago FOR FREE. Why would I pay $250 for a Nest when our electric provider offers stats for free (including install) now and then?
I really can't see a use for it, especially in SoCal. Our thermostat is just fine... Now mind you, this is also what I thought about caller ID and DVR before I got them (though it still bugs me that I have to subscribe). Of course, with DVRs replacing VCRs, I no longer have to let my OCD freak flag fly and set the time on everyone else's VCRs because THE BLINKING 12:00 IS ANNOYING AND NOT HARD TO CORRECT!
I've got one WEMO light switch that sat on a shelf for a full year before I installed it. (And another month after that when I finally got around to getting it configured.) Mostly I'm trying it out as a replacement for a timer switch. It doesn't cost that much more and maybe I can have some fun with the remote control -- when I get around to it. And if the product line doesn't get discontinued by then.
No use for it. Southern California, run the company out of the house, home pretty much 24/7. It's not that far of a walk down the hall to set the programmable thermostat. (Which usually means turning it off.)
Google (owner of Nest) knows enough about me (where I shop, what I am interested in, music I listen to, where I live) that I do not think they need to know what temperature I keep my house.
@PyxienTX Why do you care if they know what temperature it is? That seems a pretty insignificant item of concern compared to everything else they know.
@dopperpod It isn't specifically the temperature. It is all the little inanities that make up your life. What time you get home, where you live, what time you go to work, what days you work... It is a valid concern. However, I know you probably have the GPS active on your phone, so they already know all that stuff about you. I like to keep some things private.
@dopperpod @PyxienTX home temp by itself can be a concern. Some groups and media try to "shame" people publically over their power or water usage already (and the smart meters make that info even more available). You like your house cooler than the EPA blessed 78F in the summer? You evil earth-hating carbon polluting scum! Good thing your Nest helped us find out about your noxious habits...
@duodec Plausible, but wouldn't work on me. I don't give a shit how someone else thinks I should live. My concern is how little privacy we all have these days. And that very few people are concerned puzzles me.
@PyxienTX I could find out everything you listed just by legally being near you in public for a day. None of it is exactly private.
@hallmike Stalking is not legal. While you may be able to discern some things from stalking, it would not make my life an open book. I am not in the habit of telling strangers where I buy clothes, what music I listen to, where I work (and hours, too), and what I am interested in.
Where's the option for "no, they seem really creepy"?
We get a decent discount through work, because we're an energy partner, but I haven't bit.
I really considered a Nest, when I was looking at a new thermostat, but whole programmable thing would never work, because our schedules vary so much and if we let the house cool off, I can see it taking longer to warm up than the heater would have run if we left it warmer, all day. Plus, having a snake in the house, I need to keep it warmer, so he doesn't get cold, even with his heat lamps.
My dogs don't care about cold. They love the snow and cold weather.
There wasn't an option for other brand automation systems like "Yes, I have Insteon, X10, MWave, etc."
@cengland0 I've got Insteon in 20% of the house, but enough devices for 80%... just haven't gotten around to remodelling enough yet
@JerseyFrank My ratio is the opposite with 80% insteon and 20% standard. The 20% is in the bathrooms and closets and other locations that I don't care to automate. I use the Insteon Hub for remote access. I wish I could install a thermostat but my A/C unit is a real good one with multiple compressors and to control them properly it requires a specific thermostat from the A/C manufacturer. At least it is programmable but not accessible remotely.
I bought Nest thermostats before the Google buyout. I was a LIFX Kickstarter backer. Most of the light switches in my house are INSTEON. It's all controlled through Indigo. There wasn't enough "yes" in the poll for me.
After I first got the Nest, a friend came over with his 12-year-old son. I showed his son the Nest. He ran over to my friend and said, "Dad! Look at this! It's like they live in a space ship!" I think that sums up my attraction to all of this.
I am rambling here to give meh data on what to buy a crap ton of and sell to us.
I have a nest thermostat, I used to have 10 of the nest protects.... but then they turned off the wave feature... and since I was starting to see so many complaints about the type of sensors (not just in the nest protects but several brands) malfunctioning, I took advantage of the buy-back offer and sold them all back to nest (at a profit, since I got several of them on sale).
All the home automation devices in my house are z-wave so meh... if you see some cheap wall switches or micro switches buy em up and save us z-wavers some cash :D
is there a reason to get a Nest if I'm already competent enough to use a regular $50 programmable thermostat?
@zippyus not really, unless you want remote control. The main advantage of a nest is that it programs itself. You just set the temp when you are hot or cold and it will eventually get it all figured out.
I'm not crazy about figuring out how to use new things, and so I'll probably wait until my son or daughter gets one, and count on them to hook mine up and show me how to use it. I already have a Honeywell thermostat that I can control with my iPhone, though, and it's the ginchiest.
@anotherprimate If ginchiest is a good thing then you don't need one, if ginchiest is a bad thing the nest looks better ;)
@thismyusername These kids nowadays. Everybody knows that Edd Byrnes on "77 Sunset Strip" was the absolute ginchiest ... and it was a Good Thing.
I'm interested in automation and remote control, but not at Nest prices. I've been very happy with my CT-50 wifi thermostat for the past 2+ years. It may not have the creepy eye that sees me when I walk past it like the Nest, but can still program and control it anywhere my phone & tablets have internet access.
@kuoh The upside of the creepy eye is that it will automatically turn off the heat when it determines that you aren't home. And turn it on when you walk in the door (if you forget to turn it on on your way home).
@kuoh I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.
@SSteve My CT-50 does the same thing by using my phone's GPS. I might not mind the creepy eye if it were cheaper, but it was over 4x the cost back when I was looking. Guess we'll find out what Meh can get them for.
I'm very interested in "smart-home" technology as well as automation and remote sensing/control. There are some privacy concerns as well as opening the new frontier of potentially having your home "hacked," which is a disturbing concept. However, I think the benefits outweigh the problems, and I am patiently watching this area of technology, hoping that innovation and advancement will drive prices down in the near future.
I just want Star Trek doors that whoosh and beep.
@rainbowbutt How about Star Trek doors that open when you shoosh them, like in Airplane 2?
@rainbowbutt will they be eager to please? Can I get them with GPP?
@Headly Glad to be of service...
@Headly Phenomenal.
@Duneatic I'm pretty sure that the people that make these things will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes...
@PocketBrain Look at that door- such a smug air about it.
@rainbowbutt at thirty seconds
Needs "yes, but it's expensive to get serious with it".
Nest is NOT High-Tech. It is a programmable thermostat that takes months to program. Either give me a web interface, or just let me manually change it. Not to mention the only advantage of the "high tech" stuff for the HVAC is the ability to monitor the temperature in each room and redirect airflow to make the home temp consistent.
Needs to say, "No, not now, but maybe someday if *I*get really awesome." I'm too poor to afford a home.
@arysta This was the option I was looking for too.
Our house came with a nest already installed and it's a lazy persons dream. I do enjoy how it knows were not home, and it's easy to build a schedule using my phone, but being to hot or cold in bed and being able to change the temp is worth 10 times the price of admission.
I had an X-10 set back in the day. They had a master controller that hooked up to a computer, and dimmers/switches galore. Also motion sensors. I did learn you shouldn't hook a dimmer up to something with a dimmer, though; It got all flickery.
@PocketBrain I still use X10 controllers around the house for lighting. My biggest fear is that one day the controllers that run them will die, and there will be no replacements. Then I'll have to move into the 21st century.
i considered a NEST, but not at the $249 price point. luckily, i was able to get in on their field trial last year and got a free unit for the low cost of doing a survey every month or so and reporting any bugs i notice. i didn't tell my wife i had gotten it and just installed it while she wasn't home. she only noticed it when she got close and the display turned on. creeped her right the fuck out. i really, really, really wish it had lit up and said "what are you doing" in the HAL9000 voice. sure, i would have spent a couple nights on the couch, but it would have been worth it.
The fundamental issue is that a lot of this stuff doesn't work together. I want one interface for everything. Right now it's more trouble than it's worth. One interface/app for some lights, one for some of the others. One for the thermostat. One for the garage door. One for the security cameras.
I was hoping Apple would do something useful with homekit but that's a bust so far.
The poll also needs "I live in an apartment but I'm making the place as awesome as I can."
@editorkid Solidarity fellow apartment dweller
I'm with Headly on this one - I've no interest in using half a dozen apps to control my thermostat, lights, coffeemaker, garage door, etc.... The price point is also problematic. We are having a wi-fi capable programmable thermostat installed by our electric utility today FOR FREE - it replaces the last programmable thermostat they installed 5 years ago FOR FREE. Why would I pay $250 for a Nest when our electric provider offers stats for free (including install) now and then?
@kcmark What company is doing this?
@YahSah15 Kansas City Power & Light
@kcmark Thanks. Was wishing that was in my area. :)
I'm new here. Is Meh the new (old) Woot? I certainly see some dissimilar similarities.
@beachboui - Kind of. Same people that originally started Woot.
@beachboui @KDemo There's some more info in this D Magazine Article
@beachboui - yeah, what @JonT said - and you'll be initiated to The Breakfast Octopus without even asking!
I really can't see a use for it, especially in SoCal. Our thermostat is just fine...
Now mind you, this is also what I thought about caller ID and DVR before I got them (though it still bugs me that I have to subscribe). Of course, with DVRs replacing VCRs, I no longer have to let my OCD freak flag fly and set the time on everyone else's VCRs because THE BLINKING 12:00 IS ANNOYING AND NOT HARD TO CORRECT!
I've got one WEMO light switch that sat on a shelf for a full year before I installed it. (And another month after that when I finally got around to getting it configured.) Mostly I'm trying it out as a replacement for a timer switch. It doesn't cost that much more and maybe I can have some fun with the remote control -- when I get around to it. And if the product line doesn't get discontinued by then.
No use for it. Southern California, run the company out of the house, home pretty much 24/7. It's not that far of a walk down the hall to set the programmable thermostat. (Which usually means turning it off.)