Actually, I *do* want IoT kitchen gadgets
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/02/actually-i-do-want-iot-kitchen-gadgets/
There's a popular meme that Internet connected domestic appliances are a useless fad that no-one wants. I disagree.
Obviously, a crappy oven with an app that upsells you cleaning products is a bit shit. As is a dishwasher that borks on firmware update and lets itself be hacked by the Eurasians. But those are just a symptom of profit-led development rather than placing a priority on user-needs.
Several years ago, I built an Internet Connected Fridge. This didn't have a touchscreen with a broken calendar integration, and it didn't use AI to scan my yoghurt for expiry dates. All it did was send me an email when I'd left the door open too long.
You see I am old and forgetful. I can't always hear the machine's plaintive beep. My fridge doesn't let me adjust its tip, and I couldn't find a spring-mount which would fit. A simple push-notification is exactly the solution I wanted.
Similarly, my air-fryer, washing machine, dishwasher, bread-maker, and microwave are quiet. I know I could start a timer on my phone every time I use them, but that's a bit of a faff. And doesn't work for non-timer devices like the rice-cooker and tumble-dryer.
IoT notifications are useful to me.
What about control? That's a slightly more difficult subject. Most of my gadgets already have a timer delay built in. That allows me to set them to run when I know electricity is going to be cheaper. So I could set the air-fryer to have dinner ready for me at a specific time. But if my journey home is delayed, I have no way to stop it.
To be honest, it is rare that I want to control something while I'm away from home. I like that I can crank up my heating while on the bus home, that's as far as it goes.
So I can see the utility for some people, but it isn't especially relevant to my needs.Your arguments are irrelevant
Whenever I talk about stuff like this, some weapons-grade bore feels compelled to pipe up and say "No! IoT is rubbish! The S stands for Security!! How did people cope before this??? Why not get off your arse and check manually???? ENSHITTIFICATION!!!!!!"
Let me be clear - I don't give a fuck about your opinion, random Internet man. You don't get to police what desires people have. I am competent enough to set up my network securely. I am willing to spend a few hours fiddling with HomeAssistant to save me 3 minutes at a later date. Your opinion is unwanted and unnecessary.
I like technology. I enjoy playing and exploring. I want things to be slightly more convenient.
So, I've just bought some Matter smart plugs and am going to retrofit alerting to some of my legacy appliances. Fun times ahead!
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/02/actually-i-do-want-iot-kitchen-gadgets/
#IoT
Terence Eden’s Blog /
npub1ly…vruez
2024-02-09 12:34:31
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"content": "Actually, I *do* want IoT kitchen gadgets\nhttps://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/02/actually-i-do-want-iot-kitchen-gadgets/\n\nThere's a popular meme that Internet connected domestic appliances are a useless fad that no-one wants. I disagree.\n\nObviously, a crappy oven with an app that upsells you cleaning products is a bit shit. As is a dishwasher that borks on firmware update and lets itself be hacked by the Eurasians. But those are just a symptom of profit-led development rather than placing a priority on user-needs.\n\nSeveral years ago, I built an Internet Connected Fridge. This didn't have a touchscreen with a broken calendar integration, and it didn't use AI to scan my yoghurt for expiry dates. All it did was send me an email when I'd left the door open too long.\n\nYou see I am old and forgetful. I can't always hear the machine's plaintive beep. My fridge doesn't let me adjust its tip, and I couldn't find a spring-mount which would fit. A simple push-notification is exactly the solution I wanted.\n\nSimilarly, my air-fryer, washing machine, dishwasher, bread-maker, and microwave are quiet. I know I could start a timer on my phone every time I use them, but that's a bit of a faff. And doesn't work for non-timer devices like the rice-cooker and tumble-dryer.\n\nIoT notifications are useful to me.\n\nWhat about control? That's a slightly more difficult subject. Most of my gadgets already have a timer delay built in. That allows me to set them to run when I know electricity is going to be cheaper. So I could set the air-fryer to have dinner ready for me at a specific time. But if my journey home is delayed, I have no way to stop it.\n\nTo be honest, it is rare that I want to control something while I'm away from home. I like that I can crank up my heating while on the bus home, that's as far as it goes.\n\nSo I can see the utility for some people, but it isn't especially relevant to my needs.Your arguments are irrelevant\n\nWhenever I talk about stuff like this, some weapons-grade bore feels compelled to pipe up and say \"No! IoT is rubbish! The S stands for Security!! How did people cope before this??? Why not get off your arse and check manually???? ENSHITTIFICATION!!!!!!\"\n\nLet me be clear - I don't give a fuck about your opinion, random Internet man. You don't get to police what desires people have. I am competent enough to set up my network securely. I am willing to spend a few hours fiddling with HomeAssistant to save me 3 minutes at a later date. Your opinion is unwanted and unnecessary.\n\nI like technology. I enjoy playing and exploring. I want things to be slightly more convenient.\n\nSo, I've just bought some Matter smart plugs and am going to retrofit alerting to some of my legacy appliances. Fun times ahead!\n\nhttps://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/02/actually-i-do-want-iot-kitchen-gadgets/\n\n#IoT",
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