So says the author.

Citing Alexa not improving in 5 years and client concerns about data privacy, the promises of the smart home are not being met.

[Link: staceyoniot.com]

Around 1960 I ran across some science fictiony books by a guy named Willy Ley. He described, way ahead of George Jetson, how we'd have incredible flying vehicles and uniform thoroughfares such that traffic would become incredibly safe.

Descriptions like that are very similar to descriptions of the smart home.

The problem with this "future" is that to make it happen without an incredible waste of time, talent, and energy, things cannot be allowed to develop independently, fighting with one another for supremacy in the marketplace. The "selection" of VHS instead of Beta is an example of such a waste. The winning format would have been quickly decided, had some entity simply been in charge of what gets developed.

What is the only entity that might be able to force such good choices, without all the loss of the competitors who eventually lose out? (Note that Beta was a better choice than VHS, so the winner was not really the better choice.)

That entity would be the government.

In the early 2000s it occurred to me to look up Willy Ley to see if his books were still available. I found his name.

Willy Ley was the "futurist" of Nazi Germany, Hitler's guy to decide what the government would force down everyone's throat.

Yup. Government control would make rapid growth and uniform technology occur. We simply would have to give up everyone's independence.

Too many choices,.

It’s like the menu at McDonalds. Really it’s just beef or chicken on a bun, but it’s presented in so many different formats that the consumer becomes a deer in the headlights. I have to choose, but what if it’s the wrong choice, then I won’t be happy and wasted my money. What did you get, do you like it? Just give me a number 1.

Top with privacy issues of what size fries and is the shake maker working today, maybe next time I’ll just go to subway.... oh heck, 6” or foot long, five different breads or no bread put it in a bowl. And the peer pressure, we’re back to Apple or Oreos.

So many choices. I just want to flip a switch and see the light, oh right I can already do that! click. I didn’t even have to think bout it. Damn, forgot about that mirror over there, should have got the salad.

He wasn't the first to think about them and I think he gave far too much credit to humans in believing that they would stay in their lanes- they can't even drive well in (relatively) two dimensional space.

In 1934, aviation pioneer Waldo Waterman invented the world's first flying car.



The common thinking is that the porn industry chose VHS because more time was seen as more important than video quality. Apparently, BD was adopted by them, over HD-DVD.


Once the government makes its choice and forces people to use whatever it is, what is the point of allowing the other(s) to be manufactured, if nobody will use them?

This IS what we have now, or are at least a large portion of in a variety of ways.

The choice of internet carrier is limited to ONE selected by the local government in most areas.

The choice of electric supplier is limited to that ONE selected by some part of the government in most areas.

It will end, when we have only the choice is not having a choice.

We don't mess with Alexa or any other spy devices. If the client wants that nonsense it's on them to set it up/figger it out.

We install Ring at normal labor+parts rate, but we don't sell or recommend.

Other than streaming audio and video we try not to get involved in the whole IoT cluster****.

That statement made by the author is ridiculous. Though, things have slowed down, to be sure.

The issue is that advances in smart home technology have been increasing end user complexity rather than making it more simple. It’s just a matter of time before advances start showing up as reduced complexity and that’s when things will really take off. AI will likely play a key role here.

That's why I go to Five Guys

I prefer In & Out. Do you want a burger with or without cheese? And yes I know about the "secret menu"...

Honestly, what noticeable advancements have occurred on ANY of the "virtual assistants" out there? Until they start operating more reliably and learning how to interact with you/your family/your equipment in a smarter manner, I don't think too much else CAN follow. I mean... Alexa throws fits if I say "turn on the table lamp" versus "table lampS".

I'm still waiting for an AI half as good as the fake Lucy that appeared in the TV show Castle in 2015.

I dunno. They are both good but I think the 5G burger is hands down better. And 5G fries are waaaay better than in out fries.

We have Cook Out at home, and they have the best burgers bar none. Pretty local, family owned, and really good.

Milkshakes are to die for.


At the beach we have Fat Andy' or Little Bits. Great greasy burgers and fries.

Death comes in a paper bag.

I eat cheeseburgers plain One out of 20 times i put a tomato and a little ketchup on it. I almost never have a double burger so singles only. I like the taste of good pub burgers but i cant handle the 1/2 or 3/4 pound patties.

There are no in-n-out burger joints near me. I am about 50 minutes northwest of Chicago. I had a couple burgers from there in LA that were great. There are a lot of 5 guys within 30 minutes but i have only been there a handful of times. Not worth the drive IMO.

We don't have jack in the box or Whattaburger. We don't have a Carls Jr (aka Hardees in the midwest). We have a Checkers but they are over 40 minutes away. My favorite "within 10 minute drive chain" burger joints are steak and shake and culvers. My girlfriend used to like a place in northern Indiana called schoops.

I guess we will have in n out Burger [Link: kdvr.com]

You'll really have to road trip for one of those burgers. lol