Bad Smart Home Tech and My Rant About Bad Tech Companies

A personal testament to my experience with these technologies – don’t take it personal I have read a lot of articles that talk about Smart Homes they often discuss  Z-wave, Zigbee and Power Line Communication and the many devices available to the consumer. They have control valves and thermostats and pool lighting controllers and garage door openers and timers and just about everything you never cared about controlling available.  The articles usually laud the differences between these technologies, I won’t because they don’t work. I have worked with Z-wave, Zigbee and PLC in many projects and I can tell you in general its slow and prone to failure. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not talking about clinical trials here I’m talking about real life in home day-to-day, week to week, month to month problems.   I’ve had systems install flawlessly from go. I set it up program it and everything lights up. I’m happy. I’m actually surprised and super stoked I get to go home on time – this almost never happens. Annnndddd just as I’m about to do a full walk thru after cleaning up something just doesn’t quite catch on a command, one device is not responding in sequence or the volume suddenly seems like its touchy.  I don’t immediately throw my hands up and rip it all out I assume it’s probably  just a mistake or bad timing. But then it happens again and then something else that was flawless before suddenly crashes. I start to get that sick feeling that tells me I’m not going home and I’m going to be on the phone...

My Adventures in Streaming

I am not the streaming key master.  I am however someone who has used streaming almost exclusively for the last 7 years and I can assure you it has only gotten better. Netflix Signing up for Netflix was the best thing, in terms of entertainment, to happen to me since my first Movie Theater experience. Even then with the limited library of TV shows and Movies to select from it presented a whole new world of possibility when I got home from work. My then relatively new and large 46″ Samsung LCD TV became a limitless window into the world of film. Movies I would never have thought of renting became worth the risk. I explored and discovered Directors, Actors, Producers, and Studios. I discovered the thrill and peril of Binge watching TV shows (my first was Lost). I watched independent films I would never have been exposed to any other way. I became my own captain on a sea of video that stretched as far as the eye could see. Past My first streaming device was a Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-Ray Player(currently living out its days at my parents). That unit came with access to four streaming Services – Youtube, Blockbuster, Netflix, and Pandora. This was the beginning of an era, that for me, has no end in sight. After a few years of use I eventually upgraded to a newer model Sony BDP-S580 which included a much broader range of streaming services. New Services included Slacker Radio for Audio, Crackle for free video, Sony Channels, Yoga TV, Hulu Plus and more with every firmware update. Clearly by this point the Streaming market had evolved beyond...

Cutting the Cord

I cut the cord approximately 6 years ago and I haven’t looked back. Cutting the cord simply means not using cable and/or satellite as your primary entertainment source. For me it meant no longer paying for channels I don’t watch and shows I can’t watch while I’m at work. It also means I no longer have to watch mindlessly repetitive commercials every day for products I couldn’t care less about. When I first cut the cord Netflix was my primary entertainment source via a Samsung Blu-Ray player. There were not many options for the intrepid cord cutter. However I did enjoy the freedom. Well, that and binge watching shows like LOST, this on its own was reward enough for cutting the cord. As the years have gone by more options are available for cord cutters. Just released the Amazon Fire TV which retails for $99 is the most recent player to enter the field of streaming online content. The Roku 3 which also retails for $99 is a long-standing online streamer that also boasts flexibility. And last but not least Apple TV which, you guessed it, retails for $99 and represents the first major player to bring streaming to the home. Each of these boxes has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Stay tuned for detailed break down on each, coming soon. -Phil Adeptus  ...