Are You A Smart Home User?

[Chris Savage]

Do you say, "Hey Google" or "Hey Alexa" to turn on / off lights, outlets, etc in your home? Optionally, do you have a Smart Hub, for example, Hubitat? Please feel free to answer poll and reply with any details you want to share.

[granz]

Not yet (and with my health, possibly never.)

I have been looking at Mycroft (or more accurately Picroft,) the open source off-line Alexa-ish system. I just haven't had the time to get into it yet - too many irons in the fire. 

[Chris Savage]

Not yet (and with my health, possibly never.) I just haven't had the time to get into it yet - too many irons in the fire. 

I understand.

[JKnightandKARR]

Personally, don't see a need for that stuff.  As it is I HATE those blasted Wireless Ring cameras in my house.... stupid things kill my wifi....

[Chris Savage]

I have gone to bed before and thought to myself, "Did I lock the front door?" When I would get up to check, I would have trouble going back to sleep. Now the door locks automatically.

The pull-string switches on my closet lights (apartment) broke and maintenance wouldn't fix it. I added a sensor to the door and put a smart bulb in the socket and now when I open the closet door, the light comes on. When I close the door, it goes off. If I forget and leave the closet door open, the light turns off after 15 minutes. If it's after bedtime, the light comes on dim. If it's daytime, the light comes on full brightness.

The in-wall A/C doesn't work right. If you plug it in, it comes on. If you unplug it, it (obviously) shuts off. No temperature control. By placing a sensor in the hallway and plugging the A/C unit into a smart outlet, I can automatically or manually control the A/C without having to manually plug it in or unplug it.

When I come into my apartment front door after dark, I can't see a thing. But the same sensor that controls the A/C also has a motion sensor and turns on the light if it is dark and motion is sensed. Does nothing if the room is already lit.

When I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, RGB strip lights under my bed light up to cause a glow on the floor that lets me find my way to bathroom in the dark and without blinding me or waking me up. They turn off automatically when I return to bed.

These are just a handful of problems I solved through smart technology. I love it!