What's really awesome, is that tech nerd can't wait for everything to unite under one Google. They look forward to that day, because Google is just awesome. Google for everything. And everything for Google.
On the planet I live on there is increasing hostility to google.
In short, you'll need a product that ties and manages your power systems as an automated platform that communicates to your iOS devices, which can control the lights, power the appliances, etc. Then again, other than on/off most appliances are dumb units.
As I see it, an essential feature of a smart house would extend the simple on/off control functionality to the ability to query the system remotely and make changes to automated settings. I would want a control panel on my iPhone to display the current status and be able to adjust the settings as needed. One thing that is annoying with current apps is that you need a different app for each appliance. One for the door lock, another for the garage door, another for the lights. It would be nice to have an Apple app that you can add appliances into so all your settings are in one place, hence, you would probably need an Apple home server that controlled all your smart appliances. It would be the server that would bridge the communication between the appliances and the Apple app.
The only role of the iBeacon is to advertise to the phones of its own existence at the physical location. Why do I need iBeacon to tell me I'm in front of the fridge when I'm in my kitchen? I guess if I were blind that would be useful but that still wouldn't mean that these location-based beacons need to be built into appliances themselves.
What needs to happen are protocols that allow Bluetooth or WiFi to be used to send data to from connected devices locally and/or the internet so you can turn off/on, adjust, get warnings, etc. about various electronic devices in the home. iBeacons can't do any of that.
I think believes that iBeacons will signal to the phone when you come in. Instead it should be a smarter device which react to the phone rather than vice versa, ie enter the living room and the TV turns on.
I have a 100mb fibre connection. No need for power lines.
The speed of the connection is perhaps the least of it. It's about how you get all the devices that need to communicate with each other connected in the first place. Especially since a vast majority of it will have to be retro-fitted.
I wish Apple would unveil a whole new ATV OS - built from the ground up- ios7 inspired- new screensavers,etc. . And a new high-powered White ATV which can only run it. Apple needs to bust a move (Dr Dre speak)
Instead it should be a smarter device which react to the phone rather than vice versa, ie enter the living room and the TV turns on.
No!
I want to say "TV on" when I want the TV on. I dislike automated help. It is more difficult to go turn off the TV when you didn't want it on in the first place, especially when the volume was set to 11 and a baby was sleeping. Didn't you learn anything from Microsoft Clippy?
Siri: You are within 20 m of a McDonalds. I ordered you a hamburger.
I think believes that iBeacons will signal to the phone when you come in. Instead it should be a smarter device which react to the phone rather than vice versa, ie enter the living room and the TV turns on.
OK, if the iPhone acts as the iBeacon node, which is possible, then all the appliances/devices that are set up to respond to it's local presence would work. That does mean, at this point, they would all have to be running iOS, which might be feasible for a large appliance but not for a lightbulb, and I don't think we'll be seeing Apple start making any of the home appliances/devices.
However, while it might be cool to have your music, lights, TV show/movie on your TV follow you as you change rooms we don't always carry our phones on our person at home so this would be something that the "iWatch" would be great for since it's something you wear and easily could be an iBeacon.
[CONTENTEMBED=/t/180046/apple-expected-to-unveil-new-smart-home-platform-at-wwdc-report/40#post_2539739 layout=inline]I would imagine that home building will be quite different within the next 50-60 years. The home and driveway will be clad in solar cells, connectivity will be easy and abundant, exterior and interior. Within 100 years the smart home will be quite complete... but most people today might not call the results aesthetically pleasing... even though the design will be clean and efficient. [/CONTENTEMBED]
Establishing standard communication protocols is important I think. For example my garage doors have some smart home certified logo on them which is compatible with built-in automobile remote controls. If Apple can define the new standard such as they have done with iBeacons then all manufacturers can move forward quickly. Right now there are several competing process automation control protocols.
To you point about aesthetics, I never considered a driveway as a solar collector. I like that idea. I have been struggling with the solar design for my new home because I want it to look like a traditional Spanish colonial but be all high-tech behind the scenes.
I want to say "TV on" when I want the TV on. I dislike automated help. It is more difficult to go turn off the TV when you didn't want it on in the first place, especially when the volume was set to 11 and a baby was sleeping. Didn't you learn anything from Microsoft Clippy?
Siri: You are within 20 m of a McDonalds. I ordered you a hamburger.
Well. You will be able to set it to not turn on, turn on at certain times only and turn on the music at others etc.
OK, if the iPhone acts as the iBeacon node, which is possible, then all the appliances/devices that are set up to respond to it's local presence would work. That does mean, at this point, they would all have to be running iOS, which might be feasible for a large appliance but not for a lightbulb, and I don't think we'll be seeing Apple start making any of the home appliances/devices.
However, while it might be cool to have your music, lights, TV show/movie on your TV follow you as you change rooms we don't always carry our phones on our person at home so this would be something that the "iWatch" would be great for since it's something you wear and easily could be an iBeacon.
They don't have to have iOS. Just conform to a protocol and communicate with your device. Phone or watch. Whatever.
Well. You will be able to set it to not turn on, turn on at certain times only and turn on the music at others etc.
You're right. Set to never. The problem is too complicated. If I leave the room to get my guest a drink from the kitchen, I don't want the lights and the TV to turn off leaving him sitting in the dark.
Hopefully, Apple is targeting something more long-term like Off-the-Grid Power from Solar/Wind management tools/hardware etc, to provide a platform for Enterprises and Small-to-Large Businesses.
Perhaps Apple could start by fixing the AppleTV from dropping offline with the computer (connects via AirPort Express) halfway thru a movie. Or randomly not even connecting .
What I mean is that wouldn't the house itself need to be wired to accept input from iOS devices?
For example, wouldn't I need to hook some dongle or have a hard-wire to my lights, television, oven etc to enable my iDevices to turn them on wirelessly when I enter the room?
Sure, they'd need to work with the other devices, but that's something that will be made for that, like with Phillips Hue. There won't be a dongle for your current oven/stove, instead you'll have to wait until Apple makes one, or rather, Apple releases protocols and guidelines that allow household appliance makers to work with an Apple device. Not unlike how iBeacons use standard protocols that OS vendor can access, although I'd expect that this would use an encrypted connection and be a two-way communication.
There are [power line control] switches and outlets currently available at reasonable prices. Also there are warts that plug into an existing outlet, then you plug the device into the wart.
So it is possible to bring existing, non-smart, devices under control without having to replace/upgrade all your lamps, appliances at once.
The big payback for homes is, likely, HVAC monitoring and control -- and that's doable now, with, say, a 3-5 year ROI for the cost of devices and installation.
You're right. Set to never. The problem is too complicated. If I leave the room to get my guest a drink from the kitchen, I don't want the lights and the TV to turn off leaving him sitting in the dark.
For some of my guests that would be absolutely perfect.
Comments
On the planet I live on there is increasing hostility to google.
In short, you'll need a product that ties and manages your power systems as an automated platform that communicates to your iOS devices, which can control the lights, power the appliances, etc. Then again, other than on/off most appliances are dumb units.
As I see it, an essential feature of a smart house would extend the simple on/off control functionality to the ability to query the system remotely and make changes to automated settings. I would want a control panel on my iPhone to display the current status and be able to adjust the settings as needed. One thing that is annoying with current apps is that you need a different app for each appliance. One for the door lock, another for the garage door, another for the lights. It would be nice to have an Apple app that you can add appliances into so all your settings are in one place, hence, you would probably need an Apple home server that controlled all your smart appliances. It would be the server that would bridge the communication between the appliances and the Apple app.
I think believes that iBeacons will signal to the phone when you come in. Instead it should be a smarter device which react to the phone rather than vice versa, ie enter the living room and the TV turns on.
Bingo!
Each device has an unique ID -- like a UUID.
Apple needs to bust a move (Dr Dre speak)
No!
I want to say "TV on" when I want the TV on. I dislike automated help. It is more difficult to go turn off the TV when you didn't want it on in the first place, especially when the volume was set to 11 and a baby was sleeping. Didn't you learn anything from Microsoft Clippy?
Siri: You are within 20 m of a McDonalds. I ordered you a hamburger.
OK, if the iPhone acts as the iBeacon node, which is possible, then all the appliances/devices that are set up to respond to it's local presence would work. That does mean, at this point, they would all have to be running iOS, which might be feasible for a large appliance but not for a lightbulb, and I don't think we'll be seeing Apple start making any of the home appliances/devices.
However, while it might be cool to have your music, lights, TV show/movie on your TV follow you as you change rooms we don't always carry our phones on our person at home so this would be something that the "iWatch" would be great for since it's something you wear and easily could be an iBeacon.
Everything old is new again
Well. You will be able to set it to not turn on, turn on at certain times only and turn on the music at others etc.
They don't have to have iOS. Just conform to a protocol and communicate with your device. Phone or watch. Whatever.
You're right. Set to never. The problem is too complicated. If I leave the room to get my guest a drink from the kitchen, I don't want the lights and the TV to turn off leaving him sitting in the dark.
I don't see the widespread appeal. It just doesn't seem like the "next great thing".
YESSSSS. GO APPLE GO APPLE GO!
Or randomly not even connecting .
There are [power line control] switches and outlets currently available at reasonable prices. Also there are warts that plug into an existing outlet, then you plug the device into the wart.
So it is possible to bring existing, non-smart, devices under control without having to replace/upgrade all your lamps, appliances at once.
The big payback for homes is, likely, HVAC monitoring and control -- and that's doable now, with, say, a 3-5 year ROI for the cost of devices and installation.
You're right. Set to never. The problem is too complicated. If I leave the room to get my guest a drink from the kitchen, I don't want the lights and the TV to turn off leaving him sitting in the dark.
For some of my guests that would be absolutely perfect.
I don't see the widespread appeal. It just doesn't seem like the "next great thing".
I remember reading an article from around 1906-1908 that said the same thing about telephones.
http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml
Those look great -- but I suspect they'd be hotter than hell to walk on in your bare feet!
When we lived in ChicagoLand we had a house that had a heated garage floor and a heater driveway ...
Worked great, except the city didn't have heated roadways -- and only a few snowplows
Edit: Hmmm ... come to think about it -- sapphire has great strength and heat/power dissipation capabilities ...
I think you done broke the code -- Apple's new breakthrough product is the iPaver