j warner d

I have so many thoughts on home automation so I’m going to try and put them here into a coherent and clear manner.

First, there is no perfect solution ...yet. Each ecosystem is inherently flawed or lacking full execution and that’s just as a byproduct of how new this technology is. As an additional disclaimer, there are just too many gimmicks out there for this ever expanding technology, and that’s okay. The technology is so new, companies are taking the “lets make everything IoT and see where it takes us” approach. I do believe this is something that will lead to innovation but right now, it gives the average consumer a skewed representation of what true home automation really is.

Home Automation is NOT about being able to turn on your desk lamp with your voice. Home Automation is the useful integration of technology to thus remove technology from our lives. For example, now you may walk into your house and flip every light switch on, turn on your stereo and put up your thermostat. Fully integrated home automation is the integration of a scene that sets your house to your exact desires by using a related trigger. This means when you’re 2 miles from your house, your heater goes on to begin warming up the house. When you get closer, your lights trigger to the right setting. When you’re in bluetooth range, your door unlocks and 30 seconds after your door is triggered, your stereo is triggered to play relaxing music. All of this happens without touching or saying anything. Using technology to remove technology.

The most useful and perfect home automation is one that we don’t even realize occurs. Some examples that I use (besides my “I’m home” trigger) are my automated “Good Night” setting at 2am to shut off all connected items and lock my door, christmas lights to be triggered at sunset (time changes daily), and my favorite- my coffee pot to brew 10 minutes before my “good morning” trigger so it’s ready just as I get up.

I’m still trying to find that middle ground and until you find that equilibrium of technology + scenes based off of exactly what works for you, it may seem overwhelming. I had to re-set my “good morning” trigger for about 2 weeks in order to get the perfect amount of light around my room without being too overwhelming. And for that period of time, I felt cluttered with technology. Though now, it’s just an automation that occurs and my body adjusts accordingly. One of the trickiest things is figuring out which scenes you need. Which scenes are essential to your lifestyle and then setting those scenes with proper triggers.

Sure there are times when, even now, I feel cluttered. For instance, if I’m running late and it would be so much easier to just flip a switch for a light rather than having to tell my phone to turn it on. BUT on the flip side, if I’m rushing to put my clothes on, I can *hands-free* tell siri to set a certain scene which triggers my room lights and turns off lights in the house that are unnecessary. Additionally, leaving the house is the best. I just leave. And when I’m at a certain distance away, everything shuts down automatically and my video security is engaged. True automation, a house that just gets me.

With this, I believe the future of home automation is scenes. Automated, triggered, or sensor’ed and customized to our individual lifestyle.

Furthermore, the question becomes- which ecosystem do I buy into? Personally, I’m so connected via Apple products, that if I see the future as a fully integrated lifestyle, why would I buy into another ecosystem if I already own an iPhone, iPad, Macbook, and AppleTV? Additionally, I believe in the near future, Apple will release an always-on, home automation device to control HomeKit. I also believe in the security of HomeKit rather than iffy third party or multi-platform devices.

Apple will sometimes be a step behind (AirPods, Apple Maps, Apple Music, etc) but I do believe that the product in the end has been better than the original. That’s my hope with buying into HomeKit.

Take Alexa, the third party integration is incredible. Hundreds of apps, always on, Amazon integration. Seems wonderful. Though, it is introducing ANOTHER OS into my life in which I am trying to simplify- my whole theory behind automating my lifestyle. Plus we know that Apple will put up a fight to allow other OSes to access Apple controls (just look at Android Wear and an iPhone)

To the future, I’m hoping Apple releases an always-on, Siri, Apple TV. Additionally, I hope that Apple will be able to integrate all AppleOS devices to control each other. While the hardware is there, the software just doesn't match the possibilities. Maybe there's a day where we can say into our Apple Watch "Set Movie Time" and not only do our lights dim but our Apple TV can open Netflix. Or when our Apple Watch can track sleeping habits, it will know to set our home to "Good Night" when we’re asleep. Maybe there's a time when we can tell our Macbook that we'll be home at 6:00PM and our house will know that 30 minutes prior, it should change the temperature to start warming up. Siri can and will seem much smarter if we add software control of our own devices too. "Siri, set my computer to sleep," "Siri, stop the alarm on my iPhone," the possibilities are endless! And it is all within the hardware we already have.

Some more examples could be: 

Putting clock timers into iCloud. This allows for cross device formatting and notifications. It can also set timers for app related ventures. ie. “Set an alarm on my iPhone for when my show on the Apple TV is over”.

Add Calendars to that list. This way our HomeKit “Good Morning” trigger can be relayed earlier than set time if I have an event that is earlier than usual.

It would be great if HomeKit items could be tracked, similar to the health app. We’d be able to see how long we watched TV, how much electricity the lamp used up and how much coffee the coffee pot produced. We’d also be able to track when automations were run, something we cannot currently do.

Further jumping, Apple TV can and will be the future of TV if they continue to beefen the TV app but also make some important additions. One being PiP. This is what changes just watching TV to becoming a device of the future. Heck, even cable boxes can do this nowadays, there should be no reason an app-based device can’t.

Additionally, it’d be nice to add Apple Maps to the TvOS. What makes the Apple TV great is that it is the only OS that is made to broadcast to multiple users, not just the one controlling it. Apple Maps would be stellar to look up directions when in a large group and can then be ping’ed to everyone planning to go on the journey. (Insert plug for NY trucking directions in Apple Maps, thanks Robert Moses.)

Apple has so much potential with HomeKit, home automation and the Apple TV but I truly believe they have not tapped into it. I mean, Apple Music still can’t be integrated to third-party apps. This means I cannot use my Apple Music playlist for my “Party” scene so my Hue lights can change colors to the music.