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Apple and Amazon Adopt Opposing Strategies as Smart Home War Heats Up
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Sounds like a joke, but I currently have 6 different methods for turning my bedroom lightbulbs on and off, but if my WIFI fails I’m down to 1. I think the weak link is obvious here.
Amazon pulling the same trick Google did to Microsoft, and Microsoft did to IBM. Take shortcuts, flood the market with marketshare, who cares about security, privacy, impact to our lives, etc. Certain people flock to them and become the defacto standard.
Me personally, I've tiptoed into the smart home with HomeKit only devices. I'm willing to wait so I have a reasonable expectation that someone can't hack my home and endanger my family, whether their lives or their privacy. THIS is why I stick with Apple. They are literally the only one's who care about privacy and security anymore, at least for now....
Me personally, I've tiptoed into the smart home with HomeKit only devices. I'm willing to wait so I have a reasonable expectation that someone can't hack my home and endanger my family, whether their lives or their privacy. THIS is why I stick with Apple. They are literally the only one's who care about privacy and security anymore, at least for now....
Apple's walled garden.. both a blessing and a handicap..
They ought to let loose a bit and move faster and be more adventurous though ....
They are losing their glitter
They ought to let loose a bit and move faster and be more adventurous though ....
They are losing their glitter
homekit sucks, because it is not widely supported. Most of the times you need hubs to be plugged in at all times.. There is no point to have smart devices that use 5W per hour of electricity if they are actually off. if you calculate all STUPID devices you are paying too much.
What do those two articles have to do with some being able to open a garage door. Which unlocking a door and opening garage doors are not supposed to be allowed. Of course if you DIY a contact switch to your garage door, or setup a rule to unlock your door you can bypass it.
Also for the dollhouse one, the parents never setup the pin to stop the kids from being able to order something. They also received the text or email saying something was ordered and decided not to cancel it.
Another person gulping at the sudden realization that the non-Apple stuff they've purchased to put in their home isn't near as secure as Apple's HomeKit stuff.
"Whaaat? Whaatt do you mean the cameras and microphones I've put all through my house are easily hacked and criminals and others may listening and controlling my devices???????? Whaaaa! Not fair!!!!
Take it easy on the Apple trollers this week guys, they've been pummeled with the news from the military services reinforcing that their Android devices are much less secure and private than the iPhone. Oh, and they've had salt poured into their many wounds by the rumors that the company "with no strategy" just set another all time record for quarterly revenue. Ouch, that must smart!
The Amazon model is going to backfire big time. HomeKit may have had a slow start but lately it has picked up pace and purchasers of HomeKit products have the added benefit of knowing the stuff has been more rigorously tested for security and simplicity. Both of which are of huge importance to me. So go with Amazon and have hackers open your front door and the NSA listen to every request you make. I'll remain patient here and choose reliability and security. It's a long road ahead for home automation and I'd rather have it built upon a solid, secure foundation.
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That's nice, but 99% of the people who are going to break into your home are drug seekers who don't give one iota about homekit's security. They are not going to hack into your house. They are simply going to kick your door in while you are not there.
Enjoy the extra "security" and premium price of homekit.
Enjoy the extra "security" and premium price of homekit.
Alexa is indeed more versatile. But what is to stop it from spying on you 24/7?
I'm trusting amazon less and less these days. I could go with the masses and join the Amazon or Google crowd but I value my privacy at least a bit. Their products will attract more malware and hackers so great.
Spying on you how? Do you think Amazon is hiring people to hack into StevieD100's house to listen in to dinner conversation? The self importance here is startling.
There you go then, the reason why design for security is important.
If i'm going to put my home, the most valuable asset i have right now, online.... then I want the best security available. We have all seen time and again what happens when you rush things to the market without doing due diligence.
Apple, just give us a cheap home hub so that we can control home kit items whilst outside of the house that is not the Apple TV 4.
In the UK, the Apple TV4 is awful, with little content, or practical use, which means you need another media server anyway, so spending large amounts on an ATV4 media streamer/game console that is not up to spec and is not not needed is a waste - give us a lower price point into the home kit world apple...please!
(or make my redundant apple tv3 do this!)
In the UK, the Apple TV4 is awful, with little content, or practical use, which means you need another media server anyway, so spending large amounts on an ATV4 media streamer/game console that is not up to spec and is not not needed is a waste - give us a lower price point into the home kit world apple...please!
(or make my redundant apple tv3 do this!)
Yet, another person who's "whistling as they walk past the graveyard." It's a defense mechanism when someone recognizes they may have made a mistake regarding their purchase. For example, when folks can no longer deny to themselves that Apple phones are more secure, they say "well I don't have anything to hide, or I don't think there's anyone at Google who wants to read my scanned emails. "
Well, back to the HomeKit issue. Here's some comments from a friend "in the biz"
Most burglars are younger people who easily adapt technology for their needs. You assume they have to be the hacker, when what is very likely is that their will be easily available software tools that allow groups of burglars, (yes, not all, but a large percentage of home burglaries are done by gangs and other criminal groups that share techniques and tools) or individuals to go on line to see when you are gone, turn off security systems, or look through your cameras to see if there is anything they want to steal or worse, anyone they want to rob or rape.
But, you also make a huge mistake when you limit your concern to burglars breaking in. Think of all the people who would love to be able to listen and watch what goes on in your home. This could simply someone who wants to harass you by posting on line photos, recordings, etc., of what is going on in your home, a nosy neighbor, or a likely scenario would be perverts who want to watch you or your children, but it also could be identify thieves, rapists as mentioned above, or more sophisticated criminals who want to blackmail you. What if you work for Microsoft in a sensitive position, once it is easily done on a large scale, who might want to record everything that is said or done in your home?
There's a lot you can read about this topic, here's just one of thousand articles on this topic. Amazon is telling you up front their stuff is not secure, kudos to them for admitting it, it's not too late to switch to HomeKit devices if you care about your and your family's privacy and security.
http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-hack-shows-cybersecurity-importance-2016-10
Racing to the bottom of a dead market IMHO home automation falls into my pointless tech with no reason to exist.
I can understand an electric car but for Apple to put any effort into home kit is a mistake. Amazon are welcome to sell junk, I would rather apple leave this all behind.
I can understand an electric car but for Apple to put any effort into home kit is a mistake. Amazon are welcome to sell junk, I would rather apple leave this all behind.
You will care when your unsecured light and a million other lights and fridges and toothbrushes and toasters become part of a huge bot network and start a ddos attack to break in and melt your local nuclear power plant.