Apple to Launch New 'Smart Home' Platform at WWDC

[Velli]

You seriously compared an iPod to Home Automation? Home Automation is not something you go to an Apple Store and buy. You don't just unwrap it, turn it on and BOOM! everything just works. You have to spend $10-$20K to hard-wire a house to one or more automation controllers first. Home automation has already existed for years in the form of alarms, motion sensors, thermostats. However, existing homes are a mish-mash of these things and what controller units they have would not talk a TCP protocol for controller via a mobile OS app.

Which is EXACTLY why there's room for Apple in this segment. I'm sure they won't solve the issues of getting your current stuff working together, but as always, stick with the Apple ecosystem, and "it just works". I'm also quite sure it won't work as well as a fully fledged, properly installed home automation system from AMX, Crestron etc, but I do think it could be the "Sonos of home automation".

BTW, did noone say "iBeacon" in this thread yet? Turning the lights on automatically when you enter a room is already a part of a well-designed home automation system. Doing this with iBeacons and a wearable device makes perfect sense.

Apple has the problem that they won't be able to make an iWatch or any other wearable device into an iPhone-sized market, and because of this they have a growth problem. A wearable device as part of a greater move into a bigger market segment however, that makes perfect sense. I think Apple has exhausted the possibilities of tapping into personal computing, and need to expand to different markets.

 

[Michael CM1]

Nothing about home automaton automatically says remote. I think they just forgot to mention something very obvious.

Well anything you're going to use to control various systems in your home or away from it is going to function basically like a remote control for a TV. iPad support will be highly important, but iPhone support is tops. It's much more of a device that can be kept on you compared to either iPad, and with the rumored inclusion of NFC in the next iPhone you're likely going to have more hardware available.

Of course I mention this "always on you" factor before the iWatch gets released. If that is developed well, it could be just as important as iPhones in this. I had no problem wearing my Fitbit Flex all the time until it gave me a nasty rash on my wrist -- and this is a Flex, not the new one. I don't know why, but it did. Anyway, that's what I'm talking about by developed well. I don't know if I ever want to wear that thing again. Apple needs to make sure the iWatch band isn't something that is going to cause rashes on people in addition to the technology being usable.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

You don't need to wire anything. A z-wave controller like the casaverde or zbox ones and a bunch of z-wave sensors talking to it from any brand that manufactures z-wave things

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Not really, you can use just one standard for all of your needs, controlled by just one box and just one program

Or get a box that supports multiple protocols and a large stable of supported devices. Real HA is about automating everything using time/events/proximity to make life easier, not just a touch remote control. Voice control is just for fun.
https://www.universal-devices.com

 

[laudern]

What is that a picture of??????

 

[laurim]

Automatic shades and iPhone-controlled lights are only for people who are ridiculously lazy, are missing limbs, or who like to show off gadgets. I seriously considered making an iPhone app to control Lutron lights (which is very possible), but then I realized that by the time you pull out the app, you could have just done it yourself.

Hmm, do you have electric windows in your car? How about a remote starter? I DON'T. Watch who you call "lazy" or you may be talking about yourself.

 

[alexgowers]

so not interested in home automation outside of media.

Technology moves too fast for you to lock in all your home appliances to a system that might get outdated in 3-4 years.

It's bad enough if your TV or media box, NAS or network doesn't play nice together adding in more is going to destroy any customer satisfaction!

 

[shk718]

so now we know why Google bought nest and Apple didn't. (Assuming this news is accurate)

 

[Ed217]

so not interested in home automation outside of media.

Technology moves too fast for you to lock in all your home appliances to a system that might get outdated in 3-4 years.

It's bad enough if your TV or media box, NAS or network doesn't play nice together adding in more is going to destroy any customer satisfaction!

Sometimes...Better is the enemy of good enough.

If it works for you today and solves your today problem, then that's a good thing. There is no real lock involved, its just what you decide to use at some point in time. My house has a mix of old school light bulbs, CFL bulbs, and LED bulbs. As each burns out, I change it to whatever makes sense at the time.

One key here is to avoid using replacement technology rather than additive technology. Additive is much easier to implement and lower in cost and impact. You don't replace your $10,000 home heating system, you add a $200 thermostat to control it better and save energy...and costs.

 

[leifashley]

Hate to break it to ya Mr. Stockholder, I have yet to see the stocks increase after any Apple Keynote no matter how awesome the product is.

Odd last WWDC stock was about 380 and today it's about 614... so what do you call an increase? lol

 

[prowlmedia]

Freely programmable lights can save electricity if you set timers, and you can set the keypads to anything you desire to have special things like preset dimmed modes or simply to rearrange your light switches to be more intuitive. Also "vacation mode" to record what lights are used to play them back while away for security purposes. AMX is so versatile that I don't know what to say about it. AMX can control dumb things like electronic shades or useful things like pool heaters and can connect with Lutron for lighting presets. The main flaw of these things is that they're hard to set up purely because of confusing and highly dated computer software and hardware.

Automatic shades and iPhone-controlled lights are only for people who are ridiculously lazy, are missing limbs, or who like to show off gadgets. I seriously considered making an iPhone app to control Lutron lights (which is very possible), but then I realized that by the time you pull out the app, you could have just done it yourself.

And you are answering your own questions Outdated software and hardware...

The point is this will be iOS controlled not particularly iPhone. Will possibly sit on a aTV box or even possibly an Airport express ( with a low end chip in it )

A home automation app can tie it all together and as it is iOS. It will be easy for third party apps. Lutron can tie in the existing systems with a simple controller etc.

Lutron already make an app for the iPhone anyway.

All you'd need is the manufacturers to make a MFI hub device.

The main issue is that for the most part closed systems and the companies want you to buy their own hardware and software and don't want them to play well with others.

 

[NT1440]

Odd last WWDC stock was about 380 and today it's about 614... so what do you call an increase? lol

He was talking about the immediate trading days after a WWDC, always down.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Well anything you're going to use to control various systems in your home or away from it is going to function basically like a remote control for a TV. iPad support will be highly important, but iPhone support is tops. It's much more of a device that can be kept on you compared to either iPad, and with the rumored inclusion of NFC in the next iPhone you're likely going to have more hardware available.

Of course I mention this "always on you" factor before the iWatch gets released. If that is developed well, it could be just as important as iPhones in this. I had no problem wearing my Fitbit Flex all the time until it gave me a nasty rash on my wrist -- and this is a Flex, not the new one. I don't know why, but it did. Anyway, that's what I'm talking about by developed well. I don't know if I ever want to wear that thing again. Apple needs to make sure the iWatch band isn't something that is going to cause rashes on people in addition to the technology being usable.

I get what you are saying, but perhaps our views of home automation differ somewhat. I would expect it to be capable of controlling and programming any number of systems within your home. The interface for doing that could probably live more comfortably on the iPad than on the iPhone, I suspect. Then, as you say, we're awaiting wearable tech from Apple that will almost certainly also run iOS. So it seems highly likely that if/when Apple announces a home automation initiative that they will call it an iOS product, not arbitrarily restricted to the iPhone. To me this seems totally obvious.

 

[mangonights]

Sure, now they want to do home automation. Missing out on buying NEST was S U C H a colossal fk-up.

 

[IJ Reilly]

He was talking about the immediate trading days after a WWDC, always down.

It sounds like you have figured out an infallible stock market system. You should patent that sucker in a hurry and become a zillionaire. In fact you should be one already, since you know how the market always behaves.

 

[RenoG]

This is great but this better not be the "big thing" at WWDC. We better see an iWatch!

Really? are you really excited about this thing? I can think of a million and two more useful things they can announce besides a..........watch.

 

[NT1440]

It sounds like you have figured out an infallible stock market system. You should patent that sucker in a hurry and become a zillionaire. In fact you should be one already, since you know how the market always behaves.

The market is a joke, follows no logic, and its a glorified ponzi scheme. Yes, I've figured the basics out, but I have no interest in participating in it.

As for this specific topic, I've been watching WWDC keynotes for about 5 years now. I can't remember a single one (and my memory may fail me) that the stock went up immediately following the keynote.


Not quite what you were thinking though I bet.

 

[nt5672]

And maybe now we know why Google snapped up nest… or maybe it's just some random coincidence…

I am actually glad Google got Nest, which is a piece of crap (at least the one I own). The problem is that Nest was done by a bunch of ex-Apple folks who did not know anything about thermostats and how they should work.

That is what I an concerned about with Apple home automation. Are they really going to reinvent the market like they did with the iPhone, or just tag along like Apple TV and iPads?

 

[nt5672]

Sure, now they want to do home automation. Missing out on buying NEST was S U C H a colossal fk-up.

Actually not. The Nest is a piece of junk unless you are a power company using the data from everyone's home.

When I say junk, I mean:
- Does not manage humidity correctly, it ignores outside temperature and the settings are not calibrated in terms of percent humidity, just average, above, or below. You cannot tell what percent humidity the Nest is set at.
- Does not show humidity on the face plate either setting or current.
- Does not allow an override temperature to be set. You know when you have that party and all of sudden their are a bunch more people in the house so you turn the temperature down and then the schedule kicks in and resets the temp.
- Turning the fan to manual or circulate requires 50 menu selections (ok that was an exaggeration, but not by much)
- The iPad app sucks, again 50 menu selections to do anything with half the screen blank so it looks pretty.
- I/O is really sensitive to failures and if the i/o goes bad it does not fault to a failsafe mode. So the heater or air conditioner can run continuously without shutting off. Two of mine had to be sent back for I/O failures in a newly constructed home with new energy efficient HVAC.
- No local access through iPad or iPhone, you have to go through the Google server to set or change anything.
- No notifications of firmware updates or changes which are applied automatically.

Just off the top of my head. And yes, if you want to buy mine cheap then send me a private message.

 

[powers74]

iHome

Well played............. Uhm... I trust that Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA will be able to pull off the integration of smart devices for the home better than any other tech company... err... Maybe it was real after all!

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I am actually glad Google got Nest, which is a piece of crap (at least the one I own). The problem is that Nest was done by a bunch of ex-Apple folks who did not know anything about thermostats and how they should work.

That is what I an concerned about with Apple home automation. Are they really going to reinvent the market like they did with the iPhone, or just tag along like Apple TV and iPads?

Glad I held off on getting one. Sounds like they will just be setting up a standard interface and letting third parties (with a couple already on board with products at launch) do the hardware. If all these rumors are true, could be a pretty cool WWDC. Ultimately, like all their other ecosystems, quality will be up to the third parties.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The market is a joke, follows no logic, and its a glorified ponzi scheme. Yes, I've figured the basics out, but I have no interest in participating in it.

As for this specific topic, I've been watching WWDC keynotes for about 5 years now. I can't remember a single one (and my memory may fail me) that the stock went up immediately following the keynote.


Not quite what you were thinking though I bet.

Your first comment cancels out the second. You don't know much about the markets, but you do know exactly how they behave. Interesting.

You'd lose that bet. You said pretty much exactly what I was expecting. On these boards the people with the least amount of knowledge often try to come off as the most authoritative in their opinions. No surprise there.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

Maybe not a dollar short, but definitely a day late.

 

[NT1440]

Your first comment cancels out the second. You don't know much about the markets, but you do know exactly how they behave. Interesting.

You'd lose that bet. You said pretty much exactly what I was expecting. On these boards the people with the least amount of knowledge often try to come off as the most authoritative in their opinions. No surprise there.

If markets were rational, the advertising industry would be nonexistent. Remember that the basis of markets is supposedly educated consumers making the most rational decisions based upon their needs. Enter the advertising industry that spends billions a year to convince you (or re-educate you) that product X is the one for you.

I'm not sure how a comment that showcases market irrationality somehow cancels out one that says they are irrational but sure, I'm sure the half assed thinly veiled insult at the end helps your argument. If you want to call me a know nothing just go for it, I assure you that it won't matter to me.

Bye.

 

[IJ Reilly]

If markets were rational, the advertising industry would be nonexistent. Remember that the basis of markets is supposedly educated consumers making the most rational decisions based upon their needs. Enter the advertising industry that spends billions a year to convince you (or re-educate you) that product X is the one for you.

I'm not sure how a comment that showcases market irrationality somehow cancels out one that says they are irrational but sure, I'm sure the half assed thinly veiled insult at the end helps your argument. If you want to call me a know nothing just go for it, I assure you that it won't matter to me.

Bye.

What kind of markets are you talking about? Before it was the stock market. Now it's the product markets? FWIW, nobody but you is talking about "rationality." Where that concept comes into this discussion is anybody's guess, let alone how it supports your "Ponzi scheme" theory.

I don't need to insult you if you're going to tell us that you really don't know much about investing but you do know exactly how the stock markets behave. I am sorry that you can't see the clear contradiction and feel insulted by having this flaw in your reasoning pointed out. I also would not take swimming lessons from someone who never goes near the water.

 

[Lopov Jack]

Welcome to HomePlay by

 

[cdebnil]

From a operational perspective certainly, but not from a total integration perspective.

If you spend the cash to have a dedicated automation system installed it still isn't totally integrated with all of your devices. Odds are that if the system is accessible remotely via an app that the app doesn't have all of the features you want. Also you more than likely can only use devices that are provided by the controller manufacture.

Today there are a ton of technologies like zigbee and zwave that make wireless home automation very simple. If you take these technologies and combine them with a consistent, functional, and open web API you open up a lot more possibilities than a proprietary controller based system.

Bingo. I really hope Apple decides to have zigbee and zwave compatibility in their plans. I don't see what Apple will bring new to the table over existing solutions but it will be interesting to see how they market the product. Unless they get in the business of actually making locks, switches, and thermostats, will be difficult to convince existing manufacturers to create a new third home automation wireless protocol. I personally use alarm.com for all my home automation needs. Works very well via the web interface and via the ios app. Allows me to control locks, light switches, thermostats, live video, and security system all in one integrated app. Also has scene support and automation programs that runs a preset set of commands. For example, when I leave the house and set the alarm, thermostats increase the temperature to 84 degrees, all locks lock automatically, and all lights turn off automatically. Really like the ability to add other zwave functionality to the system. Also has the ability to setup geofences around my house and change thermostat temps automatically when I begin to approach my home.