Amazon launches cost-cutting review focusing on Alexa

[DiapDealer]

That's similar to what I do with my IoT ESP32 projects. They will function fine on my network. HomeAssistant/Alexa integration is my decision.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

You're correct. There are lots of things branded Amazon Basics that aren't devices.

But Amazon Basics does have some devices as well as non-devices.

[JSWolf]

I do have a smart thermostat and it works very well. I like being able to set it to warm up the place while we are on the way home from a winter vacation.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But Amazon Basics does have some devices as well as non-devices.

What does that have to do with amazon's Alexa Devices Division?

[ZodWallop]

Since none of us knows, can we drop whether Amazon Basics would be part of the Amazon Devices group?

[DiapDealer]

Actually... I think ALL of us know but Jon. I can say with great certainty that any "devices" sold under the Amazon Basics brand are NOT a part of the Amazon Devices Unit (of which the Alexa division is but a part). "Amazon Devices" are what you find under "Amazon Devices" link on the main page.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by haertig

I worked in IT before retirement. I don't shun smart devices. But I do analyse at them on an individual basis before purchasing.

For example, internet controlled front door locks or internet controlled overhead garage door opener. I can say nyet to those without even researching. Can you say "gaping security hole"? Internet controlled thermostat. Hmmm, I'm wondering why I would ever want to control or even check on my house temperature remotely. Nein. WiFi connected toilet. Might be good for a party prank sometime, but otherwise ... non.

While it would have no use for me, I can get the thermostat. I'd love to be able to set my window air unit in my bedroom to start cooling at a certain time before bed with a routine - I always mean to do it, but forget to. And some people have anxiety they'll forget when leaving the house, so like to check remotely they've turned it up for save on utility bill.

Some I don't get at all, but I can see on thermostat where some people like that.

I do NOT get the microwave enabled Alexa. You still have to get up and open and load the microwave. You aren't saving any work then telling alexa to set the timer instead of just pressing the button that is literally right there.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I'd love to be able to set my window air unit in my bedroom to start cooling at a certain time before bed with a routine - I always mean to do it, but forget to. And some people have anxiety they'll forget when leaving the house...

I handle this with a setback thermostat, it supports 4 temperature changes per 24 hour period. But our routines were predictable when I worked (before retirement) so a regular setback thermostat with a recurring schedule worked for us. A remote control thermostat might be more useful for people with irregular schedules though, or people that move around between multiple properties. In our particular household, a remote control thermostat would be more like a video game with the two contestants being me and my wife on our smart phones. That poor thermostat would be so confused. Nowadays, somebody is always home, so our multi-period setback thermostat only uses two: 7am and 10pm switchpoints.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by haertig

I handle this with a setback thermostat, it supports 4 temperature changes per 24 hour period. But our routines were predictable when I worked (before retirement) so a regular setback thermostat with a recurring schedule worked for us. A remote control thermostat might be more useful for people with irregular schedules though, or people that move around between multiple properties. In our particular household, a remote control thermostat would be more like a video game with the two contestants being me and my wife on our smart phones. That poor thermostat would be so confused. Nowadays, somebody is always home, so our multi-period setback thermostat only uses two: 7am and 10pm switchpoints.

The Nest thermostat is good for people with an irregular schedule. It senses when you are in the home and suggests settings. For us, it suggested turning the temperature lower at night then we set it to. Before the Nest, we had a mostly manual digital thermostat.

What I like it that we only have the heat on for (I think) 5 hours to keep the temp up to 70 and at night (bed time) it's set to 62. And I do like being bale to check that it's set correctly when we go on vacation.

Even though someone is home most of the time, we do not keep it on all day. No need. If there's enough sun, the sunlight comes in and helps keeps the place warm.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Even though someone is home most of the time, we do not keep it on all day. No need. If there's enough sun, the sunlight comes in and helps keeps the place warm.

Isn't that what even the most basic thermostat does? If the house is warm enough without needing the furnace to be on, the thermostat turns it off. One shouldn't need a special smart thermostat for this task. A mechanical thermostat from the 50's should handle it just fine.

But I get your point. Our house also goes down to 62 at night. And if I am still up when it drops to that point, sometimes I say "Wow, this feels great!" Other times, I find myself looking for my fleece jacket. So being able to easily control the thermostat beyond pre-sets that you programmed months ago is indeed a plus.

[ApK]

I mentioned in another thread that Alexa had suddenly stopped turning off the lights assigned to the Kitchen group when I say "kitchen off" as she has done properly for years, and instead started responding "It's off" and doing seemingly nothing.

Turns out, what she was doing was turning our heating system off.

We had smart thermostats assigned to Alexa room groups. For all the time we've had it set up, it simply allowed us to say "Raise the heat" or similar, without having to specify which thermostat we meant. But that suddenly broke. So I removed the thermostats from the groups, and now the light commands again work as they always have.

It's little imperfections like that that leave me with no desire to have the locks or the garage door or similar hooked up to these internet systems, but stuff with less consequences, sure, why not. I run a private VPN server, so I can control purely local stuff remotely if I really want to, and I use a purely local video doorbell system, but as long as the consequences of abuse or inadvertent activation low, I'll sometimes use a device that depends on some random Chinese server, if it's cheap and convenient.
And I too consider myself in the IT/sysop/programmer camp.

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by ApK

...
We had smart thermostats assigned to Alexa room groups. For all the time we've had it set up, it simply allowed us to say "Raise the heat" or similar, without having to specify which thermostat we meant. But that suddenly broke. So I removed the thermostats from the groups, and now the light commands again work as they always have.
...

We've had similar problems when using Google home to control lights and heating. One thing that seemed to help was giving the devices very explicit names. So you would name a thermostat "Living room radiator" instead of just "Living room". It takes a bit longer to say commands - "OK Google set living room radiator to 20 degrees" - but it disambiguates it enough to make it work.

Originally Posted by ApK

It's little imperfections like that that leave me with no desire to have the locks or the garage door or similar hooked up to these internet systems, but stuff with less consequences, sure, why not. I run a private VPN server, so I can control purely local stuff remotely if I really want to, and I use a purely local video doorbell system, but as long as the consequences of abuse or inadvertent activation low, I'll sometimes use a device that depends on some random Chinese server, if it's cheap and convenient.
And I too consider myself in the IT/sysop/programmer camp.

Ditto. I get enough hassle during my working day. I don't like having to update the firmware on light switches as a hobby...

Andrew

[Renate]

I don't particularly like using somebody else's cloud or server when I don't need to. I moved into an apartment once with a Nest thermostat. I didn't even want to deal with it or have it second-guess me. I also didn't want it connected to my WiFi.

I see lots of health devices which connect to a cell phone which is running an app that connects to who-knows-what server. Nope. I'd rather just analyze the Bluetooth and write my own (local) app.

I turned down the temperature of the Nest to its lowest (5°C?) and paralleled the wires to my own internet connected controller. As I used to leave work at variable times I found it easier in winter to just turn the heat on when I left work.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Renate

I see lots of health devices which connect to a cell phone which is running an app that connects to who-knows-what server. Nope. I'd rather just analyze the Bluetooth and write my own (local) app.

At least in the US, sleep apnea machines have been known to send data on "compliance" to the insurers. Yuck.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

At least in the US, sleep apnea machines have been known to send data on "compliance" to the insurers. Yuck.

Yeah, mine has a cellular connection. While I think the health insurance industry needs radical reform, this particular function doesn't bother me. I'm ok with medical info being directly shared between those who need to deal with it. Far better than requiring me, the patient to act as a middleman. Knowing nothing about medical billing or insurance claims. I hate being put in that position.