I make fun of many home “IoT” gadgets but wanted to share two trivial installations that are really good and deliver on the promise easily.

1. Leviton Smart WiFi Light Switch
2. Schlage Encode Deadbolt WiFi Lock

(Obv not compensated and this isn’t a review)

1/5
2/ Generally I hate the idea of smart switches because using the app is annoying and I am not a fan of elaborate macros and the like. Plus adding a hub is problematic for many reasons. Light switches are a legacy interface that is reliable :-)
3/ These switches require no hub and connect directly to WiFi. When attached to a single light you want to control remotely they “just work”. App control and schedule.

Only wish — the app should have a randomized time on/off to simulate the value prop of “pretend you’re home”.
4/ Lock: Not a fan of using phone to unlock doors b/c of flakiness of BT. Also most door locks require hub. Schlage (“legacy” BigCo) also “just works” connecting to WiFi. AA batteries last 6-12 mnths. Trivial to use app to control door, create/share new codes. Nice notifications.
5/ These two gadgets exceeded expectations for home IoT which is a rarity among gadgets. // END

PS: Any other “just works” gadgets?

PPS: Switches require a white neutral line to install.

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More from @stevesi

21 Sep
1/ This is quite a significant development. Some will say “finally”. Some might say this is wrapped up in politics. For me, journey to this conclusion is kind of a big deal. A look back…
2/ When the first cases hit, public statements from NIH/CDC were solidly about transmission via p2p contact, consistent with cold and flu. Of course there was the famous Fauci comment on handshakes - that was as late as April. npr.org/2020/04/16/836…
3/ Going back before then, however, there were early papers out of China. But these were viewed as anecdotal PLUS many thought information from China was “suspect” at the very least they were not peer reviewed.
Read 19 tweets
11 Jul
The patterns of decentralized v centralized execution are on full display with Covid response but this happens all the time in product organizations.

When you want to scale and be predictable, centralized execution always wins when the degrees of freedom are known. 1/
2/ There’s a myth the governors are presenting just as we see with teams in a large organization. The idea that local information and conditions matter so much that centralized is inherently wrong.
3/ This only matters if the solution can be highly variable. In the case of covid there’s really only one set of tools to execute.

Just like if a broad product line wants a consistent interface or data collection, then centralizing those work best.
Read 5 tweets
23 Jun
Amidst all the details, installing pre-release, and commentary (including my own) I want to take a moment to reflect on #WWDC putting it in context of the past two decades. Quite simply, what we're seeing is some of the most remarkable product engineering over time in history. 1/ Wikipedia list of apple OS releases from 1984. Almost exactl
2/ It is easy to get wrapped up in debates about specifics, excited by tweaks or surprises, even an occasional scandal, or to wonder about the quality (is this is a good beta?). Under the hood, is a team that over time has done more and executed better than any I can name, ever.
3/ Having walked in similar shoes for many years, and importantly starting from when Mac was a hammer smashing through a screen, through the lowest lows (fine, we'll keep doing Office), resurrection, and reinvention, it's wild for me to consider what makes it so amazing to me.
Read 27 tweets
20 Jun
Debate/discussion/rants about app stores (or perhaps The App Store) have rapidly polarized to the point where it seems difficult to have a rational discussion. Even trying to discuss is viewed as a defense. A discussion without defending. The situations are similar, really. 1/
2/ Mostly I want to talk about the problems app stores in general solve and how that relates to a rather precedent setting document, the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK). OPK set forth the rules to be followed when a PC maker "bought" Windows. Cover of Windows 95 OEM Preinstallation Kit OPK
3/ Much of the DOJ v Microsoft antitrust case was perceived to be about browsers or even "bundling" but in fact it was really about the terms and conditions that came with selling a Windows PC. The regulation that followed was much more about that. C. Microsoft shall not restrict by agreement any OEM license
Read 41 tweets
9 Jun
1/ Newsflash: Apple going to bring ARM to chips to Mac. // What could this mean? Seems this must mean the best of all worlds. Is that how tech transitions happen? Thoughts, scars… tl;dr not so simple or obvious. Reminder: Think Different. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
2/ First, I have no knowledge of any specific plans of course. I only know what I’ve read and much seems confusing and/or simplistic. While the transition from PPC to i86 seemed to go smoothly there’s much more that went on. History won’t repeat itself. This is a tech discussion.
Note/ For a long version of this logic, see the vintage, lengthy, post I wrote years ago when moving Windows to ARM. Some will say we made a huge mistake in disallowing Win32, but if you read the post you can see why that makes little sense then and now. docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/…
Read 39 tweets

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