Smart Home
Contents
History
Emerging Devices
Between 1900 to 1920, the introduction of several machines to domestic life caused housework to become easier than before. These products benefited the middle class, which was dealing with a short supply of human cooks, maids, launderers, and others. From the first vacuum cleaner in 1901 to technology such as the electric toaster, dishwasher, and garbage disposal that followed suit, the need to spend time on manual work declined. [1] Products were being marketed as "spring cleaning with electricity" and "automatically gives you time to do those things you want to do." [2]
More home appliances continued to appear in the years following. The washing machine and dryer both appeared in the mid 1930s, while the automatic coffeepot was invented in 1952. [1]
Shift to Automation
The first attempt to make a machine "smart" was in 1966, with the invention of the home computer ECHO IV. It was created by Jim Sutherland, an engineer in Pittsburgh, for his family's personal use. The computer consisted of four large cabinets, which were around 800 pounds each, and a central processing unit (CPU). [3] Keypads were placed at various points in the house to complete tasks. These included creating shopping lists, controlling the home's temperature, and turning devices on/off. [4] While the computer was considered a novelty, its success is debated due to the machine's size.
In 1969, a similar appliance, the 100-pound Honeywell Kitchen Computer, was advertised in a Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. It was marketed with the slogan "If she can only cook as well as Honeywell can compute" and sold with a price tag of $10,000. [5] In addition, a teletype, a paper tape reader, and coding skills were necessary to effectively run the machine. [5] The product was not bought by any customer, and it was thought the advertisement was a means to get people's attention.
It was not until 1975 when a home automation protocol was developed. Created by Pico Electronics in Glenrothes, Scotland, X10 relied on powerline communication, which allows data to be transmitted via power cables. It is still in use and is thought to be "the father of modern home automation." [6]
Today's Technology
Smart home products became more popular in the 2000s due to affordability and easier access of products. 2010 started a wave of businesses that create gadgets for the home.
Nest Labs
Nest Labs is an American home automation company founded by two former Apple engineers, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers in 2010. Starting from the Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011, the business now sells thermostats, cameras, doorbells, and alarm systems that have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi and are sensor-driven. [6] The startup was bought for $3.2 billion by Google in 2014. [7]
SmartThings
SmartThings was founded by Alex Hawkinson, Scot Vlaminck, Jesse O'Neill-Oine, Andrew Brooks, Jeff Hagins, and James Stolp in 2012 as an American startup focused on letting users synchronize their connected gadgets on one technology app and hardware hub. It was acquired by Samsung for $200 million in 2014. [8] The company sells products such as Philips Hue Lighting, Bose SoundTouch Wireless Music Systems, Google Home, and Amazon Echo, which can all connect to the SmartThings Hub. [9]
Hive
Hive is a British producer of technology for smart homes. It was created in 2012 by Centrica, which also owns British Gas and Direct Energy (U.S.). It primarily serves the UK, Ireland, and North America. The company does not sell any other products except its own, and the Hive app connects the heating, lights, sensors, and plugs that it sells. [10] On 13 March 2018, Hive released a new product called the Hive Hub 360 in the UK, which has been designed by Swiss designer Yves Béhar. [11] The product has AI (Artificial Intelligence) to listen to its environment and send the recordings to the user's Hive app. [12] Hive Hub 360 has not been released in the U.S. yet.
Privacy Concerns
There have been several incidences in the past few years regarding smart homes, privacy, and ethics. Voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home are "always listening." Once these devices are awakened by the user, the encrypted recording is stored in a backend server. This is seen as a danger by digital security businesses. Candid Wueest, Symantec's chief researcher on threat, says that "someone could hack into these devices remotely and then turn them into a listening device. Some of them even come with cameras, so they could see what you're doing, and that's scary." [13]
November 2015 Murder Case
Popular Culture
Smart House
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Academy of Sciences on behalf of the National Academy of Engineering. Household Appliances Timeline
- ↑ Aldrich, Frances K. "Smart Homes: Past, Present, and Future." [1] 2003. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Spicer, Dag. "The ECHO IV Home Computer: 50 Years Later." [2] Computer History Museum. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Rothfeld, Lindsay. "Tech Time Machine: The Smart Home" [3] Mashable. 8 Jan 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hernandez, Daniela. "Before the iPad, There Was the Honeywell Kitchen Computer" [4] Wired. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fritz, Ron. "Is X-10 an Obsolete Technology?" [5] Lifewire. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ "Nest Labs." [6] Crunchbase. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Tilley, Aaron. "Samsung Acquires SmartThings, A Fast-Growing Home Automation Startup" [7] Forbes. 14 Aug 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ "Featured Products" [8] SmartThings.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ [9] hivehome.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Parsons, Elly. "The all-hearing Hive Hub 360 Hits Shelves." [10] Wallpaper*. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Merriman, Chris. "Hive's Home Hub 360 Brings AI Listening to Smart Home Users" [11] The Inquirer. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Weisbaum, Herb. "Hey Alexa, How Secure are voice-activated assistants Like You?" [12] NBC News. 28 Nov 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
