Stop bitching about smart home devices

Nest’s Internet of Things service went down and everyone freaked out

I get impatient when there are flight delays and when the queue to board makes as much sense as pineapple pizza. If my airplane seat is uncomfortable or the in-flight Wi-Fi or entertainment system hiccups, I get annoyed.

Then I stop and remind myself: I’m flying 33,000 feet in the air at 400 miles per hour. It’s a miracle.

Smart home technology (A.K.A. Internet of Things or IoT) isn’t that miraculous, but it is, even in this somewhat nascent stage, impressive. Internet-connected devices are transforming how we see and manage our living spaces. The technology is spreading through our homes like one of those stomach bugs. The thermostat has it and the doorbell has it and the coffee machine is looking over at the light wondering if it has it and if it’s gonna get it too.

But the infection is beneficial to the hardware and wetware (us). In my house, we have smart thermostats, a smart smoke detector, smart speakers, smart switches, smart security cameras, and I would like to add many more. My biggest problem is trying to find devices that fit in my chosen smart ecosystem, which, for now, happens to be Nest.