Seems like cheap auto off timers and simple motion detector lights would solve all those problems with 1970s technology and no network connections at all.
Motion detectors generally makes things less convenient, not more. Now I have to wave my arms around regularly. No thanks. I'll take the network connections any day - the user experience is far superior before getting into that this was just one example.
If you always leave and come back at same time, sure. If you dont, fiddling with timer to turn on power just because you got off work early would be a bit of a bother.