[DocTomoe]

I'm all for KISS.

But in a rare instance, xkcd is missing the point here. People do not live in their rooms 24/7, but they do want to be able to, e.g., turn stuff on or off remotely, or based on environmental conditions (turn on/off based on outside sensors or the current electricity price...) or to get status alerts ("tank empty, refill").

Now, I do that via Home Assistant and keep anything "smart" on a highly-restricted vnet ... but not everyone is a geek. While the standard implementation (some cloud service) comes with a bouquet of problems, it basically acts as a simplified Home Assistant, and ultimately as a necessary crutch. Preferably we'd be in IPv6-land, where ISPs would not NAT everything to death and we could talk to our devices remotely without an intermediary ... but well ... it cannot be helped.

"You're not going to need it" and "In my time, we just flipped a dumb switch" is paternalistic hogwash, not clever social commentary. Back in my days, we also didn't need satnav (just read a paper map), or cell phones (write them a note, leave it on the fridge, nothing is so important to demand imminence), or dishwashers (just do your dishes by hand)

[mrweasel]

Obviously all these smart appliance are about remote management, but I have to question how much usage it's getting in real life. My parents got a few smart devices for their holiday home, as my dad didn't want to drive 45 minutes both ways to check up on things during the winter. I think he probably ended up spending more time managing the IoT stuff that he ever did driving.

It create to have the option to manage something remote, but when remote become the only option, the usability takes a dive. When I have to go find my phone, unlock it, find the app, possible update the app, find the right setting or menu, stare at "Failure to connect to device", and whatever else might go wrong, it's quicker and easier to just manage the device directly. We got rid of our robot vacuum clear, because it's literally quicker and better to go get our 20 year old regular vacuum, and the floor is done in 3 minutes, not the 20+ the Roomba needs (and I needed to clear the room for it). When we used the Roomba, 99% of the time I pushed the "Start" button on the device, because it's way quicker than using the app.

There's a place for smart devices, but they need to be much better and have local controls.

[somehnguy]

I still think the value prop is dubious for a device like this.

> turn stuff on or off remotely

Why? Nearly all modern humidifiers have a sensor to measure humidity and will cycle on and off based on the setpoint. Getting to the setpoint also takes time so I don't see any reason someone would want to turn it on and off based on presence.

> (turn on/off based on outside sensors or the current electricity price...)

Not sure why the outside sensors would matter, it's concerned with the inside humidity which again it has a sensor to read. The amount of electricity these take to run isn't worth even mentioning.

> get status alerts ("tank empty, refill")

So you can refill it remotely? You have to be present to fill it anyway - just look at the thing and you'll know its water level

I say all this as someone who also run Home Assistant and automates various things.

[DocTomoe]

Hm, I have the opposite setup - I operate a dehumidifier. The building I live in gets humid quickly, and that causes mould quickly. My tank fills. When the tank is full (and, depending on outside conditions and number of humans present, that happens anytime between 16 and 40 hours), the device stops dehumidifying to prevent tank overflow.

Yes, I do still need to be present to empty the tank. But automated warnings when the tank is full (in combination with more intense 'room's LED lightbulb flashing red' when BOTH the tank is full AND humidity rises above 60%) are nice - otherwise, I'd have more mental load to check a little tiny LED on the device itself every two days or so, which, surprise, I would keep forgetting.

Why are outside sensors relevant in my use-case? Because running the dehumidifier is pointless when the window is open AND outside humidity exceeds inside humidity (and electricity is expensive where I live).

Secondary use-case: mould and 'rentee did not air out the humidity correctly' are some of the more common points of conflict between landlords and rentees over here. With my smart dehumidifier (and a few more sensors placed around the apartment and outside), I have a paper trail should this ever come in front of a judge that yes, in fact, I correctly fought humidity.

Is my use-case everyone's use-case? No. Am I probably over-engineering this? Sure, it's possible. Is it nice and kind to make broad paternalistic assumptions and snarky jokes on what and what not "anyone" really needs? Doubtful.

You're arguing from device capability. I’m arguing from human cognitive load and failure modes. The question isn't "can the (de)humidifier regulate humidity on its own?", but "how many low-level checks and mental reminders does it eliminate over months of use?". For people who forget, get distracted, or simply want fewer things to keep in mind, that's not dubious value - it's the entire point.

[mcsniff]

It's a good thing personal choice exists and you don't make the rules for everyone.

> I don't see any reason someone would want to turn it on and off based on presence.

Maybe someone doesn't want the noise when they are present? Some people like white noise, some don't.

> The amount of electricity these take to run isn't worth even mentioning.

Not everyone lives where you do and pays the electricity rates you do. What about people who generate their own electricity, live off a grid, or just plain want to conserve energy for a myriad a reasons? Turning off specific loads based on XYZ is useful.

> So you can refill it remotely? You have to be present to fill it anyway - just look at the thing and you'll know its water level

Maybe the humidifier is in a low visible or less-trafficked area, and getting a reminder to fill it up would be useful.

What a terrible take you have on people's use case not exactly matching yours.