Automating curtains with SwitchBot

[@JohnVance]

Took me a sec to realize you were reversing “Google” to avoid triggering a thousand actions in people’s homes. Very thoughtful!

[@Mustakari]

Ha! Everyone submitting to corporate surveillance in their home deserves it.

[@skylined5534]

"Ok Skynet, don't eviscerate my species"

[@sixunity1171]

@@Mustakari "ajhaaah i us linux mint govermint not track me heeh i am very importent persun evryjune want me data imagin usingg google hom omg couldint be me"

[@crispoman]

@@transfo47 The kind posted by someone logged in to a Google service, probably using his smartphone with GPS turned on. And no sense of irony, obviously.

[@namelessguy199]

@@crispoman Yes, I am signed into my google account on my phone with my GPS and Bluetooth turned on 24/7 because its convenient to be able to use Google Maps or my bluetooth earbuds anytime I want and my battery can afford it. Also I am not interested in fighting shadows.

[@TheRetroFuture]

How long does the battery last

[@dschonsie]

description says 8 month........in real life maybe 3

[@TheRetroFuture]

(this is a joke, skip to 8:00 to find out details in “THE BIT ABOUT BATTERY LIFE”)

[@TheFool2cool]

@Mark Ryan sorry if we offended you

[@mrfoameruk]

After 4 month I take it it will run half as slow and at 8 months it will take a few hours to open or close them. Thinking the solar panel may be no good now but at least will keep it topped up in the long run (i take it they're meant to be left connected continuously and not just for a few days every 6 months.)

[@laserspaceninja]

He never mentions the battery life...ever. Now I will never know.

[@andrewchapman2039]

Props for messing with the audio when you said "Okay Google", even their own adverts aren't so considerate!

[@tatertacoma]

Yes! Someone said it! I have an Amazon Alexa but I still praise him for not saying common wake words!

[@tparadox88]

Alexa ads are supposed to have an audio cue we can't hear that makes your Echo ignore it, but I wonder where they stuck a signal humans can't hear into a reproduction range based on what humans can hear.

[@--..__]

Stop keeping a stupid spybot in your house and feeding training Google's algorhms for free..

[@doublej1076]

@@tparadox88 if I remember right it works the other way -- Alexa only listens to a certain frequency band that they filter out in their commercials.

[@bluekewne]

@@--..__ Pssst, your iPhone/Android is a spybot for your data (also you do know you're posting using a Google account, right?)

[@vacantplanet]

My house was already automated when I was a kid. I was the automation device. Opened/closed the curtains, and switched the TV channels

[@AfferbeckBeats]

But it had to be charged 3 times a day, then entered sleep mode for 8 hours. When asked to do anything it angrily replied "In a minute!" several times before complying. I rate this automation device 1 star.

[@LakeCityPulse]

I didn't have power locks in my car, and I'd explain that I had power locks. I just push this switch (push down on the lock) and the door is locked.

[@ScottGrammer]

"Move that aluminum foil on the rabbit ears a bit to the left...that's it...THERE! DON'T MOVE!"

[@mikeselectricstuff]

Set up an account to control curtains... Seriously? Will it be a brick if their server dies?

My thoughts exactly. This also means that it's very likely the company behind it knows exactly when you open & close your curtains.

[@Christopher-N]

@: Accompanied by automated raunchy jazz music.

[@IIARROWS]

Exactly, we need legislation to avoid requiring data for something you pay and that don't need it? Ridiculous.

[@ajburdett882]

@ And that matters why? what are they going to do with that information? use it to send out spies to peak into peoples homes because they know exactly when Susan from birmingham wakes up in the morning? Jees why do some people think that every company is out to get them...

[@Bastimon]

It's so depressing to watch this trend. I am all for a free market and innovation and whatever but I really feel there should be some regulation. You build a product that has to be thrown out as soon as your servers went offline? They should be forced to implement an open standard to control things. Some REST and oAuth and there you go. But then nobody would bother downloading the tracking-infested app anymore, the shareholders won't be too happy...

[@leftysheppey]

I can only imagine Mrs Techmoan saying "oh, bloody hell, what have you bought now?", while you demonstrate with a cheesy grin how you can open and close your curtains from the sofa. She rolls her eyes and walks away

[@ikke1981]

Matt, we've talked about this after the flippin' christmas tree...

[@greenaum]

She can't technically roll her eyes, as they're stuck to the front of her face and made of felt.

[@UselessDuckCompany]

Looks pretty useful for people with physical disabilities, after having someone else install it. Would be a shame if your google assistant misheard you and opened them up while you were walking around naked, as is the right of every home owner.

[@alritedave]

Good point.

[@erebostd]

@@drxym Did you watch the video? It has a 2 Meter charging cable to specificity charge it while installed, and only needs a charge every 8-12 months. It surely is a bit gimmicky, but „frequently“ charging? Come on...

[@adamkatt]

@@drxym I guess you watched a diff video.

[@ohnoitschris]

@@drxym he says in the video that it has an 8 month battery life at two uses a day, and there's an optional solar charger

[@ohnoitschris]

@@drxym if you're disabled but seriously can't get someone over twice a year to plug your curtain opener into its charger, you should reconsider how you treat people rather than getting mad at internet curtains

[@LobanRahman]

"The missus absolutely hates home automation ... So that's another plus!"

[@buddyclem7328]

😂

[@wendyokoopa7048]

@@BodywiseMustard lol. Jokes aside after a few dozen scenarios people are afraid to marry

[@mikw1809]

@David Mander I don't need a curtain opener/closer, because my missus automatically does it. She's also a great dish washer, it ain't all bad you know

[@johnnyfannucci]

You’d think she’d be pleased.

[@johnnyfannucci]

@David Mander As opposed to getting married to a ?

[@howardatkinson8958]

Loud high pitched whine. "You can barely hear it."

[@Ian_Staff]

...he shouts over the sound of the motor 😆

[@mankysalad350]

IT'S WHISPER QUIET

[@anew742]

IT JUST WORKS

[@clutchkman]

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeee lol

[@RCAvhstape]

After it ruins your hearing in that frequency range, the sound almost completely goes away.

[@XOIIOXOIIO]

It's a shame that they have that delay operating together. Also, wow those are loud, damn.

[@sweaterfish6311]

Yeah, what kind of low rent Bond villain has curtains that open out of sync and make a horrible screeching sound as they do it?

[@XOIIOXOIIO]

@@sweaterfish6311 I mean, it's great for an austin powers villain.

[@RV233]

Price 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Iceflkn]

We want it perfect and we WANT IT NOW! 😜 (Not that I disagree lol)

[@boredfartless4221]

@@sweaterfish6311 Zamak Finger

[@tenchuu007]

I didn't know I needed this until I saw your video but I really wish I knew how long the battery life is.

[@Jamato-sUn]

EIGHT MONTHS BATTERY LIFE EIGHT MONTHS :D

[@smartroadbiker]

@@Jamato-sUn But you didn't answer the question of HOW LONG!!! Months is a time measurement, this things travels back and forth so making a time measurement pointless!!!! I want to know how many nautical-miles it will last for, I need REAL LIFE measurements!!!! 🤣🤣😉 (jking of course!)

[@TheErador]

3642 inch-metres

[@markshortall3384]

How is your comment 5 days old if he only uploaded 20 minuites ago??????

[@kutter_ttl6786]

@@markshortall3384Patreon. In the description it states that supporters get early access to videos.

[@jimdandy2024]

I've an idea that takes seconds to implement. Open and close your curtains by hand. Perfect, works every time.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

This assumes full mobility and independent thought.

[@jimdandy2024]

@@geraldhenrickson7472 Anyone that does not have full mobility and independent thought will already have a solution. Like a carer for example, or another solution. I doubt very much that they have been sitting in the dark for years waiting for this contraption.

[@amelialikesfrogs5778]

I couldn't possibly imagine a more rediculous sentence than "I hope you've remembered to charge your curtains"

[@aptom203]

"I can't turn off my light because its firmware is updating." "My plug socket crashed." Are two phrases I definitely did not think I would ever have cause to say, and yet here we are.

[@jafizzle95]

@@aptom203 Ha yep, I was gonna say the same thing. I installed firmware updates for my light bulbs and power sockets the other day.

[@antibodiesagainstkookery3871]

"I can't charge my curtains right now, I'm already charging my book and my cigarette."

[@stranger7968]

@@aptom203 "I can't turn on my central heating because google servers are down". I never said that myself but some people did for sure because they own nest..

[@vgamesx1]

@@stranger7968 Well that wasn't just some weird thing to say, that was REALLY stupid, there's no reason a thermostat should ever stop working unless it's broken.

[@kinglooper]

I love how mildly convenient this is.

[@kek23k]

'My wife hates home automation, so that's another positive.' That got a solid chuckle from me :)

[@recklessroges]

[sarcasm] Yeah! Lets be cruel to the people that we live with. What could possibly go wrong?

[@Mrree250]

@@recklessroges over reaction

[@aritakalo8011]

@@Mrree250 Yeah, It seems the dry british humor doesn't suite everyones tastes.

[@bettyswollocks1670]

Mine has always had voice controlled things she tells me to do it

[@awo1fman]

@@recklessroges I think you mean, "sarchasm", because you clearly can't recognize it yourself... 🙄

[@jonsmith1271]

Great video (as usual ) welldone. I once bought 100 quid security camera which required pairing to the network hub via a mobile phone app. 2 years on, the app no longer worked on my phone, and the service provide of the camera changed terms and conditions of use - result 100 quid of stuff now useless. Lesson learnt was to never by stuff with requires apps, the Internet and specialist software. Thanks again - great video :)

[@thehappylittlefoxakabenji8154]

Cool ! I remember making something like this when I was 10 years old using some bits of Meccano although the Meccano motor wasn't really up to pulling the curtains I could have geared it down further but it was taking nearly five minutes to open the curtains ! my solution was to fit a bigger and more powerful motor a windscreen wiper motor which promptly pulled the curtains off the wall !

[@timelordtardis]

🤣

[@kingofthepod5169]

Reminded me of the time I had a cable from my bed to turn off the lights and ceiling fan. No I really did that with nylon keychain braiding rope.

[@skylined5534]

Meccano! That, Lego and Lego Technic were some of the best toys ever!

[@eDoc2020]

@@kingofthepod5169 I also extended my ceiling fan pull cord to my bed using a piece of string. I used an adhesive hook and a paper clip to act as a makeshift pulley on the wall so it stays out of the way. For well under $1 it's a great remote control solution which doesn't require an online account.

[@kingofthepod5169]

@@eDoc2020 I had a hook in my ceiling. The cord ran from my window across my bed around the hook to the lights and fan. It was off only sadly, never thought of pull cords

[@michael931]

Hello tech support, I've lost the password to my curtains...

[@Fifury161]

Well pull yourself together!

[@heifetz14]

@@Fifury161 Thankyou,Tommy.

[@ChristianRogers3]

That flipping a switch robot looks very cool. The gears are turning in my head on what I would use one for.

[@Christopher-N]

"A sign lit up, saying 'Please do not press this button again.' " -- Simon Jones as Arthur Dent

[@bland9876]

You could turn on your computer remotely

[@TheRailroad99]

@@bland9876 that can be done without any extra things, the function is called "wake on lan" and can be used with every computer from the last 15 years. The switchbox might be useful to automate existising curtain/ window shutter controls.

[@catfish552]

@@TheRailroad99 You could turn on the power strip or wall socket that the computer is plugged into.

[@leftysheppey]

I'd personally use it for bedroom lights. I'm forever forgetting to turn them off until I've gotten into bed

[@jojpero]

The "borring irrelevant intros" are half of the reason why I watch your videos 🙂

[@g0g0duck20]

Thank you for not making the " Hey Google" audible

[@JordonBeal]

The intro, format, and overall presentation on this channel reminds of Beyond Tomorrow/Beyond 2000 and The Next Step, and this fills me with an immense amount of nostalgic joy.

[@peteranderson037]

Now available at Run Silent, Run Drapes stores everywhere.

[@esmerylan]

Nah, I think Nadine would be very disappointed in how loud that mechanism is.

[@hughmanoid927]

I was hoping this joke would be here.

[@gtoger]

I sincerely hope there's an episode of The Pedant Puppets that features the SwitchBot line of home automation devices. Or maybe a sub-channel devoted to them all living in their terrible tech dystopia.

[@AfferbeckBeats]

Yeah, the young one would be boasting about how easy it is to turn the light on without having to go all the way over to the switch. Then fidgets around with his phone logging into accounts and connecting bluetooth devices for 5 minutes before finally turning the light on.

[@MarktheOddJob]

Imagine the day autobot tow trucks tow away illegally parked hover cars!

[@andrewc14]

"open the right curtains, switchbot." -"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mat."

[@robertoricardoruben]

Mat, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

[@Ichijoe2112]

@@robertoricardoruben Daisy daaasiy give me your answer do.

[@timalston]

I have a very similar setup, and had a similar issue with friction stressing the motors (on closing, opening is less effort for them). A simple solution was to add a narrow strip of UHMW tape (Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) along the top of the curtain rod. Glides so smoothly now I'm sure it'll improve the battery life.

[@AnonymousCaveman]

Perfect if you're in a wheelchair or limited movement. Also didn't think you could upload something on a subject so simple yet make it so entertaining to watch. Great stuff techmoan 💜

[@Timoteo3858]

I've always considered myself as a bit of a "techie." As such I've been subscribed to your channel for several years. Given the state of the world in the past year, I have found that your presentations are very soothing and give me a place to escape from "the madness." For continuing in your presentations, I am thankful that you here. Tim in Florida, USA

[@TimLeeSongs]

My first thought was that scene in Home Alone where Kevin’s trying to convince the robbers there’s a house party going on 😂.

[@5roundsrapid263]

Google Home actually did a remake of that scene with Alexa and an adult Macaulay Culkin.

[@AfferbeckBeats]

I need an automated Michael Jackson cardboard cutout dancing in my living room... time to get on Kickstarter

[@TimLeeSongs]

@@AfferbeckBeats XD

[@greendryerlint]

My father, who was an unsung visionary in his own right, created automation for the curtains in our front window back in the late 1960s. It ran off of line voltage and used thin ropes, and had a wired remote and not a wireless one, but would open the curtains and the sheers behind them separately, and had 3 settings for both--all open, part open, or closed completely, as I recall. I still have the hardware he hand built for this somewhere. The apparatus was housed in a wooden box, attached to the floor, and had integral limit switches to stop the curtains at the desired setting. He had other home automation he created during that era, such as a unit that would detect the headlights of a car pulling into the driveway using a CDS cell mounted in the garage door and turn on floodlights, which would then turn off after a preset time, and a unit that could be programmed to wake you with TV, radio, lights, buzzer, or any combination of these. As a lot of us feel about our deceased parents, I wish I had appreciated him more when I was younger, and I wish he could have gotten some patents and made some money from some of the things he created, which were well ahead of their time. I also should mention that he never had an engineering degree or any formal training.

[@_techana]

One night in 1986, my sister and I were watching a TV show called "Beyond Year 2000" I think. The episode was about home automation. I asked my elder sister: how long is it till the year 2000? She answered: 14 years. I then enthusiastically said: we'll live to see these things! She replied: who knows! My sister passed away in December 1999 💔

[@scotthind5637]

What a sad story mate... I too used to watch beyond 2000 & towards 2000 with my sister. sorry for your loss x

[@BBC600]

😢

[@DeAthWaGer]

They have a youtube channel with all episodes archived. Enjoy!

[@Christopher-N]

I was going to 'like' your comment for the _Beyond 2000_ TV series I used to watch, but then you stated your sister passed away. I am sorry.

[@Starter61]

Ohh... so sorry... sad....

[@hazeldavis3176]

This would've been incredibly useful after my stroke. I can think of several disabled friends who would really benefit from this as well. ETA- I am thinking more about the switchbot than the curtains, but those would've been a nice addition.

[@syrophenikan]

What about battery life? Seems like it wouldn't be long before it needs a recharge. What a pain. (kidding - take my money NOW!!!! Welcome to the FEW-ture!)

[@Subgunman]

I had the pleasure of working with 1" Ampex video tape machines back in the late sixties, they were a bit fragile and had continuos problems with the solenoid's used to switch between play and rewind modes. In the early sixties in high school I worked with Panasonic color VHS tape machines, reel to reel machines using the VHS format. The joys of reminiscing old technology!

[@AkosJaccik]

Ah, yes. Expensive inconvenience dressed up as forward-thinking convenience. It's IoT alright.

[@Insanitypants80]

LOL nail-head interface

[@davidcool5189]

"Eight months battery life. Battery life: eight months." Has a bit of a Red Dwarf feel to it. Dave, everyone's dead. Everyone's dead, Dave.

[@noxmrnox8024]

I just started watching that show. It’s hilarious.

[@TheBauwssss]

Thank you for garbling up the activation commands for your Google Home device 😁👍 Saves me from having to scream "Ok Google, cancel" (or "stop") at the top of my lungs. Thank you very muchos, Matt!

[@greenaum]

Ah! I thought it was in case we recorded it and went round his house and messed with all his stuff. Or broke into his Google account, or something like that, I dunno. Really Google ought to allow you to choose your own phrase instead of that. Everything you say to it gets sent to Google HQ anyway, your phone / whatever device doesn't have the software on board to do voice-recognition. Though a phone certainly has the power to, it would need training a few times to your particular voice, where Google have everyone's voice on an enormous computer. That said, there's people have set up Raspberry Pi's, or similar, to recognise their voice. Then once it does, it opens a connection to Google and sends the rest of what you say off there. Meaning, though, that Google don't get to hear anything from your house until the Pi decides to send it sound, rather than them listening idly all day. Of course you don't have to involve Google at all, a Pi can do enough voice rec to automate your house and probably answer your stupid questions better than those Amazon spybots do. But using Google means you can integrate all your other Google stuff if you have it.

[@TheBauwssss]

@@greenaum Youu actually can, in a sort of weird way. Just go to your Google account and open assistant settings. Then click on retrain/refine speech model (don't know exactly what the option is called), and a window opens up asking you to say "okay Google" three times. Now just say what ever you want to have as the activation command and you're done 😁👍 Viola, hacked AF but nevertheless a custom wake word/activation command for your Google Home 👌😎

[@greenaum]

@@TheBauwssss And it'll have that? Even though I wouldn't be withing a mile of everyone else's "OK Google"? I'd expect it to be arrogant enough to reject me. Alphabet Inc having decided on the words the world is going to say, and not having space for any wild and seditious ideas. Last time I was in Google's voice settings I was too busy being appalled at how much of my voice they had stored away. Did you know there's been, for a decade or two now, voice synths that can take on a real person's voice? The original one (by BT) required you to read a script with all the phonemes and their transitions in it. The example was they could have given Steven Hawking his real voice back if he'd recorded that speech, though Steven would argue the '80s dalek board IS his real voice. But that was then. Eventually they're gonna collect enough phonemes and maybe fill in the missing ones with maths. Especially with things having such stupid names these days. It means voice rec will never be any good for real security purposes, and in years to come you won't be able to trust you're speaking to someone unless they're literally in front of you. They could probably fake that right now, they've had long enough, obviously it's not something a researcher would publish.

[@BobBell808]

Judge: "Ma'am, what are the grounds for your divorce?" Mrs: "My husband has automated every flippin' thing in the house! It's like living in the movie, 'Honey, I shrunk the kids!'"

[@donaloflynn]

Judge: Hey Google, grant this divorce.

[@kennarajora6532]

@@donaloflynn I get it, because everything's automated.

[@GarNelson1]

I have the same problem with my wife and my "cool" home automation projects. She hates them all. :-)

[@reactking7093]

Lol why tho???

[@GarNelson1]

@@reactking7093 "why talk to the lights when I can just flick the switch?" :-) When the automation hub gets confused I can see her point.

[@michaelsteinbach]

Mine likes the lights but hates the talking speakers. Oh, and if the internet goes out, she then hates the lights too.

[@HenryLoenwind]

Just get rid of them all---including the dishwasher, washing machine and tv remote. Risk is that she'll replace you with a little automation device...

[@moosemaimer]

"I love it, it's like a movie!" "It's like living in a movie, I hate it!"

[@tahaistheboss98]

This is very useful for elderly folks who can't get off the chair very easily to open or close the curtain

[@realcundo]

I'd have loved it if it worked without an app/home automation. That's too much future for me. All I need is a timer to open curtains in the morning.

[@BlueShankPEI]

"One day lad, all this will be yours!" "What, the curtains?"

[@farmerdave33]

But I don't want any of that

[@gaborszabo6406]

Epic

[@sypialnia_studio]

Nice reference, i love that scene :)

[@rdouthwaite]

Lets not get bogged down with 'oo killed 'oo...

[@michealkenny]

I used to have a towel heater switch at the very back of a full wardrobe and the Switchbot was great for putting it on a schedule and activating it remotely.

[@willyarma_uk]

I'm a smart-home programmer and as long as there's a protocol document available then its cool, but usually these things are locked down and it makes it a total pain.

[@superhavi]

The guys at iObroker have already figured out the switchbot switch thingy. It's just using BLE. The curtains will most likely do the same.

[@willyarma_uk]

Just had a look on github and theres a few things for this which is cool, but i meant my comment to be in general

[@mjaerkens]

I'm so far down the rabbit hole I don't even want to be dependent on MQTT so I built my own tcp server to mediate between my homemade IoT devices.

[@informativt]

I would so love home automation if everything was following open standards and hubs where less internet dependent. And while I don't mind making my own stuff, it seems to be the only way to make it proper.

[@shanonshoffstall247]

Thanks for the info. I did not know about switchbot. I purchased a bot for my building door opener button. I had to trim 2 mm off the arm, and works great with the hub. Now I do not worry about forgetting my keys and getting locked out of my building.

[@Fake_Blood]

I was fully expecting some muppets at the end there.

[@ScottSchramm]

You don’t need a scene to control both. You can link both curtain bots together to act as one and they will open and close as the same time. That will also allow the remote to control both as well.

[@james2k2]

Where did the puppets go? I miss them a lot!

[@markh5210]

I used to work in a cinema which had powered curtains and masking. The curtains were a conventional cable mechanism with a motor turning the drum over which the cables were wound over. One night the cable came off the drum and got caught in its own mechanism- cutting the cable was the only option for staying open with an expensive repair job following. A 1990s theatre I do some work in (in normal times) had a powered curtain which has been decommissioned and is now manually flown.

[@queegfivehundred8197]

I remember that Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em had one episode where Frank had all sorts of troubles with an automated house, which then had problems because of him.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

I wish I'd watched that instead of "Demon Seed". 😫

[@attentionaddicts]

YES, the one with Betty's brother's house. "Oh my gawd, it's the ballcock"

[@worldtraveler930]

Wow an entire episode about solutions looking for a problem! 😁

[@tamarmolerick3814]

I have never fully recovered from waking up on the first day of 2000 and finding that I did not own (a) a silver suit (b) a hover car.

[@ohnoitschris]

Shoulda awoken in a music video from the time

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

I used to have that problem. However, tonight I saw "Black Panther" for the first time, and now I want to live in Wakanda. 😞

[@michael931]

They should have predicted that in the future everyone would drive silver cars... that came true.

[@WeebLabs]

The clip playing on the monitor in the background during the introduction is from Colossus: The Forbin Project. Excellent movie!

[@nutsnproud6932]

Thanks for the video. In the 1970s families had free remote controls - the kids. I lost count the number of times I turned the TV channel over, turned lights on/off or made tea.

[@daveayerstdavies]

My uncle had automatic curtains in 1975. I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.

[@nullerrno]

If you’re curious, the Nixie tube shot is from Colossus: the Forbin project

[@confusedkemono]

thank you!

[@josephsager9425]

I think you just solved the dumbest automation problem that I've been try to solve for months now. I bought a remote start for my car, but it doesn't have any auxiliary channels so it can't turn on my rear defogger. I've been trying to figure out how to wire a relay or something, but I could just tape one of these bots to my dash on the rear defogger button. And with Alexa integration with my remote start, I'll be able to create a scene that tells the remote starter to start and then actuates the bot to turn on the rear defogger. What a time to be alive!

[@tm06ufo]

When I hear: download an app and make an account... Not for me!

[@IvorySoul696]

You literally downloaded an app and made an account to comment on this video...hypocrites are so annoying.

[@OjStudios]

Maybe not download an app but account creation is a must. But maybe it's the idea of creating more and more unnecessary accounts just to do one thing. If somebody really wants to "automate" things nowadays. Make "a thing" where you create an account with your real information and you can use that to login absolutely everywhere.

[@Light-DelaBlue]

@@IvorySoul696 and the day the companies die and server are down no automation anymore!

[@lethauntic]

Yeah, spending 5 minutes to make an account is far too much work.

[@Light-DelaBlue]

@@lethauntic is not the problème. The problème is the day the compagnie are gone your switch bot don't work anymore.

[@the_sandman_]

I set my switchbots up yesterday. I used one of them on my coffee machine to turn it on as part of my alexa routine when I dismiss my alarm so its warmed up when I get to the kitchen 👌🏼 I use mine with smartthings so you can mix and match parts from different manufacturers. You'd be able to pair a switch to run both curtains that way 😊

[@FatNorthernBigot]

Some old scifi ideas will never happen. I remember Jean Luc Picard saying "Computer! Play some jazz". Ridiculous!

[@mrxmry3264]

tea, earl grey, hot.

[@FatNorthernBigot]

@@mrxmry3264 Make it so.

[@DJ_Macphisto]

What do you think Alexa or Google Assistant does? It's basically the same thing.

[@FatNorthernBigot]

@@DJ_Macphisto I thought the joke was obvious. I should have used some sort of humorous emoticon. Sorry.

[@iansandwell4717]

There is always one

[@DocNo27]

I love home automation for the small, annoying things. I have some Bali motorized shades on windows that are two stories up in the air and otherwise hard to get to. Bali uses Z-wave, a popular home automation standard. Using software like HomeSeer, I can not only manually control them but I have them automatically raise at sunrise and shut at sunset. In the summer I have a little script I copied from someone else on the Internet that lowers them earlier in the day as soon as the sun starts to hit the glass. It works off of knowing the date/time and my lat/longitude; computes when the sun will be at a certain angle and shuts the blinds. Works a treat at keeping my living room from overheating! The cost of proper motorized shades are really dropping - the motorized shades as a complete unit were around $300 - double accordion cloth that provides insulation value as well, so I prefer them to just straight curtains. Same for other lighting - living room and kitchen light over my sink come on at sunset, others come on/off automatically as I enter/leave rooms. It doesn't sound like much but once you get used to some of these convenience things if they stop working you notice right away! You can also save energy or other resources. I also use light switches i the bathrooms and my kitchen to trigger a hot water circulation pump so it only runs when people are in the rooms where hot water would be needed - makes it far more cost effective to use the pump and saves significant water in one bathroom that is on the other side of the house if hot water is there vs. having to run it to get hot water. I have a whole house fan on nice days I can use that instead of running air conditioning. I have the system set up so that when I turn the whole house fan on it automatically turns my AC thermostats off so I don't accidentally run the AC with the fan. Same thing with ceiling fan - I can turn them on/off/change speed depending on temperatures or occupancy in various rooms, or use them in conjunction with my HVAC units to help distribute heat in the winter from my south facing living room with the two stories of glass to the rest of the house. Anyway just a few examples of not too crazy home automation that can make a big difference in a few areas. Some people really go nuts with motion sensors all over the place and all kinds of announcements and voice crap - I just have a few bits here and there and really enjoy the flexibility it provides. Everything in my setup is integrated with traditional looking wall switches; you wouldn't know there was automation behind anything unless you happened to see it - which makes it very friendly for anyone else to still use my house. I hate it when people have stuff that can only be done via touch screen or other fiddly controls. I don't mind those to supplement control, but don't think they are a good idea for primary controls. Finally on the software side, HomeKit is going to be a bonanza. Apple got Google, Amazon and several other companies to standardize on it - and joining devices in Homekit is one of the easier systems. With software like Homebridge, no need for complicated/expensive software like Homeseer (but Homeseer speaks just about every standard and has plugins for tons of proprietary kit so it can unifi just about anything out there so if you want max flexibility the cost and learning curve is worth it). Also if you pay attention when buying devices, no need to rely on cloud either. Very few devices I have require Internet access of any kind - 100% local control; and that's the way I like it. Got burned with Google buying Nest. Luckily I'm grandfathered in, but I will never or recommend another Nest product. That's the problem with crap that does not offer local control. As popular as home automation has become in the last five years in particular, there is ZERO reason to buy things that only work through cloud control. Screw them, lest they screw you down the road.

[@mrburnz884]

"She says it's like living in the house from Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. So there you go, that's another postive." 🤣

[@cavemanvi]

Too bad he didn’t mention the battery life...

[@SparksNZeros]

a lot of these gadgets look really useful for the elderly or disabled that might find heavy curtains difficult to open or close

[@OrgaNik_Music]

So when their servers inevitably close down, those things become useless?

[@mrxmry3264]

that's why i wouldn't use anything that depends on a server on the internet. if it can't happen locally, it ain't gonna happen.

[@mfaizsyahmi]

There will always be folks who would jailbreak the devices and hook them up to community-run servers, or better yet makes it so that you can host your own server. The spirit of tinkering will never die!

[@tyrgoossens]

As far as I can see the device itself is bluetooth and you only need the account to connect it to a voice assistant. A quick google shows that people have integrated it with Home Assistant, an open source program. Since it's just bluetooth I imagine any app will also keep working as long as your device is supported.

[@reactking7093]

How would it be useless when it's a physical product. It isn't an app or a wifi only device. It literally gives you a physical remote. So yes you'd probably lose the voice feature worst case scenario.

[@reactking7093]

@@tyrgoossens that's what I'm saying I see a lot of these paranoid comments that have no idea what their talking about.

[@fecundity10]

Wow somehow it was simultaneously interesting and mundane. Loving TechMoan's work as always.

[@rcajavus8141]

"One of those things that could be quite useful if I could find a use for it" story of my life :D

[@StevenSmyth]

Mitsubishi had this worked out years ago. They sell a minivan in Japan called the Delica, which has optional automatic curtains. They’re smooth and open and close quickly. Pretty cool. That’s the type I’d want.

[@IOwnCalculus]

Pulling your phone out to move the drapes... ...a curtain call? I'll see myself out

[@welbow]

It's COITAINS for you!!! :P

[@philbraithwaite1316]

Pull yourself together man!

[@caannz]

That was a groaner, love it!

[@gracie-C3]

I saw this same idea in a issue of Popular Mechanics from 1971, interesting to see how it's changed over 50 years

[@Crispy_Bee]

I'd set it up so that everything only works when you first say "COMPUTER" and then it registers with the Star Trek: TNG-Computer Bleep.

[@crispoman]

Make sure to put the microphone in the mouse, just to prove Scotty right.

[@nicolas_caged]

You could buy something like this for deterring burglers when you were on holiday back in early 90's. It put controls on the plugs to turn lights on in the evening & I'm sure it had gizmos to open/shut curtains.

[@nixbuongiorno]

And the big question still is: Would Nadine Hurley want these?

[@AndrewBehm]

Far too noisy for her, I’m afraid

[@DatBeastard]

Not quite as silent as she would like, I'd say.

[@MagellanicCosmos]

Your content is top tier; you make literally anything interesting and your content is binge worthy.

[@rivards1]

And yet , all our nostalgia has not been able to will into existence sexy purple-haired Moonbase twins

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Just a phone call away!

[@jimdandy2024]

Lol, I used to love UFO as a kid. I'm showing my age.

[@TwoColorShoe]

That switchbot button is a lifesaver if you live in an old residential building. We have the ability to buzz people in, but it requires us to interact with a panel in our apartment. Now, instead of using my key to enter my building I just press a button on my phone and the switchbot buzzes me in, haha.

[@JackBealeGuitar]

I love it except the app control, I much prefer some kind of remote that I could use that I know will work for the life of the device and not disappear from whatever app store, it also means you need to be glued to your phone to open the curtains. In five years times these will be useless when the app is no longer supported

[@wendyokoopa7048]

Same also after an incident I heard about another smart controlled device having it's app hacked and areas of a certain kind getting held for ransom I'm afraid for my curtains

[@tentotwo8290]

Silent Running? Now THAT! was a good film.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I concur.

[@DavideCester]

I got captured by the scenes on the screen at the beginning... that's "Colossus - The Forbin Project" (www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/). That aestethics is so cool!

[@kek23k]

Thanks for the recommendation, that's my movie for tonight sorted! :)

[@MrKnowwun]

@4.41 WOW, real combed artex ceilings, sooooo authentically retro this fella.

[@gandalfwiz20007]

"It's curtains for you Rocky, curtains!" - Bugs Bunny

[@blackwatchbandstudio]

"Don't pay too much attention to my specific installation" is a dangerous phrase to use when showing a lightswitch like that. As an American, I've never seen anything quite like it

[@Ropetupa]

"Boring irrelevant intro" Passive aggressive has a new name, and it is Techmoan. :D

[@aritakalo8011]

Well or just being british?

[@Ropetupa]

@@aritakalo8011 same difference.

[@localhost4460]

I bought one of these units off of AliExpress for ~$40 USD and I absolutely love it.

[@VideosfromNH]

In the future, I envision a toilet being controlled remotely. Say you went to work and forgot to flush. Of course, you'll need to create an online account for that functionality.

[@6581punk]

The BogBot.

[@mandowarrior123]

@@6581punk iShit Pro.

[@danilko1]

This implementation is why I try to steer clear of home automation, as a whole. While I do have some lights on z-wave, it's completely self contained without the use of a web account. Set timers, and no voice control. When you look at the switch, there is no observable way to tell it's not conventional.

[@IJ_uk]

"1970s home of the future".... Well the ceiling fits that 100% 😂😂😂

[@dhpbear2]

2:10 - Re: 'Automation' in the late 70s. In 1979, the TV show "Real People" featured a house filled with these gadgets! They did a funny sped-up video accompanied by Dionne Warwick singing "A House is Not a Home"! :)

[@aaaaeeeeffffeeeekkkkssss]

Can you do a video on a henry hoover? people outside the uk might not know what it is

[@Ichijoe2112]

Ya mean the bloke who made the vacuum cleaners?

[@aaaaeeeeffffeeeekkkkssss]

@@Ichijoe2112 i mean the henry hoover. not all hoovers have a face on them.

[@greeleyman]

My little brother and I each had a portable reel to reel tape deck in the late 60s, inspired by the tapes our aunt used to receive from her boyfriend who was serving in Viet Nam (sure wish those tapes were still around). You never saw something like that in person when you were growing up because the UK had enough sense to not get mired in a mess like that!

[@dvdmike007]

They must have a battery life of 3 days with a motor, why didn't you mention it?

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Didn’t want to lose sponsorship bro.

[@mhoppy6639]

Wonderful piece Matt, especially the background / contextual information at the beginning. Contrary to your protestations I think it really adds something to the overall video. Thank you for the time you take to produce these! My Mrs DESPISES technology as well so we are almost always in the same boat / trouble when new devices arrive!?!!!!

[@joshuascholar3220]

Wow, you've demonstrated that the IOT is every bit as absurd and clunky as I always thought it would be.

[@mrxmry3264]

most people don't even think about security or privacy when they buy such things.

[@skittlesryan7862]

The thing to understand is if that device has a Li Battery then it will slowly drain even when you're not using it. That 8-month charge is probably almost exclusively talking about passive discharge so it's not going to be affected much by how often you use it as the power requirements for the device sound like they are super low.

[@peterpiper0815]

I would prefer a window that is able to change opacity.

[@donaloflynn]

That's a really cool idea. With all the smart materials being created these days, it may well become possible at some stage. I read something recently about transparent aluminium and while I don't know if that would be a good material for windows, it would certainly be worth investigating.

[@peterpiper0815]

@@donaloflynn Yes there actually are materials/techniques to make this kind of windows but it seem to be still in an early stage.

[@noobiesmurf]

I love that a curtain closing unit has performance mode.

[@trig]

That noise was pretty awful, and did the curtains actually butt up together firmly or was there an annoying light gap?

[@mrfoameruk]

Great for a bedroom... The curtains open and the noise the motor make wakes you up like an alarm going off.

[@awo1fman]

Any gap doesn't have anything to do with this product. If the curtains don't have a gap when you close them by hand, they won't when you use this.

[@eldonerc2524]

Would imagine that will depend on your setup. Where you program the stop/start.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

I dream of an automated house. However, these devices would be great for people who cannot get around easily, whether confined to beds or wheelchairs, or maybe just getting up there in age and unable to move around as easily anymore. I hurt my foot not long ago, and these would have been a life saver during that time.

[@Cryptovariable]

Are you playing “Colossus: The Forbin Project” a couple seconds at a time to sidestep KZbin’s bots?

[@CantankerousDave]

Better that than Demon Seed, which is actually about a computer-controlled house.

[@SamuelEllmer]

Since watching this video and learning about this product, manually opening and closing my curtains feels like such a chore...

[@okiwangko]

10:22 Oh yeah, buy the Switchbot so you can control your switch with our switch, so you can switch off thing with our switch which switches the switch off.

[@ohnoitschris]

*incompatible with Nintendo Switch