I'm not sure if this is real but I have heard that people have left their laptops open and on... and someone hacked their laptops camera and watched without the knowledge of the owner. (my supervisor has a piece of tape over his iPhone camera)

Back to my original suggestion... it would not be difficult to create a small LAN for your house to control HVAC/lighting/security without buying into the fancy "NEST" stat...
Hmmm... maybe it is time for me to start my own smart house business ;)

Since you're ranting about citing source...can you in reference to the bolded part?

I used to travel A LOT for work. One July, my wife (ex now) forgot to pay the electric bill before heading out to visit some family. I came home the same day the power company turned off our power WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, and this was the first time we'd ever been late on a payment. Luckily, I got home right after they turned it off, so everything in my fridge didn't rot. They charged me $150 to flip the switch back on.

And I live in AZ; not too many days in July that are under 100. IF your claim is true, it may only be so in California, or some other states, but certainly not across the board.

I read somewhere that we can set the temp on our water heater from cell phone. When was the last time any of you messed with the setting on your water heater? Fooking ridiculous.

Install an Ecobee, problem solved! :D

It might be better to do it at the individual level. I'm not that technically aware of how the power grid works, so please educamate me. What happens to your line current when 1000 houses are humming along and the substation shuts down, but your meter is still connected to the other 999 houses?

Exactly..... some of these systems are alot of money to set up, and alot of time to learn properly for what use ? If you are trying to save money on your water heating costs, or your home HVAC costs, turn the damned thermostat up/down when you wake up, get home from work ,or go on vacation. If this is a daily occurance, get a timer, or a smart thermostat that does it on it's own. I have never dreamt about needing to change my settings while on the phone, in a different state.

As my wife would say....one more thing to go wrong and have to fix, and I agree, now GET OFF MY LAWN !

we had a remote cut out on the water heater for the last 15+years
we got a $3.00 credit on the bill for that

it failed a couple of months ago and was removed by FP&L

It's nice that all this automation is available to those who need it, but I don't need it.
Our new IT guy is a gadget nut. He just moved here from another state. His house is for sale and he has a remote camera in the house that he can see on his iPhone and a NEST. When someone is scheduled to look at his house, he turns the heat up and some lights on so it's nice and cozy when they walk in. From 300 miles away. Like I said, nice if you NEED it.

I think its more of an ohh, ahhh gimmick for the tech younger crowd. They seem to like that crap, being in control of everything with that damn phone. Around here, by code, we have to have a smart programmable thermostat for any new HVAC system. Most people can't learn how to use it and its not easy. After final inspection, I often just install a simple on/ off with an arrow for temp up or down device. They are all programmable to a certain extend, but most people like the simplistic control. More time to enjoy other thing in life like doing nothing then reading those little booklet on how to program your thermostat. Some things should be kept simple, but nooooo.

A friend showed me this video this weekend. It shows how easily someone's life can be hacked, much less your thermostat. I can't embed due to video restrictions at this workplace but maybe someone can. Thanks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjYhmX_OUQQ

My friend is head of IT security for Pima County and is in the process of finishing his certifications in "ethical hacking". It's amazing how fast he can hack into a network whether it be your home wifi or social media.

Ooooh Ahhhhhh, can I also adjust the mini blinds with my phone? :D

A few years back I got one of the basic programmable thermostats (~$50)... it has four or five setpoints :rolleyes: all I really wanted was two "when I'm at home temp" and 'when I'm at work temp". I pretty much set all the modes to 70 and we turn it off and on when we need it.

We have a electronic combo lock on the front door (pretty cool) I almost bit on the smart door lock (unlock with your phone) the locksmith strongly recommended against it.

Erase those green fonts. Lutron makes them and I have installed them before but did not do the programming.

Those combo locks are great from what I hear. Since I am a cheap, I just hide a key somewhere.

Old white guy fears, LMAO.

Yes. But most of the home automation stuff wants you to use their server so you can control by smartphone offsite.

Wiser 2 Home Automation - Schneider Clipsal C-Bus Wiser Home Controller 2.

Most don't need it. I use some power management for off-grid applications so you don't blow the generator or inverter by turning too many appliances on at the same time. Most of that can be hardwired at the breaker box. If you want it "fancy" you can have the LAN based controller and a computer to do the interlocks.

Feel free to look at every state if you want: State Disconnection Policies | The LIHEAP Clearinghouse

Also remember municipalities can create their own rules. Looks like Arizona does have a temperature dependent non-disconnect, just on the freezing end of things.

SmileWavy

It gets worse than that.
Harriton High School Used Laptop Webcams To SPY On Students At Home, Suit Alleges
You daughter is dressing in the bedroom while the teacher watches.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/baby-monitoring-camera-hacked-taunts-family-article-1.1771399
Somebody is shouting horrible things at your baby at night.

Put on the tinfoil hat. It's happening.
https://gigaom.com/2013/10/15/heres-why-its-legal-for-google-and-facebook-to-use-your-face-in-ads/
"Google(s goog), for instance is going to plunk your photo into ads: when your friends and contacts do a Google search — or explore Google Play and YouTube — they could see your smiling face endorsing a product or service. The plan has touched off a protest and some grumbling from a US Senator, but should go forward in November. When it does, Google will have its own version of the “Sponsored Stories” that Facebook(s fb) has shown us for years.

But what if you don’t want to be in an ad: can the companies use your picture anyways? The short answer is yes."


So Facebook and Google can use your face to advertise products to your friends.
That is a given unless you want to argue the point.
Fasten your tinfoil folks, we are going for a ride.


Let's take that further...
A+B+C.
(A). Phones and facial recognition already track your movements within stores: Who you are. Where you go. Which item you buy first. What items are impulse purchases on the way out to the register. How long you pause before purchasing any single item. Whether an employee is called to assist you.
+
(B). Google collects huge amounts of data: Online. Email. Social networks. Phone calendars. etc. etc.
+
(C). Google can use faces without consent for advertising. No model release form required.

So you are in the grocery store talking with this really hot chick you just met. The potential love of your life.
Things are progressing swimmingly.
There is a connection being made. She is just about to ask for your phone number.
All of sudden, an advertisement pops up on a nearby screen.
The face of Rebbecca from some bulk email list you are on.
"Hi JD159, remember me? Make sure to buy the Durex brand condoms"

I'm no expert in this field... however IF I was going to start this as a business (probably too much $$ for a one off) first this is setting up a computer/LAN that can be accessed from the internet via a smartphone. Seeing as you access you home security cam via your smart phone I would think it could be done... anyone want to gofund me?:D

I can see myself adjusting the mini blinds from the beach right now!

I really hope the fact that I have my Nest set at 68 degrees doesn't come back to bite me in 30 years.