It was all just so much easier growing up without all this crap. My son was horrified that when I was in high school, you had to sit in the kitchen and talk on a phone, that was attched to the wall, and had to dial each number of the phone # you wanted (god forbid, you get to the end of the dialing, and your finger slips out, and have to start all over again).

Somehow, we found entertainment out of doors till the streetlights came on, whether it was riding bikes, building forts, throwing the pigskin around, playing board games, or swimming in a pond.

We didn't have any electronic annoyances, and had to actually get off the couch to change the channel (choice of 3-4 channels) on the TV. No one here can convince me why I need remote control for anything other than the TV. I'm getting too old to jump off the couch to channel surf.

I'm waiting for the New Zealand version that says "Hey Bro, put the beer down and throw some more wood on the burner."

GF's got a rental with a smart meter and it's never had a problem. It was already there when she bought the place, and it gives fractionally cheaper power and no old man coming around to read the meter.

You had a pigskin? We had a rock!

My wife grew up in Oregon and played in the drainage ditch next to I-5... THE HORROR!!!

butsurfer1, what is your point to cite these articles?

The power company isn't giving you the free thermostat just because they are feeling generous.

Per the Nest website
For one of our local providers, it's that deal, $5/month for 6 months for a total of $30, and they can jack your thermostat up to 3° warmer than you have it set. If you start to feel warm, you can crank it back down.

Yeah, if they can increase the temp by 3° when they want, then I don't have full control. 3° is plenty to make me uncomfortably warmer. No thanks, I'll pay full price and retain control of my own temps.

The problem is that normally, the ONLY way to adjust the smart stuff is via the manufacturer's server on the Internet. The app on your phone can talk to the server on the Internet. The Server on the Internet can talk to your smart thermostat or whatever. But your phone often/usually cannot in any way talk to the smart thermostat and adjust it. You have to use the manufacturers website. Most manufacturers of smart stuff don't invest enough in security, so their servers get hacked, and then your stuff is under control of the script kiddie.

FYI, Radio Thermostat, thermostats can be controlled directly via their local LAN, but not via the phone app which only works through their servers. But I was able to purchase an app for my PC and control the thermostat from my PC.

Only because it is served to you by an outside host. The only way you can "go direct" is if you are on the local LAN or if you connect to your home via a VPN.

Here's a presentation of the Nest thermostat at Blackhat.

https://www.blackhat.com/docs/us-14/materials/us-14-Jin-Smart-Nest-Thermostat-A-Smart-Spy-In-Your-Home.pdf

We gladly accepted the dongle that controls electricity to our water heater. The previous owner of the home put a 119 gallon tank in and we put a ground loop geothermal unit it that heats the water any time the unit is running. The electric elements never get used on the water heater.

Also, with the geothermal it is better to not mess with the temp so we have no need for a smart thermostat.

There is no program that says they can increase the temperature "whenever" they want, everything is explained and agreed and there are specific time frames they will increase the temp.

There is no program where you don't have full control of your thermostat at all times...granted you will lose the incentive if you opt out of an event, but opting out can mean as little as just getting up and changing the set point back. Even your own quote says that "You’re in control. If you’re home, Nest won’t let the temperature rise more than a few degrees. But if you start feeling warm, you can change the temperature at any time."

Obviously you have made up your mind before even attempting to understand the program, which is fine. These are not required programs. Just go back to your porch, those squirrels aren't going to yell at themselves!:D

It is the stated purpose of smart meters. As a recipient of one of these meters you would agree to allow your load adjusted as needed.

What's my source? It was a constant topic when I was chair of our town's utility commission (our town has it's own generating capability which is used to offset peak loads).

Almost as bad as spam bots having that info

When reading 1984 for the first time, I found it completely unrealistic. How would an autocracy / dictatorship get to install monitoring hardware in every household? How would people be on board with that without a revolution?

30 years later, I see we bring the devices into our homes and lives ourselves. Even pay for them. We even carry them on us - something that Wells didn't conceive. All it takes is an autocratic government to take over and the system is already in place.

I just bought a programmable thermostat. $40 and completely standalone. I have a very boring life - I get up at the same time every weekday and weekends largely look the same. Moderate climate results in very little heating and cooling expenses. No upside in a NEST for me.

I can't say I escape the allure of a smartphone and trackers, such as WAZE or Strava to make daily life easier and more enjoyable. That's bad, but at least those are one-way and won't change my home environment, or hit the brakes on my car ...

G

When watching "Idiocracy" for the first time I thought it was funny and satirical. Now it's true, too... along with 1984 !

I am a self admitted geek. I love gizmos and my iPhone 6S has 128 gig of memory only because I wanted it to.

I just can't fathom any reason to hook my thermostat and lights in the house and sure as heck any appliance to the internet. I do have my house alarm system hooked to the internet and I can turn the system on or off and more important make sure I closed the garage door after I dive a mile or so and start wondering if I forgot to close it.

I have two video cameras that are OUTSIDE. If a hacker wants to watch a real darn boring live feed of my driveway or the front porch they are welcome to be bored.

I do understand in theory a good hacker can get into the system. First they have to know what hardware I have and which national company is hosting the site. The local alarm company has stickers on the doors but they sell several systems. Then they have to figure out my account and then gain access. Possible, but not very likely.

I find it very handy to be able to see a feed of my driveway when we are waiting for a friend or the pizza delivery.

Pfft! I will just hook up with a land line and a modem :p

nope, nothing there

Man behind the curtain.

The invisible hand.

To hell with the conspiracy stuff

Can anyone here tell me how nest will actually save me money?

I turn my heat down to 58 every morning before leaving the house and I turn it up to 64 when I get home. I use a space heater in my bedroom for an hour every night and every morning.

And I don't have AC.

So how will nest save me any money?

Wow, you must have ice water in your veins, I get cold very quickly and seem to stay that way, and am most comfortable when my woodburner has the house in the mid 70s. I don't turn on my A/C unless the house is over 80.

No nest for me, I want to be in control.