We’re rounding off the year with a blog post from Alicia, our deputy director with a few reflections on 2015 as the year of getting connected:
It all started with a smart meter for the electricity and gas to try and remind the kids that the planet needs them to cut it some slack. Nine months later it sits in the lounge happily flashing red every day, indicating another days excessive usage. They use it to tell me the temperature in the lounge is too low and the heating needs turning up.
This brings me to connection two. A new boiler has just brought sensor technology to our home to help reduce our gas bill. The plumber set up the thermostat, linked wirelessly to the boiler and plugged in the new router.
Good to go.
It turned out that the app is not built for Windows phones. My phone. The thermostat would not ‘bind’ (second row rugby this is not). So, we were left with no real control over the boiler which was now on 24/7.
The smart metre goes into orbit with Major Tim Peake.
We are evidence based by default at mHabitat so, research (including picking the brains of our fantastic Tech Lead in the mHabitat) left me with two options.
1. change my phone or
2. give control to one of the kids who had an iPhone
The latter was never going to happen. The former was going to cost £170 according to my provider.
As Christmas approaches, budgets are tight, everyone is time-poor and outside spring has sprung 3 months early and we are planning a BBQ so we leave it for now.
At this point I am reading a blog about the ‘internet of things’. The vision is for us to link data from sensor technology to improve our health, amongst other things, and enable us to take better care of ourselves by increasing insight into how we respond to certain situations and support targeted business development.
We are living the dream in my house.
If I could afford a Fitbit (remember the flashing smart metre…) and could link my blood pressure, heart rate and steps to the smart metre and boiler app, it would clearly demonstrate a directly proportional relationship. Everything is on the rise, including the bulbs.
Serendipitously, hoarding old technology because I haven’t quite got round to wiping/recycling it, enabled us to resolve the boiler app situation. An old android device is now set up with the app, working off the home wifi. We use it like a remote control. Job done.
This saves the kids getting off the sofa when they need the temperature turning up in the lounge. Heaven forfend they should be vertical unless the AAA rated fridge beckons….
So as we enter 2016, I reflect on the benefits of technology and connecting this all through my various internet connections. Is it improving our health? Reducing our bills? Changing our behaviour?
Perhaps not so far, but I suspect this year will see more of the same sold to us as something we can all benefit from, so long as we have the means to pay for it and agree the Ts & Cs, which we have all read!
So my top tips to all seeking the power of connectivity in 2016 are
- technology is only useful if it’s solving a problem you need help with and it’s designed to work for you, so talk it through with someone you trust.
- good research is key at all levels, personal to population, and being mindful of the costs which may not be just financial. Ask lots of questions!
- Be savvy about how you use it and keep the kids away from the controller.
And of course, don’t throw your old devices away because you never know when they might come in handy!