Intro

When I got into stak, I made the mistake of thinking it was one of the only gadgets of its type. I posted originally about how well, I knew Google Home and Amazon Alexa, but that was just about all I could name within the Smart Home genre.

Now I know better.

Now I know that I know nothing.

I dove into research about the Smart Light Switch market this week. It was a deep dive. The world is large, and full of devices and inventions and copycats and failures.

So I want to take some more time to illustrate to you why one might be overwhelmed when they’re choosing an IoT device, and thus why, these companies have a duty to aim for quality and not just a simple cash grab.

We believe it is our duty personally at stak to tackle the issue of overflowing devices and, at least for our part, move our world toward the solution IoT was supposed to have been.

This

is just the tip of the iceberg.

Of Smart Light Switches alone.

Smart Switches on the whole allow you to set routine timers and give you overall centralized control over the lighting in your house, usually through an app, usually connected by Wi-Fi.

There are also:

Smart Outlets

Smart plugs on the whole give you control over whatever is plugged into the outlet, again, usually from an App.

Smart Lights (stak)

Smart Lights give you, again, centralized control over one light in particular (usually color and dimming control as well, regardless of the plugs or switches or wires involved.

Note: If you have one of these smart devices, usually you won’t need the others. So if you have a smart light chances are you won’t need a smart plug or a smart switch. Chances are.

Smart Thermostats

My brother actually just moved into a new house with his girlfriend and they have the black ecobee thermostat in there. These devices obviously make controlling the temperature… easier? It’s not like it was hard before to press temperature up and down. On a serious note, it lets you measure a lot more things. Humidity, allergens, air quality, UV, etc. In addition, a lot of these devices have AI Learning built in so they can learn when the thermostat fails to accurately provide the heating or cooling requested and can then compensate for it, giving a more stable and comfortable (and efficient) experience.

Smart Doorbells

Smart Doorknobs

Smart Locks

Smart Speakers

Smart Coffee Machines

Smart Vaccuums

Smart Fridges

Smart Security Cameras

Smart Blinds

And so on.

We’re getting to a smart device for everything.
Things to be considered. These are not smart devices that save us time and energy, these are connected devices that let us use them through our phone (which often takes time and energy).

Automation. Now that’s something that is truly smart. AI. These are the areas where the namesake is deserved, and most importantly, the smart version is actually more useful than the regular one.

Let’s be honest. In a market this saturated (though I feel flooded is a more accurate term, considering there is still so much room to grow and develop, and there are so many subpar products), why do we, why does anyone feel like they have the right to ask for people’s time and money? Because we’re headed down the smart path. Of not just providing cute, stylish, ‘convenience,’ but of pushing towards automation, searching for the areas to which only IoT tech can bring us.

It’s a big investment of time, money, and effort to dive into building a smart home, which is why so far on an individual level, it’s pretty reserved for the wealthy.

However, just like with iPhones, as this becomes the standard across the world, it becomes accessible by people of all socioeconomic levels. This opens up new worlds – where people have access to something they did not before. We believe we’re nearing this turning point in the home world, having only reached it so far on the IT and personal technology level. 

When I was in my 2nd year of university, I managed to go on a 10 day volunteer service trip to Guatemala to help build stoves in the rural areas of the country. This seemed like an excuse to go ‘do something.’ However, I learned something I will never forget. The number 1 factor in pushing forward a country’s cultural and political developments is women gaining power. The number 1 factor in women gaining power is women gaining time. Putting a stove in a house that did not have one not only saved lives, but saved the busy mother’s time.

This is smart action.

This leads to a smarter world.

I believe the push for IoT, while being flooded with low-effort money grab products, is one of these pushes, and it’s just a matter of time.