Smart watches in conjunction with smart home: take off or not take off?

    While we are all waiting for the official presentation of Apple HomeKit next week, the Big Data processing platform CrowdFowler wondered if there is a future for another brand new product , the Apple Watch, as a smart home management device.

    CrowdFowler analyzed the tonality of 30,000 individual tweets of users (and potential users) of the gadget. The audience split almost in half: 55% of commentators are crazy about the watch (there are more women in this group), and 45% are neutral or negative. “Lovers” praise the Health & Fitness category apps a lot and rejoice that the “watch” reduces iPhone addiction. And dissatisfied, on the contrary, say that the iPhone is much more convenient, there are a lot of “bugs” in applications, the technical characteristics are rather weak, and in general the idea of ​​a gadget is a bit dubious.

    We also discussed this topic inside iRidium mobile, and came to the conclusion that for now we ourselves doubt the need for a “watch” to control a smart home, and in the near future we do not plan to support the Apple Watch. Managing equipment from the “clock” is generally not very convenient: on such a small screen, making a normal control panel is almost impossible. Such a device will really make life easier, probably only for those who don’t like looking for their phone to turn on the TV. The remote for TV and music is already on you.

    If Apple opened access to Siri, this would make it possible to control the house with voice commands. That would be very cool. But for now, the only thing you can think of is using a “watch” as a multifunctional sensor. The controller could analyze user data (temperature, heart rate, etc.) and adjust the operation of the devices according to these data. For example, adjust the temperature in the house depending on the user's body temperature. Or show where a person is, what his heartbeat, intensity of movement, quality of sleep. And ideally - also conduct a statistical analysis of all these data.

    Let's hope that all these “fantasies” are embodied by Apple HomeKit. And home space automation application developers are still more positive about Apple Watch than users. In April, CEPro talked about the smart home application race, ”it continues to this day. Here are just the news of the last couple of weeks. The Philips Hue app, reviewed by PC Mag , now allows you to control the Philips Hue Connected Bulb system from a “clock” and control its energy efficiency. Also recently released a new version of SmartThings app 1.7.3, which is compatible with both iPhone and Apple Watch. Moreover, the Philips Hue app and SmartThings app can be linked and synchronized with each other.




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    Even cooler - the Crestron application for managing not simple houses, but “houses on the water”. With Apple’s watch, superyacht owners can control all on-board systems, music, lighting, heating, and safety simply by looking at the wrist. Dolce Vita! It seems that the mass user without a superyacht, who is waiting for a real breakthrough in the management of "smart homes", the Apple Watch is not really needed yet: for now this is just a small and less convenient iPhone screen on your hand.

    Of course, this does not mean that the situation will not change in the future. The interfaces of the future will surely become closer to the body - whether in the form of a watch, in the form of glasses or even implants - and with their help it will be possible to control everything as if without intermediaries in general. It’s just that this future has not yet come, and in the present, smart watches for controlling home equipment are still not very convenient.

    Smart hour, smart home. I'm alone like a fool

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