I had the pleasure of catching up with smart home expert David Webster a few days ago and we talked about a bunch of interesting things.
If you happen to watch the video (below) or listen to the podcast episode, my apologies for the out-of-sync audio. It sounds like I’m constantly talking over the top of David and he is very slow to respond. The truth is, my file ended up being 1 second shorter than his file. No idea why, but it’s pretty annoying. I’ll try to use a different platform to record my next conversation.
Anyway, we had a good chat and David talked about how he came to start using Homey, some of the frustrations that he’s had with his device repeatedly crashing and how if he was ever to switch to another system, it would probably be Home Assistant.
We agree on a lot
Despite the significant knowledge and experience difference, David and I actually have a fair amount in common.
We both use and (mostly) like Homey, we both stay up to date with what’s happening in the world of Homey and we both take an interest in Home Assistant.
David mentioned that despite Home Assistant progressively becoming easier to use for beginners, it’s still not quite an out of the box, plug and play solution for most people. He also mentions that it’s only really a good option if “you’re a tinkerer” by nature. I’m not sure if I would consider myself to be, so for now I might just continue to keep an eye on things.
However, I do think I will take the leap at some point – just not likely anytime soon.
What do you think, are we wrong about Home Assistant? Let me know!
AI for the Smart Home
David talked about how a powerful use case for AI might be the ability for a lay person to create “automatic automations” just by using their voice. I’ll admit, that does sound pretty incredible.
The way AI advancements are going, that might not be too far in the future. Surely it would be a boon for the smart home industry if smart devices and smart tech suddenly became a lot easier to use and interact with for the average Joe.
Products mentioned
Homey Pro hub:
https://amzn.to/3MaktQf (Amazon affiliate link)
Learn more about Automated Home here.
