Picture this; It was a long day from work, you opened the door as you walk into your home, and the lights automatically dim to a soothing level, creating a welcoming ambiance. Your favorite chill-out playlist starts playing softly in the background, and the thermostat adjusts to the perfect temperature for relaxation. You sink into the bed, as you picked up your phone for a mindless scroll, and with a simple voice command, the coffee machine begins brewing a hot cup of your favorite blend, signaling the start of your well-deserved rest.
What a life...
When I was 10, we had our first home computer, with a windows 7 displayed on a thick CRT monitor. I was fascinated by them and what they can do. I remember how my eyes were hooked with the colors and the graphics when I was playing Farmville on my mother’s Facebook account. I also fell in love with Microsoft Excel. Then, I had my first smartphone when I was 14. Now that I’m 26 and I live by my own, I can say that I personally invested in some decent tech for work, school, and personal uses. I have phones, a tablet, and laptops, not to mention that most of my life is already online now like my files, calendars, to-dos, notes, and so on.
Recently, a tech youtuber that I frequently watch, Mrwhosetheboss started a series on his channel where he and his wife will transform their newly-bought house into All-tech smart home. I, as someone who gets easily fascinated by technology, home, and lifestyle, I am really tuned in.
Before his series, I am already a fan of his channel because he gives comprehensive reviews on different tech devices. From phones, computers, and tablets, he also get to review other tech such as gaming consoles, smart-watches, VR headsets, home devices, wi-fi controlled appliances, and so on. Other than reviews, he also makes other tech-and-lifestyle-related content such as gaming tech, fun-facts, tech fails, explainers, and other things that can make a nerd like me to be in pure awe. His content are both entertaining and informative, though most of the time I am just amazed on the rare gadgets, insane features, and the “wow I didn’t think these are a thing” concepts (or maybe I’m just too old and poor to catch up on such latest, high-end inventions).
The combination of personal devices, wearable tech, and smart home, as I like to call it the “All-tech lifestyle” is part of the emerging trend in ICT called the Internet of Things (IoT). From the word itself, my simple brain can refer it to how internet can be a factor on how things operate, but in a more technical sense, Oracle defined IoT as “the network of physical objects—“things”—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.“
The Internet of Things (IoT) is like a big network where everyday objects, like your fridge, lights, or even your air conditioner, are connected to the internet. These objects have tiny sensors and software that let them collect and share data with other devices and systems for you to be able to experience them customized to your preferences. This connection helps them work together and make our lives easier, like adjusting your thermostat remotely or alerting you when you’re low on milk. There are so many modern appliances and devices now that uses the IoT technology.
Personally, I think that having IoT in my lifestyle as a writer can be a huge help. Since blogging is mostly a one-person job, I will be in charge of the administrative stuff; research, contacting people, coming up with topics, taking notes, handling my expenses, and planning my travels if I will be reviewing places, events, or food in the future. I can do a lot of those tasks at the comfort of my home. And for the blog part of it all, I can write, access, and edit notes and documents everywhere and with whatever device I have in my hand. For example, I can make quick notes on my phone, I can do drafts and outlines everywhere on my tablet, and for more focused writing session, I can just write on my laptop. Wi-Fi printers also would do so much for my paperwork and printing needs.
Blogging also means that I will be spending most of the time at home. There are now appliances that can be controlled by mobile apps through Wi-Fi connectivity like air conditioners, lights, vacuum cleaners, TVs, and a lot more. I haven’t seen those in person, but I think it will be helpful in terms of convenience and being distraction-free for every writing sessions while I can also attend to my house chores at the same time. Instead of standing up or finding the remote, I can just adjust it all on my phone.
There are also smart assistants can help too in terms of reminders, to-do lists, calendar events, playing music, and answering random questions I have. Smart fridges can tell me what food are available, which will help me determine my next meal or help me consider what should I get for my next grocery visit. In terms of entertainment, I can just have a smart TV or a gaming console with me. Wearable tech can be also as helpful. While I’m in an errand, I can also maximize my time to send messages, make calls, manage my schedule, and have my to do list in a smart watch.
There’s probably so much more that I haven’t mentioned nor I haven’t yet seen how will impact my life as a writer. But while I imagine it all good and dandy with the pros such as convenience, home efficiency, accessibility, boosted productivity, and a more elevated way of living, it also made me think of the cons of IoT.
Firstly, It’s expensive. There’s a reason why I haven’t experienced most of these things in person. Only a few gets to have access to more advanced tech, especially since name brands and high price points can also indicate better quality and insane features. While it’s also possible to start with a cheap device, but you cannot ensure if it will function the way it should be expected to. Which leads me to the second point which is maintenance. Since it is very expensive to have special technology around, it’s also difficult to have it fixed if by instances it malfunctions, thanks to specific parts that can be hard to find or to only a few trained service personnels for fixing high-end devices and appliances, which some of them can also be delicate or sensitive to handle or clean or fix.
Then outages. What if there’s a network outage that affects the connectivity to all appliances and devices? There’s a possibility that it will still work limited as it’s intended to like a traditional appliance, but what’s the point of paying for convenience if you can’t have it. Same with power outage, but instead of just having limited functionality, you can’t use everything, at all. Coming from a place that has frequent power and network outages, it can get inconvenient at times. Then bills could skyrocket, which again, very expensive. In order for your IoT ecosystem to work, you’ll need to get the fastest and most reliable internet plan there is which can get very pricey. And even though there are modern electronics that can offer energy saving features, but still, electricity should be carefully considered.
Lastly, there’s so many technical conflicts if you want to go for a smart home or an all-tech lifestyle, especially if you’re not so tech-savvy. Compatibility can be an issue since inter-connecting different devices from various manufacturers can be challenging because not all devices work seamlessly together. Privacy and security can also be a problem since you are also allowing these devices to access or collect your data and behavior so it can give you want you need. Smart homes can be vulnerable to hacking. If devices aren’t secured, they can provide a backdoor into your personal life. Also, With over-reliance, when we rely heavily on smart devices for daily tasks, we might lose the ability to do things manually.
Internet of things, although it’s very promising in making our lives easier and more conveniently, it still takes a lot of cost, effort and knowledge to keep it functional in our favor. While IoT smart homes offer remarkable convenience and innovation for people of all walks of life in both professional and personal aspect, it’s essential to remain mindful of the potential drawbacks, such as privacy concerns, security risks, and over-reliance on technology. By balancing the benefits with these considerations, homeowners can make informed decisions that enhance their living experience without sacrificing security or autonomy.
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