smart home devices

Today we explored how AI is transforming elderly care. Passive sensors track activity patterns and can detect emerging health issues early to enable proactive treatment. Voice assistants and chatbots provide companionship and cognitive stimulation. And machine learning analyzes individual data to enable personalized care plans. While great promise exists, we must thoughtfully balance potential benefits with ethical concerns around privacy and human interaction. As our population ages, AI-enabled senior living could empower independent lifestyles and improve wellbeing. But human compassion must remain at the heart of quality care.

This podcast was generated with the help of Claude 2. We do fact check with human eyes, but there might still be hallucinations in the output.

Music credit: "Modern Situations by Unicorn Heads"

First the U.S. Marines and now the Army. For the first time in American history, two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff lack the blessing of the Senate, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, holds up hundreds of military promotions to protest the Pentagon’s new abortion policy. We’ll explain the implications of having interims filling these top military posts. And good news for the lungs of the planet: Deforestation is on a downward trend in the Amazon rainforest. Plus, we’ll play a game of Half Full / Half Empty with predictions about the “vibecession.”

Here’s everything we talked about:

• • “Amazon deforestation at six-year-low in Brazil after plunging 66% in July” from CNN

• • “Army chief retires as Tuberville hold snarls the Pentagon’s top ranks” from Politico

• • Joint Chiefs of Staff vacancies from Twitter

• • “Why ‘grandternity’ leave might become the newest form of parental leave” from Marketplace

• • “The Federal Reserve could help instant payments catch on” from Marketplace

• • “Cybersecurity labels are coming. Will they be effective?” from Marketplace

• • “Are we finally exiting the ‘vibecession’?” from Marketplace

We are taking our usual summer hiatus next week, but while we are on break we’d love to hear from you! We want to know your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The Verge's Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, and Alex Cranz discuss all the product announced at Amazon's fall devices event, as well as Google's Search On fall event. Verge senior reporter Alex Heath joins the show to discuss news that came out of the interviews at Code Conference. Further reading: Amazon’s fall hardware event 2021: rumors, news, and announcements Amazon’s race to create the disappearing computer  Here’s the deluge of announcements from Amazon’s fall devices event Say hello to Astro, Alexa on wheels  Amazon’s Astro cannot fetch your beer Amazon Astro is ‘terrible’ and will ‘throw itself down’ stairs, developers reportedly claim Amazon’s automotive efforts appear to be taking a pit stop Don’t be fooled — Amazon’s Astro isn’t a home robot, it’s a camera on wheels Remember when beta testing was free?  Amazon’s new Echo Show 15 is meant to hang on your wall Amazon’s AZ2 CPU knows your face Amazon Glow is a video chat gadget with built-in games to keep kids engaged Amazon announces new wearable and services to try to make you fitter Amazon’s new Ring Alarm Pro combines a security system with an Eero router  Blink’s first doorbell is finally released, four years later Ring Video Doorbells are finally getting package alerts Amazon takes on Nest with a $59.99 smart thermostat Google’s Search On fall 2021 event: news and announcements Google Search’s next phase: context is king  Google expands shopping searches with Lens and in-store inventory checks Google Maps is making it easier to see wildfires and tree coverage Google Lens will soon search for words and images combined Google is using AI to help users explore the topics they’re searching for — here’s how Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos: ‘you cannot sue your way to the Moon Elon Musk: ‘we probably don’t need’ NDAs for Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ beta USB-C cables are getting new, confusing logos for faster 240W charging standard Nintendo categorically denies that a 4K Switch Pro is in development ‘Rife with sexism’: employees of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin describe ‘toxic’ workplace culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Wes and Scott talk about the Smart Home — all the different tech available, how it works together, pitfalls to avoid, hardware, software, and more!

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Show Notes

2:25 - The tech

• Wifi devices
• Zigbee
  • Can operator on low power
  • Usually Cheaper
  • Water Sensor, door sensor, temperature
• iOS
  • HomeKit sucks
  • You need an Apple TV or iPad to access outside of your house

9:13 - Controlling your smart home

• Smart Things
• Home Assistant
  • Host your own
  • Lots of add-ons
  • You need to babysit it
• Android
  • Google Assistant
• Google Pixel squeeze to assistant is way better than saying “Hey Google”.
• Google Home
  • Google Home is awesome
  • Custom sayings with IFTTT
  • Custom via Routines
• Alexa

23:52 - Software

• Stringify
• IFTTT
  • Basic automations
  • Makers accounts
  • Web hooks to trigger actions
• Homebridge
  • Make non-iOS stuff work with HomeKit
  • Swipe up control is nice

28:15 - Hardware

• Light Switches
  • Leviton
  • Lutron
• Bulbs
  • LIFX
  • Philips Hue
    • AMAZING
    • Much cheaper now than before
• Blinds
• Chromecast — turn the TV off
• Plugs
  • Wemo
  • Leviton
  • Sonoff
• Power strip
  • Change each plug or have timers
• Thermostat
  • Ecobee 3 Lite
  • Ecobee 4 with Alexa
  • Nest
  • Nest-E
• Cameras
  • Ring Doorbells
  • Ring Flood Light Camera
    • Super slow to open the app
  • Wyze cameras
    • Small one
    • Larger Panning Camera
• Mesh Wifi
  • Google Wifi
  • Amplifi
• Fire Alarms / CO2
  • Nest Protect
  • Dumb
  • Lithium
• Garage Door Opener
• Non-connected “smart items”
  • Solar powered lights on a timer. No app needed, no WiFi connection needed
  • Roomba - meh. We play “find the body” when it comes home.
  • Locks - Code based lights

67:32 - What we want in the future

• Scott
  • Motion sensors
  • Door sensors
  • Locks
  • Blinds
  • More bulbs
• Wes
  • Fireplace
  • Constantly recording cameras
  • Sensors galore
    • Windows open
    • Doors open
    • Garage door
  • Zigbee Hub
  • Xiaomi Sensors
    • Gear Best

Links

• Sanity
• Stackbit
• Google Home Mini
• Amazon Echo
• Google Pixel
• Apple Homepod
• Raspberry Pi
• GearBest

××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ×××

• Scott: Philips Hue
• Wes: All the recommendations from above

Shameless Plugs

• Scott’s Level Up Pro
• Wes’ Courses

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