Crossposted from https://infosec.pub/post/52518361
The TV world has been a pot of controversy thanks to a two-hour-and-15-minute video from Gamers Nexus claiming LG TVs are nefariously spying on everything you do. They can record and store audio even when they seem to be off, track everything you watch, and could even be hacked remotely and turned into covert surveillance […]
This is why I thought the “talk to your TV remote” things were all garbage…Involving a fucking microphone and a speech to text algorithm and potentially cloud bullshit just to fucking change a channel? Change the volume level? STUPID. It’s much worse than just pressing a fucking button and having the volume / channel change immediately, as well as a needless sacrifice of what little remains of your privacy.
I don’t get it with smart switches / smart fans and shit either. Like a light switch already works completely fine guys. I don’t know why we need to be able to talk to this shit.
There are smart switches and fans and other switchable devices that are controlled through schedule and manual BT switches and ir sensors - rather than voice. I can use voice to control things but I prefer the lights to match my day without my interactions being necessary.
Some applications make more sense to me than others. I haven’t fully dipped into the bluetooth controlled stuff, but I have used other various wireless solutions for things. Funny enough, I’ve been thinking about adding a wireless power switch to my TV so that I know it isn’t snooping on me when it’s off. Can’t snoop on me if you don’t have any power.
Typing on a TV remote is a miserable experience but we’ve already solved that problem just put a damn keyboard on the remote already
Build a cheap PC or buy an NVidia Shield to be your media center. (I actually use a SteamLink to my desktop PC.)
Never tell your TV your Wi-Fi password.
Use a wireless keyboard with touch-pad as your remote.
(4. Pirate stuff over a VPN.)
100%
Personally I have a smart litter box triggering an exhaust fan for 10 minutes every time it cycles.
My A/C turns off if you leave the patio door open for a couple minutes.
I have a light upstairs that I turn red when I’m in an important meeting, like an On Air button.
The foyer light turns on when you open the front door at night.
There are useful things to be done, and most of my info doesn’t leave the house.
None of these use cases require modern “smart” things.
Sure, you can tie a string to one end, and, uh…
Sensors, timers, and other tons of non-ip networked solutions exist. I have lights that automatically turn on with bulb sensors and it does not require that they be IP networked with each other. Your red light could be wirelessly triggered on a lamp in another room if you wanted without IP networked devices. Many of the “dumb”, working solutions for these problems are cheaper and less complicated than using their networked equivalents.
I have motion sensing, magnetically attached wireless lights that turn on when I go down the stairs. I even have things that can use a single light switch to trigger multiple lamps without rewiring that required zero IP networking.
There are wireless light switches that have no battery because the switch sends a signal using the power from the force exerted on it. There are many types of automation that do not require IP networks.
Link to these devices? Sounds neat
Main one (which is a little pricey) is the switcheroo. Comes with a lifetime warranty: https://www.switcheroo.com/
I was thinking of the RunLessWire ones with the switch with no battery required, but it looks like they got sold to Philips. Nowadays it looks like several brands make a similar item: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Powered-Required-Wireless-Receiver-Lighting/dp/B0BRPKLL1Y
These are the stair lights I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DZ4SQNZ.
There are a whole lot of wireless outlet / light switch kits at low prices if you’re looking to have a lamp somewhere a distance from the switch source.
I like to be able to turn the fan/AC/heat on and off without getting out of bed, or when I’m on my way home.
Right now they’re all just on isolated smart plugs, but if I was to set up more then I’d use homeassistant or something.
Matter over Thread with Home Assistant is the smarthome tech I’d recommend.
With that setup it all stays local. You can even block everything from the internet, unless you want to do an update.
It will work with Google/Apple/Alexa, but of course as soon as you do that… well, that’s the point of running Home Assistant instead.
Zigbee for me, but on the apple front you can integrate homekit and control what’s exposed. As far as apple is concerned there’s just a webhook “basement light” that has an on or off command i can say
people are stupid and lazy. that’s it. they want the easiest way to do anything because their ‘time is valuable’ apparently… like cooking… people use Uber for some dumb ass reason, then wonder why they are always broke. but ya know… they saved 30 minutes which was wasted doing fuckall but doom scrolling shitty websites