Why Home Automation?

Filed in archive Home Automation on March 12, 2005

So yesterday, Slashdot mentioned our post about the first ZigBee SDO Card. The comments on Slashdot were mostly in the realm of "Why use home automation, just get off your butt and turn off the lights". The problem is many people don't understand what home automation is but Spoonman has a great synopsis at Sllashdot about how he uses technology in is home:

I have my bedroom lamp set on to start dimming up in the morning gradually. I get up before the sun, but have a hard time climbing out of bed if it's still dark out. So, for about 15 minutes before my alarm goes off, the light starts dimming up (yes, it's bad grammar, but that's what it's called in "the community") starting at 1% and increasing 1% per 15 seconds. When the alarm goes off, it's at 60% intensity which isn't blinding first thing in the morning, but light enough to get up by. This may sound stupid, but since I'm not a morning person, getting up has never been easy for me. Since I've set this up, I've found I only hit the snooze button once or twice anymore, rather than 5 or 6 times. I also wake up in a better mood and more alert.

That's just one example in his post, but if you ask me it's worth $100 or so to wake up in a better mood every morning.


Be sure to read Spoonman's complete comments at Slashdot.