An offshoot of the mobile device thread: what would you like your device to do???

[Jag_Warrior]

My girl has been on my back because I have a very old cellphone (10 years old). She and her sister get new iPhones about every 2 years. From the data I've read, most people tend to get new cellphones or mobile devices about every 18-24 months. But I don't text, FaceBook or tweet. I use my phone to talk and that's it. So I've found no reason to get a smartphone and double my carrier bill. I do carry an iPod Touch, which I use to get real time information when I'm near WiFi. But even it's over 2 years old now. To me, there's just nothing earth shattering about what any of these devices can do right now.

What would change my mind?

For me, let's assume it's an Apple device, so I'll use Siri. But whatever Google/Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone is using for voice commands would work too.

Siri, start my Jaguar at 6:15AM M-F if I'm at home and if the temperature is below 32 degrees.

Siri, instead of the Jaguar, start my WRX (AWD car) at 6:15AM M-F if I'm at home and there is more than 3 inches of snow in the 24 hour forecast for a 100 mile radius of my home.

Siri, start the coffee maker at 6AM M-F if I'm at home and at 10AM on Saturday and Sunday if I'm at home.

Siri, send me one alert each, on the day before, for all of the birthdays that are in my contacts list - for my mother and my girlfriend, send me daily alerts beginning a week in advance of their birthdays.

Siri, when I am departing my home location, five minutes after I have left, adjust the thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer and 60 degrees in the winter. When I am within 10 miles of my home, traveling in the direction of my home, adjust the temperature to 72 degrees in the summer and winter.

Siri, always record any TV show with "F1", "Formula One", "GP2", "Le Mans", or "sports car" in the title/keyword section. And add 1 hour to any live broadcast. Never record a show with the word "Kardashian", "Jersey Shore", "Snooki", "Lohan", "Real Housewives" or "Palin" in the title or keyword. And if anyone other than me attempts to watch such a show, say the word "stupid" 8 times and then change the channel to the History Channel after 30 seconds.

Siri, send me alerts, until I respond to the alerts, whenever the stock ABC reaches a low of $29 or a high of $39 or when XYZ reaches a low of $44.49 or a high of $68.76.

Last task, Siri: on the morning of my birthday every year, tell me that Salma Hayek and Sofia Vergara called to wish me a happy birthday, while they were frolicking together in a hot tub on the French Riviera - and they wished I could be there. Note: if you detect my girlfriend's iPhone within 50 yards of me, do not deliver this message until she's left the state. Thanks, Siri. You're a doll.


Those are (in my mind) just "simple" if/then conditionals that many of us worked with in basic programming classes in the 1980's. Some of that is just for S&G's (or because I have mental issues). But some are things that I really think would take mobile OS's out of the infant/toy state that I think they're in now. Within 10 years, I really don't see why all of of that functionality can't be delivered to phones and devices that are in our homes and cars - some of it already is... but it's hardly widespread, secure or reliable. As long as the delivery is reliable and secure, what would be the problem?


So what are some mobile OS tasks that you'd like to see, which would make you think that mobile technology is more where it needs to be??? Don't get hung up on a brand. Could be iOS, Android, BlackBerry, WP or the new FireFox. Heck, call it something that isn't even around yet.

[Knock-on]

Work.

[Lousada]

All these things already exist?? At least here in Europe...

[Jag_Warrior]

All these things already exist?? At least here in Europe...

Which mobile OS does all of that with voice commands in Europe or anywhere else? Or are you asking the question if there is one which can do that in Europe? :confused:

[henners88]

This is a difficult question for me as it delves into future innovation that I haven't thought of. I do basic tasks on my phone like:
Talking, texting, email, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Tapatalk, Google search, navigation etc.

They are mostly things I couldn't do on my phone 5 years ago, but now they are tasks we have adopted as a 'must have' on our mobile devices. If a phone suddenly doesn't allow the user to have one feature another one does, its crap apparently via internet opinion. There are many features phones come with that not every body uses too. I very rarely use Siri as its hit and miss and I often feel a bit of a div talking a command into a phone. Some phones have air gestures that I see no need for. If it has a touch screen then touch the screen.

I suppose the only feature I feel I would find useful that I don't have now is a notification light. It saves turning the screen on to check all the time. Then again I get so many notifications these days I probably would be turning the phone on every 10 minutes anyway. I'm happy my phone does everything I wish it to do, but am also happy to enjoy any innovative features that are brought in future that I haven't thought of yet. At the end of the day they are tools we carry around that we didn't have a need for 10 years ago. There are so many good devices out there, its just finding the one that suits your needs the best. :)

[Jag_Warrior]

This question came to my mind when I was doing some online banking and realized that if I'd had this ability 20 years ago, I could have run my side business without needing a secretary and all of the headaches that came with having her around. I'm able to set payment schedules and even set basic conditional payments based on future balances or totals paid to date. Also, my girl's nephew is a computer engineering student and he is at least 50 levels above me with his understanding of technology. He tells me that while simple commands would not be that difficult to reliably execute for a robust system (think automated phone systems - though some are much better than others), once you get into complex or possibly contradictory conditional commands, the ability of the user to logically deliver the command becomes MUCH more important. And since you can't really depend on people to be logical much of the time (fool proofing a system is so hard because fools are so imaginative), the system would have to be able to detect contradictions or redundancies, like accidentally starting both cars on a cold morning when you just meant to start the one that goes best when it snows, but it's still below 32 degrees or whatever. The receivers that would need to be installed in our cars and homes apparently aren't all that complex and some are coming online very shortly. We already have remote car starters, home entry systems and programmable coffee makers and such - but none that I know of can really ("smartly") interact with a mobile OS without a lot of tinkering, errors and security concerns.

The company I'm with now is pretty heavy into CNC equipment and I've been around basic robotic systems for years. But considering what *seems* to be possible with predictive and semi artificial intelligence systems, no matter what mobile OS one looks at, it seems like we are still in early days.

Surely we have some Star Trek and scifi fans here who have some system dreams. :s panner:

[race aficionado]

Surely we have some Star Trek and scifi fans here who have some system dreams. :s panner:

Well . . . now that you mention it . . . I'de love mine to have the ability of "Beam me up Scottie!"
:)

[janneppi]

I mainly use my device as a mobile pc when i 'm on the move. I read emails, do some web surfing, listen to music, connect with friends in IRC, etc.
I also use GPS based program, like navigation and sportstracker.

[Jag_Warrior]

Can you imagine the overwhelming demand there would be for a device or OS that could reliably do even half of what I mentioned in the OP?

Anybody want to hazard a guess of when it might come to pass? I'll say 5 years. I know Google has been doing a lot of work on artificial/predictive intelligence for at least 5 years. I assume many others are too. I hear that Netflix has a decent predictive system, and I know that TiVo's is pretty good too - just needs to go to the next step up the ladder. Several car companies have rather advanced crash avoidance systems and systems with driver/user memory (adjusts the seats and driving positions based on who is in the driver's seat). So what I mentioned on the car front should be basic and rather easy. But the trick would be tying all of it together into one operating system or another. I looked at a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid recently. And the Ford/Lincoln MyTouch Sync system was enough of a disaster that I would not buy the car. So it has to be done right... or not done at all, IMO.

[Jag_Warrior]

Here's a little something along the lines of what I'm talking about. "Max" by Netflix:

Netflix Launches “Max,” A Goofy Virtual Assistant To Help With Recommendations, Available Now On PS3, iPad Next (http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/28/netflix-launches-max-a-goofy-virtual-assistant-to-help-with-recommendations-available-now-on-ps3-ipad-next-week/)


Netflix this morning announced its own take on virtual assistants (http://blog.netflix.com/2013/06/let-max-be-your-netflix-guide-on-ps3.html) like the iPhone’s Siri, with the debut of “Max,” an on-screen guide for the Netflix app on PlayStation 3 devices, which helps you find new movies or TV shows to watch. And yes, the guide does talk to you, but thankfully has yet to manifest itself in some more corporeal format, like Microsoft’s “Bob.”
Instead, Max — which Netflix says is “rumored to be the child of Siri and HAL 9000″ — will ask you a few questions about your mood or movie and TV show tastes in order to make a recommendation, while also taking into account your interests as already understood by Netflix’s algorithms.

After gaining a better understanding of your interests, Max may offer personalized suggestions after asking only one question. In an example provided by Netflix on its blog, Max asks if you prefer “monkeys” or “UFOs” to make its — err, his — recommendations. And at other times, Max will simply make a suggestion, no Q&A involved.


Max, could you help me plan the death and destruction of every member of every reality show on American TV? Let's start with the Kardashians and then begin picking off the Real Housewives of X. Whaddya say, buddy - are ya game?

[Jag_Warrior]

Artificial Intelligence Machines Operating at 4-Year-Old Level (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421857,00.asp)

It appears that the threat of a worldwide takeover by artificial intelligence machines is not yet a reality, unless you consider 4 year olds an impending threat.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) recently IQ tested one of the "best available" AI systems. As it turns out, it's about as smart as a 4-year-old kid.
ConceptNet 4, an MIT-developed AI system, was put through Pre-K boot camp, running the verbal portions of the Weschsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Test — a standard IQ assessment for young children. According to the UIC, the super-smart computer scored uneven marks across different portions of the test — a red flag for most kids.
"If a child had scores that varied this much, it might be a symptom that something is wrong," Robert Sloan, lead author of the study and the head of computer science at UIC, said in a statement.
While ConceptNet 4 tested well in vocabulary and the ability to recognize similarities, it did dramatically worse than average on comprehension — the "why" questions, Sloan said.



So how will "HAL, Jr." here break through? Maybe by utilizing molecular or quantum power, as opposed to silicon?


Tweaking Moore's Law: Computers of the Post-Silicon Era (http://bigthink.com/videos/tweaking-moores-law-computers-of-the-post-silicon-era-2)

Years ago, we physicists predicted the end of Moore’s Law that says a computer power doubles every 18 months. But we also, on the other hand, proposed a positive program. Perhaps molecular computers, quantum computers can takeover when silicon power is exhausted. But then the question is, what’s the timeframe? What is a realistic scenario for the next coming years? Well, first of all, in about ten years or so, we will see the collapse of Moore’s Law. In fact, already, already we see a slowing down of Moore’s Law. Computer power simply cannot maintain its rapid exponential rise using standard silicon technology. Intel Corporation has admitted this. In fact, Intel Corporation is now going to three-dimensional chips, chips that compute not just flatly in two dimensions but in the third dimension. But there are problems with that. The two basic problems are heat and leakage. That’s the reason why the age of silicon will eventually come to a close. No one knows when, but as I mentioned we already now can see the slowing down of Moore’s Law, and in ten years it could flatten out completely. So what is the problem? The problem is that a Pentium chip today has a layer almost down to 20 atoms across, 20 atoms across. When that layer gets down to about 5 atoms across, it’s all over. You have two effects. Heat--the heat generated will be so intense that the chip will melt. You can literally fry an egg on top of the chip, and the chip itself begins to disintegrate And second of all, leakage--you don’t know where the electron is anymore. The quantum theory takes over.

[Koz]

My girl has been on my back because I have a very old cellphone (10 years old). She and her sister get new iPhones about every 2 years. From the data I've read, most people tend to get new cellphones or mobile devices about every 18-24 months. But I don't text, FaceBook or tweet. I use my phone to talk and that's it. So I've found no reason to get a smartphone and double my carrier bill. I do carry an iPod Touch, which I use to get real time information when I'm near WiFi. But even it's over 2 years old now. To me, there's just nothing earth shattering about what any of these devices can do right now.

When I got an iPhone, I ended up with a nice deal that didn't cost me too much more than I would normally spend (something like 16$ a month). The the phone rates here are horrendous, so if I take into account the rise of Viber over the past two years, my international bill is now almost 0 now. I use half the minutes I used 3 years ago and I'm on the cheapest plan available. This is the single most important thing for me. I can call 90% of my friends and family for free. How can this not change one's mind? :)

As for everything else, we'll be there, eventually.

Home automation has existed for what, 20 years?
But how many of us have them installed? Are you willing to spend hundreds of thousands on upgrading your home, appliances and cars to be Wi-Fi connected and compatible to your phone?

I can record TV (Sky receiver, rather) shows I want from my phone, from what it's worth.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38

Soon.

[Jag_Warrior]

As for everything else, we'll be there, eventually.

I agree. I think all it's going to take is a push for a reliable, secure, comprehensive control system. IMO, that's the missing piece of the puzzle.


Home automation has existed for what, 20 years?
But how many of us have them installed? Are you willing to spend hundreds of thousands on upgrading your home, appliances and cars to be Wi-Fi connected and compatible to your phone?

Well, unless one wanted to go ultra-exotic, it wouldn't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade. A car with blue-tooth doesn't really cost any more than one without it. And it's a standard feature on many new cars now. In fact, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Ferrari, Chevy, Infiniti, Kia, Hyundai, Volvo, Acura, Opel and Jaguar are set to begin integrating iOS into their cars by 2014. Because of my odd work and travel schedule, I am looking at a Wi-Fi thermostat for my home. Overall cost saving estimates for these systems are in the 30% range. My annual power bill is around $3000/yr. So if I saved around $1000, that would more than cover the cost of the $250 Honeywell unit that I'm looking at. But what it won't do (yet) is adjust itself based on my proximity to my home.


I can record TV (Sky receiver, rather) shows I want from my phone, from what it's worth.

Yes, my DirecTV DVR app allows me to do the same. But again, the issue that I have with every system out there is that you have to know what you want to watch or record.



Soon.

I hope so. Again, what I'm really driving at with this thread is that while we have many devices and apps that do all sorts of things, thus far there are none that are widely available which are truly "smart". I bought a 3D/HD plasma "smart TV" late last year. While the picture quality is great and it's on my home wireless network, what's "smart" about it??? Combined with my TiVo, it is smarter... but by itself, it really can't do much more than the ancient Samsung that it replaced.

I think we've grown used to calling things smart that really aren't. Even with much of what I'm suggesting, the devices and apps won't be all that smart. They won't be in the same league with the complex (and super expensive) algorithmic trading systems, that independently execute stock, options and futures trades based on news releases, economic reports, prices, volume, money flow, etc.

To make this work, I just don't think it would be so hard to develop a "brain" at the OS level that could control the apps and devices based on our expressed needs, historical wants and conditional instructions. Though far from perfect, I think Siri is a good starting point. Much of this would just rely on basic if/then statements that have been around for many decades. Other functions would rely on observation by the device to determine what we want. This is where it gets tricky. But with connected devices becoming more & more common and inexpensive, the basics would already be in place. All that's needed is a good "brain" to make it happen... without us having to hold its hand every step of the way. That's what we don't have yet. And heck, if the problem is with the lack of horsepower in the mobile OS or the phones, then pipe it through the home based/desktop OS and let it be the brain and the mobile OS would just be the eyes/ears/mouth controller. For instance, why isn't Siri on my iMac??? Seriously! Hey, Tim Cook, slow down with the lawsuits and get to work on what I'm talking about, buddy! Making Siri a true, effective, secure "task master" would be innovation.

I agree, Koz, I think we are in early days here and many or most of these things will be routine and taken for granted in a few years. I'm just impatient and I want it now! :D

[Rollo]

I can listen to Wi-Fi radio on my phone. I already use it to type up reasonably blog posts. It makes calls, sends texts and I can do my banking on it. I can play music, games and watch video on it.
What else would I like it to do?... not much. The screen is sort of small to do much else. It's fine as is.

[airshifter]

I think we will hit the "wall" with such things in the near future. There are far too many complexities in the average human for any device to really predict much of anything. It would be nice, but no software developer can properly map my brain function... and I'm not claiming that my brain is all that complex either. :)

[Jag_Warrior]

Interesting...

Apple Patents Home Automation Technology That Adjusts Settings Based On Device Location

Apple has just been granted a new patent (via AppleInsider) which describes a very comprehensive system for controlling connected home devices. The elaborate setup would make it possible for Apple to use location data fed from things like your iPhone and iPad, as well as use of credit cards or RFID badges to inform automated systems of a user’s whereabouts, and do things like turn on or off power, climate control, lights and more.

The system described works very much like geo-fencing does currently with Apple’s own native Reminders app on iOS: Once a user exits or enters a pre-determined location, other actions are triggered. Instead of simply alerting someone of something they wanted to remember, however, the system described can essentially turn an entire household or office off and on, and prepare it for comfortable human occupancy.

It’s a little more complex than simple geo-fencing, however. The patent describes an information-gathering system that would be able to incorporate not only where a user is and where they’re going, but also what activities they’re engaging in along the way. This would make their location predictions more accurate, since they could include estimates about when exactly someone will arrive. The location data is either polled at regular intervals from devices like iPhones, gathered from fixed remote devices like keycard receivers, or when trigger events communicate with software on iOS or Mac devices, such as when they connect to a specific cell tower.

A smart connected home is one thing, but the really desirable goal of all home automation is a system that anticipates your needs and responds without any user input, operating at maximum efficiency. That’s exactly what Apple describes in this system, and it’s done using devices that Apple is already actively selling to users, with the very same capabilities already built-in.

The question here is exactly how much it would take on the user’s side, in terms of time, effort and resources to implement such a system, should Apple decide to make it a feature of its products. Apple certainly has the ecosystem on its side in terms of device-making partners, but it may be another few years before users are at the point where they’re willing or ready to accept the cost of setting up the infrastructure for something like this. Still, it’s a very intriguing route for Apple to explore, and could offer some glimpse at where iOS is headed down the road.


http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/05/apple-patents-home-automation-technology/

[Big Ben]

iron my clothes... by itself of course.

[Mark]

You can do most of those things already, such as putting in a trigger to say "when I leave work turn the heating on", however they require quite a bit of hardware and knowhow so aren't neatly packaged like you might want or expect.

But I already have things at home which are like "1 hour before sunset turn the light on".

[SGWilko]

But I already have things at home which are like "1 hour before sunset turn the light on".

I got one of those too - came free when I got married. It's called the wife!!!!!!!

Chuckled myself at that one......

[odykas]

Detect and block annoying calls :p:

[schmenke]

iron my clothes...

I already have an "app" that does that, although I wouldn't mind if it didn't talk back so much :D




:uhoh:

[SGWilko]

iron my clothes...

I already have an "app" that does that, although I wouldn't mind if it didn't talk back so much :D




:uhoh:

You need the 'selective hearing' app.......

[schmenke]

iron my clothes...

I already have an "app" that does that, although I wouldn't mind if it didn't talk back so much :D




:uhoh:

You need the 'selective hearing' app.......

That app works fine, but is often paired with the "sleep on the couch" app :p: .

[SGWilko]

You need the 'selective hearing' app.......

That app works fine, but is often paired with the "sleep on the couch" app :p: .[/quote]

The 'fill the car with fuel yourself then' app can combat this. However, the calendar full of what I did wrong and when app is brought out............

[Jag_Warrior]

You can do most of those things already, such as putting in a trigger to say "when I leave work turn the heating on", however they require quite a bit of hardware and knowhow so aren't neatly packaged like you might want or expect.

But I already have things at home which are like "1 hour before sunset turn the light on".

True enough. It is possible to find ways to program or set up devices to do some of the things I mentioned in the OP. But as you say, accomplishing these tasks requires more than a few disparate methods, which probably are not linked to a central means of control. I have read that some ultra-wealthy households have some amazingly sophisticated home automation systems. But since so many people have adopted smartphones, I look forward to more of us common folk having access to more capable systems in the near future.

In the last post (about location based control), I think that technology has some really amazing potential that really isn't in wide use at this point. And that one touches more on the predictive side of things that I originally mentioned. The lack of that ability is why I have said that the current crop of smartphones and their supporting OS's really aren't smart at all. As I hear so many people say now that there's not much else that smartphones and their OS's can do, I think back to a 40 meg hard drive that I bought in the mid/late 80's... the salesman told me that that was as much storage as I would ever need. :D So I believe we are still in VERY early days with smartphones.

[555-04Q2]

All I want my phone to do is do what it was designed to do, make and receive calls, period! Now with these new phones they have so much crap on them it takes 5 days to boot them up when you get them, then they suck your battery dead, then they want you to update at every Wi-Fi spot etc etc. Oh for the days of old when a phone was a phone and virgins were plentiful :D

[Mark]

All I want my phone to do is do what it was designed to do, make and receive calls, period! Now with these new phones they have so much crap on them it takes 5 days to boot them up when you get them, then they suck your battery dead, then they want you to update at every Wi-Fi spot etc etc. Oh for the days of old when a phone was a phone and virgins were plentiful :D

:D But the point of a smartphone isn't really as a phone, but basically having the computing power of a laptop computer ( from a few years ago) in your pocket.

[henners88]

All I want my phone to do is do what it was designed to do, make and receive calls, period! Now with these new phones they have so much crap on them it takes 5 days to boot them up when you get them, then they suck your battery dead, then they want you to update at every Wi-Fi spot etc etc. Oh for the days of old when a phone was a phone and virgins were plentiful :D

:D But the point of a smartphone isn't really as a phone, but basically having the computing power of a laptop computer ( from a few years ago) in your pocket.
That is very true. I do still use my phone a lot to call people (sometimes 2 hours a day), but it is also a device I use for everything else. Emails, texts, calendar are all inportant to my job and are handled on my iPhone. Christ we even use it to get the baby to sleep some nights!! The wonders of apps. :)

[555-04Q2]

All I want my phone to do is do what it was designed to do, make and receive calls, period! Now with these new phones they have so much crap on them it takes 5 days to boot them up when you get them, then they suck your battery dead, then they want you to update at every Wi-Fi spot etc etc. Oh for the days of old when a phone was a phone and virgins were plentiful :D

:D But the point of a smartphone isn't really as a phone, but basically having the computing power of a laptop computer ( from a few years ago) in your pocket.

Well that's why I have a laptop ;)

[555-04Q2]

All I want my phone to do is do what it was designed to do, make and receive calls, period! Now with these new phones they have so much crap on them it takes 5 days to boot them up when you get them, then they suck your battery dead, then they want you to update at every Wi-Fi spot etc etc. Oh for the days of old when a phone was a phone and virgins were plentiful :D

:D But the point of a smartphone isn't really as a phone, but basically having the computing power of a laptop computer ( from a few years ago) in your pocket.
That is very true. I do still use my phone a lot to call people (sometimes 2 hours a day), but it is also a device I use for everything else. Emails, texts, calendar are all inportant to my job and are handled on my iPhone. Christ we even use it to get the baby to sleep some nights!! The wonders of apps. :)

I use my phone for calls 99% of the time, the other 1% is for text messages and if the wife bbm's me. Otherwise, its just a phone for me!!! My wife had to setup my phone for me when I got it as it was about to meet the wall when it wanted to update and download a million things before it would work! All I wanted was to switch it on and make a couple of calls :p: Maybe I'm just the worlds oldest 36 year old :D

I have a solution that will help you put the baby to sleep while saving your battery power...a shot of whiskey with the milk and viola...baby sleeping ;) :D

[henners88]

I use my phone for calls 99% of the time, the other 1% is for text messages and if the wife bbm's me. Otherwise, its just a phone for me!!! My wife had to setup my phone for me when I got it as it was about to meet the wall when it wanted to update and download a million things before it would work! All I wanted was to switch it on and make a couple of calls :p: Maybe I'm just the worlds oldest 36 year old :D

I have a solution that will help you put the baby to sleep while saving your battery power...a shot of whiskey with the milk and viola...baby sleeping ;) :D
I have to admit you do sound a little old fashioned 555 :p
My parents are in their mid 60's and both have iPads and iPhones lol. They don't tend to use them as much as I'd like for actually talking on though. Hence why they hardly ever answer when I ring or respond to texts!

[555-04Q2]

I use my phone for calls 99% of the time, the other 1% is for text messages and if the wife bbm's me. Otherwise, its just a phone for me!!! My wife had to setup my phone for me when I got it as it was about to meet the wall when it wanted to update and download a million things before it would work! All I wanted was to switch it on and make a couple of calls :p: Maybe I'm just the worlds oldest 36 year old :D

I have a solution that will help you put the baby to sleep while saving your battery power...a shot of whiskey with the milk and viola...baby sleeping ;) :D
I have to admit you do sound a little old fashioned 555 :p
My parents are in their mid 60's and both have iPads and iPhones lol. They don't tend to use them as much as I'd like for actually talking on though. Hence why they hardly ever answer when I ring or respond to texts!

I prefer to think of myself as perfectly normal. It's the rest of you that are weird :p: :D

[henners88]

[quote="555-04Q2":3153xwt7]
I use my phone for calls 99% of the time, the other 1% is for text messages and if the wife bbm's me. Otherwise, its just a phone for me!!! My wife had to setup my phone for me when I got it as it was about to meet the wall when it wanted to update and download a million things before it would work! All I wanted was to switch it on and make a couple of calls :p: Maybe I'm just the worlds oldest 36 year old :D

I have a solution that will help you put the baby to sleep while saving your battery power...a shot of whiskey with the milk and viola...baby sleeping ;) :D
I have to admit you do sound a little old fashioned 555 :p
My parents are in their mid 60's and both have iPads and iPhones lol. They don't tend to use them as much as I'd like for actually talking on though. Hence why they hardly ever answer when I ring or respond to texts!

I prefer to think of myself as perfectly normal. It's the rest of you that are weird :p: :D[/quote:3153xwt7]
It could be that too lol :)

[555-04Q2]

;)

[Jag_Warrior]

All I want my phone to do is do what it was designed to do, make and receive calls, period! Now with these new phones they have so much crap on them it takes 5 days to boot them up when you get them, then they suck your battery dead, then they want you to update at every Wi-Fi spot etc etc. Oh for the days of old when a phone was a phone and virgins were plentiful :D

Actually, this is why I have not moved to a "smartphone" yet. I basically just use my phone to make and receive calls (I'm a talker, not a texter). Maybe once or twice a month I have to respond to a text. But most who know me know that I don't generally respond to texts, so people still call me. For other things that require a mobile device, I use my iPod Touch - and even it's three years old now. But I have access to (free) Wi-Fi everywhere I need it, so why get a phone which requires a paid data plan to get the exact same things?

Clearly, I'm not an early adopter. Only once a device can provide me with what I really want or need will I purchase it. But having said all that, it seems that by next year, the next version of iOS (and maybe some others too) may be about where I need it to be. My old Motorola will be 11 years old by then, so I can't hold out much longer. But I do believe that the next generation of smartphones will have the ability to perform more advanced scheduling and location-based tasks, without me having to sit and program it to do each and every little thing. We'll see though. And I am purchasing an iPad Mini with Retina display as soon as the supplies loosen up - don't know yet if I'll just get the Wi-Fi version or the one with cellular connectivity.

[henners88]

One advantage of a smart phone is having access to this forum. It's very rare I sit in front of a computer and log in here. It's almost always done on my phone through tapatalk. If it wasn't for smartphones, I'd simply forget :)

[Jag_Warrior]

Hands-on: ivee Sleek brings Siri-like voice control to the connected home
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/10/hands-on-ivee-sleek-brings-siri-like-voice-control-to-the-connected-home-
Friday, January 10, 2014

Interactive Voice introduced a novel device at CES called ivee Sleek, an Internet-connected, voice-activated virtual assistant that can not only process requests on-board, but control other "smart home" devices like the Nest Learning Thermostat or Philips' Hue lighting system.

At its most basic level, ivee can be thought of as a stripped-down version of Siri built for the home. Unlike Apple's virtual assistant, however, ivee Sleek can reach out to internet-connected devices around the house and change their settings by invoking preprogrammed commands.

To activate the unit, users simply say, "Hello ivee," or press the physical button on the device. From there, a number of commands or requests can be asked, such as changing the color of a Hue lightbulb or modifying temperature controls on a Nest thermostat. For example, saying, "Change temperature to 72 degrees," will elicit the response, "Ok, the temperature is set to 72."

Out of the box, ivee is compatible with Staples Connect, Belkin WeMo devices, Hue, Nest, Fitbit's Wi-Fi scale and the Iris home monitoring system. Additional support is coming for door locks like Lockitron and Goji.

Ivee is also a clock radio that can change stations, play music from external sources and produce "sleep sounds." On-board tasks include checking stock market data, weather reports and other Internet-based assets. A USB port and AUX input round out ivee's connectivity options.

After five years of development and a successful Kickstarter round, the ivee Sleek is now being sold at Staples for $199.99.

For those without smart home products, ivee is introducing two other models in the $60 Flex and $40 Digit. The Flex recognizes 30 voice commands like requests for date, time and temperature, while the Digit can handle 20. Both lack Wi-Fi connectivity and therefore cannot interact with other devices.

[Bagwan]

Here's a word from the paranoid Luddite community :
I was listening to the radio the other day and heard that there are devices coming out of Asia that can "hear" the signal of your key fobs locking your cars as you leave them in the parking lot to go shopping .
As you disappear into the mall , they can rifle through your possessions at will , or , take the car itself .

This brings me to wonder what a thief could access if they had they same thoughts about my house .

So , if my "house elf" system could tell the furnace to let the place cool down if I was heading away from it , would it tell the thieves , with a little GPS magic , how long they had to find the bottom of my sock drawer ?

It's all feels like it could turn into an inadvertant "open door" policy .

[BleAivano]

Bagwan, these are legitimate questions but imo a strong encryption (pretty much like your WLAN) would prevent
any unauthorized from eavesdropping on your network. I use WPA2 personal for my WLAN.
My passkey is a 69 character long (mixed upper and lower case + numbers) which take some
659 trigintillion (http://googology.wikia.com/wiki/Trigintillion) years to crack with existing technology.

Sure if you had a quantum computer it'll go allot faster but quantum computers does not exist (at least not officially) and
it wouldn't be something that anyone would walk around with in their pockets.

[Bagwan]

Bagwan, these are legitimate questions but imo a strong encryption (pretty much like your WLAN) would prevent
any unauthorized from eavesdropping on your network. I use WPA2 personal for my WLAN.
My passkey is a 69 character long (mixed upper and lower case + numbers) which take some
659 trigintillion (http://googology.wikia.com/wiki/Trigintillion) years to crack with existing technology.

Sure if you had a quantum computer it'll go allot faster but quantum computers does not exist (at least not officially) and
it wouldn't be something that anyone would walk around with in their pockets.

Boy , I know how to kill a thread , don't I ?
Sorry , Jag .

It was the first thing that came to mind as you opened the premise of what your computer could do for you .
What your computer could do TO you , in the wrong hands , is kinda scary .

As for your comments , Ble , I would give you an old hippie saying in "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." .
If they can't get in through the encrypted door , they'll find another way in .
But , that's why there are companies out there making those doors even harder to enter , as it is , and will always be a race to find the key once the lock is built .
If the door gets thicker , then a bigger battering ram is invented .

Cause and effect .
Supply and demand .


All that said , I do like the idea of the house warming to my arrival , but , with a programmable thermostat , and a little more order to my life , I would almost have that already .

[Jag_Warrior]

Bagwan, these are legitimate questions but imo a strong encryption (pretty much like your WLAN) would prevent
any unauthorized from eavesdropping on your network. I use WPA2 personal for my WLAN.
My passkey is a 69 character long (mixed upper and lower case + numbers) which take some
659 trigintillion (http://googology.wikia.com/wiki/Trigintillion) years to crack with existing technology.

Sure if you had a quantum computer it'll go allot faster but quantum computers does not exist (at least not officially) and
it wouldn't be something that anyone would walk around with in their pockets.

Boy , I know how to kill a thread , don't I ?
Sorry , Jag .

It was the first thing that came to mind as you opened the premise of what your computer could do for you .
What your computer could do TO you , in the wrong hands , is kinda scary .

Oh no, to the contrary, I also believe you raise legitimate concerns. This type of technology truly fascinates me, mainly because of the positive potential it has in the way of automation. But as you say, there is also a dark side. There is also the potential for abuse. And the more personal data and information you give to any system that is interconnected to some larger, outside system, the more privacy you're giving up. In order for these systems to work effectively, they have to "know" you. And if the system knows you, then the gatekeepers of that system also know you. And you have to ask yourself what they might do with this information.

This is why I will never own an Android device. It's not that I'm James Bond or that I'm doing any sort of super secret important work. But whatever I do, I don't feel that any OS should be mining my address book, contact list, emails, spending habits, etc. and forwarding that data back to HQ. And even worse, I don't like the idea that the OS is intentionally set up in such a way that various apps (like the FaceBook and flashlight apps for Android) should be able to transmit personal information about me without my approval or even my knowledge. And if Daniel was here, I'm sure he'd say that I feel this way about Android just because I'm an "Apple fanboi". But that's not it at all. It's not that I trust Apple. It's that I distrust Google, FaceBook and (now) Yahoo more than I distrust Apple or even Microsoft. But no, I don't trust any of them. I don't agree with what the NSA has been doing. But let's face it, Google and FaceBook have forgotten more about data mining than the goofs at the NSA will ever know. And this is why I would cross the Nest devices off my purchase list. Despite Google's (empty) promises about respecting user privacy, now that they have bought Nest, I'll never have one of those products anywhere even near my house.



All that said , I do like the idea of the house warming to my arrival , but , with a programmable thermostat , and a little more order to my life , I would almost have that already .

True. But I have never had that much order to my life. And it's not just about thermostats. Though I'd be hesitant to allow any system to know where I was or where I was going 24/7, having interconnected devices which would start my car at predetermined times (and even select the right car to start based on weather or temperature) or based on my schedule for that day, start my coffee maker, select TV shows and movies based on my personal preferences, control the lighting in my home depending on where I am in or outside the home and/or perform automated "personal assistant" type tasks depending on what I have told it... that would be pretty amazing... in concept... in theory.

There's a movie, "Her", coming out which sort of plays with this concept.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVIpm6fpjGE#t=81

[Bagwan]

"based on my personal preferences" is one of those things that has always stuck in my craw about this microchip future we're enduring .

It drove me crazy a couple of years ago , when my wife had searched a number of sites , looking at E-readers for my son .
It was a Christmas present , so it was meant to be a surprise , but every time he walked past the computer , he'd see an ad for a reader .

When I said " Boy , they must be desperate to sell those things for Christmas !" , he bought my story , and so , was genuinely surprised on the big day .

It all just made me think of big brother , and I'm not referencing a TV program .

Now that I mention it , having it control my TV would have me instantly worrying that I might not get to see a documentary that was ever contrary to the sponsors point of view .
Given that I both Joni Mitchell and the Sex Pistols in my record collection , I am skeptical they could ever get my tastes right at all .

[Jag_Warrior]

Can Google, Apple, or Samsung Lead the Internet of Things? (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/technology/can-google-apple-or-samsung-lead-the-internet-of-things.html/?a=viewall)


MarketWatch reports that neither Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=AAPL)) nor Google (NASDAQ:GOOG (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=GOOG)) (NASDAQ:GOOGL (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=GOOGL)) made Goldman Sachs’s (NYSE:GS (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=GS)) list of companies best positioned to lead the innovation that will drive the development of the Internet of Things (http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2014/06/26/apple-google-dont-make-goldman-sachs-list-of-tech-stocks-best-positioned-for-internet-of-things/), a far-reaching network of everyday devices, which Goldman Sachs projects will connect 28 billion devices to the Internet by 2020.

Both Apple and Google have made moves toward building out successful mobile ecosystems — iOS for Apple and Android for Google — into hubs for innovation for Internet of Things fixtures, particularly smart homes. Google acquired Nest Labs, which then opened its Nest Developer Program to make its smart home platform an open-source hub through which third-party manufacturers’ devices and outside developers’ apps can communicate. Apple’s HomeKit, similarly, is being developed as a framework for the communication and control of smart home devices.

MarketWatch reports that Goldman Sachs cites two categories of technology as particularly crucial to the Internet of Things revolution. Those are “communications technology” — like Wi-Fi, cellular service, and “fog” computing — and hardware, like sensors, connectivity devices, and microcontrollers. It’s widely expected that Wi-Fi connectivity, rather than cellular connectivity, will drive the Internet of Things, and Goldman Sachs expects manufacturers of Wi-Fi chips, like Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=QCOM)), plus hardware manufacturers, like Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=CSCO)) and Ruckus (NYSE:RKUS (http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stock-research/company/?qs=RKUS)), to benefit.

[airshifter]

Bumping an older thread, just to keep up with things that change....

While investigating options with programmable/remote access/smart thermostats I realized that things are changing for the better.

Several now allow settings specific to the type of units you use for your heating. This includes settings for when auxiliary heat is used for those with heat pumps. You can set them to conserve more energy with a wider temp range allowed, or kick the extra heat up early to keep you more comfortable. This includes thermostats that consider this factor when heating the home up from a cooler night setting.

A number of thermostats now include motion sensors. If your programmed "away" temps are in effect and you or someone else walks in the door, it detects the motion and turns on the appropriate climate control. Some use sensors on the thermostat itself to "learn" the habits of the occupants, and when they all leave.

At least a few models now look at outside weather, along with forecasts, to save you money. This includes looking at humidity levels and in some cases quick moving weather. If a big cold front is coming and your house is in "away" mode,it might start warming the house earlier than usual for your arrival, if that is more energy efficient.

And at least a couple models now use geofencing, and at least one of those has an option for the distance you must be from the home for the thermostat to put things to the "home" setting, anticipating your arrival.



And I hate to admit this, but choosing a new thermostat has now for me become like building a new computer or picking a new phone. I may well end up spending more just to have the fun of the tech side of experimenting with it. And it looks like I might be picking a model with geofencing, since it seems more suited to our less than predictable routines.

Tech can be fun!

[Mark]

All sounds pretty fun! I've looked into that sort of thing before and things like remote activation but it's nothing that can't be done with a more basic timer based model.

[Jag_Warrior]

Have any of you looked into Peel lately? Seems like they've made some changes and improvements over what they were all about at first.

TV-remote app Peel adds connected-home commands to its repertoire (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2893295/tv-remote-app-peel-adds-connected-home-commands-to-its-repertoire.html)


Peel (http://peel.com/) is about to truly become the “smart universal remote” app that it has always claimed to be. The company, fresh off a $50 million investment from Chinese internet giant Alibaba, has announced that it plans to add connected-home commands to its TV remote app, which it claims handles over 7 billion infrared (IR) remote commands each month from upwards of 100 million smartphone and tablet users.
The app—named Best Mobile Photo, Art, Video, or TV App during the 2015 Global Mobile Awards at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today—can already control TVs, set-top boxes, game consoles, and other entertainment devices by either tapping the host device’s onboard infrared or—in the case of an iPhone or iPad—using Wi-Fi. Next month, the app will updated with a new feature that enables it to relay commands to a large assortment of connected home devices—thermostats, lighting, garage doors, security systems, smart plugs, air conditioners, blinds, locks, etc.—over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infrared.
To spare you the hassle of always having to deal with multiple devices separately, the expanded Peel app will allow for the creation of so-called “Peel-in” presets for controlling multiple devices simultaneously.
“A Peel-in living-room experience might involve simultaneously turning on the TV and sound system, closing the blinds, adjusting room temperature, and lowering the lights, all with the tap of one button,” Peel co-founder and chief product officer Bala Krishnan explained in a press release.

[KARINA]

Which mobile OS does all of that with voice commands in Europe or anywhere else? Or are you asking the question if there is one which can do that in Europe? :confused:

For me, let's assume it's an Apple device, so I'll audacity (https://audacity.onl/) temp mail (https://mails.tips/temp-mail/) origin (https://origin.onl/) use Siri. But whatever Google/Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone is using for voice commands would work too.

[colingaar]

Hey, I think that technology has some really amazing potential that really isn't in wide use at this point. And that one touches more on the predictive side of things that I originally mentioned.