In recent years 'the internet of things' has finally hit a threshold point and can now wholly envelop our homes. Some people love that we have finally made it to where TV has been promising for over 50 years, ironically seemingly aligning with the death of television. While others know what happens when a battery runs out or the power goes down, how few things work. So should you go all in or keep things bulletproof and straightforward?

Firstly a confession, I am in the simple bulletproof camp, but like many of us am finding myself using the convenience of voice assistants like Siri, Google and Alexa more and more. Speaking is generally considered at least x3 faster than typing, is hands-free and just convenient when it works. When it doesn't, it is painfully frustrating and irritating. With advancements in AI, voice activation is getting, and will only get, better and better.

If you're also in the simple bulletproof camp, you have likely considered sustainable power generation, like solar or wind power. While requiring an in-depth look another time, what is interesting here is that a solar power system with a battery backup and having an option of grid supply would mean it would be an infrequent event that you would lose power. More likely to be an internet failure to cause you to lose your automation capabilities. But again, with a fibre connection and wireless backup, this is also less likely. So if you have a reliable power supply and internet connection other than convenience, why would you not automate your home? 

Well, most likely, you already do; a sensor for your alarm, a remote for your garage door, and a temperate sensor for your hot water all make life a little easier. None of it is required, but over the next few years, the sheer convenience of voice assistants in parallel with advances in technology will make it become like the light in your fridge, what people expect.

Luckily people also like to be surprised, so while the reasons not to automate your home are vanishing, it thankfully comes down to how you want to live. All of this technology will continue to make life easier, from turning on the lighting to getting directions while playing your favourite song, but it is in the doing that there is a pleasure. I love reading a map; you may like running a bath hotter than you should, lighting a candle even though it's a bit too dark to see, cooking a meal or a billion other things; automation gives you choice.