KLUG Smarter Home (pre release)

  1. additional value?
    The simplest ‘additional value’ to find here is the same as any other…that they exist.
    New, fresh ideas and concepts (even if it bombs, we could earn something, because the book is still being written), competition, etc.

  2. ST can do more?
    Well, yes, of course, and that’s why we’re all here right now. However, whether or not redundancy exists is irrelevant. Even though I actually prefer McDonald’s (ya, I know…a gross thought to ever say out loud), sometimes I still go to Burger King once in a while. They each have things that I like better. Of course, if I had my head on straight, I wouldn’t ever eat anything from either of them, but that’s another repair session.

  3. vaporware?
    Yep, and so was SmartThings at one point. If nobody saw it and went to check it out, it still would be (of course, some probably think it still is, but we know better…right?).

  4. the Name?
    Ya, it had the same initial effect on me, but oh well. A name is a name. Too bad we don’t have separate letters to represent the different sounds a G can make (e.g. George and Greg), because the G in that name is obviously the Greg kind, and it’s getting a bad wrap. lol

  5. lame promo?
    Perhaps if we’re expecting perfection from a billion dollar company, but come on. For what it is and the stage they’re at, I was able to watch it and just enjoy it for what they were trying to say.

  6. illegal activities?
    Where? I guess I’m that dense (well…ya…I AM that dense), but I didn’t notice.
    I totally agree that this would be a great story if this one ended up being the best someday. Heck, even if it were only really, really good at one thing, it would end up as a great story if it got bought or something.

For me, ‘alternatives’ are not about trying to find something INSTEAD of ST.
Rather, it’s about seeing what’s out there, what ideas people have, etc.
a. is there any way I can add this new thing into my current HA setup (even as a play-thing, or a gag)?
b. does it work any better than any of the other 10 or 20 alternates I’ve been playing with?
c. is there any chance of it even working as a temporary HA system (even for only a small portion of my devices) until the one I’m counting on now gets fixed?
d. are there any ideas or concepts that they seem to focus on that could enhance ST if adopted as part of this platform?
(i.e. this post in another thread).

When it comes to useful concepts, etc it doesn’t even need to actually exist yet. It’s all about the marketplace of ideas.