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[JeffVolp]

I ran across this news item today:

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By now, Monday's massive Google outage is history for most people. While it was a minor inconvenience for some, with most Google services being down for hours on end, it was a much larger pain in the electronic ass for the tragically hip who have surrendered their "smart" homes to Google.

In fact, of the services that went down, it was Google Home users who were literally left in the dark during the outage on Monday, RT notes. As a result, "smart home" users were complaining about not being able to perform once-simple tasks at their homes - like turning on the lights.
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If we have power, X10 works.

Jeff

[brobin]

Long live local control!  After Hurricane Irma when we had no power or internet for 9 days, we never missed a beat with a 48KW genset, a freshly filled 1000 gallon propane tank and a UHF antenna in the attic.

[petera]

Pointless outlining this fact to those who use cloud services and deny their dependency on them. They’ll swear they don’t use the cloud. It’s only when there’s an outage do they realise how embedded their systems are with third party services to do simple tasks like switching on and off a light. It’s always an amusing read though.

[SkipWX10]

Is now a good time to bring up the WM100? ;-)

[petera]

Is now a good time to bring up the WM100? ;-)

As in vomit  Hard swallow I imagine

[HA Dave]

.......  it was a much larger pain in the electronic ass for the tragically hip who have surrendered their "smart" homes to Google.

In fact, of the services that went down, it was Google Home users who were literally left in the dark during the outage on Monday, RT notes. As a result, "smart home" users were complaining about not being able to perform once-simple tasks at their homes - like turning on the lights.

If we have power, X10 works.

Jeff

The bad thing about depending on anything or anyone.... is you WILL be let down. Everything fails, sooner or later. But if we only use what we can produce for ourselves our resources become tragically limited.

Someone on this forum used to refer to my use of automation as me being "lazy"... as I have no need for automated processes... I just enjoy them. I can always manually switch my lights off and on (and actually often do). But automated devices are very nice to have working.... and cloud assisted devices can sometimes have tiny little benefits. 

I've thought about adding Google AI to my Amazon AI set-up. I haven't done that yet. But that kind of a setup would have an additional layer of redundancy. 

[dave w]

By now, Monday's massive Google outage is history for most people.
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If we have power, X10 works.

Jeff

U-h-h, nope, did not know a thing about it. But agree with you and brobin.

If we have power, and local control, life goes on.

[Tuicemen]

I've thought about adding Google AI to my Amazon AI set-up. I haven't done that yet. But that kind of a setup would have an additional layer of redundancy.

I have both Google and Amazon at my city residence. Each has its place do to how they provide info, I find Google Home is better in the kitchen.
However I rarely use either one.

 Being at my off grid place when the outage occurred I never noticed the Google issue.

 It continues to amaze me how many new to Home Automation depend so heavily on the cloud and wonder why they are cold and in the dark when outages happen. I feel local control is a must have fall back option for any automation.

[bkenobi]

Google had an outage?  Huh, news to me.  I guess my local server survived because it was, you know, local...

[dave w]

Google had an outage?  Huh, news to me.  I guess my local server survived because it was, you know, local...

[HA Dave]

I have both Google and Amazon at my city residence. Each has its place do to how they provide info, I find Google Home is better in the kitchen.

A friend of mine says Google is smarter (more search related information at its disposal) and more conversational. That would make the kitchen a good place for a tablet or screen based device for recipe based infor/instructions. Maybe I should check-out Walmart for a Christmas deal on a Google device.

However I rarely use either one.

Habits! Some people live next door to people that they never speak to. Often... the key to being a good neighbor (or benefiting FROM good neighbors) is just remembering to wave and say hi. I think.... some people mostly use their Home Automation setup to show to friends. I know the "talking Clock" I had originally setup with BVC... along with other voice alerts and announcements... made my old [Kate-16] voice automation one-of-the-family here. Alexa has been a natural replacement for Kate.

It can take a little effort(?) to break old habits and make new habits.

I used to do math in my head... then check my (mental) figures with pen and paper. Now I use the calculator on my phone and "ask Alexa" to check my figures. 

... I feel local control is a must have fall back option for any automation.

I'd think we would have all learned when the [old] X10 servers shut down (forever).... That those things do happen. Yet.... cloud/server assisted automated provides way too much to past up. Most things at home I have local control over. But the "Home" is no longer the center of my automation... I am. So.... the integration, of me, my phone, my car, and my home.... requires servers/cloud services. It doesn't mean parts, pieces, integrations, or the entirety of the system can't or won't crash. But isn't that the way of modern society. I mean.... I am not prepared to hunt my own meat and grow my own food either.