WTF is nest? a rant about americentrism in tech and internet in general

[zassou]

TLDR: i know what thermostat is, but i dont know why it's such a thing in american homes.

 

 

 

unless you're living in a cave, you already know that google acquired nest, a "smart thermostat" and other "smart home" device crap maker.

but i still dont get it:

why is anyone need a smart device to control their home temprature?

and how and why do they need to control it?

why is central heating and air conditioning so common in america?

an aircon always comes with a remote controller with lcd display, that worked fine; still why would anyone need a fancy colour lcd on a thermostat that suck up electricity just to display things you dont normally get to see?

 

these are my Qs and i always failed to muscle up my google-fu to look for the answer myself, like i always do.

all i got is content like these: reviews of the nest, how install the nest, and why it can magically saves you hundreds of dollars on you electrical bill.

 

im not american and i living in some *hole contry according to some orange moron, so if you so kind, please explain like i'm 5th grade.

 

and this is the prevalent issue of the internet, and to certain degree, tech in general.

 

i'm a "shy-to-ask" kinda person, so i usually prefer to solve the problem myself, and the internet has helped tremendously.

one thing is in guides and diy websites like wikihow, is how the authors always using ideas, services and goods that are only familiar to those who live in us, or north america in general. like home depot, 2x4s. 

(im give you one on units of measurement, after all you still can't figure out what a kilometre is)

where i live in, there is no such thing as home depot, ever. the only place that carries some level of granular of tools is walmart, and they are almost, if not always over priced. and i have trouble locating wooden boards that are not laminates peeled off from some ye olde furnitures.

 

and this is the americantrism at its worst. people only live in the status quo, that for this moment, maybe their biggest audience is coming fron the us, but as time grow, that will change, and it's sooner than you think. 

with 451M internet users, some 50% greater than the population of us, india has the 2nd highest of web-browsing population after china, which of course we all know they don't exist.

and the economic boom in sub-sahara africa, especially east africa countries, the number is growing faster than people ever imagined.

 

knowing this, every time tech outlets like verge science still defending their use of archaic units of measurements, i cant help wondering who is the real archaic ones.

 

[PlayStation 2]

Huh? Is your rant essentially complaining that American homes almost always have air conditioning and us using the Imperial system means that we’re backwards?

Our houses usually have air conditioning because it’s a highly wanted feature here that also isn’t too expensive to fit into a house permanently. It’s kind of a necessity here more than most places because the temperatures in many places can wildly vary. Smart thermometers that connect to the internet, however, are rather pointless. 

 

Also, because it tremendously bothers me, but why does everyone complain when American videos use the Imperial system but Americans don’t complain about the Metric system? Is it because we aren’t arrogant and understand that countries are different, unlike the rest of the world?

[minibois]

Woah, calm down.

Are you actually looking for a reason people get Nest devices or was this just a rhetorical rant question?

 

Because the reason people get it is... I don't know. All this IOT crap confuses me.

But I think people get it so they can turn on their AC/Heater from outside the home to make sure the house is cold/warm before coming home.

Companies like people having Nest because it can more easily track user activity.

 

That is also why certain energy companies (where I live, not the US) give it to newly joining users, so they can track usage much easier.

[Curious Pineapple]

Just now, handymanshandle said:

Huh? Is your rant essentially complaining that American homes almost always have air conditioning and us using the Imperial system means that we’re backwards?

Our houses usually have air conditioning because it’s a highly wanted feature here that also isn’t too expensive to fit into a house permanently. It’s kind of a necessity here more than most places because the temperatures in many places can wildly vary. Smart thermometers that connect to the internet, however, are rather pointless.

I'd say that using the imperial system is a bit backwards

[zassou]

1 minute ago, handymanshandle said:

Huh? Is your rant essentially complaining that American homes almost always have air conditioning and us using the Imperial system means that we’re backwards?

Our houses usually have air conditioning because it’s a highly wanted feature here that also isn’t too expensive to fit into a house permanently. It’s kind of a necessity here more than most places because the temperatures in many places can wildly vary. Smart thermometers that connect to the internet, however, are rather pointless.

it seems you have a classical case of TLDR, so let me rephrase it.

 

i know what aircon is, and i know what central heating is. what i dont get is why is such a thing that company would want to make a such fuss about it. if some scrooge mcducks want to get their whole villa heated or cooled, some simple 10 usd circuits would be surffice.

[zassou]

2 minutes ago, minibois said:

Woah, calm down.

Are you actually looking for a reason people get Nest devices or was this just a rhetorical rant question?

 

Because the reason people get it is... I don't know. All this IOT crap confuses me.

But I think people get it so they can turn on their AC/Heater from outside the home to make sure the house is cold/warm before coming home.

Companies like people having Nest because it can more easily track user activity.

 

That is also why certain energy companies (where I live, not the US) give it to newly joining users, so they can track usage much easier.

woah thats a new angle ive never thought about, thanks, that's why sometimes a rant helps.

[zassou]

and to be clear, i live in an old flat where it has no gas and heating pipelines. i turned my electrical heater almost full whack as outside is -3 degrees and windy af. my pc is running folding@home 24h non stop except gaming.

 

and i have to carry lpg cylinder on stairs to my home.

 

and why tf nier automata still not on sale?

[zassou]

yeah but i have to turn my heater on all day if it gets cold, once its turned off, my bedroom turns back to the fridge again.

[Guest]

This isn’t a big deal. Temperature varies a lot in the states, and the US happens to be the most advanced in tech. 

[Mooshi]

Ok Doomer

[TempestCatto]

Where I live, in spring and fall, temps during the day require aircon to be on in the house, and then switch over to heat once the sun sets. Some newer thermostats have an auto setting, where you have two set points: one for heat and one for cooling. The thermostat will keep the connected rooms within that temp range. That said, a Nest is good for if you want to switch it manually over while at work. It is also useful for your energy company so they can keep track of how much/little you use it. Some energy companies may give you a discount for not using as much energy, and the Nest is an easier way of tracking for that. It's also good to know what peak times of use are during certain times of day/night and what seasons so energy companies can adapt and prepare for those peak times. Just like in the UK when during half time of a footie match, everyone fires up their kettles and energy companies have to make sure they account for that so the grids don't overload. Personally, I would never want anything "smart" home in my house; ever. But some people find it useful, so more power to them. It's also useful for disabled people who might not be able to reach/operate their thermostat. So they can hail their connected assistant and adjust the temp with just their voice.

[wasab]

Americans invented internet, proccessors like x86, and... Well Microsoft, Apple, IBM ect are all American. No wonder why tech is American centric. If you are learning a programming language, reserve words are gonna be in English like class/new or base off English words like realloc(reallocate) 

[dizmo]

So that you can control it from wherever you want.

Why get up from the couch to change the temp when I can just change it on my phone?

Not only that, it also learns and adjusts itself accordingly, resulting in lower energy bills.

It also tracks, per day, your usage. Which is very convenient and not something you can do with a regular thermostat.

Left home and forgot to turn off the heat? You can do that.

A lot of homes have HVAC units. So, it works with those...those generally don't have remotes like you described. You're just thinking of a regular AC unit.

Lastly, the unit just looks nice.

 

Google isn't controlling your thermostat. Not sure if that's what you thought, but if it is...you're wrong.

 

I have no idea what the last paragraph of your rant was about.

 

[kelvinhall05]

You're complaining about something that's over 130 years old.

Tell ya what. Download TF2 for free on Steam. It's a much better waste of your time than this pointless post.

[Blademaster91]

I don't understand the desire to make everything in the house "smart" unless you absolutely need a smart thermostat or lightbulbs,  I wouldn't want a smart thermostat because a lot of those IoT devices have terrible security.  I'd rather just get up and change it or leave the heat on 65-67F, than have some app for it lol.

[kelvinhall05]

9 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

I don't understand the desire to make everything in the house "smart" unless you absolutely need a smart thermostat or lightbulbs,  I wouldn't want a smart thermostat because a lot of those IoT devices have terrible security.  I'd rather just get up and change it or leave the heat on 65-67F, than have some app for it lol.

 

5 minutes ago, Caroline said:

sheeple wants smart devices because they don't want to think for themselves anymore

Sometimes it's nice to shout at Google or Alexa to turn off the lights when you're all snuggled in bed or whatever

[Lady Fitzgerald]

While I won't use anything IOT until things are better standardized and far more secure than they are now, I can see the point of programmable thermostat (not the so-called "smart" ones). They can save a lot on energy costs by raising and lowering temperatures depending on who is at home and what they are doing at certain times of the year. They are not all that espensive, either (except maybe where the OP lives; 'tis curious that he rants against the SSA but won't tell us where he lives).

[TempestCatto]

1 minute ago, kelvinhall05 said:

 

Sometimes it's nice to shout at Google or Alexa to turn off the lights when you're all snuggled in bed or whatever

I've personally never had the issue of forgetting to turn off lights before going to bed. I guess it helps that A) I hardly use lights (even at night) and B) my house is so small that I actually sleep in the living room so what lights would be on get turned off so I can actually close my eyes.
 

I spent the week at my mom's house and she has Alexa. Honestly, I don't get the hype. Yeah it's fun to shout obscenities at it. But It's not hard to plug in a Christmas tree or have an outdoor timer for the lighted decorations (which she has both connected to it). Other than it being useful for disabled people, I hardly see any reason for most people to have one. Your smart phone can already play music, tell you the weather, time, and whatever else you decide to ask it. I also don't like the idea that people have and do listen to you through them.

 

I'll never own one, but I will play with them if I'm at someone's house who does. "Alexa, what's the weather?" "The weather in.." "Alexa, shut the fuck up" *offended, Alexa stops talking*

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, zassou said:

and to be clear, i live in an old flat where it has no gas and heating pipelines. i turned my electrical heater almost full whack as outside is -3 degrees and windy af. my pc is running folding@home 24h non stop except gaming.

 

and i have to carry lpg cylinder on stairs to my home.

 

and why tf nier automata still not on sale?

I’m going to take use of the word “flat” to mean British isles.  This sort of makes sense.

weird random factoid:

Britain in general has been reported to have some of the most remarkably consistent weather on earth.  Particularly humidity, but temperature as well. So much so that there were car parts that actually worked more poorly or not at all outside of Britain.  British engines developed a fearsome reputation for power and then tempormentality in the 1950s because there were designs that could be used in Britain that simply don’t work well anywhere else.  There’s a LOT more temperature and humidity variance in the US. (or just about anywhere else really) Cold cold winters and HOT hot summers.  Long periods of dry and shorter periods of extreme

damp.

[zassou]

33 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I’m going to take use of the word “flat” to mean British isles.  This sort of makes sense.

weird random factoid:

Britain in general has been reported to have some of the most remarkably consistent weather on earth.  Particularly humidity, but temperature as well. So much so that there were car parts that actually worked more poorly or not at all outside of Britain.  British engines developed a fearsome reputation for power and then tempormentality in the 1950s because there were designs that could be used in Britain that simply don’t work well anywhere else.  There’s a LOT more temperature and humidity variance in the US. (or just about anywhere else really) Cold cold winters and HOT hot summers.  Long periods of dry and shorter periods of extreme

damp.

thanks for informative reply, unlike some toxic manbabies.

 

im not live in british isles but the flat i mentioned is quite close to british ones. one thing isnt though is the weather.

 

the place i lived in is dry in spring and autumn but they lacks distinction. summer is long and humid but not terribly hot, sometimes 40 but most of the day is hovering above 30. winter is short but is cold, wet and windy, sometimes rain, very rarely snows, it's on sigle digit for the warmest day, and dips into -10s in the night.

 

installing whole room heating is a luxury to most of us. i heard a bmw owner complaining about how he can't afford renovating his floor for heating wires. so i would guess it's on the level of owning 2 bimmers. most new homes have heating pipelines instealled, the central heating is turned on from 1st of nov to 1st of feb. i heard it's quite those who live lower to the ground, not so much if you live in 26th floor.

 

the local gov substise heating installation, providing a) it's apartment, not a villa (aka single home house, they are considered luxury homes), b) you have been live there for more than 5 years, and c) your annual income is lower than xxxxx. since i failed to met the criteria so i have to cower next to the heater.

 

anyway i think i should get a kerosene heater in my living room, they're quite cheap to run and can heat water too.

[Damascus]

9 minutes ago, zassou said:

thanks for informative reply, unlike some toxic manbabies.

Bro you're the one who couldn't figure out why a nest was something people like when this is the first result on google

[zassou]

5 minutes ago, Damascus said:

Bro you're the one who couldn't figure out why a nest was something people like when this is the first result on google

i know how they work and i alrady know they can save you money, but i dont get is why is a thing.

 

the heating system i know of (in my place ofc) already comes with a certain degree of self-regulate feature, some even have apps and web access so you can turn it on and off remotely. two types: heat pumps with efficiency of over 130%, super expensive but comes with ac that doubles cooling for summer,  and electrical ones with 100% that do nothing most of the year.

 

that was, untill i find out american homes have dedicated low voltage ac wiring for doorbells. (mindblown gif)

[zassou]

3 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

What else would you use? ._.

none...?

 

i can get the point behind the need for 2 phase high voltage circuit for high power equiptments, city voltage is a historical problem that can't be easily solved, japan has 2 systems, where the frequency changes from 50 to 60hz depending where you live.

 

but doorbells? there are doorbell buttons that uses no batteries.

[Damascus]

13 minutes ago, zassou said:

i know how they work and i alrady know they can save you money, but i dont get is why is a thing.

 

the heating system i know of (in my place ofc) already comes with a certain degree of self-regulate feature, some even have apps and web access so you can turn it on and off remotely. two types: heat pumps with efficiency of over 130%, super expensive but comes with ac that doubles cooling for summer,  and electrical ones with 100% that do nothing most of the year.

 

that was, untill i find out american homes have dedicated low voltage ac wiring for doorbells. (mindblown gif)

Why does this

Illuminate your eyes, while this:

(The first result on google) 

is somehow incomprehensible?

[PlayStation 2]

1 minute ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

Wait, what. Are you saying that they have dedicated low power lines for doorbells from the electric company? If that's the case, it really doesn't make any sense, and I doubt that is the case. A simple transformer, usually built into the doorbell enclosure is more than enough.

Electric doorbells are something that's usually just tacked onto the electrical systems here in the States. Not very much a hard thing to do here.