Ring A Ding Ding was the title of a 1961 album by Frank Sinatra, and it came to mind when I sat down to write some stories about door bells — and door locks, light bulbs and thermostats – after years of reporting about advances in audio, video and cellular technology.
If I wanted to write for Home Hardware News, I’d be there. What happened? The Internet of Things (IoT).
Doorbells with video cameras and Wi-Fi connect to the home network so you can see who’s ringing the bell from your smartphone or tablet, even if you’re at the office. When you’re not home, you can use your smartphone to unlock the door to let the maids in. And you can set your home-automation system to turn on the lights and ramp up the air conditioning when you turn the corner in your car. Even Crock Pots have Wi-Fi for remote monitoring and control from a smartphone.
Few could have forecast that the consumer electronics market would grow to influence the design and sales of some of the most mundane devices that we take for granted. Who could have foretold that lightbulbs and thermostats would end up on the shelves of Best Buy and other major CE retailers?
And I thought it was a big deal when VCRs with wireless IR remotes began replacing VCRs with wired remotes.
