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I disagree that in order to have a connected home it will be complex and that it doesn't "just work". From having added a suite of products from Ubiquiti and somewhat thought out the design of my home network I have less issues than before. Yes I have more to tinker with but I don't, and now the household can stream any media they like on any TV or device, and play games with low latency at the same time. I don't even have what you would consider a hobbiest setup.

Of course, in order to correctly manage IoT devices and the sort on the network you need a bit of knowhow, but its not essential. And purely comes with the nature of connecting these devices in your home.

Mentions privacy as a concern, but probably still use a mobile device? And you mention you don't need a TV, but okay that's clearly what your projector is used for.

Also the smart blinds comment, your issue with the smart blinds was to do with blinds themselves not the smart component.

I agree with almost all of these points, and de-smarted my home with the exception of my cameras on the exterior, and even those I would consider getting rid of.

There was no convince in most devices. Smart locks were slower than keys. Smart lights were more problematic to use than a light switch. My life has been better after I got rid of them.

I've been thinking of designing my own smart devices, but they will need to fall back to simpler devices. For example, I want to build a smart lock that unlocks with a GPG key on my phone, but still has a key (bolt on motor to existing lock).

I just don't understand these smart devices. At best they're marginally more convenient, but they come with a lot of risks. I'm worried about software not getting updated, data in the cloud being compromised, or simple loss of function from not degrading gracefully.

My smart TV is nice because it has Netflix built in, but nothing else on the market is interesting to me.

I agree with some of these points, but disagree vehemently with others.

> A smart thermostat could save a lot of money in a hotel. It would save pennies in a 2 bedroom apartment.

My smart thermostat has paid for itself multiple times over. Not to mention, it's made my home significantly more comfortable (due mostly in part to the ability to have a temperature sensor in my bedroom). Could it have been done without being connected to my wifi? Probably. But it was fairly inexpensive, it's saving me money, and it's doing its job. It's simply false to assert that the devices mentioned serve no utility for _any_ consumers just because you don't find them useful.