Cars (Part 1)

““It’s just not necessary”.

”No need!”

”Sure, what’s the point?””

Occasionally, I hear off the cuff remarks like that from smart home sceptics. I usually take these one-liners with a pinch of salt, but, for a moment, let's consider one of them. Let's think about what's "necessary" technology, but rather than in a house, with cars...

20 years ago, you had to run around and lock each door with a key, or lock all from inside, then lock one final door. Imagine you had to do that today! It's quite laughable.

Now imagine that you had to remember to turn off your radio when you left your car, or it would just stay on, wasting the energy in your battery. Consider a new car today, that didn't automatically turn on or off the lights, or at least warn you that you'd left them on when you were leaving.

We're building houses like that today!

It's one thing that new houses from a developer don't include these features, but people are designing their own houses and making a decision not to have the same features they've been used to having in their cars for decades. They go round every light checking it's off before they leave. Imagine if you were buying a car, and you realised you had to do that every time you left it. Your sidelights, your dipped beam, your main beam, your front fog lights, your rear fog lights, your interior lights, your left indicators, your... You get my point.

A smart home can have control for all the lighting in your home, right by the door as you're leaving. Or in your pocket. On your wrist, or even on the tip of your tongue.

Classic cars have their place. But you wouldn't want to drive one every day.

Modern cars have automatic lights. Electrically driven windows. Power steering. Climate control. These are not by any means luxury, but rather items you'd be annoyed if you didn't have. Make your house more liveable. Don't settle for what your builder or electrician is most comfortable offering.