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A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 13 december 2018

How to plan your smart home - and weigh privacy risks

By ANICK JESDANUN voice commands their
AP Technology Writer gadget send over the in-
NEW YORK (AP) — You ternet and use that data
might have heard of lights to help them personalize
that turn off with an app or their services — and, po-
voice command. Or win- tentially, advertisements.
dow shades that magically These voice snippets may
rise every morning. include music or conver-
Technology companies sations in the background.
are pushing the “smart Reputable brands let you
home” hard, selling appli- review and delete your
ances and gadgets that voice history; be sure to do
offer internet-connected so regularly.
conveniences you didn’t And think twice about
know you needed. But be- smart locks and their digi-
fore you succumb to the tal keys. In a child-custody
temptation — for yourself dispute, for instance, your
or others — consider that ex might subpoena the re-
these devices might also cords to learn that you’ve
give companies and hack- been staying out late on
ers a key to your homes. school nights. If you rent,
Here’s how to get started a landlord might suspect
on your smart home and an unauthorized occupant
what to worry about along This Nov. 11, 2018, photo shows an Ecobee smart thermostat, room sensor and connection if you create a guest key
the way. components in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. that’s used daily.
STARTING THAT SMART Associated Press CHOOSING A SYSTEM
HOME bigger smart-home plans. Not Included project seeks those companies may be As cable and internet ser-
A smart home can encom- You probably wouldn’t to warn consumers about more concerned with rush- vices become commodi-
pass features as simple as want to get new window products with security or ing a product to market. ties, the companies behind
remote-controlled lamps shades now only to replace privacy problems. A gen- Bigger companies, how- them are turning to smart
and as sophisticated as them with smart ones a eral web search also might ever, are also more likely to homes for new sources
thermostats that know year later. turn up complaints. use your data for market- of revenue. AT&T’s Digital
when you’re home and THE RISKS In general, it helps to stick ing. So consider the trade- Life and Comcast’s Xfin-
turn up the heat auto- There are some concerns with major brands, as their offs. ity Home offer cameras,
matically. Down the line, to keep in mind. Many corporate reputations are LEAVING A DIGITAL TRAIL door controls and other
you may want to mix and devices are constantly lis- at stake if they’re caught Even if a product works as smart-home devices. The
match these tasks into rou- tening for commands and taking shortcuts. Bigger intended, it may be leav- packages are good for
tines, such as a wake-up connect to corporate serv- companies can also quick- ing a record that can resur- those who prefer one-stop
ritual that automatically ers to carry them out. Not ly fix security holes that crop face after hacks, lawsuits or shopping, though you
starts the coffee maker, lifts everyone is going to be up. Gadgets from startups investigations . might save money and get
the window shades and comfortable with live mi- and no-name brands may Manufacturers, for in- more choices by shopping
plays the news. crophones in their homes offer little or no protection; stance, typically store the around.q
With the right tools, you can (though your phone may
check remotely whether already be doing the
you remembered to lock same thing, if you had en- OMG: California regulators consider
the doors — and lock them abled assistive features
if you forgot. Some systems such as “Hey Siri” and “OK charge on text messaging
can also create temporary Google”).
digital keys for guests and For the most part, record-
contractors. ings will leave home only SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)
Many people start thinking when you trigger the de- — California regulators
about a smart home when vice, such as by speaking are considering a plan to
they get a voice-activated a command phrase like charge a fee for text mes-
speaker such as Amazon’s “OK Google” or pressing a saging on mobile phones
Echo or Google Home, button to get the device’s to help support programs
although such gadgets attention. But an Amazon that make phone service
aren’t strictly necessary. device mistakenly record- accessible to the poor, ac-
Nor do you even need ed and sent a family’s pri- cording to a newspaper re-
actual smart lights and vate conversation to an port Wednesday.
appliances, as you can acquaintance after the The proposal is scheduled
buy smart plugs, adapters device mistakenly thought for a vote next month by
that control existing lights it heard the trigger word the state Public Utilities
or whatever you plug into followed by a “send mes- Commission, the Mercury
them. sage” request. News reported. In this Dec. 14, 2011 file photo, a driver uses a cellphone while
If you catch the smart- Check what safeguards a The wireless industry and driving in Los Angeles.
home bug, you can add device offers before buy- business groups have been Associated Press
appliances with the smarts ing. Smart speakers, for working to defeat the plan. group. It’s unclear how the proposal, the newspa-
already built in as you re- instance, typically have “It’s a dumb idea,” said Jim much money individual per said.
place your existing ones. a mute button to disable Wunderman, president of consumers would be asked But it is likely would be billed
Major remodels also offer the microphone com- the Bay Area Council busi- to pay their wireless carrier as a flat surcharge — not a
an opportunity to make pletely. Mozilla’s Privacy ness-sponsored advocacy for texting services under fee per text.q