The landscape of smart home technology can often feel precarious. Frequent reports emerge of various smart home companies closing their doors, leaving customers seeking alternatives to manage their lighting systems. This raises questions about the sustainability of smart home manufacturers and the measures they can implement to ensure their longevity in the market.
In the latest episode of The Vergecast, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Technology News’s reviewer specializing in smart home technology, speaks with Ken Fairbanks, an Insteon customer who took the unusual step of purchasing the smart lighting company after it entered bankruptcy.
The conversation delves into the evolution of smart lighting technologies, particularly how they transitioned from wired to wireless systems in the wake of the X10 era. Fairbanks recounts how he, alongside a group of former employees who were also users, managed to restore Insteon’s offerings. He shares valuable insights on maintaining customer loyalty, the realities of subscription models, and the regulatory challenges posed by new tariffs, while reflecting on the thin line some Internet of Things companies walk, akin to pyramid schemes.
The episode also features a comprehensive segment of the Vergecast hotline, where Jen partners with Richard Gunther, cohost of The Smart Home Show podcast, to field listener questions centered on smart lighting. They discuss topics such as relocating smart lighting setups, determining whether to use smart switches or bulbs, and selecting the appropriate Thread border router for Matter integration. Additionally, they provide insights into their own smart lighting implementations at home.
For further exploration of the themes discussed in this episode, here are some additional resources:
- The challenges faced by Insteon reflect an ongoing dilemma in the smart home sector
- How Insteon customers played a key role in reviving the company
- Choosing between smart switches and smart bulbs: A comprehensive guide
- Ikea’s initiatives in creating a more intelligent home environment
- Addressing Wi-Fi challenges in smart home systems
- Guidelines for effectively relocating a smart home setup
- Insights from The Smart Home Show on moving a smart home
- The potential of binding features for smart home devices
- An evaluation of the Google TV Streamer: A smarter set-top box
