Invasion of the Smart Thermostats

One of my favorite shows when I was kid was Beyond 2000, which I loved for a variety of reasons: the geekiness, the environmental hopefulness, the futuristic optimism, and let’s not forget the Australian accents. I think it always left with me an idealistic vision of how technology could not only be used to improve lives, but also solve real problems.

I don’t know if the show holds up, and if I’m being honest, I can’t say I remember too many specifics from the show — it’s been decades since I’ve seen it. I do recall one episode featuring an indoor ski slope in a Japanese mall — ok, hardly solving real world problems — but I know others definitely dealt with renewable energy and things of that sort. Ever since, I’ve wanted to try to bring some of that Beyond 2000 future into my actual life.

And that is how I ended up with 11 smart thermostats in a house for two people. ðŸĪŠ

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iPhone alarm tip

I often use the iPhone‘s built-in alarm to wake me up from short naps, or to let me know when a parking meter is going to expire. The other night, though, I discovered another use for it.

As I was preparing to go to sleep, I really wanted to listen to some music as I read and, inevitably, fell asleep with my book crashing to the floor next to me. What I didn’t want, though, was for my iPhone to play music all night and wear the battery down by morning.

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