Who can argue with this?
Well, I can.
Let me tell you two dangers:
ONE: IS YOUR DATA SAFE?
The way most smart controller systems work is that the appliances in your house are online with cloud servers run by the manufacturers of those appliances. While they "assure" you your privacy is important, all of them collect data about their products' performance and your usage history, often without your knowledge. That information is routinely sold to data miners. Some effort is made to keep your identity anonymous but just consider: Last week a thirteen-year-old in Fresno got the names, addresses and credit card numbers of everyone who owned a General Heating furnace equipped with a smart controller. It took him six minutes to download that data.
TWO: IS YOUR LIFE SAFE?
More troubling is the potential for injury and death when a smart system malfunctions. Because all functions of smart appliances are managed by the controller, not just data collection, it's possible in theory for a water heater, for instance, to receive a signal to turn the heat up to 200 degrees, WHILE YOU'RE IN THE SHOWER! Or, in the event of fire in your house, the controller could lock your doors and trap you inside your dwelling and refuse to send a signal to the fire department reporting the blaze. Or it might even contact the authorities and report a false alarm, leaving you and your family to die a hideous death.
Representatives for the manufacturers say no. There are safeguards built in. Network keys, encryption, passcodes.
But Your Blogger recently purchased one of these controllers. The DataWise5000 by CIR Microsystems, one of the most common, found in everything from water heaters to elevators to microwaves. It was possible, by bombarding the device with ambient radio waves, to cause it to malfunction. Had the unit been installed in a car, a medical instrument, a piece of dangerous industrial machinery, a stove, the results of that malfunction could have been disastrous.
Ask yourself, is convenience worth the price of your and your children's lives?
"Bingo," Archer said, smiling.
More sedately Whitmore mused, "We could argue that the controller is defective because it wasn't shielded from ambient signals."
Rhyme said, "Who posted that? We should talk to him."
The blog gave little personal information and no address.
Rhyme said, "Rodney."
"Who?" Archer asked.
"You'll see," Rhyme said. A glance at Cooper, who smiled knowingly and said, "I'll get the volume." And turned down the control on the speakerphone.
Despite the reduced decibels, when the phone was answered a moment later, relentless rock music pounded into the parlor.
"A bit more," Rhyme called to Cooper, who complied.
A voice from the other end of the line, "'Lo?"
Archer frowned in curiosity.
"Rodney! Can we lose the music?"
"Sure. Hi, Lincoln." The chugga-chugga bass diminished to a whisper. It was not, however, lost.
Rodney Szarnek was a senior detective with the NYPD's elite Computer Crimes Unit. He was impressively brilliant at collaring perps and helping other investigators with the computer side of a case, though irritatingly in love with the worst music on earth.
Rhyme explained that the detective was on speaker, then told him about the case. The smart controller in an escalator might have malfunctioned, resulting in a gruesome death. "But it's not a case, Rodney."
"How's that?"
"It's civil. Mel Cooper's here but only on vacation."
"And I'm confused."
"I'm not working with the department, Rodney," Rhyme said patiently.
"No."