Web Applications to Avoid
This is a list of Web or Cloud services and systems that I will personally be avoiding! That’s not to say that you might not find them useful or usable, this is only my opinion not a professional recommendation.
They show serious flaws of some kind. Perhaps being unstable, are insecure or maybe even just backed by dodgy morals.
Contents
General
Nothing yet.
Home Automation (IoT)
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Hive (UK) - Home automation service with boiler control and more. Part of Centrica (British Gas)
I really wanted to like this one and I know that many people really do like it. It looks good, has good reviews, can be professionally fitted. So why is it in this list?
Because it requires a cloud service run by British Gas. Experience shows that these things tend to get neglected or abandoned just when you’ve come to rely on them.
Additional experience often shows poor security - not something you want to discover when it is controlling your heating.
The final problem, like so many “IoT” products - it is expensive. Not the core heating controls, they are actually pretty good value although the ongoing cost of £60-£300 per year for the cloud services might not be to everyone’s taste. But £30 for a door sensor, £20-40 for a light? £40 for a plug!!
Last checked 2017-09-10
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