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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Technology
Katie Strick

Is it smarter to have a dumb home? ‘We’ve seen clients unable to flush toilets’

Illustration that shows smart devices arranged in the shape of a house.
People have found themselves without lights or locked out for days when smart tech fails, while some simple devices such as doorbells and thermostats can require monthly subscription fees. Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

When the smart home devices Elly Bailey was expecting in the post never showed up at her Gold Coast home, she was frustrated. As a technology reviewer, these products were crucial for her work.

When she eventually found the cause, she had to laugh. It wasn’t a sticky-fingered neighbour or a rogue delivery driver causing her to miss parcels but her smart doorbell – the very thing she’d hoped would prevent missed deliveries, and part of exactly the range of internet-connected devices she was meant to be reviewing.

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