The Daily Valet. - 4/21/22, Thursday

✔️ Is This a Smart Move?

April 21, 2022

Thursday, April 21st Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

To be honest, my Sonos hasn’t been working properly for months.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Is It Smart to Have a Smart Home?

When the companies go dark, consumers are left in the dark too ... holding useless pieces of plastic

It’s the optimistic promise of the future: A smart home that seamlessly anticipates your needs and instantly responds to commands with ease. Everything from your locks and your lights to thermostats and other appliances can be cleverly controlled.

Of course, that requires a certain amount of trust in the technology—and the companies behind it. But early adopters have been getting burned. Revolv, Iris, Insignia, Staples Connect, Wink: the graveyard of dead or dying smart home ecosystems that promised so much yet failed to deliver is getting crowded. And it just got two more graves.

Insteon and iHome abruptly shut down this month, leaving over a million customers unable to control their light switches or smart home sensors. Ars Technica called it “shameful,” and the cardinal sin of any technology company: leaving customers—and their gear—in the lurch.

“This shows the perils of handing over the control of your house to a solution which requires a cloud platform,” as Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, told Wired. “It’s a decision that should not be taken lightly.”

Of course, InsideHook points out that most companies do not shutter this quickly. And the smart home market itself is growing, expected to hit a whopping $33.66 billion in 2022, with annual growth of over 11%.

The bad news is that every market is going to have casualties, so if you’re placing all your smart home appliances in one company’s basket, you better be monitoring its economic health. Honestly, it reminds me of my techno-phobic mother, who never wants a lot of bells and whistles. The first time our family car had power windows, she was not impressed. “Just one more thing that could break and need to be fixed.” But me? I’ve always been willing to take a risk for the promise of an easier future.

↦ Dig Deeper: How much will a Google-centric smart home cost you? Cnet broke out the calculator and crunched the numbers to find out.

Justice Dept. Appeals Mask Ruling

Don’t pack those masks away just yet

Well, this is gonna get ugly, isn't it? Justice Department officials said Wednesday that they are filing an appeal seeking to overturn the judge's order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs.

The CDC said it had asked the DOJ to appeal. The public health agency continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings and says “wearing masks is most beneficial in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as the transportation corridor.”

According to the Associated Press, it's unclear whether the Biden administration would ask the appeals court to grant an emergency stay to immediately reimpose the mask mandate on public transit. That'd be a whiplash moment for travelers and transit workers. Airlines and airports, even Uber and Lyft, dropped their mask requirements hours after Monday's ruling.

It will be interesting to see how this progresses. After mid-flight champagne celebrating mask-free flights and others concerned for unvaxxed kids and asking for special “mask-only” flights, it's clear that whatever direction this goes, people are going to be pissed.

↦ FYI: The majority of Americans continue to support a mask requirement for people traveling on airplanes and other shared transportation, a new poll finds.

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Super Commutes

The opposite of WFH? Working far, far from home.

As companies continue calling employees back to the office, staffers are having to make a choice: Return to their pre-pandemic high-rent cities, negotiate full-time WFH or commit to a super commute.

That's an actual term for those people who drive longer than 90 minutes to get to their place of work. Which sounds insane, but is apparently on the rise. Before, it was generally top-level executives who lived ‘super-commuting’ lives—jetting or driving in so they can live out on a large estate outside the city. Now, more and more workers are embracing the idea.

Of course, it isn't all that bad for hybrid employees who only go in a few times a month. It would mean you move without having to leave your job or simply save money on more affordable housing. Data suggests many workers think this is a reasonable trade-off; 4.9 million Americans have moved since 2020 because remote work allowed them to do so.

The secret to a super commuter's sanity while passing a lengthier-than-most trek to work? Podcasts, patience and even prayer.

↦ FYI: Super commuters are also becoming regular fixtures in city hotels on those days when they must make an appearance at the office.

Ukraine’s Little National Hero

Meet Patron, a bomb-sniffing Jack Russell terrier

Ukrainian officials say a bomb-sniffing dog has helped locate dozens of dangerous explosive devices planted by Russian soldiers. In fact, he has helped neutralize nearly 90 bombs since the start of Russia's invasion, Ukrainian officials said.

Patron, a two-year-old Jack Russell terrier works with State Emergency Service rescuers in the northern city of Chernihiv, where he expertly sniffs out bombs (in addition to warming laps, nipping sleeves and generally being a good boy).

“One day, Patron's story will be turned into a film, but for now, he is faithfully performing his professional duties,” tweeted Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications.

The pyrotechnic pooch has become something of a national figure, reports NPR. Earlier this week, the SES shared an album of more than a dozen illustrations of Patron submitted from fans across the country, writing that “our brave baby Patron has inspired an incredible number of gifted artists.”

↦ Meanwhile: Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that it had successfully conducted the first test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

In Other News

↦ Johnny Depp Says He Lost ‘Nothing Less of Everything’ Over Allegations

↦ Instagram Is Begging You to Stop Reposting TikToks to Reels

↦ You’re Making Smoothies All Wrong

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Tipping

Protecting yourself

Snickers veins

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A Camo Cardigan for Every Season

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