The Dumb ‘Smart’ Gear That Someone’s Gonna Hack in 2017
Another year, another menagerie of devices that inexplicably connect to the internet. And while you can debate the usefulness of putting Wi-Fi in every last appliance in your home, it undoubtedly gives hackers more easy targets.
There’s a cartoonish version of a world full of hacked hair brushes and patio umbrellas, one in which bad actors transform smart objects into hostile trinkets. In some cases, as with many baby monitor models, that’s actually happened. The more realistic scenario, though, is usually more boring on a local level but potentially devastating on a large scale. Internet-connected devices, if not properly secured, can be roped into botnets capable of making web sites inaccessible to huge numbers of people.
The following smart devices aren’t necessarily insecure. They’re also not necessarily bad ideas. They do, though, introduce potentially vulnerable devices into the home in areas that were, for the most part, doing just fine being dumb.
U by Moen Showerhead
The U by Moen uses its Wi-Fi connection to let you start your shower from bed, the goal being that the water will be warm by the time you arrive. Even if you set aside the water waste issues, it's maybe best keep the internet out of the bathroom when possible.
Amy Lombard for WIREDSimplehuman Wi-Fi Trash Can
Not coming out until May, Simplehuman's voice-activated, Wi-Fi trash can open or close when you tell it to, and pairs with an app to help you order more trash bags when you've run out.
Amy Lombard for WIRED
Kérastase Hair Coach
A collaboration between beauty company L'Oreal and generally solid tech upstart Withings, this Wi-Fi hair brush (yes, you read that correctly) has an onboard microphone (again, yep) that listens to hair as you brush to identify hair issues. Simultaneously, various sensors count brush strokes, measure brushing patterns, and determine how much pressure you're applying to your scalp. To think, we somehow survived this long without.
Amy Lombard for WIREDSunflower Smart Patio Umbrella
Technically not available until 2018, but demonstrated last week, the Sunflower smart patio umbrella has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a security camera, integrated lighting, and various sensors, all with the aim of moving to block the sun wherever it is in the sky.
Amy Lombard for WIRED
Velux Active Smart Window
Working in concert with smart home sensor company Netatmo, Velux's smart windows automatically open when the air quality inside is bad, close when it's too cold outside, and are otherwise responsive to internal and external conditions. Just hope they don't get stalled out on a firmware update when a storm's brewing.
Amy Lombard for WIRED
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