we should include remote controlled garage doors, TVs, ceiling fans, heaters, sensor lights, washing machines, fridges and automatic timers on stoves not to forget the "thing" that plays whatever music i like in response to instructions called our from the next room and we've just installed floor heating in a bathroom that can be turned on by phone!!

Smart technology is not 100% reliable at the moment but i have full faith that it will just keep getting better and in tern also keep getting less expensive and more in tune with using less electricity to power our homes. I am all for it. We all need to work together to slow down #globalwarming

Had the latest technology installed in a new property built during 2003. However now it is out of date and I believe to have been a waste of money as technology is changing at a very fast rate.

I have smart tech in my present house and will put a lot more in the new house I am about to start building. The most important technology to install first is monitoring so you can see how your house is performing and how much energy you are using before you splash out on lots of other tech like solar etc. Using less energy is 100% efficient rather than trying to produce more to just waste. Install whole house energy monitoring and see how much you are using and when you are using it then try shifting your usage times to cheaper times (night rate) and see how much you can save.

Hear, hear, JoWst, to me upgrade = waste and so much in these toys is plastic - the last thing our environment needs. Just getting rid of e-waste is specialised.

While technology may be saving greenhouse emissions in one way, it is adding to them in others. It takes energy to make things, it takes energy to dispose of them. It costs money for the infrastructure to run them too as well as the energy that uses. There are the emissions from mobile phone towers too - the jury is still out on the health and safety issues around them. Everyone wants the benefits, just as long as they are not in their backyard.

Don't often disagree with you oklouise, but I think some technology is just making us lazy. I have an automatic garage door, simply because I don't have the strength these days to open one manually, I have a sensor light at my front entry for safety reasons, but as for automatic timers and such, I can manage fine without them. Switching things on in other rooms is exercise to me, this type of technology is contributing to laziness and our growing obesity problem. We need to find a balance and that just does not seem to be happening.

I’m all for adding smarts to a home. We have lived with luxury in our cars for many years... why not our homes to the same extent.

Automated lighting for security, convenience and energy savings.
Automated blinds and windows for convenience and considerable energy savings.
Automated heating/cooling for increased comfort.
Electric access for convenience.

I could go on, but thats the shortlist.

Yes it could be seen as lazy, but I’d rather add convenience and put time aside for outdoor leisures or focussed exercise.

Beware of the latest smart technology. Almost every digital item these days has built-in cameras and microphones. We‘ve stuck black tape on what looks like a camera on any digital items that we own.

Open discussion

So some of you love watching The Block? PS Global warming is a con!

I have an EMF (Electro magnetic field) sensitivity. Too much wifi & dirty electricity (caused by electrical appliances and worse, smart meters, smart devices) make me quite ill. While I can tolerate small amounts, but have to be very careful regarding exposure so no, I have as few (not so) 'smart' things as possible; and my computers are all cabled. What people don't realise is that all biological organisms (including us) react to the wifi signals but most are unaware. Have you noticed how tired you might be..? Tingling, itchy skin if your on your device too long..? Random heart palpitations for no known reason..? People blame it on stress, work etc but no-one (unless you've been forced suffer the consequences and then to research it as I have) considers the haze of (abnormal to our bodies) electrical and wifi signals were are now immersed in/exposed to 24/7. The incidence of childhood cancer has escalated so much its mindboggling and yet those cancers were rare or almost unheard of 30-40 years ago - WHY!!? Almost the entire western world are far more 'tired' than they were before the inception of the internet and cordless dect phones which put out continuous signals 24/7 (the incidence of autism in children rose in DIRECT correlation with the 'eruption' of dect cordless phone use...) Thats our bodies getting worn out with continually having to resist and 're-arrange' for want of a better word, our systems (and those continual disruptions eventually causes malfunctions - and then disease) in order to cope with the bombardment. Its real, and its causing huge health issues; not really recognised in New Zealand but lots on the internet about it. I became so ill after having a smart meter installed by my power company that I had to battle for almost 2 years to get it removed and had to go to the govt ombudsman to get Genesis power to remove it. Within a week of its removal I was a new person, I felt as though I'd been drugged all that time and it had got steadily worse until I could hardly function at all. Nowadays I am permanently tired, worn out, but nothing like the smart meter effects - thank goodness! Another thing people seem unaware of is the 'smart' appliances were orignally manufactured so that power companies can remotely monitor your use and turn YOUR appliances on and off remotely if they choose to and without your permission or knowledge. There have been court cases in the US already where power companies have overstepped the line in 'spying' on people via their power usage - they can even tell which room you are using more in etc. Inform yourselves first, and my advice if its worth anything, is don't read/believe the garbage that so called 'smart' devices and wifi are not harmful - they are put out, paid for, or financially supported in some discreet way by the companies who make billions from it; they have been caught ignoring and worse, suppressing research and who knows what else where so much money is at stake... They are and have been actively doing this so those global concerns are repeatedly 'squashed' and do not affect their billion $$$$$ incomes. I am living proof wifi is harmful, and there are thousands, maybe millions of people out there who suffer from EMF sensitivity, and millions more who dont even know they are! We are not crazy as some accuse, we have simply worked out what causes our unwellness, our illnesses and have/are trying to warn those who are unaware their innocuous symptoms may stem from wifi exposure and working to stop the 'invasion' of EMF's and its effects. Please, if nothing else, inform yourselves before filling your home with this invisible toxin.

I am glad to hear that you are feeling better without your smart meter and wifi plus dect phone and assume you do not also own a cellphone. Be careful with some new TV and appliance remotes which use RF signals as well. Much like smart meters though they only radiate occasionally. Smart meters once a day around 6am for a few seconds and remotes when you push the button. Dect phones handsets transmit a pulse occasionally to stay registered to the base station and only really transmit continuously when you are on a call. the most dangerous device RF wise to your body is an old style GSM phone when you talk for a long time with it up against your ear/brain. Interestingly the number of brain cancers that could be attributed to cellphone use has not statistically changed over the last 40 years. This does not mean that some people are not affected by them of course including one of my family who could tell if a gsm cellphone was in the room as he got headaches.

I have lots of smart technology in my place -- in fact , the more mates that come over , and the more beer we drink , the smarter we get ! By midnight , we have generally solved most of the worlds problems hahaha . . . . . . . . .

On a slightly more serious note , buy what works for you ! A couple of people have said about technology aging quickly , and it's true , BUT if you can justify it now , to me it doesn't really matter if it is half the price or twice as fast in 2 years time -- when we get there , you can decide if you are happy with what you have , or if you want to update then .

I have cameras that record people coming to my place , detectors that beep my cellphone if someone is inside , and then I can look and see who they are and what they are doing .

I have several TV's , and a wireless system that means they can all pick up TV and DVD and pay TV and internet shows ( individually ) , my printer is connected to the internet so I can send 'files' from anywhere in the world to it ( well anywhere there is internet or cell coverage ) -- all fairly basic . But I can't turn on my dinner or washing remotely , and nor does my fridge e-mail the supermarket and order more milk , quoting my credit card details -- doesn't interest me , but no doubt suits some people .

Just to clarify ianwilli - cordless dect phones send out a wifi signal every couple of seconds regardless of whether you are on a call or not. The only phones available that I'm aware of, that do not send out a continuous signal while not in use are Gigaset phones, which I use. As for smart meters - they also send out a signal every couple of seconds so I'm unsure where you got your information from but sending a signal only once a day is incorrect - every time the red light flashes on your smart meter board, it is sending an omnidirectional (all directions) signal to the nearest receiving station which could be miles away so imagine how strong that signal has to be to reach that far - and in your house you are only metres away or worse, sleeping on the other side of the wall from your meter with those signals constantly going through your body/brain, bombarding it 24/7. They do not send only once a day, they send every few seconds on a frequency completely alien to our bodies - all biological organisms and, like anything our bodies are not made to cope with, then disrupts our system and causes it to malfunction. Correct DNA formation malfunctions and its down hill from there...

Is a tinfoil dunces cap sufficient to protect yourself , or should you immerse yourself in a fully pressurised suit and live 500 metres underground ?

Firstly I have a gigaset base station and sends out regular communications to the handset and likewise the handset communicate with the base station regularly but not every few seconds. Look up the specs for "GAP" standard. Also the flashing light on your smart meter has nothing to do with the sending of data. It is counting units(KWHr) of power. To prove that just turn on the jug and see how often the light blinks. It will be faster. Only two locations in NZ use mesh radio for smart meters, Christchurch and Central hawkes bay which reported twice a day but also passed data for other meters if they can not get a direct signal - the signal is so weak. The rest of the country installed cellular based meter reading which only sent the data once a day (due to the expense). This is fact not fiction. I used to be involved in the industry as an RF engineer. Please check your facts from reliable sources. Most electronic equipment radiates a variety of frequencies. Especially anything with a microprocessor in it. Anything with an illuminated display. Your alarm clock beside the bed, your oven, dishwasher, not to mention TV and any form of computer. All these have measurable levels of radiated emissions but they are required to meet industry and international standards as do all the things you have mentioned. I forgot to mention the power lines in the street and in the walls of your house. Unless you live off grid and have no modern technology you just have to live with it. I certainly do and have no worries being fully informed and accepting all the modern advantages.

The graph is meaningless without the cellphone technology being specified as the technology has changed so much over the years. That image has been copied and modified and spread all over the internet for years. Modern cellphone towers and cellphones radiate much lower power than they used to (orders of magnitude), and the modulation modes are completely different. The graph should at least have an original date. Looks like 1980's data. the frequency is important because the signal strength over distance decreases at a much higher rate at the higher frequencies of many cellular systems now. Not sure what the 0-100% axis is supposed to represent.

The reality is the signal strength measurable in your house with a nearby cell tower is likely to be much less than the cellphone in your pocket.

To quote doctor Google "Some scientists and clinicians acknowledge the phenomenon of hypersensitivity to EMR resulting from common exposures such as wireless systems and electrical devices in the home or workplace; others suggest that electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is psychosomatic or fictitious."

I am not saying which it is but i'll accept technology where it helps me.

There is way more radiation over a wide frequency range from the sun. :-)

This is a very interesting discussion, I'm afraid my education was pre computer-speak and I'm lost.

Maybe I need a beer at pottsy's house.

I'll drink to that ;-)

I give up trying to explain - with people like you who refuse to acknowldege the reality of the dangers, there is no point in arguing with someone who refuses to see. I suffer the reality of EMF sensitivity along with thousands of others. Maybe if you did you might be more 'open...' My information is researched, valid and up to date thanks - I posted the graph as an indicator only. I note you don't mention the so-called standards set by the industry which only measure the thermal output and very conveniently, NOT the biological effects?? As there are billiions of $ involved, the telco companies involved around the world have spent huge, huge amounts of money suppressing the real evidence - you might be an engineer, but that means nothing if you are not reading the real evidence and only going by mainstream 'research' which has been doctored/manipulated to exclude, or at best downplay the real effects and dangers.

Daryl, I for one, have been following this thread with great interest since your comment and am very sorry to hear the problems you have had. I had never heard of any of this, but with the dramatically increasing incidences of asthma, mental illness and depression, attention deficit and behavioural problems with children especially, autism - the list goes on - I often stop to wonder why, I know when I was young half of these issues didn't seemed to exist, yet did they and and no one knew about them, or is this because there are more people in the world now or is it all a part of modern living and why? Pollution has been blamed for many things but it seems as fast as we clean up one form of pollution we start another such as this.

Technology is advancing at a crazy pace and the younger generation are eager for more and more but is anyone really stopping to investigate health issues or are we just becoming obsessed not just with the profits to be had from it, but also to free ourselves from everyday drudgery and live a Jetsons life style. We all want more free time, but what are we doing with it? In many cases working longer hours to pay for it !! It seems we are too obsessed with "improving" our lives to stop and question any consequences.

For we seniors, this is not doing us any favours, we were not raised with this, it is a whole new way of life for us and the faster technology advances, the faster we are being left behind floundering in the mess. No one stops to think that women especially in my age group were forced to resign from work when we married or had children, there was no place for us in the workforce, our place was at home, cleaning and maintaining it, ensuring our menfolk were well fed and dressed and our children were properly raised. For many women, they lost workplace skills, but the male ego was also dinted if wives went back to work, men were expected to be the providers. Unless you have lived through this period you really would have no comprehension of just how much attitudes and opportunities have changed particularly in the second half of last century, I think we have lived through some of the greatest changes ever but sadly not everyone is given the opportunity to embrace them. There are many, many people in society today, in their 60s, 70s and 80s who just don't have a clue about technology, they never had the opportunity to use it or learn about it in their younger years, but now it is just an assumption that "everyone" knows, so many seniors are really falling through the cracks, they are missing out on many benefits and are totally vulnerable to scammers.

The point I make here now is that trying to follow this discussion, I realise even more what a whole new language technology seems to have introduced and how much further seniors are being left behind. I had to look up what a "dect" phone was - never heard that word used before, so many other words and terms have me floundering too, half of Ian's learned comments might as well have been written in Swahili, just where do you go to learn all this? As a senior though, (and I have many friends agree) I have a lifetime of learning stored in my grey matter, it is full and it is tired, how much more does it have to learn, how much do I really want to learn - quite frankly as little as possible, I'm over it all now. I very much agree with Pottsy's comment of putting a tin foil cap on my head, if that makes everything go away I'm more than happy.

However these health issues now are definitely a great cause for concern, not just for me but I think of my grandchildren, how reliant they are on technology now, they were raised and are being raised with nothing else, what is in the future for them? I had to have my modem changed to a Smart modem recently because the original one kept failing and unfortunately I have to rely in the internet now to stay in touch with family. I also rely on regular Nanna Naps to get through the day, is this just an age thing or is it the wifi?? How will we ever know these things - obviously Daryl, your symptoms were severe enough to identify this but for someone only mildly affected ??? It is like back in the early days of mobile phones and people developing brain cancer, there were thoughts this could happen, but it wasn't like suddenly millions of people developed brain cancer and it could never be proven that people who did would not have developed it anyway. We still don't know why people get many forms of cancer, but I can understand the skepticism and cynicism - how much slower would technology advance if we really took time out to more thoroughly investigage health risks.

It is great that you have identified this issue for us Daryl, but realistically where do we go from here? It is a bit like closing the gate after the horse has bolted and trying to fight telco's .............yeah!!

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