Daylight Savings Time and the IoT

On Sunday in the USA we changed our clocks back one hour to account for Daylight Savings Time and I was reminded of how far we have to go in getting all of our devices to understand and automatically account for the time. Despite all of the talk about IoT and how it has the promise to automate our lives, we still have to manually set the time. Here’s my experience with DST around the home:

[TABLE] style=”width: 500px”
|-
| Device
| Type
| Connectivity
| Automatically Changed Time
|-
| MacBook Pro
| Laptop
| WiFi
| Yes
|-
| iPad 3
| Tablet
| WiFi
| Yes
|-
| iPad Air
| Tablet
| WiFi
| Yes
|-
| Galaxy Note 2
| Android Phone
| WiFi, GSM
| Yes
|-
| Kindle Paperwhite
| e-book Reader
| WiFi
| No
|-
| Honeywell Thermostat
| Thermostat
| –
| No
|-
| AM/FM Alarm
| Clock
| –
| No
|-
| Microwave
| Appliance
| –
| No
|-
| Oven
| Appliance
| –
| No
|-
| 1998 Acura RL
| Sedan
| –
| No
|-
| 2001 Honda Odyssey
| Minivan
| –
| No
|-
| Cateye Stealth50
| Cyclocomputer
| GPS,
Ethernet
| No
|-
| Insignia
| Set top box
| Antenna
| Yes
|-
| Sony DVD-Bluray
| DVD, Bluray
| WiFi
| Yes
|-

All of our devices using Android, iOS, Mac OS X and Windows understood and made the time change automatically.

The Kindle Paperwhite kind of surprised me because it didn’t update the time in spite of being connected to WiFi, even after a Sync operation it still required me to manually change the time of day. The 3G model of the Kindle Paperwhite does automatically change the time, but ironically the WiFi version doesn’t. Amazon has the more popular Kindle Fire devices, and they do understand how to update the time automatically.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

For home automation I could upgrade my thermostat to a WiFi-enabled device from Honeywell or Nest, but I’m not sold on the cost savings so will hold off for a while on that purchase.

Honeywell Thermostat

Newer AM/FM alarm clocks are WiFi enabled and the consumer electronics category of WiFi-driven radios is booming.

I’m not sure that I want my Microwave to be WiFi enabled, because it has a tendency to knock-out WiFi signals enough that my daughter’s iPhone disconnects while our Android phones and Windows laptops stay connected.

Our autos are old enough that they have no networking features, although there’s an interesting group called the Open Automotive Alliance that plans to bring the Android platform to cars starting this year.

Apple has something called CarPlay for infotainment with partners like: Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota and Volvo.

Apple CarPlay

For cycling my Cateye Stealth 50 cyclocomputer does connect to both GPS and Ethernet, although I still had to manually select DST off.

Our home audio-visual equipment is new enough that it connects to WiFi and auto-sets the date and time.

Slowly, but surely I am having to manually reset fewer clocks in our home each year, but we still have a ways to go before the IoT fully automates the time change. How does the time change effect your digital life?

Share this post via:

• 
• 
• 
•