Doesn't Time Fly... It seems like just the other day I was holding a Nintendo controller with a select key, a start key, a directional pad, and two little red buttons, and at that time it seemed to be one of the most impossible things ever, some of the games that they had created, the speed that they advanced at, it was all just crazy... Now we sit at the peak in an era when technology is advancing exponentially every day… I’ve always liked Logitech Products, they might be a little bit more expensive than some of their competitors, but much cheaper than some, and they’re top quality products that usually have very few compatibility issues! I would say that they are definitely one of the leading companies for advanced computer and networking accessories, as well as home security products now too. I love to see some of the equipment that is being released these days, I would never have even guessed that such things could exist in the year 2010… I think that things could come a lot farther over the next few years, I know they will, the building blocks and the technology are already there, it just takes companies like this to bring them to us. Logitech makes some of the most advanced remotes for your home entertainment system, and some of the most advanced keyboards in the world, and now one of the fastest moving, most realistic and user friendly home security monitoring and alert programs! I guess I’m just curious, because I know that it’s not far off, and I’d rather purchase things like these from Logitech than any other company without a doubt, why haven’t they started to combine some of the “wows”? They might make remote controls that operate up to eight devices, or is it fifteen now, but they seem to be completely based around the entertainment portion of our lives, rather than a more global view… Why not make a remote that’s shelled inside a little tougher casing, something that can withstand the elements, something that controls whatever you want it to? I’m well aware that the remotes they make now can do just that, but they’re not designed to do so, nor do they have the device capacity to make it practical to use in this way. I guess I just assumed that by now somebody would have incorporated a “lights” section, and a “garage door opener” section, maybe a “thermostat” section… It would be handy to use the same remote to open my garage door, unlock my front door, turn on the TV, the Digital Cable, and the Amplifier, turn the heat up a couple degrees, turn on the living room lights, and why not shut off the kitchen lights again too… The new “Logitech Mini Controller” for Google TV, why can’t my mini controller control my entire household? Maybe I could see which doors are currently locked, whether or not the ovens on, if the dryer’s finished running, etc… I mean do they even have somebody working on making an affordable “Logitech Digital Thermostat” that is capable of being controlled remotely yet? Is somebody there working on creating a line of light switches for home use that are capable of being monitored and or controlled remotely? How about ceiling light fixtures? Or Electrical Outlets, maybe attachments for my washer and dryer, or for my oven or my fireplace that allow me to monitor and/or control them from elsewhere? If they don’t, they should… I already use my harmony remotes to control certain lights in my house, my landscape lighting, and pretty much anything else that can run on a toggle switch. I know this may sound like it’s getting to the “Super Lazy” point, but the truth is that it’s going to happen soon anyway. The company that makes their “Programmable Household Remote Control” that is actually somewhat compatible with other company’s products, as well as being user friendly, and of course realistic, is going to bank. Plain and Simple. Something the size of a Net-book, or even a bit smaller, that you could carry inside your briefcase or purse, and besides checking your email and looking up an address would also allow you to monitor and control everything in your household, including motion detector alerts, and viewable security cameras from wherever you happen to be… The ability to see what your thermostat is set at, and if your oven is off, if you’d like to have your lights inside turning on and off when you’re gone on vacation, or to tell if you accidentally left a water faucet running, or the coffee pot on… I don’t expect to see these in use by the average family tomorrow, but I definitely see them being not far off, and I hope that Logitech remains a leader in the industry. I know that Radio Shack working with Schlage and GE currently has the Z-Wave products coming out for “home automation,” everything from appliance modules, to thermostats, to home security products, to remote power outlets, but they’ve steered clear of the Computer and Home Entertainment side of things with their remotes though… And without the internet and Networking capabilities that products like Logitech’s have brought into the market they will not be successful until they adapt. Anyway, I guess the whole point of my novel here was supposed to be about setting limits, or to not be I should say, I was going to ask why I could only control six cameras with the new “Alert” Security Systems, and why they don’t make something that can control existing cameras? I know that there’s all the people that will tell you that it’s because “they want you to have to buy their cameras too,” but I’ve been using Logitech products long enough to know better, this is definitely a company that still has some ethics, and that’s why I believe that “Competitor Compatibility” is a huge item for them to discuss in the future. I know many of their competitors will intentionally make their products to be incompatible with Logitech’s equipment, but that is just because of a lack of business ethics, which will eventually lead to them to their own demise… People aren’t stupid these days, and it doesn’t take very many frustrating events because of moves like that for individuals to swear off certain companies, and sometimes those individuals are in charge of very large purchasing contracts for businesses etc… Technology has been on a crazy ride, and time does fly by, I’m curious to see the capabilities that we have when it reaches 2015, and to know which companies take us there… I think that we can pretty safely say that Logitech will be one of them though!
James
