Since these things are controlled by a phone, computer and/or tablet I had a bit of a problem deciding where to put it. Patty, if you think it would be better in another area let me know and I will move or you just move it.

Have you heard of 'Smart Bulbs'? These are LED light bulbs that can be controlled. Note that they are NOT cheap. If you have seen any of the photos I've posted as to my apartment it is obvious that I like accent lights and that is what these are. Through your control device (computer via your wireless router or either a smart phone or your tablet via Wi-Fi or blue tooth) you can set the color hue to just about anything in the color spectrum.

Personally I'd never even heard of the things until today's newsletter from TechHive. Here is the article.
http://www.techhive.com/article/3129887 ... bulbs.html

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I tried one of these "smart" bulbs a while back that I saw at Home Depot. It wasn't the color changing one but it was one that could be networked. I just thought it was cool and figured I would just try it out.

Well, it did work and you could schedule the bulb to do all kinds of stuff. However, as soon as my phone went out of range the whole schedule disappeared and had to be reprogrammed. It was so much trouble that I returned it and got my money back.

Yep, cool gadget but of limited utility in my estimation. And, I'm not sure why one wants to change the color of light bulbs on a regular basis but I'm sure there will be a niche market somewhere. Denver strikes me as one big market.

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Best regards,
Manny Carvalho
MS-MVP since 2002

One might think twice before using the "smart" devices. Read about the Chinese CCTV camera's that were hacked and responsible for recent DDOS attacks.

I completely agree with you, Peter. No "smart" devices for me! Beyond computer and cell phone, that is. Even my car, which has that capability, I chose not to use (or even set up) the service that connects you via internet.
Here's an interesting article on it, less technical than most of Krebs:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/10/sen ... -iot-mess/

Here's his article on the actual event:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/10/hac ... et-outage/

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Patty MacDuffie
Computer Haven Administrator

Live Long and Prosper
Mr. Spock

True and a problem for sure. However, a properly configured router blocks all those attempts easily enough. Of course, what's amazing is how many of these devices weren't protected. It's sad really.

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Best regards,
Manny Carvalho
MS-MVP since 2002

Yup, scary how dependent we are now days. It took ages for GG and I to purchase smartphones, I finally got tired of so many contractors and others asking, "And what's your cell phone number?" But now that I have one I too am addicted because of the instant convenience and safety, but I do not use it to control anything in our house. When we secured our new home with ADT, I was given the option of having my cell phone control everything ... NO!

If an hostile government or terrorist group wanted to bring down the US, they don't need nuclear weapons. Just find expert hackers and kill, well, practically everything except people, even possibly bring down the power grid. Many of our tanks on the battle field now even depend upon receiving distant computer commands. Give me the good old WWII days where you grabbed your rifle, hand grenades, and went out and nailed them face-to-face (of course I might not be the one with the guts to do that ).
Acadia

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The blazing evidence of immortality is our dissatisfaction with any other solution. -- Emerson

Do you remember the Star Trek episode where there were these two planets who waged virtual war between them? There was no incentive to stop the war. In that case no buildings or property were destroyed. A virtual hit was made and the computers determined how many people were killed. Those people reported to gas chambers and were cleanly, painlessly, terminated.

The Star Trek crew destroyed their computer system and they had to fight real, bloody war. Peace was negotiated very quickly.

Interesting story.

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Patty MacDuffie
Computer Haven Administrator

Live Long and Prosper
Mr. Spock

Oh, yes, remember that one well. But in my case, they would have to drag me screaming and kicking into the death-chamber. Actually, I would run and hide in the forests or mountains, as long as my food held out, or until it got too cold.
Acadia

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The blazing evidence of immortality is our dissatisfaction with any other solution. -- Emerson

Ditto.

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Patty MacDuffie
Computer Haven Administrator

Live Long and Prosper
Mr. Spock

That Star Trek episode is 'A Taste Of Armageddon'. LOL! Season 1, Episode 24... No!, I did not know that off the top of my head. I have most of Star Trek's series on my list on NetFlix.

As to the risk of smart devices I also have none. I think the bulbs could be cool but I'm not likely to buy. Not even my HDTVs are 'smart' other than that I have a decent computer connected. Plus, of course, the price tag on the bulbs is not friendly.

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That's an interesting example!

It had crossed my mind about the security of my 'non smart' HDTV when I first bought it, in the last couple of years that concern has increased as I've connected 3rd party devices to it, an example being an Amazon Fire TV Media Player that is by it's nature continually connected to the internet, and therefore, my home network and TV.

My concern hasn't been about 3rd party devices as such but rather the way the TV was designed to receive software updates, being a dumb TV it was designed to receive updates over the terrestrial TV signal, I disabled this update feature on my TV when I realised the manufacturer had no intention of ever updating the software again but it does beg the question how many dumb TV's still have the function enabled and if some miscreant really wanted to hack your network, couldn't they just upload a cracked version of the TV software and access your network that way?

Perhaps that's entering the realms of fantasy, I don't know, but if memory serves me right there was a major TV manufacturer called out for sending viewing habits back to them a few years ago (iirc via non smart TV's), they admitted it and resolved to stop the practice.

Point being, a TV doesn't necessarily need an internet connection to receive an update and it doesn't necessarily need one to send info the other way either, so what's to stop the bad guys doing the same?... The only difference I see between then and now is the coding possibilities and what they can access, which is potentially a whole lot more.

I have no real answer for you Doddie except in my case. My main screen is an LG 42 inch HDTV and my second a 32 inch Emerson. While both can do a firmware upgrade on neither have I found a setting to do it through the TV signal. I have to put the firmware upgrade on a flash drive and insert (which I have never done as I have no issues). Still I can see and understand your concern!

Still I would have to wonder if the bad guys would not have to hack your cable or dish provider to be able to send a false upgrade. Again this is just my situation but I have no direct antenna connected, just cable.

I hope that I'm not missing something about what you are saying. If it seems that I am, please expand on what you are saying. BTW, I agree that an auto upgrade of this type could be a danger. To be honest I didn't even know that was available.

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Jay, I'm in England just now visiting in-laws but when I get home i'll get back to you with further details of how the TV has the ability to upgrade its software via the TV signal.

I won't be able to explain "how" the TV manages this as I know nothing about TV technology, but I can prove that the TV has the ability to do it.

As a fwiw, at the moment all I can tell you is the TV is one of those "branded" ones whereby the 'labelled manufacturer' (mine is a 'Murphy') buys screens from well known TV manufactures (iirc my screen is either a Panasonic or Toshiba, I forget exactly who's?) and adds their own components and software, stamps their name on the TV and sells them on... I believe this is quite a common practice nowadays by large department stores, supermarkets etc?
The pros and cons tend to be you get an excellent picture because the screens are almost always the best on the market but at a reduced price of the fully badged premium brands, however, tech support is almost always non-existent, especially online support which is non-existent.
e.g. In my case, shortly after buying the TV about half of the AV sockets 'disappeared' from the AV options list in the TV software. I expected to find a website with downloads where I could at least try re-flashing the software, but no, the only option was the phone number in the manual to arrange a full RMA.

Anyway, I'm digressing and will get back to you at the weekend

Oh, I have no doubt that the ability to update firmware is available via a TV signal my two HDTVs just don't seem to have that option... or I haven't found it. I DO intend to make sure by going through all my menu options but with the World Series and work I just haven't had the chance. If the option is there it is pretty well hidden.

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My TV system does updates over the phone lines to the Sky box which the TV is connected to, you are told to keep the phone line plugged in because of this.

It's only in the last year we've had modern TVs, we got a 40" LED for the living room replacing a big clumsy 28" and earlier this year we got a 22" LED for the bedroom replacing a 14" portable.

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Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com