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submitted 4 days ago by cm0002@lemy.lol to c/smarthomes@feddit.uk
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[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 7 points 4 days ago

So, basically, if you are sending your sensor data to random cloud APIs, vendors can track your exact position at any time. Combined with different sensors, they can probably track most of your daily habits and pipe you ads for whatever it is you are doing at that moment through audio, TV or phone ads.

It's a phased array radar and that can actively scan a room, ffs. If the sensors are on a 2D grid, say, like a 16x16 array, the radar beam can be pointed in just about any direction.

Keep that data private, or don't use it at all. It absolutely isn't video camera quality, but it doesn't need to be.

This is super cool stuff though. If used properly and privately, the possibilities are endless for home security and home automation. Just don't hand the controls to someone else and pay a monthly fee so they can.

[-] CameronDev@programming.dev 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

In general, using cloud stuff for smart home is just a poor experience anyway (latency, outages, etc), so many avoid it already.

Edit: agree with other reply, just buy esp32 based sensors from Ali.

[-] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 3 points 4 days ago

Yah, potential privacy nightmare, but super useful. A quick look on Ali turned this up, which uses ESPHome (open source) firmware for < $AU50. As long as it's in an internet disconnected IoT WLAN network (you do have one of those, right?) I see little risk. The risk will come with phone app enabled crapware versions that are incoming right now I expect.

I actually have a 24Ghz version waiting to be connected to an ESP32 in my to be done drawer, but I may well leapfrog it and grab this instead.

this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2026
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