I don't mind the smart home concept, but I find it falls apart at the planning and implementation level. People need to put more thought into what actually needs to be automated.

The best example I can think of is one of the older "smart" devices: a coffee maker. I had an old coffee maker, and I used the auto on function all the time. But, when I wanted to wake up at at different time, I had to fiddle with the coffee maker. Wouldn't it be great if I could just tie it in with my phone's alarm?

Eventually, the coffee maker broke. My first thought was "I bet someone makes a smart coffee maker", but then I remembered not having coffee because the very simple controller died. How long would a "smart" coffee maker actually last? So I bought the dumbest possible coffee maker and a smart switch.

By identifying what part of the process actually needs to be automated, and buying devices that don't require internet connections, you can avoid almost all the common problems people have with smart homes.