In this article the author argues for dumb (ie, not smart, IoT) appliances. One problem is that smart appliances are complex and prone to failure. For example, “[t]he last time a repairman came to my house, he told me that he’d had to get a full-time weekday job at Home Depot because nowadays, when appliances break, most people just buy new ones.” He also coined Owen’s Test  “Until I can operate my Samsung TV, Blu-Ray player, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Cisco cable box with a single remote control, the Internet of Things is a hoax.”