Smart Bed Blues: Eight Sleep Adds “Outage Mode” After AWS Hiccup

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, not because of a bad dream, but because your smart bed has decided to go rogue. That’s the reality some Eight Sleep users faced recently when an Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage left their high-tech mattresses essentially frozen, stuck in whatever temperature setting they were in when the internet went down. The incident highlighted a potential vulnerability in the growing world of smart home devices: reliance on a stable internet connection. Now, Eight Sleep is rolling out an “outage mode” to prevent future sleepless nights caused by server issues.

This isn’t just a minor inconvenience; for people who rely on the temperature regulation provided by these beds for medical conditions or simply for a good night’s sleep, it was a real problem. The outage sparked a wave of complaints online, raising questions about the dependability of internet-connected devices and the potential for unexpected failures.

The Problem: When Smart Beds Go Dumb

Eight Sleep’s Pod and Pod Pro mattresses are equipped with sensors and heating/cooling elements that allow users to precisely control the temperature of their sleeping surface. The mattresses connect to the internet and rely on cloud servers, like those provided by AWS, to manage these functions. This connectivity allows for advanced features such as automatic temperature adjustments based on sleep stages and personalized sleep reports.

However, this reliance on the cloud proved to be a weakness. During the AWS outage, Eight Sleep users reported that their beds became unresponsive. They couldn’t adjust the temperature, and in some cases, the beds were stuck in heating or cooling modes, leading to discomfort and disrupted sleep. The outage effectively turned these expensive, technologically advanced mattresses into glorified, albeit potentially uncomfortable, foam slabs.

The Verge reported that some users even worried about potential overheating issues, raising serious concerns about safety. This highlighted the need for a failsafe mechanism to ensure that the beds remain usable, and safe, even when the internet connection is lost.

The Solution: “Outage Mode” and Local Control

In response to the outage and the subsequent user complaints, Eight Sleep has introduced “outage mode.” This new feature allows users to manually control the temperature of their beds even when the internet connection is down. Essentially, it provides a localized control mechanism that bypasses the cloud servers.

While the specifics of how “outage mode” functions haven’t been detailed extensively, the basic principle is that users will be able to adjust the temperature settings directly on the device, likely through a physical control panel or a Bluetooth connection to their smartphone. This ensures that the beds remain functional, albeit without the advanced features that require an internet connection.

This update is a welcome change for Eight Sleep users. It provides a much-needed safety net and addresses a critical vulnerability in the system. While the cloud-based features offer convenience and advanced functionality, having local control ensures that the bed remains a comfortable and usable sleeping surface, regardless of internet connectivity.

Lessons Learned: The Future of Smart Home Reliability

The Eight Sleep incident serves as a cautionary tale about the potential pitfalls of relying too heavily on internet connectivity for essential devices. As more and more appliances and devices become “smart,” it’s crucial to consider the implications of a potential loss of connection. Manufacturers need to prioritize redundancy and offer local control options to ensure that their products remain functional and safe, even in the event of an outage.

The “outage mode” implemented by Eight Sleep is a positive step in the right direction. It demonstrates that the company is listening to its customers and addressing their concerns. Other smart home device manufacturers should take note and consider implementing similar failsafe mechanisms in their products. Consumers are increasingly aware of the potential risks associated with internet-connected devices, and they expect manufacturers to prioritize reliability and safety.

Looking ahead, the future of smart home technology will likely involve a greater emphasis on edge computing and localized control. Edge computing allows devices to process data and make decisions locally, reducing their reliance on the cloud. This approach can improve responsiveness, enhance privacy, and increase resilience to network outages. By embracing these technologies, manufacturers can create smart home devices that are not only convenient and feature-rich but also reliable and dependable.

A More Reliable Night’s Sleep, Finally

The AWS outage that affected Eight Sleep beds highlighted a critical vulnerability in smart home technology. By adding “outage mode,” Eight Sleep has taken a significant step towards addressing this issue and providing its customers with a more reliable and comfortable sleep experience. This incident underscores the importance of redundancy and local control in internet-connected devices, ensuring that they remain functional and safe, even when the internet goes down. It’s a valuable lesson for the entire smart home industry, emphasizing the need to prioritize reliability and user safety in the pursuit of innovation.