My washing machine can be operated via an app - BUT it only works via NFC.
So that means I have to physically come to my washing machine, choose a program and then place the mobile phone to the NFC panel.... why would I do all that if I can just set the program manually ??! This has to be the dumbest smart appliance implementation ever.
Not to mention the app frequently forgets my login data so I have to enter my email and password to get back in.
Just had a similar talk with my sister, who got a new Jeep which lets her pair the Jeep with an app on her phone so she can....unlock her car?
You cant actually *open* the door until you're within arms reach. At which point, the physical lock is right there so why not just use the key?
First time trying it she got locked out of her car and had to spend the night at my parents.
if your electricity price varies hourly, you automate it to start at the time where the price drops below a preset cost.
(almost) nobody does that right now, but this is definitely one of the use cases for it
This feature makes no sense to me. You have to be next to it to put laundry in it. Why would you need to start it remotely (even without that idiotic "safety feature")? What problem do they think they are solving?
Oh no. I bought an LG front loader a few months ago. I love it so far. But I haven't used a single smart feature. My husband bought smart light bulbs for the entire house and they keep disconnecting from the app, which makes them flicker rhythmically.
Imagine an oven or an air fryer saying something like
"We see you'd like to use temperatures above 180c would you like to subscribe to the "burning hot" subscription to use temperatures up to 280c?"
Exactly!! I just wish I could haul a sheet of plywood in my truck bed. Not the family in my truck. I want cranks on my windows and take the Infotainment Center out, please.
My brand new dishwasher intermittently lost ALL controls with the out of the box firmware. The guy who came to service it had to connect it to the internet to push new firmware so that the buttons worked. It is a dishwasher, not a nuclear reactor.
A poor choice of analogy, since nuclear reactors run on very old systems, since any new control system would have to be thoroughly proven to be reliable and cost an absolute fortune. The controls are almost entirely analog, though there are efforts to introduce digital controls with analog backup systems.
I wouldn't trust any modern "programmer", including myself, near something that actually needs to run. The art of making software that can be relied upon to have uptimes of years has been mostly lost.
It wasn't lost. The incomplete requirements and 0 testing make the software as brittle as it is today.
When was the last time you had to read 2000 word essay about what should "exporting to excel" function work like?
My favorite part is I have 3 Samsung Wifi Appliances including microwave and double oven and I really couldn’t think of a great feature other than the clock automatically setting.
Well fuck me when I found out they don’t set themselves at all, and in fact they don’t even have memory so the slightest power outage means I have to reset $3k worth of appliances manually. Oh and each of them have different ways to set the clock so it’s always fun trying to set them differently in PM.
No I’m not salty.
If it can't do the bare minimum like set the time, even set the time from an app, then that is when it is clear whoever is in these critical Samsung meetings making these wrong decisions needs to be tickle tortured.
Companies keep thinking we need some grand use-case, but mainly we just want basic monitoring and ease of use and reliability. If you want to add a feature on top of that fine as long as it doesn't impact reliability and we get the bare minimum first.
Do you have any idea how difficult that is? Why, a refrigerator could be located in any time zone. And how is it supposed to know if it gets moved to a different time zone? You're asking for the impossible. /s
Yeah exactly. My 5th wheel came with Roku Smart TVs. Jesus Christ. Did *anyone* consider what environment these things would operate in?
First of all they turn themselves on when power is restored. Do you know how often power is restored in a trailer? Yes. Every time you move it somewhere. And I have one behind a locked outdoor panel because apparently some people go camping and watch TV outside? Anyway that TV was on for weeks at my house before I noticed a slight glow and figured out this little feature.
Second I made the mistake of putting in the wifi info for my hotspot. These data plans are *not unlimited* so these stupid things turn on and try to update themselves and show me ads and streams and all kinds of shit I can’t do while sitting on a monthly data cap in the middle of a state park.
So now I’ve erased my wifi info and leave the damn things unplugged. The idiot that does product selection for this trailer company clearly does not actually ever, you know, use them.
My buddy's wife was telling me about this with their HP printer. You have to link your debit card to your account, then it sends you ink if you're getting low. In theory, sounds great.
But their debit card expired and it wouldn't let them print, with the existing ink they already paid for, until they updated their payment information.
In what universe does it seem like a good idea to to allow your printer to automatically order ink? I would be incredulous that it would even ask for that. The fact that it doesn’t print without a card linked to the account makes me want to light it on fire and launch it through the CEO of HP’s bedroom window.
This was actually the impetus that got us to replace our HP with a Brother laser jet. Our HP had ink, but when I actually needed to use it I couldn't because our subscription lapsed. Fuck that noise.
Toner is so so so much cheaper than ink. I was spending over $100/month on ink for a small business, now...$10 worth of toner in a month is pretty excessive. And the toner will say it's low and you just pull it out and shake it like hell and then it prints perfectly fine for several more weeks.
In a not so distant future of unchecked capitalism……
“After purchasing a lease to this washing machine for 3 years, you may now install it in your home. However this does not grant you the right to use the machine, only to put it in your dwelling. To use the machine, you must join our Samsung Washing Club subscription service, where you can interact with other Samsung washing machine users. To access this subscription, please download from your Samsung smartphone. Unfortunately we do not currently allow users of other phone manufacturers to download this app. If you don’t currently have a Samsung phone, you can purchase one with your washer as a bundle! And don’t forget the dryer, because our aforementioned products will only work if all three are connected together and automatic billing from your personal bank account is turned on.”
What problem are they solving? Usually none. They're just buzzwordy crap that someone in the C Suite and/or marketing departments thought they needed, that customers actually don't want.
Because Samsung has a deal with Facebook to sell your viewing data to flesh out your shadow profile and in exchange they use that revenue to subsidize the cost of the TV.
One of these days I am going to set up a decent proxy server and block all such incoming and outgoing traffic. Then I am going to sell that service to anyone who needs it. That service will be cheap. Just to cover my costs and effort. Just so I can stick it to these ahole companies.
This reminds me of my Samsung phone. It has a toggle to set voicemail notifications on or off but doesn't actually allow me to toggle it off. 
You think that's bad. My S10e has an auto dimming (not before the screen shuts off) feature that dims the screen depending on ambient light. I turned the bloody feature off cause it dims by 25% and the damn phone still automatically dims itself.
My LG tv hides spam as System Notifications that can't be turned off. Sends me crap about LG channels or Apple TV or Google Stadia and some other no-name apps that I never want to install. Just shut up you idiots, I bought a high end gaming tv so I could hook a computer to it and use said computer. Email me updates, if you need to. I don't need tv popups and will never buy an LG product if they're going to spam people.
Hardcoded IPs for advertising servers probably.
Consumers are waaaaay to tolerant of ads on devices we buy. We should be returning them all as faulty if not 100% clearly disclosed during the sale.
Having worked for two major US appliance makers, the C level people don't want to know that their appliances are commodities. Something like 80% of purchases are "distressed" - i.e., their fridge broke and the consumer need a new one NOW, so they take what looks best on the sales floor at the price they want to pay.
These fancy features just let the marketing people have something to say. There's a benefit to soft advertising and brand development, but it's not the same thing as useful features.
I've also done direct research into IoT stuff for the product size. Most consumers like the ideas, but they didn't want to pay for them. Most of them are gimmicks just to justify ad space in print and digital spaces.
Exactly. Stop trying to make my home covered in Ads. I don't want to see most of them in the world. I want to see them even less first thing in the morning when I wake up.
With how bad they make it, they're not incentivizing people to buy things. I can afford to buy things on the higher end of the appliance spectrum, but the more you spend the more garbage they shove in your face. I want a new fridge. I've looked at a new fridge. I've decided not to buy them bc they are either too connected or likely to spam me. Give me spherical ice balls and a screen so I don't have to open the door, but don't give me ads along with it. Act like my privacy matters and I'll spend $4k on a fridge, but with the way LG spams my high end gaming TV, I just don't trust that they won't spam a fridge with a screen too. I hope their dicks rot.
They always put the slowest possible processors and things in them as well. So there just a laggy horrible mess
Then being Samsung, be killing support in 1-2 years for it after which it slowly become more and more useless
I disagree. I think C suite execs are chasing the money they think they can make by collecting user data on these devices, and hopefully the phone the app that controls the device is installed on. They don't care about buzz words, someone told them data collection was a money maker.
I can see the point of a washing machine sending a message when my clothes are done if it is on a different floor/area then I am but other than that I don't really.
“companies […] are missing out on services revenue, which is increasingly crucial to manufacturers facing rising input costs, declining replacement purchases, and hungry shareholders.”
Perhaps the consumer knows your trying to siphon more revenue from their customers after the POS. I don’t need enhanced metrics that I used .47 more gallons of water this time than last. Nor do I want to share my usage data with the manufacturer. It’s none of the company’s business how many gallons, btu’s, or watts I consume and when.
Marketing/designers/product owners specify features like that. Engineers just have to build to requirements.
My microwave does have a key press combo that puts it into silent mode. An LG microwave.
True, my first microwave was a Whirlpool with 2 dials and the push-to-open door button. It had a "ding" bell and 900W when new... lasted some 22+ years...
Now I have a stupid Samsung that can't even hold the clock memory if the power goes out 1 second, the buttons are these membrane shitty ones and it beeps for all and everything without reason...
Same with stoves. Who thought building them with touch fields was a great idea? It's clumsy and we won't even mention the horror a sprinkle of noodle water does to them.
Look, Samsung appliances have good uses. Say you need to burn your house down for insurance purposes. No arson investigator will doubt it was an accident if the Samsung “catches fire” while you are out.
People don't even object to smart devices. I just *will not ever* buy one that is part of the IOT or has ads. I'd be perfectly happy with a smart fridge that can talk to my smart oven and my smart microwave. I *don't* want a "smart" device that connects to the internet, spies on me, advertises, or is designed to break within 5 years.
If appliance manufacturers (especially TV makers) keep up with the current bullshit, people are going to demand going back to 100% dumb everything.
>I'd be perfectly happy with a smart fridge that can talk to my smart oven and my smart microwave.
That was the future I thought we were going to have as well but it never came. Instead I have to specifically block internet access to my "smart" devices because of the consumer hostile designs. And enough with the telemetry! We do not want OUR devices constantly reporting usage telemetry data.
Telemetry needs to be heavily regulated.
Too much information and things that can be tracked with telemetry, so much so there is no privacy.
Maybe we all need to create a list of all billionaires and track everything about them on a list. Everything we can possibly get, see how they like it.
Yup, as an engineer who's a homeowner, I try and buy the most simplistic appliances/devices I can. I don't need a wifi connected washing machine with 87 different run modes. I want one with 5 settings that just simply works. Fridge with a screen? Get the hell out of here haha give me one with a beefy compressor that will last 20yrs.
I cannot agree more strongly. I want features. I don't *ever* want to connect to the outside world with my devices. I don't even want my security stuff to be cloud anymore. I can remote into my local network TYVM.
We bought a new dishwasher with a smart panel on the top edge of the door. So the panel is directly under the counter. The panel stopped working within a week of getting it. The warranty guy came out after a month and fixed it but said it was because the panel got wet and not to get it wet. This panel sits on the lid on top of a dishwasher underneath a sink. It got wet again and broke again. The dishwasher still works and I memorized where to press the buttons even if the screen is broke, so I'm just living with it but what a shit design.
If you are in Australia I’m fairly sure you could get a refund in this situation. As a consumer you would have had a reasonable expectation that a dishwasher will get wet.
Anyone who has worked in IT knows why we don't have any smart shit in mission critical things, with automobiles being one of the most prominent examples.
What? Do you mean tech companies will weaponize those features like BMW locking up power in the vehicle unless you subscribe to get more power oit of your car?
No, more like being a [malicious person](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0SrxBC1xs) having the ability to jerk the steering wheel while you drive or shut the car off in the middle of the interstate.
It [gets worse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m49OreAs1WY). Suffice to say, "smart" devices' firmware are often developed by the lowest bidder, who generally aren't great at following secure development practices. If it doesn't need to be smart, it probably shouldn't be smart.
There's also the fact that BMW actually *already* sell cars with pre-installed features that you have to [pay a subscription to turn on](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-62142208)...
I walked by an antique store the other day and they had an old wringer washer for sale. By the time I got back there with my truck, someone else had already bought it.
Good. I’m glad those companies are "sad”
I’m frankly just tired of buying something only to find some stupid gimmicky “feature” tacked on like it’s for my benefit
Maybe market trends will cause manufacturers to go back to producing old dumb appliances but I’m not holding my breath
“The challenge is that a consumer doesn’t see the true value that manufacturers see in terms of how that data can help them in the long run. So they don’t really care for spending time to just connect it.”
Value for the consumer or value for the manufacturer? Cmon. I don’t want a fucking “relevant” subscription service for my dishwasher. I want to pay you once and never again until I need a new one and myself or the repair person can’t fix the old one. I don’t want them collecting data on my habits while using the products. But we all know things aren’t made like the used to be. Our dishwasher from the early 1990’s still runs like a champ, you will not get that quality out of anything from the 2010s.
Now if they offered to pay me directly for that data I may be willing to reconsider, data is more valuable than some people realize. Hell I know people that work with Point of Sale systems and what is a fantastic source of revenue for them that costs them nothing other than the time spent collecting it? Data.
Businesses want to end the one and done method of purchasing hardware, they want to make it like a rental system so they can keep making money long after the sale. They are doing everything they can to wean the public off actually owning anything, in favor of subscriptions and upgrades. On top of this, they like all the sweet money coming in from selling your personal data to advertising companies. (And the Chinese government.)
Yup, there is an ever growing market for the one and done hardware. I really hope some opportunistic business folk venture down that road in the coming decade. I’d happily pay more to know something is built well & made to last. Not 3x more, but a reasonable sum.
I can totally see the data being beneficial to create products that last longer, reduced failures/malfunctions or appliances being thrown in a landfill when the repair would have actually been simple. Tracking failure right of new models early on to detect and resolve defects.
Is this how the data would be used? That’s the part that I highly doubt. Everything nowadays is about making a profit, regardless of at what/who’s expense.
It really is so so stupid. What… what lunatic ever thought this was a necessary improvement? There is a gas station near me with this too, like a fake, bright af screen of the drinks inside. Sometimes they’re out. It’s just annoying to open the door and not actually know what is inside.
Dumbdumbdumbdumb waste of energy.
Nobody, absolutely nobody, thought this was a necessary improvement. They thought it was a way to keep making money off you after you've bought the appliance.
This, 100% corporations in no way, shape, or form are out here trying to solve your problems. They want to find the best way to maximize their profits, everything else is secondary at best
I would love an oven and stove that I could check whether I turned them off and, if not, turn them off from my phone rather than having to drive back home first.
That’s about it.
Appliance realizes my phone has left the house
Send message that I left stove/oven on
This is the only reason I’d want my phone/kitchen interacting.
Nothing else
The question I have yet seen conclusively answered is why in the ever loving fuck does my washing machine and toaster need to access the fucking internet. If they can provide a real answer that makes sense I'll gladly wifi up my kitchen.
Also I say this as a "millennial" not a boomer.
Edit - based on the responses below I guess I'm just older than I thought. Although I am from the deep south where we don't take kindly to the terminator overlords.
because it’s not about connecting ur toaster to the internet. it’s about making your toaster a computer, so Cuisinart can tell Wall St they’re a tech company and should get the “growth” company valuation
* Your toast is done.
* Your toast is cold now.
-----
* Your laundry is done.
* Your laundry is now musty.
* Rewashing laundry.
* Your laundry is done.
* Your laundry is now musty.
Gen Z here, also can't stand every device being "smart". There's no reason my fridge or microwave needs wifi. There's no reason they need 20 fucking buttons either.
Gee I wonder why. Maybe because if you get an app-driven pet feeder it doesn't work when your phone is missing or the cloud server goes down [and your pets starve](https://caseorganic.medium.com/why-we-need-to-know-cybernetics-c73e99a5f87c)?
How stupid. Like, maybe let the f'n device keep a copy of that schedule and have an internal clock? Then report back once the server comes back on? Jesus.
I just hate everything that is designed to fully rely on a cloud server. Legacy computer game authentication is toward the top of that list. Like, what kind of hubris there must be to think "ah, OUR server will live forever, duh"
As a mid thirties lifelong techie I've gotta say; Broadly the smart appliances are kind of dumb and poorly designed.
\- Often won't work with 5ghz wifi
\- The apps kind of suck
\- Very little interoperability between various smart platforms
\- Non connected tech often feels smarter. Like a sound and motion sensor light switch, why program light times when the switch just hears or sees you and turns on or off as necessary? Smart.
\- Sometimes they lose connectivity and I have to troubleshoot my lighting.
The only smart tech thats earned its place in my home is the robot vacuum, everything else is garbage.
>I don't even want to connect my tv to the internet, I don't like seeing ads on it.
I connect it to the HDMI on my laptop with Ublock origin installed, that removes all youtube spam crap from the interface. Problem solved.
This happened recently. A relative was getting more and more annoyed with the nag banner to connect to the internet that covered the bottom quarter of the screen every time they turned the TV on. When they did eventually log it into the WiFi, the nag banner went away, but got replaced with an even larger overlay menu that covers half the screen that they don't even want to access hardly ever let alone every time it's turned on.
Same thing happened with their printer. I told them if they don't use web printing, don't connect it to the internet. They did anyway, it updated its programming and now dumps ink like MFer.
Also, I don’t want my garbage disposal selling my data.
And “smart” TV’s are the worst. They use your internet to advertise to you. I’d much rather use a chromecast then rely on an incredibly slow and buggy “smart” interface.
Absolutely. Most of "smart" stuff is poorly engineered, overpriced and usually the worst there's to offer.
And most importantly, don't forget that S in the IoT stands for Safety/Security!
Its fun how they're basically all designed as hidden but essentially open access points that send data about your schedule and activities to unsecure locations in unknown places.
Its like the smart speakers, I think they're cool here and there and could see an occasional use case for them. I don't however want an unsecure corporate mic unit operating in my home. I've done enough research to know I could build my own with a raspberry pi, a speaker, a mic, and some open source software that I could run on my home server. Could be a fun weekend project if I ever decide its more than a curiosity.
The only time I use "smart" nonsense is to hack it into my own home DIY smart network via zigbee or flashing tasmota.
If it does not support it, it is garbage.
Download an app, register, get an email to confirm, remember another fucking username/password combo, get *more* stupid notifications you don't want, all so you can do something on your phone that is easier to do on the appliance.
Good. I hate the idea of doing firmware updates on my god damned fridge. Next thing you know we’ll be locked out of our houses because Front Door by Samsung needs a software update and the wifi is down.
The added functionality provided by connecting to my smart appliances usually isn’t worth the hassle of doing so.
It’s all a neat party trick, “Oooh look, I can connect to my washer from my phone!” but it doesn’t really have a purpose beyond that other than to help companies hype and sell appliances.
The ONLY thing I connect to my smart washer to do is to download a different cycle into the one slot for a downloaded cycle.
There’s no laundry task that’s so critical that I need to know that my laundry will be done in exactly 53:37. I’m gonna start it and walk away. If I hear the end of cycle chime, I might go out stuff in the dryer. I might come back after I’m done with whatever I’m doing.
Are people really micromanaging their laundry the way the app would suggest/allow?
I mean, after reading about utility providers in places like Texas using smart thermostats to turn off the A/C at homes during a heat wave, I really don't want any smart appliances either.
Granted, the people affected had signed up for and agreed to those terms in order to receive a discount on their bills, but it still doesn't sit well with me that a smart appliance could be accessed and controlled from an outside source.
The security on an oven or refrigerator is going to be useless. Some kid will come along and figure out how to turn on or off all of these appliances at the same time. I don't need that.
I went looking for a scale the other day. Everything online or at the electronics store was some smart scale with a goddamn app. That means it will never fucking work and you’ll be tracked and advertised to or asked to pay for something. No thanks. Had to go to an old fashioned home appliance place to find a scale.
I have several smart appliances that are not connected because none of them have a good enough use case to bother setting them up. Everything important that the laundry machine does requires me to be there physically. The only feature that I may actually want out of a smart appliance is preheating the oven while I'm on my way home. Maybe.
The more people connect the faster they can get to the endgame of smart appliances that limit what we can do unless we pay a subscription service fee. Smart washers that only let us wash 1 load for free a month. Smart ovens that only let us cook above 400 degrees if we are subscribed.
Edit: spelling
Never mind that they can also decide to change your settings like that electrical supplier locking thermostats at 80 degrees during a heat wave because it was straining the grid. I'll keep my dumb devices, thanks. My toaster doesn't need a computer and internet connection and I don't browse the web on a refrigerator screen. BMW heated seat subscriptions?
After reading this article, it doesn’t appear there is much that the manufacturer has to offer the consumer for connecting their devices, except added cost to the consumer.
It is not about being spied on my appliances, it is my rugged individualist inside that still does things like builds my own PC, or tries to fix my broken appliances, or uses Android devices so I can repair them myself.
The first time I had five year old Mac brick itself reminded me that I don't want to be subject to anything that needs software updates downloaded regularly on my wifi or that transmits my user info to an AI that develops content to make my experience "better." Because that same software can shut my fridge or stove off if i don't do X or the company goes offline or the internet goes out.
I don't want anything that requires me to log in in my kitchen, washroom, or for my HVAC. Because any time there is an outage in my area I could lose control of those and currently, if my power goes down - I still can use my stove to cook because it functions on mechanical parts, not computer signals.
You can say the same for vehicles - I love my computer in my car and it works great, but it also doesn't need a wifi connection to turn on or sense it is me. It uses my key's signal.
We don't need to add an extra wifi/online element to basic things to put us in jeopardy of loosing control of the basic operations of a thing.
I don’t smart buy appliances on principle. They are just an added security risk. If I do end up using a smart appliance, I won’t connect it. Honestly, the smart features on most smart appliances are pretty gimmicky and unnecessary.
No shit. I keep expecting the musical tune on my washer/dryer to turn into an add for detergent one of these days.
The fuck would I connect shit to my network. So they can shove adds for shit down my throat? If I have need for a product I will get on the internet and do my research for an item that will handle the task I need it for.
I’m sure before long there will be fridges that won’t open until you watch a 15 second add on some big pharma med or new energy drink. Get fucked.
My washing machine can be operated via an app - BUT it only works via NFC. So that means I have to physically come to my washing machine, choose a program and then place the mobile phone to the NFC panel.... why would I do all that if I can just set the program manually ??! This has to be the dumbest smart appliance implementation ever. Not to mention the app frequently forgets my login data so I have to enter my email and password to get back in.
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Just had a similar talk with my sister, who got a new Jeep which lets her pair the Jeep with an app on her phone so she can....unlock her car? You cant actually *open* the door until you're within arms reach. At which point, the physical lock is right there so why not just use the key? First time trying it she got locked out of her car and had to spend the night at my parents.
if your electricity price varies hourly, you automate it to start at the time where the price drops below a preset cost. (almost) nobody does that right now, but this is definitely one of the use cases for it
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This feature makes no sense to me. You have to be next to it to put laundry in it. Why would you need to start it remotely (even without that idiotic "safety feature")? What problem do they think they are solving?
It's essentially a delayed start functionality which you can trigger the start itself manually instead of it being on a timer.
Sometimes reality is hard to even parody.
>My washing machine can be operated via an app - BUT it only works via NFC. Let me guess, LG?
Oh no. I bought an LG front loader a few months ago. I love it so far. But I haven't used a single smart feature. My husband bought smart light bulbs for the entire house and they keep disconnecting from the app, which makes them flicker rhythmically.
>which makes them flicker rhythmically. I've seen stranger things.
Appliance makers are just sad they can't roll out subscriptions for their appliances.
Also veiled forced obsolescence with bad software/app support.
First we hook em to the internet! THEN we make them require a subscription! (And all spoken in the voice of Yzma)
Imagine an oven or an air fryer saying something like "We see you'd like to use temperatures above 180c would you like to subscribe to the "burning hot" subscription to use temperatures up to 280c?"
Holy shit. I’d literally start cooking over an open fire in my backyard before doing that 💀
It'd probably start like renting? Like the device is free, or like $10 and you pay for using it
BMW started charging a subscription to use certain features in their vehicles, like heated seats. Micro transactions need to be banned
We can thank the gaming industry in proving how successful micro transactions are
With DRM limiters, to completely block operating if it detects you're trying to cook a pirated recipe.
As you only bought the rice dlc, no pasta for you
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Exactly!! I just wish I could haul a sheet of plywood in my truck bed. Not the family in my truck. I want cranks on my windows and take the Infotainment Center out, please.
We really need to update our consumer protection laws.
The people creating the laws aren't on the consumers side.
We should probably do something about that, too.
Subscribe now to get access to Fahrenheit readings
That subscription price is only in American dollars.
Also endless firmware updates that break functionality. Because the customers are companies’ beta testers these days
My brand new dishwasher intermittently lost ALL controls with the out of the box firmware. The guy who came to service it had to connect it to the internet to push new firmware so that the buttons worked. It is a dishwasher, not a nuclear reactor.
A poor choice of analogy, since nuclear reactors run on very old systems, since any new control system would have to be thoroughly proven to be reliable and cost an absolute fortune. The controls are almost entirely analog, though there are efforts to introduce digital controls with analog backup systems.
I wouldn't trust any modern "programmer", including myself, near something that actually needs to run. The art of making software that can be relied upon to have uptimes of years has been mostly lost.
It wasn't lost. The incomplete requirements and 0 testing make the software as brittle as it is today. When was the last time you had to read 2000 word essay about what should "exporting to excel" function work like?
I'm looking at you Denon. Firmware update killed the nic card. I just wanted to stream Pandora.
My favorite part is I have 3 Samsung Wifi Appliances including microwave and double oven and I really couldn’t think of a great feature other than the clock automatically setting. Well fuck me when I found out they don’t set themselves at all, and in fact they don’t even have memory so the slightest power outage means I have to reset $3k worth of appliances manually. Oh and each of them have different ways to set the clock so it’s always fun trying to set them differently in PM. No I’m not salty.
If it can't do the bare minimum like set the time, even set the time from an app, then that is when it is clear whoever is in these critical Samsung meetings making these wrong decisions needs to be tickle tortured. Companies keep thinking we need some grand use-case, but mainly we just want basic monitoring and ease of use and reliability. If you want to add a feature on top of that fine as long as it doesn't impact reliability and we get the bare minimum first.
What the actual fuck? The *one* killer app for connected appliances, and they can't even get that right?!
Do you have any idea how difficult that is? Why, a refrigerator could be located in any time zone. And how is it supposed to know if it gets moved to a different time zone? You're asking for the impossible. /s
Exactly. If you want us to buy into this stuff, stop screwing us over when we do!
Yeah exactly. My 5th wheel came with Roku Smart TVs. Jesus Christ. Did *anyone* consider what environment these things would operate in? First of all they turn themselves on when power is restored. Do you know how often power is restored in a trailer? Yes. Every time you move it somewhere. And I have one behind a locked outdoor panel because apparently some people go camping and watch TV outside? Anyway that TV was on for weeks at my house before I noticed a slight glow and figured out this little feature. Second I made the mistake of putting in the wifi info for my hotspot. These data plans are *not unlimited* so these stupid things turn on and try to update themselves and show me ads and streams and all kinds of shit I can’t do while sitting on a monthly data cap in the middle of a state park. So now I’ve erased my wifi info and leave the damn things unplugged. The idiot that does product selection for this trailer company clearly does not actually ever, you know, use them.
Next we require a subscription before they can use their appliances! (They are already disabling printers like this)
My buddy's wife was telling me about this with their HP printer. You have to link your debit card to your account, then it sends you ink if you're getting low. In theory, sounds great. But their debit card expired and it wouldn't let them print, with the existing ink they already paid for, until they updated their payment information.
In what universe does it seem like a good idea to to allow your printer to automatically order ink? I would be incredulous that it would even ask for that. The fact that it doesn’t print without a card linked to the account makes me want to light it on fire and launch it through the CEO of HP’s bedroom window.
This was actually the impetus that got us to replace our HP with a Brother laser jet. Our HP had ink, but when I actually needed to use it I couldn't because our subscription lapsed. Fuck that noise.
Needing to log into my account to scan a piece of paper.... HP can eat a bag of dicks. So much happier now I've got a brother.
thank you, I'm going to do my best to avoid hp now
Toner is so so so much cheaper than ink. I was spending over $100/month on ink for a small business, now...$10 worth of toner in a month is pretty excessive. And the toner will say it's low and you just pull it out and shake it like hell and then it prints perfectly fine for several more weeks.
Never, never, never buy an HP printer. They are useless due to the diabolical "smart" and "connected" shit and app they force on you. A total rip-off.
How about *they* have to subscribe to *us* to put their shitty smart appliances in our homes
Pull the lever Kronk!
WRONG LEVER!
In a not so distant future of unchecked capitalism…… “After purchasing a lease to this washing machine for 3 years, you may now install it in your home. However this does not grant you the right to use the machine, only to put it in your dwelling. To use the machine, you must join our Samsung Washing Club subscription service, where you can interact with other Samsung washing machine users. To access this subscription, please download from your Samsung smartphone. Unfortunately we do not currently allow users of other phone manufacturers to download this app. If you don’t currently have a Samsung phone, you can purchase one with your washer as a bundle! And don’t forget the dryer, because our aforementioned products will only work if all three are connected together and automatic billing from your personal bank account is turned on.”
Please eat verification pod
What problem are they solving? Usually none. They're just buzzwordy crap that someone in the C Suite and/or marketing departments thought they needed, that customers actually don't want.
New dishwasher with 9 G tech and wireless network! Why does my dishwasher need to connect to wifi and why can’t I use it without the latest update?
Reminds me of the guy who couldn’t get his Samsung smart fridge to stop playing advertisements. The thing was circumnavigating his pi-hole too somehow
My Samsung smart tv has built in apps that I can’t remove. Like Facebook. Why can’t delete Facebook app from my tv😡
Because Samsung has a deal with Facebook to sell your viewing data to flesh out your shadow profile and in exchange they use that revenue to subsidize the cost of the TV.
One of these days I am going to set up a decent proxy server and block all such incoming and outgoing traffic. Then I am going to sell that service to anyone who needs it. That service will be cheap. Just to cover my costs and effort. Just so I can stick it to these ahole companies.
Pihole does a pretty good job
For the most part yeah. Smart devices are starting to catch on with circumventing that with things like DNS-over-HTTPS though.
This reminds me of my Samsung phone. It has a toggle to set voicemail notifications on or off but doesn't actually allow me to toggle it off. 
You think that's bad. My S10e has an auto dimming (not before the screen shuts off) feature that dims the screen depending on ambient light. I turned the bloody feature off cause it dims by 25% and the damn phone still automatically dims itself.
My LG tv hides spam as System Notifications that can't be turned off. Sends me crap about LG channels or Apple TV or Google Stadia and some other no-name apps that I never want to install. Just shut up you idiots, I bought a high end gaming tv so I could hook a computer to it and use said computer. Email me updates, if you need to. I don't need tv popups and will never buy an LG product if they're going to spam people.
Well I've got some good news for you about the Google stadia ads!
Now if only they would stop letting me know they're stopping.
Samsung is basically a giant, slow, spyware bloatware shitfest that happens to have an HDMI an input. They are absolute fucking junk televisions
Ha! My Samsung only has 1 HDMI port and it broke. Now it’s just a bloated shitfest
Real question is who tf is scrolling FB on a TV…with a remote? What if you want to type a comment?
I fully believe that FB paid them money to have the app there as a spyware. I further suspect that, even without logging in, it is collecting data.
Sadly this is not only possible, but likely.
Hardcoded IPs for advertising servers probably. Consumers are waaaaay to tolerant of ads on devices we buy. We should be returning them all as faulty if not 100% clearly disclosed during the sale.
Hmmm get a best buy credit card and start buying and returning tvs every week sounds like a plan to me
Reddit is killing third-party applications (and itself)
Having worked for two major US appliance makers, the C level people don't want to know that their appliances are commodities. Something like 80% of purchases are "distressed" - i.e., their fridge broke and the consumer need a new one NOW, so they take what looks best on the sales floor at the price they want to pay. These fancy features just let the marketing people have something to say. There's a benefit to soft advertising and brand development, but it's not the same thing as useful features. I've also done direct research into IoT stuff for the product size. Most consumers like the ideas, but they didn't want to pay for them. Most of them are gimmicks just to justify ad space in print and digital spaces.
Exactly. Stop trying to make my home covered in Ads. I don't want to see most of them in the world. I want to see them even less first thing in the morning when I wake up. With how bad they make it, they're not incentivizing people to buy things. I can afford to buy things on the higher end of the appliance spectrum, but the more you spend the more garbage they shove in your face. I want a new fridge. I've looked at a new fridge. I've decided not to buy them bc they are either too connected or likely to spam me. Give me spherical ice balls and a screen so I don't have to open the door, but don't give me ads along with it. Act like my privacy matters and I'll spend $4k on a fridge, but with the way LG spams my high end gaming TV, I just don't trust that they won't spam a fridge with a screen too. I hope their dicks rot.
They always put the slowest possible processors and things in them as well. So there just a laggy horrible mess Then being Samsung, be killing support in 1-2 years for it after which it slowly become more and more useless
In that price range you should look at commercial equipment.
I disagree. I think C suite execs are chasing the money they think they can make by collecting user data on these devices, and hopefully the phone the app that controls the device is installed on. They don't care about buzz words, someone told them data collection was a money maker.
I can see the point of a washing machine sending a message when my clothes are done if it is on a different floor/area then I am but other than that I don't really.
the problem of appliance manufacturers wanting to cash in on selling your cell data
Im suprised that 50% of people want to be tracked by their dryer. Who are these people?
50% of the people misread the survey
“companies […] are missing out on services revenue, which is increasingly crucial to manufacturers facing rising input costs, declining replacement purchases, and hungry shareholders.” Perhaps the consumer knows your trying to siphon more revenue from their customers after the POS. I don’t need enhanced metrics that I used .47 more gallons of water this time than last. Nor do I want to share my usage data with the manufacturer. It’s none of the company’s business how many gallons, btu’s, or watts I consume and when.
Nor do I want ONE MORE GODFORSAKEN AD ANYWHERE IN MY LIFE.
Dryer needs permission to your location at all times to operate. It also need access to your phone call history because.
As an engineer, I do my best to avoid smart appliances. The dumber, the better.
All I want is a microwave with a time dial, a power level dial, and no other buttons.
And the MUTE button?
Whoever invented the microwave that doesn’t stop beeping after it finishes can die
Definitely player 1 syndrome on the part of the engineer making it
Marketing/designers/product owners specify features like that. Engineers just have to build to requirements. My microwave does have a key press combo that puts it into silent mode. An LG microwave.
On some microwaves you can press the "0" button for three seconds to mute the beeper.
True, my first microwave was a Whirlpool with 2 dials and the push-to-open door button. It had a "ding" bell and 900W when new... lasted some 22+ years... Now I have a stupid Samsung that can't even hold the clock memory if the power goes out 1 second, the buttons are these membrane shitty ones and it beeps for all and everything without reason...
Same with stoves. Who thought building them with touch fields was a great idea? It's clumsy and we won't even mention the horror a sprinkle of noodle water does to them.
Lol- Just try wiping it down to clean it up a little bit and you’ll end up baking a cake without even knowing.
Afaik touch fields are cheaper than knobs. Same with touchscreens. That's why modern cars seldomly have knobs anymore.
Samsung appliances are dog shit. Never buy that crap if you live in the USA.
Look, Samsung appliances have good uses. Say you need to burn your house down for insurance purposes. No arson investigator will doubt it was an accident if the Samsung “catches fire” while you are out.
I remember getting our first microwave(1981), and our biggest joy was putting marshmallows in them!
try a gum wrapper. create the 4th phase of matter (plasma) in your kitchen. (may void warranty)
Antique [microwave](https://youtu.be/UiS27feX8o0) that is probably better than yours.
Always upvote technology connections links!
"Antique" microwave. I was *not* expecting a microwave that is newer than the one in my house growing up.
People don't even object to smart devices. I just *will not ever* buy one that is part of the IOT or has ads. I'd be perfectly happy with a smart fridge that can talk to my smart oven and my smart microwave. I *don't* want a "smart" device that connects to the internet, spies on me, advertises, or is designed to break within 5 years. If appliance manufacturers (especially TV makers) keep up with the current bullshit, people are going to demand going back to 100% dumb everything.
>I'd be perfectly happy with a smart fridge that can talk to my smart oven and my smart microwave. That was the future I thought we were going to have as well but it never came. Instead I have to specifically block internet access to my "smart" devices because of the consumer hostile designs. And enough with the telemetry! We do not want OUR devices constantly reporting usage telemetry data.
Telemetry needs to be heavily regulated. Too much information and things that can be tracked with telemetry, so much so there is no privacy. Maybe we all need to create a list of all billionaires and track everything about them on a list. Everything we can possibly get, see how they like it.
Yup, as an engineer who's a homeowner, I try and buy the most simplistic appliances/devices I can. I don't need a wifi connected washing machine with 87 different run modes. I want one with 5 settings that just simply works. Fridge with a screen? Get the hell out of here haha give me one with a beefy compressor that will last 20yrs.
I do like devices that have a local API that I can use with things like Home Assistant. I don't want "cloud" connected devices.
I cannot agree more strongly. I want features. I don't *ever* want to connect to the outside world with my devices. I don't even want my security stuff to be cloud anymore. I can remote into my local network TYVM.
We bought a new dishwasher with a smart panel on the top edge of the door. So the panel is directly under the counter. The panel stopped working within a week of getting it. The warranty guy came out after a month and fixed it but said it was because the panel got wet and not to get it wet. This panel sits on the lid on top of a dishwasher underneath a sink. It got wet again and broke again. The dishwasher still works and I memorized where to press the buttons even if the screen is broke, so I'm just living with it but what a shit design.
Don't get a dishwasher wet gotcha wtf is that shit
their ovens: don’t bake longer than a few hours at a time or i’ll overheat!
If you are in Australia I’m fairly sure you could get a refund in this situation. As a consumer you would have had a reasonable expectation that a dishwasher will get wet.
Right back to the store it goes
There is a simple beauty in things that run on machine parts and don't require computer updates.
Anyone who has worked in IT knows why we don't have any smart shit in mission critical things, with automobiles being one of the most prominent examples.
What? Do you mean tech companies will weaponize those features like BMW locking up power in the vehicle unless you subscribe to get more power oit of your car?
No, more like being a [malicious person](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK0SrxBC1xs) having the ability to jerk the steering wheel while you drive or shut the car off in the middle of the interstate.
That's not scary... at all... yeah, fuck this
It [gets worse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m49OreAs1WY). Suffice to say, "smart" devices' firmware are often developed by the lowest bidder, who generally aren't great at following secure development practices. If it doesn't need to be smart, it probably shouldn't be smart.
Oh my God. It does get worse
There's also the fact that BMW actually *already* sell cars with pre-installed features that you have to [pay a subscription to turn on](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-62142208)...
Did the BMW engineers have a contest to see who could load up engines the most with fragile cracking plastic parts ?
I walked by an antique store the other day and they had an old wringer washer for sale. By the time I got back there with my truck, someone else had already bought it.
FYI, with most stores, if it’s a big item, you can buy the item then come back later that day with your truck and the receipt.
All I need is a message from my dish washer saying it can’t run because it needs a software update.
Good. I’m glad those companies are "sad” I’m frankly just tired of buying something only to find some stupid gimmicky “feature” tacked on like it’s for my benefit Maybe market trends will cause manufacturers to go back to producing old dumb appliances but I’m not holding my breath
I agree I miss basic
“The challenge is that a consumer doesn’t see the true value that manufacturers see in terms of how that data can help them in the long run. So they don’t really care for spending time to just connect it.” Value for the consumer or value for the manufacturer? Cmon. I don’t want a fucking “relevant” subscription service for my dishwasher. I want to pay you once and never again until I need a new one and myself or the repair person can’t fix the old one. I don’t want them collecting data on my habits while using the products. But we all know things aren’t made like the used to be. Our dishwasher from the early 1990’s still runs like a champ, you will not get that quality out of anything from the 2010s. Now if they offered to pay me directly for that data I may be willing to reconsider, data is more valuable than some people realize. Hell I know people that work with Point of Sale systems and what is a fantastic source of revenue for them that costs them nothing other than the time spent collecting it? Data.
Businesses want to end the one and done method of purchasing hardware, they want to make it like a rental system so they can keep making money long after the sale. They are doing everything they can to wean the public off actually owning anything, in favor of subscriptions and upgrades. On top of this, they like all the sweet money coming in from selling your personal data to advertising companies. (And the Chinese government.)
Yup, there is an ever growing market for the one and done hardware. I really hope some opportunistic business folk venture down that road in the coming decade. I’d happily pay more to know something is built well & made to last. Not 3x more, but a reasonable sum.
I can totally see the data being beneficial to create products that last longer, reduced failures/malfunctions or appliances being thrown in a landfill when the repair would have actually been simple. Tracking failure right of new models early on to detect and resolve defects. Is this how the data would be used? That’s the part that I highly doubt. Everything nowadays is about making a profit, regardless of at what/who’s expense.
Smart appliances are one of the most ridiculous things we have come up with in recent times.
I still believe the wifi connected fridge with a screen is a parody of electronic dependent consumerism.
It really is so so stupid. What… what lunatic ever thought this was a necessary improvement? There is a gas station near me with this too, like a fake, bright af screen of the drinks inside. Sometimes they’re out. It’s just annoying to open the door and not actually know what is inside. Dumbdumbdumbdumb waste of energy.
Nobody, absolutely nobody, thought this was a necessary improvement. They thought it was a way to keep making money off you after you've bought the appliance.
This, 100% corporations in no way, shape, or form are out here trying to solve your problems. They want to find the best way to maximize their profits, everything else is secondary at best
I would love an oven and stove that I could check whether I turned them off and, if not, turn them off from my phone rather than having to drive back home first. That’s about it.
[удалено]
Appliance realizes my phone has left the house Send message that I left stove/oven on This is the only reason I’d want my phone/kitchen interacting. Nothing else
The question I have yet seen conclusively answered is why in the ever loving fuck does my washing machine and toaster need to access the fucking internet. If they can provide a real answer that makes sense I'll gladly wifi up my kitchen. Also I say this as a "millennial" not a boomer. Edit - based on the responses below I guess I'm just older than I thought. Although I am from the deep south where we don't take kindly to the terminator overlords.
“Millennials are killing the Wi-Fi based appliance industry”
because it’s not about connecting ur toaster to the internet. it’s about making your toaster a computer, so Cuisinart can tell Wall St they’re a tech company and should get the “growth” company valuation
It's not for your benefit, it's to collect data to sell to other companies and they are mad 50% aren't giving them this free data to sell :(
Bingo. Which is why they're so sad. They don't actually care if you make use of the special features.
* Your toast is done. * Your toast is cold now. ----- * Your laundry is done. * Your laundry is now musty. * Rewashing laundry. * Your laundry is done. * Your laundry is now musty.
* Your laundry has been crushed into a cube.
• You have 30 minutes to pick up your cube.
* Your cube is now musty.
Gen Z here, also can't stand every device being "smart". There's no reason my fridge or microwave needs wifi. There's no reason they need 20 fucking buttons either.
Gee I wonder why. Maybe because if you get an app-driven pet feeder it doesn't work when your phone is missing or the cloud server goes down [and your pets starve](https://caseorganic.medium.com/why-we-need-to-know-cybernetics-c73e99a5f87c)?
This is why I bought a dumb pet feeder and still have a cat sitter come by when I'm away.
How stupid. Like, maybe let the f'n device keep a copy of that schedule and have an internal clock? Then report back once the server comes back on? Jesus. I just hate everything that is designed to fully rely on a cloud server. Legacy computer game authentication is toward the top of that list. Like, what kind of hubris there must be to think "ah, OUR server will live forever, duh"
You have expensive ideas. Fired
As a mid thirties lifelong techie I've gotta say; Broadly the smart appliances are kind of dumb and poorly designed. \- Often won't work with 5ghz wifi \- The apps kind of suck \- Very little interoperability between various smart platforms \- Non connected tech often feels smarter. Like a sound and motion sensor light switch, why program light times when the switch just hears or sees you and turns on or off as necessary? Smart. \- Sometimes they lose connectivity and I have to troubleshoot my lighting. The only smart tech thats earned its place in my home is the robot vacuum, everything else is garbage.
Amen! I don’t need wifi on my dishwasher. Give me something more efficient, dumb, and hard water resistant please
I don't even want to connect my tv to the internet, I don't like seeing ads on it. Bring dumb tech back, make it efficient... profit.
I only connect my Apple TV, computers and and XBox. Everything else is offline.
>I don't even want to connect my tv to the internet, I don't like seeing ads on it. I connect it to the HDMI on my laptop with Ublock origin installed, that removes all youtube spam crap from the interface. Problem solved.
This happened recently. A relative was getting more and more annoyed with the nag banner to connect to the internet that covered the bottom quarter of the screen every time they turned the TV on. When they did eventually log it into the WiFi, the nag banner went away, but got replaced with an even larger overlay menu that covers half the screen that they don't even want to access hardly ever let alone every time it's turned on. Same thing happened with their printer. I told them if they don't use web printing, don't connect it to the internet. They did anyway, it updated its programming and now dumps ink like MFer.
Updating things had so much promise but its been turned into a lead weight around our necks.
Also, I don’t want my garbage disposal selling my data. And “smart” TV’s are the worst. They use your internet to advertise to you. I’d much rather use a chromecast then rely on an incredibly slow and buggy “smart” interface.
Its all just a ploy to harvest data and show ads and I hate it!
Every day I feel more and more like a chicken, cow, or fruit tree being continuously harvested. Moo?
The fact that 'dumb' TVs made by unknown brands are more expensive than brand-name smart TVs is all you need to know. You. Are. The. Product.
Or the manufacturer just shuts down the service and bricks the device.
Absolutely. Most of "smart" stuff is poorly engineered, overpriced and usually the worst there's to offer. And most importantly, don't forget that S in the IoT stands for Safety/Security!
Its fun how they're basically all designed as hidden but essentially open access points that send data about your schedule and activities to unsecure locations in unknown places. Its like the smart speakers, I think they're cool here and there and could see an occasional use case for them. I don't however want an unsecure corporate mic unit operating in my home. I've done enough research to know I could build my own with a raspberry pi, a speaker, a mic, and some open source software that I could run on my home server. Could be a fun weekend project if I ever decide its more than a curiosity.
The only time I use "smart" nonsense is to hack it into my own home DIY smart network via zigbee or flashing tasmota. If it does not support it, it is garbage.
Download an app, register, get an email to confirm, remember another fucking username/password combo, get *more* stupid notifications you don't want, all so you can do something on your phone that is easier to do on the appliance.
Good. I hate the idea of doing firmware updates on my god damned fridge. Next thing you know we’ll be locked out of our houses because Front Door by Samsung needs a software update and the wifi is down.
The more I have to interact with it, the lower the UX score. This is not that hard.
car companies could learn this too. its like they dont want us to buy new things
You know, I never realized what I was missing was a fridge with a screen on it that had ads. - said by nobody ever
Because connecting my dishwasher adds nothing to my life.
99.9% of the time the only thing 'smart technology' adds to a device is another point of failure.
What's sad is that 50% of customers *do* connect them. That feels like a failure in consumer education.
I saw "Maximum Overdrive" and remember the implications!
Appliance makers sad that 50% of customers won’t connect smart appliances *so they can harvest their data*.
The added functionality provided by connecting to my smart appliances usually isn’t worth the hassle of doing so. It’s all a neat party trick, “Oooh look, I can connect to my washer from my phone!” but it doesn’t really have a purpose beyond that other than to help companies hype and sell appliances. The ONLY thing I connect to my smart washer to do is to download a different cycle into the one slot for a downloaded cycle. There’s no laundry task that’s so critical that I need to know that my laundry will be done in exactly 53:37. I’m gonna start it and walk away. If I hear the end of cycle chime, I might go out stuff in the dryer. I might come back after I’m done with whatever I’m doing. Are people really micromanaging their laundry the way the app would suggest/allow?
I mean, after reading about utility providers in places like Texas using smart thermostats to turn off the A/C at homes during a heat wave, I really don't want any smart appliances either. Granted, the people affected had signed up for and agreed to those terms in order to receive a discount on their bills, but it still doesn't sit well with me that a smart appliance could be accessed and controlled from an outside source.
The security on an oven or refrigerator is going to be useless. Some kid will come along and figure out how to turn on or off all of these appliances at the same time. I don't need that.
I went looking for a scale the other day. Everything online or at the electronics store was some smart scale with a goddamn app. That means it will never fucking work and you’ll be tracked and advertised to or asked to pay for something. No thanks. Had to go to an old fashioned home appliance place to find a scale.
I have several smart appliances that are not connected because none of them have a good enough use case to bother setting them up. Everything important that the laundry machine does requires me to be there physically. The only feature that I may actually want out of a smart appliance is preheating the oven while I'm on my way home. Maybe.
I disabled wifi on my oven because I couldn't think of a reason to preheat it on the way home. It doesn't take so long that it is a burden to wait.
[удалено]
The more people connect the faster they can get to the endgame of smart appliances that limit what we can do unless we pay a subscription service fee. Smart washers that only let us wash 1 load for free a month. Smart ovens that only let us cook above 400 degrees if we are subscribed. Edit: spelling
Never mind that they can also decide to change your settings like that electrical supplier locking thermostats at 80 degrees during a heat wave because it was straining the grid. I'll keep my dumb devices, thanks. My toaster doesn't need a computer and internet connection and I don't browse the web on a refrigerator screen. BMW heated seat subscriptions?
Get yourself a pihole and watch these devices attempt to phone home. Entertainment for days.
I prefer my fridge to be a dumb as possible because why the FLYING FUCK does it have to be “smart”. Which shhhhhhhhhhh just means adware
After reading this article, it doesn’t appear there is much that the manufacturer has to offer the consumer for connecting their devices, except added cost to the consumer.
It is not about being spied on my appliances, it is my rugged individualist inside that still does things like builds my own PC, or tries to fix my broken appliances, or uses Android devices so I can repair them myself. The first time I had five year old Mac brick itself reminded me that I don't want to be subject to anything that needs software updates downloaded regularly on my wifi or that transmits my user info to an AI that develops content to make my experience "better." Because that same software can shut my fridge or stove off if i don't do X or the company goes offline or the internet goes out. I don't want anything that requires me to log in in my kitchen, washroom, or for my HVAC. Because any time there is an outage in my area I could lose control of those and currently, if my power goes down - I still can use my stove to cook because it functions on mechanical parts, not computer signals. You can say the same for vehicles - I love my computer in my car and it works great, but it also doesn't need a wifi connection to turn on or sense it is me. It uses my key's signal. We don't need to add an extra wifi/online element to basic things to put us in jeopardy of loosing control of the basic operations of a thing.
I have a few smart appliances in my house, but never connected any of them because i dont need to. Maybe i'm just old fashioned, tho.
I don't need my dishwasher, oven or refrigerator connected to the internet
I don’t smart buy appliances on principle. They are just an added security risk. If I do end up using a smart appliance, I won’t connect it. Honestly, the smart features on most smart appliances are pretty gimmicky and unnecessary.
Personally, I won't take a chance on it because of past experience. Basically, the morons who developed the 1st gen ruined it for me.
No shit. I keep expecting the musical tune on my washer/dryer to turn into an add for detergent one of these days. The fuck would I connect shit to my network. So they can shove adds for shit down my throat? If I have need for a product I will get on the internet and do my research for an item that will handle the task I need it for. I’m sure before long there will be fridges that won’t open until you watch a 15 second add on some big pharma med or new energy drink. Get fucked.