Amazon Bricked Their Own Product After 1 Year - Dark Side of the Smart Home & IOT

Don't give the keys to your house to a tech company.
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[@HughJeffreys]

Mum wanted to know what my new jacket looked like. Here you go mum :)

[@SithlordSigma]

its a nice jacket

[@eieiw32424]

swag jacket!!

[@jeffcook3747]

Hi Mum! Nice jacket, Hugh! (I'm in the US and I call my mum, Mum)

[@marten6578]

say hi to ur mum 👋🏻

[@SalemTechsperts]

Fresh 😮‍💨🤌

[@ShawnMeira]

Im glad more people are becoming aware of these problems. Not everything needs to be automated.

[@abcdefgh1279]

When I was young, internet was a way to escape reality. Now, the real world lets you escape from the internet.

[@RuviaPawz]

@@abcdefgh1279so true

[@Anton-tf9iw]

IOT is short for ID-IOT device to tie you up in their network.

[@ForcefighterX2]

As a software engineer I have so many colleagues who - just as I do - stay clear of any corporate cloud service I can live without. If someone wants all the Smart stuff in the world, he can still host his own private cloud services at home (meaning just buy a small SOC or even an Intel NUC), without being taken hostage by some other cold corporation. No one "needs" Smart Home. But if you just like it, invest the extra day's worth of effort and host everything yourself, so that no one can kill your smart home with the press of a button in some office a few thousand miles away.

[@BillAnt]

Absolutely hate products and software which must connect to internet to even function at all. Case in point, about 10 years ago I purchased a fairly expensive mobile phone programming software (CDMA Workshop for those who remember), which was locked to a single computer's hardware ID, AND needed to connect to a server for authentication to actually start it every single time. Well, a couple of years ago the software owner either died or decided not to pay for his server fees, and my software stopped working altogether, not just being crippled but couldn't even start it up. So yeah, fuq all these internet based products and services!!

[@fetheddine1606]

The most absurd example of this, is one mentioned in the friday checkout in an episode a couple of weeks ago. IMAGINE YOUR E-BIKE STOPS FUNCTIONING BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER TURNED THEIR SERVERS OFF !!!

[@jec_ecart]

Not very absurd. DRM in cars and electric vehicles are already a thing.

[@alanjrobertson]

Indeed, as VanMoof customers are finding! 😢

[@danteerskine7678]

​@@jec_ecartthis is why I support Chinese brands. I have smartphones that Chinese brands like oppo and Xiaomi had stopped supporting and they're still working well. American quality is a thing of the past and has become unreliable in the long run, don't believe me? Just ask yourself why their vehicles are not being sold worldwide 😅

[@TheFallingFlamingo]

​@@danteerskine7678 Your comparison is terrible. Literally any phone that stops receiving software support still works fine. It's not like smartphones need to be connected to Google or Apple servers to function, *anyway.* That's what the service companies, like ATT and T-Mobile, are for. The issue with using phones that no longer receive software support is that you're not secure, as you've stopped receiving security updates. So there are probably known Zero-Days that you are vulnerable to.

[@user-fs3dg1po2z]

@@jec_ecart Just because its already thing doesn't make it any less absurd.

[@Alias_Anybody]

1. IOT devices which are just for stats or gimmicks are pointless, if they basically just exist to harvest data there should honestly be a warning label. 2. To be long term reliable, every device intended for even mid term usage should have local controls AND an open third party interface additionally to the manufacturer's cloud solution.

[@PhilippBlum]

The sad part is: It doesn't have to be this way. We have the technology to actually build Smart Cities, Smart Homes etc. That's why I keep telling people to just use the W3C Web of Things standards.

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

Why aren't there laws to prevent built-in obsolescence and obnoxious over-control by the manufacturers?? Oh yes, of course, governments have been corrupted by the large, greedy, corrupt corporations.

[@SuperBootyBay]

@@PhilippBlum I completely intend to use solely self maintainable home automation parts in my house once im at that point. No cloud servers no crap, even my voice assistant will be ran locally. I don't need these garbage companies leaching my data and controlling how long my tech works for.

[@batorerdyniev9805]

Ok

[@dca24100]

Hubitat and blueiris

[@TiagoWolf]

Btw I've heard EU wants smartphone brands to bring back swappable batteries due to recycling and avoiding obsolescence programming

[@adlerweb]

Sadly that's only the headline. The current draft has a loophole where glued in batteries are still allowed, if they are "high quality", as in meet a certain battery health after a defined period. Most current phones already meet this requirement and can use the exception.

[@BloodAsp]

@@adlerweb I haven't seen this, but that would track since I've only seen the headlines as spouted by certain youtubers.

[@ChrisGrump]

Doesnt apply to waterproof devices and high quality batteries. So smartphones are basically not included. This bill is more for these e-bikes and scooters.

[@StarfoxHUN]

​@@adlerwebI hope they at least add some 'ease of removal' criterias if it really will go this way.

[@partoftheworlD]

It sounds kind of weird of them to force manufacturers to make devices with replaceable battery but most likely no moisture protection, which will rather increase the amount of e-waste.

[@Sebazzz1991]

What’s crazy about the Awair V1 that was shutdown is that it actually has an local API that for instance Home Assistant can connect to, but the local API was also blocked when the cloud support was shut down!

[@Sebazzz1991]

I suppose that you could block the Awair from reaching the internet so it never receives the command to shut down.

[@zee9276]

Not many people on the internet have the guts to say this because they get paid to promote that garbage and for them, money is everything. So thank you Hugh, for being the shining light amidst the debris of lies and dishonesty.

[@bluecar5556]

LTT

[@disneybuyseverything9010]

You are one of the few real people who come out against such Tech giants wanting us to pay for everything & giving no services. While other tech youtubers are only promoting them you are helping the consumer .We love you you okay go

[@a4andrei]

It would be nice of companies to open-source these devices, when they reach end-of-life. That's probably not going to happen. Most IoT appliances are pointless. There's really no compelling reason for your fridge to connect to the internet. Not only that, but the security of these devices is almost inexistent. I don't think your washing machine's firmware will receive the same scrutiny and security audits as your phone. I hope some legislation will eventually be in place, to protect consummers and the environment.

[@danteerskine7678]

I don't need that IoT garbage

[@rkvkydqf]

​@@danteerskine7678But soon enough, you'd have no choice but to buy it, even when looking for a regular simple appliance. For instance, do you "want* a smart TV, if not, there are few options left, some of which may paradoxically cost you more, despite costing less to manufacture.

[@danteerskine7678]

@@ingulari3977 only android phones have this privilege. The Samsung Galaxy s2 for example, discontinued nearly a decade ago and this device still works but it clearly shows it's age. Every phones that manufacturers drop support are not bricked, they simply don't get updates anymore, which isn't the case for apple which bricks it's older devices like the iPhone 6 series

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@ingulari3977And not just IoT devices, but phones and laptops as well. The Samsung Galaxy S III now has a preview build for LineageOS 20, that means modern Android 13 on a decade old device. Only possible because the community has the tools to work on that.

[@LexYeen]

Another thing to consider is, all these extra features are additional things that can - and, over a long enough timeline, _will_ - break.

[@KLondike5]

I bought a two slice self rising Sunbeam toaster from the 50s after watching a Technology Connections video. It's fantastic. I also buy well used washers & dryers because their mechanicals are simple and easy to fix. I enjoy smartphones and some other new tech but some things don't need modernization and circuit boards. I have remote control lights but I still use X10 devices from the 90s for that.

[@rodh1404]

Old tech isn't necessarily superior to new tech. But the longevity of old tech is proven. And you usually don't need a subscription with the company that produced it to make it work.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@rodh1404It might be less efficient, but you don't have to replace it as often and it doesn't need any additional fees to work.

[@keijijohnson9754]

2:40 - No they only refunded SOME purchases. The many of us that purchased Google’s Stadia Pro service monthly were screwed over HORRIBLY when they announced Stadia’s shutdown. Still pretty dang miffed about that one. Yeah I got SOME refunds on a few games that I got on sale thanks to Stadia Pro, but it’s still frustrating how much they shafted us by not including the subscriptions. L😒

[@Atius]

CCTV camera where the footage is stored entirely in the cloud is so creepy, yet so many people buys them :(

[@GTAbestplayer123]

Because they are more convenient. They can immediately see whos at the door without having to walk to the door themselves. :(

[@hbp_]

But if it's stored locally then burglars could potentially destroy the recorder.

[@GTAbestplayer123]

@@hbp_ You are right. They can just take the dvds out and break it.

[@von186]

this has sadly even happened in healthcare, where people have chips or smart devices within their bodies (i read of bionic eyes, specifically). and if the company that wrote the tech for these devices goes under, you lose your ability to use the device... and it's still in your body.

[@Splarkszter]

Self-Host HomeAssistant, and DIY. Problem solved.

[@alanjrobertson]

Totally agree, so much prefer to put something locally via HA rather than over the cloud 👍👍

[@StarfoxHUN]

Seeing how all the companies are these days, i really wonder about doing some 'more critical' stuff DIY. Its not that i wont pay for a good and trustable company to host those for me, but its just there's no 'good trustable companies' out there.

[@PhilippBlum]

The W3C Web of Thing standards are even standartizing it in the way to use it across different devices. Manufactures just have to use it. Problem is just: Apple and Google share a duopoly and don't have the interest to do so.

[@AntonioCunningham]

No. Home Assantat is a *nightmare* to deal with. Until it becomes user friendly as Amazon, *people won't switch to it*

[@Techtast]

And also put smart devices on a separate VLAN

[@Dan-oj4iq]

Did anyone else other than me perk up when, regarding the light switch, he said "press down for on and press up for off"?

[@kbhasi]

I did!

[@Dr-Random]

I thought that was interesting.

[@cybered2]

Here in Europe we've got another "great" example of this topic: the e-bike manufacturer VanMoef filed bankruptcy... and now there is the possibility that they shutdown their servers and the "owner" of the bicycle could not get full access to "his" bike because some features are "app only" like the tracking, the lock-mechanism or the settings for the gearratio etc. The app needed a bluetooth key which is stored at the VanMoef servers... thats ridiculous in my opinion.

[@TiagoWolf]

They will need jail breaking, or reverse engineering like happened with gear 360 camera from Samshiitsung that were proprietary for Shamsung phones. Gladly some great developers made it work with non shitsung phones...

[@Potsu___]

Woah woah woah... down for ON and up for OFF? They really do live upside down over there in Australia

[@alanjrobertson]

Haha nope same I think everywhere apart from the North America 😜

[@kbhasi]

Light switches are also like that in the UK and other countries that use type G plugs and sockets

[@arandomfox999]

A camera inside of your fridge to check what you need to buy is about the only smart feature I can imagine that'd be useful to some degree in a fridge.

[@george6977]

You could just look in your fridge yourself.

[@arandomfox999]

@@george6977 the assumption is that you aren't home...

[@j.f.christ8421]

@@arandomfox999 You're also assuming the camera can see past the carton of milk. I'd rather have a light in the freezer compartment first. I know that after a century it's starting to happen, but in the meantime I've put one of those little PIR sensors lights in there.

[@cowboyfrankspersonalvideos8869]

About 8 years ago I purchased a high end dash cam for about $250. It didn't connect to the Internet, but it used an app on my phone to control it. About a year later the manufacturer updated the app and the new version wouldn't connect to my camera. The camera still worked but I couldn't do anything with it except pull the Micro-SD card and plug it into my computer to download the videos. So it isn't just IOT devices that can be bricked by the manufacturer.

[@kbhasi]

That reminded me of a similar thing that happened with Gigabyte PCs. I have a custom PC mainboard that worked with an older version of RGB Fusion but didn't support the newer version that Gigabyte's own software kept pushing me to upgrade to and install bloatware that was ticked by default. I decided to just disable the RGB effects in the firmware setup and remove all of the Gigabyte utilities instead.

[@williamharris8367]

Windows XP FTW!

[@TheUniquePlumberman]

I found it funny that cordless tools have now become bluetooth enabled. Seriously, I don't need a tool telling me how many recharging cycles it's been through or the status of the device itself. When it breaks, I'll know I need to replace it. 😅

[@BlakeKDM]

The thing with the Smart washers is some companies make the on board controls absolute crap so you'll be more dependent on the app

[@PhilXavierSierraJones]

The only IoT device I use is a washing machine and all I use its IoT function is for letting me know when it's done doing its job. The washer works without internet connection, so it's okay if their service eventually folds... but I have seen horror stories from others who were into the whole ecosystem and the entire lineup of products got discontinued.

[@aegwasherndryrer]

Or someone hacked ur washer and turned child lock on

[@EgoChip]

My washing machine makes a beeping noise then turn itself off after a few minutes when it is finished. I don't need a phone alert, I will hear it when it's done.

[@nabagaca]

@@EgoChip To be fair, I use the finish notification as well, but in my case, my washing machine is in my garage, which is two floors below me, so I have no chance of hearing it, and don't feel like going down two flights of stairs to check it, but then again my dryer is dumb so I just set a timer on my phone, so I guess it still is a somewhat useful, if somewhat unnecessary feature .

[@DanielTheBigD]

​@@EgoChipSame here

[@cosettapessa6417]

@@nabagacakardashian problem 😂

[@franciscodetonne4797]

IOT is one of the weirdest things I've ever heard of. Cloud-only (or Internet-required) devices are prone to so much interruption and obstacles that they become purely gimmicks within a few minutes of proper thinking (at least for the common folks). Even Internet-required video games are as frustrating as they are, imagine everyday stuffs that I need to live.

[@awesomeferret]

I mean, technically you're incredibly wrong, and very very obviously so, so... 🤷‍♂️? I'm not a fan at all of IoT, but I'm not going to lie to people and claim that my smart garage door isn't very useful, or that my bedside lamp is just supposed to never work (it always does work). I'm also apparently not nearly as eager as you are to regard most people as "stupid". I've seen plenty of issues with smart home devices of course, but your extreme hyperbole is quite frustrating to people who actually know a bit about IoT.

[@Demopans5990]

If I can't control it locally from an airgapped to the wider world server, I ain't touching it

[@TheOnjLouis]

Hi Hugh, I’ll bring a different take, particularly to the ‘smart’ washing machine situation. I’m totally blind and I can tell you that so many products these days are now shipping with touch-screens, making them almost impossible to use for people with a disability. It’s not like the machines of the 80’s where they all had very clicky knobs and press-buttons, oh no. We need our devices to look all pretty and beautiful and have lovely graphics with more pixels than your average flip phone, just because. As a result, appliances like washing machines and even ovens are becoming less accessible year-on-year. If you just can’t find a machine with knobs and buttons, and have to settle for a touch-screen device, having access to an app that allows you to set the wash type, temperature, what kind of cycle it is etc, is priceless, assuming of course, that the app is accessible on your phone of choice. Let’s assume that the app works with either VoiceOver on iOS or Talkback on Android, then the touch-screen part of the process becomes irrelevant and thus a smart washing machine isn’t a completely hopeless device. For your everyday user however, I can see that it would be, and most only get it for the gimmick nature of said device, but these things sometimes can have real-world application and use. Sometimes it’s necessary to think outside the box and consider those with alternate reasons to buy such equipment, even if you yourself don’t need it. Just my thoughts.

[@hbp_]

The problem isn't the existence of these features but that you as user don't decide whether your washing machine is supported tomorrow. It would be nice if the voice command feature would also work locally without an Internet connection. Usually it doesn't.

[@TheOnjLouis]

@@hbp_ i’d like to think that with the use of Bluetooth, it should work without an Internet connection, but of course nothing is set in stone.

[@craigslater6508]

I am also totally blind and in 2020 just as we were going into lockdown in the UK my washing machine stopped working. However, I was able to find a Hotpoint washing machine that has physical buttons and a large tactile clicky dial. I was going to go for an Internet enabled washing machine but I’m glad I didn’t bother. I also recently bought a fully talking air fryer. Personally, I don’t understand why certain appliances need to be Internet enabled.

[@Setupthemabomb]

The only good thing from IoT as far as I experienced is the ability to tweet from a Samsung smartfridge and flex on those poor people who still uses rectangular black slabs instead of rectangular black box for social media needs

[@TiagoWolf]

Yeah! Also Those that flex never have their ice cubes fridge part working 🤣🤣🤣🤣 it clogs up. Old freezers always working fine for 70% less

[@DEZXD1]

bricked their product? wow "too new" and its bricked already?

[@pearelectronics3083]

Google did handle the shutdown of stadia very well

[@adamf663]

I would still be pissed. How much does it cost to keep the servers up?

[@Gaming1234team]

@@adamf663 Servers ain't cheap to run in a large scale. They could have raised the monthly charge, but my bet is the people who used stadia would not have been happy about that, which would cause them to lose at least some of the already limited user base. Big companies don't care what the people want unless its making the business money as disappointing as it may be at times.

[@AlKaseltzer87]

Cloud's been around for a while and I still haven't used it. Nothing beats having all my data here on my desk.

[@survivor303]

EU need to say last word on this too. Forceful manufacturers to offer tools to open firmware access, so people can program or sideload their own software to these devices.

[@deleqtronica8733]

It's not that easy, Samsung has even locked their bootloaders in the name of security

[@survivor303]

@@deleqtronica8733 it is easy, just doing the damn law about it. not allowed to sell those damn devices in the eu market, if they not respect it. eu market is huge, so they not keeping out. and about these "security" nonsense, if i buy a device, i dont ask manufacturers security policies i just ask that damn hardware.

[@EeveeEuphoria]

i have smart lights (lifx) that work entirely locally when i use it via home assistant. in fact, once i set them up, i immediately went to my router and killed their connection to the internet to really make damn sure they don't talk to anything outside, nor get anything from outside, just to be extra secure. and they've worked wonderfully, the only times they don't work is when my wifi acts funny. and inb4, i don't wanna run around my room to turn off both lamps before i sleep. i'd like to just, sleep! and that's the easiest way to do it! ...and have funny colors whenever i feel like it

[@SteveChambers]

Love that you've dedicated so much of your channel to environmental and consumer concerns. I was sceptical about smart washing machines too, until I saw someone with reduced mobility and chronic pain use one. People with only so much energy to use on an activity can load the machine and then sit down to select the correct programme and settings from their device. I'm sure other smart home devices offer similar benefits. The answer to the issue of remote servers being turned off is to legislate for local control of all IOT devices on the home network.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Oh, I totally get that the things have legitimate uses. It's just that with these modern IoT devices is that it's often not optional. And I wouldn't mind a washing machine that I can start before I come home. Together with the computer and coffee machine. But not at the cost of flipping a switch.

[@katrinabryce]

@@HappyBeezerStudios My dumb washing machine as a delayed start option, so I can tell it to start the cycle in x hours so that it will be ready at a particular time. I usually set to to start overnight when electricity is cheaper and be ready when I wake up the next morning.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@katrinabryce I hope the sleeping neighbors are fine with the ruckus :)

[@katrinabryce]

@@HappyBeezerStudios The only bit that makes a noise is the spin cycle at the end, and they should be awake by then.

[@Dan-cm9ow]

I do embedded work in the IoT space. Every company I've worked for sees the physical device as a vector for the service they will make money with, not a standalone product that is bought outside of the "ecosystem" of recurring fees.

[@truckerallikatuk]

They're also vectors for attacks into people's networks. Which is why local control is important to me. I don't want or need my lightbulbs reaching out to the internet especially when their firmware is so tiny they have near zero security.

[@PhilippBlum]

You may be interested in the W3C Web of Things standards then :)

[@awesomeferret]

What scares me is how this is not obvious to most people. I just grew up always knowing this, because even as a kid, this is just obviously how this works. And yes, 20 years ago there were still plenty of dead IoT devices (they're even more dramatic of an example because they all used dialup and all have services shut down, etc... How am I the only one who points this out on videos like this, but OK...).

[@awesomeferret]

@@truckerallikatuk please, do elaborate on why you think "tiny firmware" is equal to "insecure firmware". I'll wait. 😂

[@truckerallikatuk]

@@awesomeferret Because there is near zero room for any security code at all. Also no processing power worthy of the name to add encryption.. You can make a tank the size and weight of a volkswagen, but it won't stand up to the same attacks.

[@cmd8086]

That's why I like Sonoff, it's possible to install an open source system on it. Although I think it might not be legal, it ensures the hardware won't be obsolete if for some reason the services are shut down

[@toiartu]

It is actually legal

[@XsaviXander]

It's legal. I'm the same way about routers. It's very nice if you can install custom firmware on the device. Same for smartphones. Custom ROMs ensure longevity and prevent your device from going obsolete.

[@TheUltimateRecycler]

Excellent video Hugh! Loved seeing the bakelite switches 😊😊

[@dappermanphoto]

I didn't know google had pushed an update for the stadia controllers until now so thank you!

[@dragonsoul128]

I have an Amazon fitbit and they stopped the service a few months ago but no mention of a refund.

[@ryuquen]

There is a company in China selling air conditioner without a normal remote controller, saying "young people prefer using their phones", and charges buyers about $5 for a remote.

[@zethloveless7238]

The metals on the air cons are also very poor and these systems don’t last like they used to.

[@61espo]

Very well said! Thank You very much for your videos Hugh!

[@itssharkeyboi]

Excellent video Hugh!

[@No4hsARK]

Hey Hugh Jeffrey’s, I learned how to fix all Apple products, and Android products from you, thank you for good videos that teach and entertain. Can’t wait to learn how to fix more things!

[@HughJeffreys]

Wish you the best!

[@industrialmonk]

In the eu the manufacturer has to support products for 10 years after production end's enforcement maybe a problem

[@partoftheworlD]

Looks like someone scored political points by introducing such a law in the eu. I haven't seen any product that has been supported for at least 6 years. And what to talk about 10 years, when most IoT vendors use Linux kernels from 2010-2012 as the basis of their firmware and their support consists in patching old patches by new one.

[@StarfoxHUN]

I think with full refund there should be no problem. Same story as Stadia and there was no problem there too.

[@weird-guy]

Im from the eu and I don’t know about this law, I know that warranty went from 2 year to 3 years

[@SandiRose2008]

Absolutely! Thank you for making this video, Hugh!

[@RiiFT]

I love your deadpan delivery. It makes you as funny as you are interesting.

[@EquinoxTheGryph]

I honestly love the clothes dryer at my home: One timer knob, two buttons. One for turning it on (starting the timer and the drying cycle), and the other to toggle between the two temperatures (Hot and Mild) and two lights (One for "machine is on" and the other for the lint filter warning). That's it, no displays, no IoT, no beeps, only a lint filter to clean. Really simple stuff.

[@adibclone]

Love this kind of video Hugh. ❤

[@icecreamjunkie6790]

I don’t know if it’s like this in other cities but the parking meters in my city literally require an app to park. You don’t have the option to just pay with change. I work in IT and love tech, but I absolutely agree-not everything needs to be in the cloud!

[@deathsyth8888]

Some things just don't need to be connected to the Internet to function.

[@asadfarraj]

Real. I bought a smart bulb last year and when the layoffs started earlier this year they just dropped support for my product because they "didn't have enough manpower to focus on too many devices".

[@Joe-wk9ow]

not to mention it gives the government more control over your home. Like when there is a power shortage they will keep your thermometer set at 80 degrees F with no way of controlling it. Or if they hear something they don't like then they will lock you out of your own home.

[@latafairam]

As always, great video. Keep it up.

[@TheWibob1234]

I still can’t get over the google nest hub has a cloud only alarm clock. Who in the right fu&$ing mind decided a cloud only alarm clock was a good idea!

[@jimmywoods7404]

btw, Google did good on their part with shutting down Stadia, they released a firmware update that turns it into a normal controller. They didn't just shut it down and make it all ewaste. And the Chromecasts can still be used for other things. They still even gave full refunds.

[@doltoz]

Sper informative vide Hugh! Great perspective for our "connected" future!

[@rayrous8229]

Thanks for the thoughtful and professional opinions. It's important for people to consider these issues.

[@SocksHeelerOnYT]

Love your vids Hugh keep up the good work😊

[@PtakiKujawiaki]

You are very reasonable and smart person - thank World for people like you.

[@BriefNerdOriginal]

In the kitchen renewal, we purposely avoided buying a connected oven, fridge, etc. Unless they would also order, receive, cut, and process all the food instead of us, the promised functionalities are just useless and make you have more apps, more complexity, and overall more stress from simple appliances

[@alerey4363]

wise advice Jeffrey, as usual with your videos, thank you.

[@jennyhuang7250]

Good video. A cybersecurity dude who lives in Melbourne recently hacked into a BLE car battery monitor's app and showed how the app makers were lying about not collecting location data, and were sending that data over an insecure method. They were apparently doing it in a dodgy way that made it clear they were trying to siphon up your data. Scary stuff.

[@TeslaTales59]

Very good discussion. I recently purchased a new LG electric dryer. I offered "Smart Diag" - I opted out and use the big start button on the front!

[@mauriciocortez2447]

Great video! Great points and argument.

[@TheCelticbeast]

I still remember the Pebble Watch. 😢

[@Farquad76.547]

I remember my pebble dashed toilet

[@djpainkiller3326]

this is why I physically collect physical media such as DVDs CDs and video game disc I bought two songs on iTunes and I lost them forever because I accidentally deleted them not knowing you buy something digital on that account and you have issues with the account it's gone forever I don't like that and resell value is better if you ever ever wanted to resell it

[@Rivenworld]

I am 'So' with you on all of this, great video...

[@buixote]

I started watching the KZbinr, "Wristwatch Revival"... he works on mechanical watches that you can still get spare parts for... no software updates that brick your property!

[@kintustis]

For every full refund, there's a thousand electronic devices that go straight in the garbage.

[@FranciscoVigil14]

Its sad that e-waste is such a problem 😢

[@ytgibbo]

Love a Bakerlite light switch. So satisfying to use!

[@CynicalSandwichParty]

Avoid any smart devices that require cloud or have no guarantee to updates for a certain amount of time. From custom smart home to phone. This was a very good vid my dude. We need to generate this awareness on a larger scale. Would love to see these multinationals squirm alike Disney.

[@deleqtronica8733]

This is precisely why I don't have a Ring cam. It's ridiculous that Ring only allows cloud storage. I use Arlo instead who actually let's me store my own data.

[@drakegarcia3106]

Hey preach brother! Im 200% with you on this.

[@Green_House]

In the USA, it's up for ON and down for OFF. (I guess they have it backwards - they even drive on the wrong side of the road! 🙂🇦🇺)

[@HughJeffreys]

I noticed that was I was in Canada.

[@Alpha8713]

@@HughJeffreys And I (as an American) noticed that the UK does the down=on, up=off thing. Weird.

[@Green_House]

@@Alpha8713 I'm sure somewhere in the world it's right for ON and left for OFF. 🤔

[@betabry42]

"Car"nage in the garage! Love it!

[@Pragmatist101]

Spot on Hugh! Look at Heart rate monitors , specifically the newer "smart" watch versions. Before heart rate monitors (and transmitters) just needed a coin battery roughly once a year. Now many require charging every few days and need to be connected to a cell phone for some features to work (weather etc). Then the sessions need to be downloaded to an internet based service to be viewed. What happens if internet is inconsistent, slow or nonexistent? What if when on a hike a power source is not near for charging? Satellite coverage is poor? Before products were available that were not so internet, power or satellite dependent. And eco friendly!!

[@jeremys3174]

I only buy appliances with the fewest bells and whistles and so far my appliances are 10yrs old. I have had to replace the heater unit in the stove and dryer once. No internet stuff for us. I just upgraded my AC & furnace the tech was shocked I did not want a Smart Thermostat....

[@adamhafiddin9564]

I remember someone on twitter ranting about her treadmill doesnt work without internet connection

[@Kelson01]

“It’s more sustainable if we don’t include a charger in the box” is corporate speak for “We can increase our profit margin and make more money while appearing to care about the environment”

[@Geomedge]

I wake up at midnight to see this. Love your content ❤❤

[@adaml6793]

I stay up till midnight lol. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@MJsTechWorld]

Same it's 12:28

[@electrofreak0]

Just this past week I got a RPi Zero and made an opensource security cam out of it. Definitely don't trust connecting things like cameras to a service, especially when companies like Ring decide to charge monthly on top of all the data mining they are doing.

[@linuxfan2344]

Amazing idea as raspberry pi's will continue to recieve kernel security patches for a long time and even if they stop there are efforts to get the pure vanilla linux kernel working on raspberry pi's so you will be able to get security patches even if raspberry pi foundation goes out of buisness

[@williamharris8367]

Proprietary terminals for mainframes have been around since (at least) the 1970s; they have no purpose in the absence of the original hardware. Some people collect these things while most of us consider them obsolete junk. I still own a CRT TV with an analog tuner. It works with older video game systems, but it is effectively obsolete in that I cannot watch broadcast TV (and the cable company no longer supports non-HD sets). What you have described is not a new phenomena, it is just becoming more mainstream as more people adopt more technology.

[@dash8brj]

Anything IoT I buy has to have local control. I learned this the hard way with a ring doorbell. This was easily hacked until I could get around to buying one with local only storage/the cloud functionality wasn't needed for it to work. All IoT devices sit on the IoT network. If tey cease to function correctly because that network has no internet they go back to the place of purchase with the excuse being "not fit for purpose". "Its a doorbell. It should ring the chime without being connected to the internet."

[@JustinSulak]

“No need to reinvent the light switch”…just do it the Australian way? You totally said that for engagement purposes and I fell for it

[@il0ypp]

Unfortunately it's almost impossible to convince 90% of the people from my experience. I've been trying, and especially with my parents, trying to install local home security cameras that just connect over POE but instead they choose the cloud as they believe it's more reliable. It's just an example, but this applies to the majority of the people, and they rarely change their mind.

[@dawn1berlitz]

they may of been brainwashed with the cloud is the future garbage

[@AntonioCunningham]

For one, that require more tech knowledge. Cloud based security is as simple as setting up a smartphone. If people want more people to go the local route, it *has* to become just as user friendly as the big cloud based ones. Being a superior products or services *isnt* enough if its a nightmare to deal with.

[@Dr-Random]

Well, they’ll be proven wrong in like 6 months, and still have the audacity to blame you for their mistakes. Unfortunately, that’s just how some people are. It’s near impossible to do anything about it. They think they’re right and everyone else is wrong, they get proven wrong, and they act like a toddler throwing a tantrum. To be fair, they’re probably on the older side and aren’t as tech savvy as younger people are. I understand that sentiment.

[@muthuGowriShankar]

That's really an eye opener for, it's cool to automate the house but we should also consider the centralized control

[@Wtrxprs007able]

"Its as if the biggest companies make the worst junk" Dankpods aint wrong

[@hegedusuk]

This needs a separate post: I have an internet connected coffee machine that appears to offer no other functionality than to tell me when to update its firmware

[@MegaLokopo]

The easy solution, only buy open source systems, and buy them in the smallest unit possible, everything you buy for a smart home should have only one feature, that way when it breaks, you only have to replace one small thing instead of one massive thing that forces many other things to be useless.

[@lockpickingmen]

And on top of all this IoT madness, there are the nonsense subscriptions. LG wants to put subscription model in refrigerators.

[@Dr-Random]

Just when I thought we could go no lower, society surprises me again. This has to be rock bottom right?

[@BollingHolt]

Your light switches kick ass. My house was built in 1928, and yeah, I agree with you about not "reinventing the light switch", though I do have some smart bulbs that are quite handy and have lasted (at this point) over five years.

[@Rolfthewild]

Not enough people spittin facts like this! I'm glad some youtubers have an open mind because it seems like a lot of people have been brainwashed into thinking every tech has to be replaced with smart tech and that's JUST NOT TRUE!!

[@CarlazorTheFourth]

i pick up so much stuff that need light repairs that were thrown away at e waste bins, i hope that this issue will eventually be fixed

[@james1234168]

Zigbee/zwave devices are great for this. Grab a local USB based host/hub, and then control that with something like Homeassistant. Totally offline, not internet or cloud required.

[@EmanuelCampos]

To be fair the most annoying case is have a perfect surface RT here fully functional, serving only as a glorified digital photo frame, since Microsoft Norbert only pull the plug on it, but also block any install

[@kbhasi]

IIRC there were unofficial software modifications for it which installed an old Windows beta build that was the newest to support 32-bit ARM. I'm also reminded of an old Galaxy Tab I have that I repurposed as a Home Assistant controller.

[@slivers4007]

Very well said!

[@petemarfatia8725]

Thanks for your videos Hugh. Extra thanks for this weeks laughs relating to what keeps you up at night ;-)

[@t3chninja_official]

I also hate the not sending a power brick or charging cord with new devices. I typically have to buy one, meaning more packaging waste than if it was including in the box already. I do have some Wyze Cameras but they have RTSP available firmware so if Wyze goes under I can still use them with my own server. I'm straying away from IOT devices.

[@EgoChip]

I don't have an issue with a power supply not being included if the device is USB powered. Including a cable is necessary, but the actual wall plug seems pointless when I am sure every household has a box full of the things and if not they are so cheap, or a friend or family member might have a spare one. Then you end up charging the device from a computer more often than not anyway. Anything that saves money and resources is a good thing.

[@jec_ecart]

Thankfully I haven't jumped on this stupid smart home thing. Standards came & died just before my eyes.

[@robjayar8684]

Let's commend these tech companies for their significant contributions to e-waste.

[@DavidGreen_au]

Bakelite switches‽ How retro. Obviously a Victorian era build! But true. All you need is an internet outage, and your whole house stops working. Bah Humbug! The internet should be a tool, not a dependency. An interesting, and amusing video essay 👍

[@BlazeIsTaken]

Fam the only Smart thing I have is a Phone, TV and Laptop of that Counts. Like we don't need this shit.