So absurd and embarrassing ..."

Some Samsung smart fridges stopped working on Tuesday due to a firmware update.

Korean outlets were the first to report the problems, which affect Samsung’s Bespoke AI line of fridges. Star News Korea, per a Google-provided translation, said that most of the affected devices were four-door fridges from 2024 or later.

    • DaddleDew@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      12 days ago

      Sadly I can see a future where the non-smart option will no longer be available. Or very limited in choice for the consumer.

      It’s already the case with TVs. The next logical step is to make it so it will refuse to work unless you connect it to the internet to “activate” it or even worse have it connect to the cellular network to be always on-line whether the owner of the device is aware of it or not. The vast majority of the consumers are still completely ignorant about this and buy this crap.

      Fortunately appliances seem to still offer plenty of “non smart” options for now. But who knows what it will be in 10 years?

      • morto@piefed.socialEnglish
        0·
        12 days ago

        With tvs, The smart part has some use for most people. They want to connect to the internet and see their shows and movies. The data stealing, obsolescence, etc are things that most people fail to notice when buying, because they don’t have much knowledge on it. But smart fridges? They simply offer no benefit at all, and with a higher price. I find it very unlikely that they will become the norm on a global scale.

      • Blisterexe@lemmy.zipEnglish
        0·
        12 days ago

        I feel like the difference is that basically everyone who is non-techy wants a smart TV, but practically nobody wants a smart fridge or toaster.

      • BurgerBaron@quokk.auEnglish
        0·
        12 days ago

        Oh someone else beat me to it nvm. If everyone buys the basic rectangle then they won’t sell “smart” crap is the only key point.

      • Switorik@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        12 days ago

        This is why we shouldn’t buy them now. If they don’t sell well, they will follow a similar fate of 3D TVs.

        • Chozo@fedia.io
          0·
          12 days ago

          I think a big difference is that many people (in the US, at least) don’t choose their own fridge. Renters often have the fridge included with the home. There’s far fewer people who could reasonably inflict such a boycott.

          • cattywampas@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            12 days ago

            Landlords will be the last ones to buy premium appliances. Your average apartments are always gonna have the workhorse basic Frigidaire and Whirlpool type appliances.

          • OwOarchist@pawb.socialEnglish
            0·
            12 days ago

            Oh, man… That would be such a nightmare, moving into a new apartment and finding it full of smart appliances you’re not allowed to replace…

    • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
      0·
      12 days ago

      This.

      An appliance should turn on when I turn it on, turn off when I turn it off, do the task I instruct it to when I instruct it to, and do nothing that I do not instruct it to. Its status should be clearly indicated to the user with a few LEDs, or a numerical display if needed. Its behavior should be entirely predictable at all times, until eventual mechanical failure due to wear.

      If an appliance design fails any of these checks, it is a bad design.

      If any function of the appliance is dependent on a network connection, it fails the checks because:

      • it will do things that I did not instruct it to
      • it might fail to do things that I instruct it to
      • it might not fully turn off even though I’ve pushed the power button
      • it might not fully turn on if it can’t find a network connection
      • its status may be shown on a garbage-quality failure-prone LCD, in a UI designed by a CS intern with 3 months of classroom experience in Java (or worse, an LLM)
      • it may behave unpredictably due to bad software design by said intern, and will typically be exposed by poorly designed network security, leading to behaviors controlled by malicious third parties
      • it will fail early, if not because of the shoddy bottom-of-the-barrel electronics, then because the manufacturer decided they weren’t going to support the companion app anymore (6 months post-purchase) so fuck you, buy our new product that doesn’t actually have a complete companion app yet! (the intern is still working on it)

      Don’t buy “smart” appliances. Ever.