Baby, It's Cold Outside

Nest thermostat bug leaves users cold

A software bug that caused Nest's smart thermostat to stop working has left many users both cold and angry.

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I never thought I'd see the day when you had to reboot your thermostat. Sheeeesh!

Reply to
Frank Loesser
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What's more amusing is the need for the "update" that CAUSED the problem! I.e., what did they "get wrong" in the earlier version of the software that necessitated the (defective) update -- which, in turn, required yet another update to restore functionality?

It's a *thermostat*. Omit the spyware features and it's a trivial design!

Reply to
Don Y

Would you subject line that as "cold inside" instead?

BTW, that's an episode title from MASH. Set during the brutal Korean winter, IIRC.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

By my count that's three.

Reply to
Gordon Shumway

Yep, three thermostat reboots.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Never had that problem with my T-87

Reply to
gfretwell

The whole smart gun idea was something that was taken out of context early on. Originally this was supposed to be for cops who were worried about losing a gun in a fight and having it used against them. The idea was a fairly fail safe RFID device and even then most cops said they would not trade reliability for this minor improvement in their safety. After that the manufacturers started trying to get this into more general use. The problem is, if you are talking about a heat of the moment thing where the "wrong person" ends up with the gun, this is effective but if you have time to take it apart and defeat the device, you have a dumb gun again. You have just made it a little harder for a thief/fence and you have given your kids a puzzle. (similar to a trigger lock) I am sure the instructions would be on You Tube in a week.

Reply to
gfretwell

There seems to be a movement to put electronics in every thing from coffee makers to thermostats to cars. Many times, this just makes matters worse. Sad, for sure.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
[snip]

On February 13, 2113 on the newsgroup "alt.health.toothbrushes", there are 137 posts from people who can't brush their teeth because their toothbrushes were all displaying "Error 2BEF".

Reply to
hah

Another example of bad design. The lure of electronics is that it represents an opportunity for continually declining costs -- in raw materials AND labor. A friend worked for a washing machine manufacturer and approached me about an *electronic* transmission for same some ~35 years ago. They'd realized that "moving production to mexico" was essentially the best they could hope for in terms of saving manufacturing costs. OTOH, converting a mechanical solution to an electronic one gave them more choices *and* an oppportunity to benefit from the falling component and labor costs that electronic products experience.

Many things are simply not feasible (practical) without electronics. Even a setback thermostat would be impractical without "smarts". Would you put several thermostatic coil thermostats on a giant "wheel" and have them physically swapped into position at different times of day?

Imagine designing the MECHANICAL MECHANISM in a fancy sewing machine (different stitch styles) without a tiny, inexpensive processor to implement them!

And, once you have smarts in a product, you can extend its functionality. But, that's where folks fall down -- they're ADDING a (nonessential) functionality and doing it in a way that compromises (or complicates) the BASIC functionality.

E.g., google wants to be able to *talk* to the thermostat; a function that the thermostat itself doesn't require! No doubt, this is where the original and subsequent bugs crept into the design -- and its consequences for the users/owners.

Yum, yum -- The Internet of Things! Just wait until your toilet won't let you flush it because it's decided "yellow is mellow but brown goes down"...

Reply to
Don Y

I fear for the nation's future.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I suspect it's being discussed, now. Don't remember how I heard this. But in California, the jail and prison toilets will only flush three times an hour.

Wonder what that retrofit cost?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Spyware!

Reply to
burfordTjustice

Per Uncle Monster:

poisoning or something like it and I can imagine what it would be like

Maybe something like the crapper I encountered at Makaha Beach Park (Oahu, Hawaii):

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Reply to
(PeteCresswell)
[snip]

If you want a flush, you'll need to fool the bowl colorimeter. People say it works to add a little beef gravy.

Reply to
Sam E

Keep a bag of sh*t by the toilet... :>

Reply to
Don Y

New black ^h^h^h^h^h brown market opening up soon.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Per Uncle Monster:

I did not make that connection... but, yeah it looks like a great feature.

Back when I was in college and subletting houses to students I had this fantasy of the perfect rental unit - and included a big drain and a chain that could be pulled to flush it like a toilet....

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

Uncle Monster posted for all of us...

sing home had food

only flushed 3 times per hour.

ant" by its construction? I like the slot at the bottom of the wall that al lows the place to be power washed or hosed out. ?(???)?

Overflow

Reply to
Tekkie®

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