[jakedata]

"ends support for smartphone enabled"...

If anyone thought for one second that any device which requires external "cloud" support would continue work beyond what is convenient/profitable for the provider then I have a wifi-only dishwasher to sell you. No, really - please buy it from me.

[theamk]

it's worse than that - those locks are bluetooth-based, so they don't care about the cloud.

What happened is that they are disabling the app, so it is no longer usable.

[gblargg]

So many of the smart apps won't even launch without an Internet connection (i.e. connection to their cloud services), even if you just want to control local Bluetooth devices.

[m463]

friend got a canon camera. you can install the canon app to use bluetooth/wifi to transfer the photos to the phone. At some point the app went from thre app allowing limited permissions to insert into camera roll, to full permissions to access all photos on the phone.

[thrashwerk]

I hate that.

I recently bought a G-Shock watch, it can connect to your phone via Bluetooth, it was a selling point but may be convenient to sync the time with a quick connection.

First, the G-Shock app displayed a prompt that it won't work with animations turned off which is just baffling. I have them disabled in Android settings under accessibility options because I find them frivolous.

Then with the animations enabled the G-Shock app says that it's EOL since mid 2023, now CASIO WATCHES app is for everything.

Install CASIO WATCHES, doesn't complain about animations being disabled which is an improvement but then when I want to add a watch it says I need an account.

Two local devices connecting via Bluetooth need a goddamn online account! Uninstalled that shit immediately.

I don't regret the purchase, I like the watch and it works perfectly without any connection crap but boy is all this online nonsense annoying.

[Borealid]

There is an open-source app ("Casio G-Shock Smart Sync") for syncing time with g-shock BLE watches.

Some of them are also compatible with Gadgetbridge (also OSS, but much richer in functionality).

[m463]

Bought a garmin watch. You can use it entirely offline. It is a refreshing alternative to all other watches.

That said, they are putting some functions behind the garmin connect app, which is troubling.

[haltcatchfire]

Even worse is that they are pushing their subscription service now, Connect Plus…

[flyinglizard]

Apps require constant maintenance. If you just leave an app in Play Store or App Store and don’t touch it for a while, in couple of years it will be gone. Compliance requirements, obsolete APIs, forceful upgrades by the Apple/Google all see to that.

That means you need to keep the app project updated and all dependencies in reasonable form. It’s not outlandish if you are a big company but as someone who oversaw the development of platforms where you had apps dedicated to hardware - it definitely takes effort. I can understand why companies want to cut loose ends here.

[vrighter]

they don't require constant maintenance. They are forced to receive constant maintenance. Ex if you don't release updates, you get delisted. But you wrote a calculator app. What updates and maintenance does it require that wasn't forced on you by google/apple by changing out the os from under you, or simply because they feel like it?

[wobfan]

This is wrong. Yes, they require constant maintenance. But that maintenance is pretty limited in scope, if it is required even. All they have to do is to push some updates once or twice a year at max, and maybe update the usage of some APIs. It's not like these companies can't do it. In the grand scheme they wouldn't even notice it if one of their developers would do that.

It's that they just don't want to. They're greedy as hell, and they don't care about you.

Even if it would be too much work at one point, e.g. if Apple would finally update their Bluetooth stack more often then every 10 years, and the API completely changes. Why not just open source the whole app, or at least their interface so independent developers could develop something so not all of their products need to go into the waste? Because even in this hypothetical scenario, one thing holds true: They're greedy and they don't care about you.

[noodletheworld]

I unironically look forward to the world where this is solved by unsupervised AI agents incrementally upgrade these apps to keep them evergreen...

...and the Lovecraftian gradual drift as incremental recursive hallucinations turn them into still... mostly working... strange little app-like-bundles of Something Weird.

[pavel_lishin]

I don't know why I have to take a selfie of myself to start my washing machine. I also don't know why it requires me to stare at it for 30 seconds afterward, or the machine shuts off. The face is my own, for the first 15 seconds or so, but then it's not. I've checked, it's a pixel perfect copy, it's not being slowly adjusted as I watch it, but for the rest of the day, the face I see in the mirror isn't my own, either.

But my laundry has never smelled so fresh.

[jmhammond]

This made my day. Thank you for this Lovecraftian horror!

[bmandale]

On the other hand, if someone searches "appname apk", they will be able to download it forever, and install it for another year (thanks google!).

[dylan604]

just yet another example of dying companies could be heroes by releasing their code to the public

[com2kid]

My Lockly lock supports a complete offline setup, no phone required to register finger prints or setup PIN codes. I believe I can even turn off the BT completely if I so desire.

It is just exactly smart enough for my liking.

[dsr_]

My house lock doesn't have an online mode. It has to be programmed by visiting physically, unlocking it, and then you have to stand there and touch it for a while in order to remove or activate a code. In other words, it only supports two features that a keyed lock doesn't:

1. a keyholder can't lose/forget the key 2. keys can be disabled without the expense of replacing the whole lock core

Since the purpose of a house lock is entirely a cultural/legal signal (you are allowed to come in / you do not have authority to come in) rather than security (if you are willing to damage the house, you can definitely enter), this is the perfect "smartness" for me.

[com2kid]

The lockly model I have is the same, no cloud features.

You can configure it using the keypad or using an app over BT, that is the primary difference between it and a completely self contained device.

[mingus88]

It depends. According to the link this lock was supported for over ten years, and the landscape for this type of device was pretty Wild West back then. There are a lot of devices that never even got that much support.

Today, give me any HomeKit supported device and I’m satisfied it will work for as long as I need it to without some dodgy 3rd party app siphoning my data.

And let’s be honest, if you were buying fridges or washing machines based on WiFi features that’s on you. Locks and lights have legitimate uses for remote control and always have.

[itake]

> And let’s be honest, if you were buying fridges or washing machines based on WiFi features that’s on you.

I don't understand what you mean by this? My clothes will smell really bad if I leave them in the washer wet. If the appliance has a leak, I need to be nearby to remediate. Thus its not safe for me to start the appliance before I leave for 8+ hours.

If I can remotely start my washing machine, just prior to me arriving home, I can move the clothes to the dryer.

[kikkia]

Don't most washers and dryers have timed start like dishwashers do? I always remember mine having pictures like that but maybe that's just not a common thing

[Polizeiposaune]

Delayed start is common for washers but not for clothes dryers (as you really don't want wet laundry just sitting there in the appliance for hours..)

[EmptyCoffeeCup]

Pretty common in dryers as well.

They turn over and blow cold air periodically to prevent them getting stinky.

[vrighter]

but why???? If i have already gotten off my ass to go throw the clothes in it and so I'm literally standing right next to it, in what universe won't I just press "start" and instead press a bunch of buttons to set up a timer?

[rkomorn]

Remote start, and finish notifications, are genuinely useful things.

At the same time, I don't know if they're actually worth the downsides of needing to create an account, having hackable IoT things, installing an app per appliance brand (at least), etc vs, say, a timer and/or delay.