Ask HN: Why Connected Home Appliances?

5 points by ripe 6 days ago | 11 comments

Asking for a magazine writer for a feature story about "IoT" connected home appliances. The primary question behind this feature is: “I have to now use an app to operate my washing machine. Why?!”

The feature explores why this is happening, what technology is behind that, and how this trend (?) might evolve as consumers increasingly complain about app overwhelm.

Any pointers to details on how these systems work would be welcome. If you have worked on any of the underlying software, the writer would love to interview you or communicate via email. They have given me some questions they are hoping to answer (see first comment below). Thanks!

coreyp_1 5 days ago |

The scary thing about IoT is that it's impossible to know what is being transmitted back to servers once a device is connected to an outside network (unless, of course, the network protocol doesn't allow external egress, such as Zigbee).

If I connect my washing machine to the internet so that I can use a stupid, proprietary app, how do I know what telemetry it's also sending?

Does it capture MAC addresses, SSIDs, bluetooth identifier, etc? That information could be used to identify who most frequently uses the device, personal schedules, friends/acquaintances that stop by, and a whole host of other inferences. When combined with other private corporate data sources, it may reveal things about me that I don't want them to know.

I don't want them to know to target me for advertising. I don't want them to have an economic profile so that they can extract as much money out of me as possible via surveillance pricing. I don't want service people to decide to charge me more based on how desperate I am to get the thing fixed.

I don't trust anyone that says, "I'll do that for you. No, I won't let you do it on your own... you have to go through me (my app)." Companies do not have my interest in mind... they are only trying to extract more money out of me.

Give me Zigbee or nothing!

twright 5 days ago |

I think from the manufacturer's perspective there is some misplaced idea that automation via an app somehow makes work easier. For household chores there are so many manual steps that an app doesn't actually make the process any easier, it complicates it. You have this dependency on a phone that you're relying on whereas before it was just some simple button presses. It's like having to call your mechanic every time you wanted to start the car.

coreyp_1 5 days ago |

I use Home Assistant to gather info about my house. I use Zigbee devices exclusively (with the exception of a Z-wave device that was not available in a Zigbee flavor). Why? Because that protocol allows me to talk to the device, but the device itself can't phone home to something outside of my network. I, however, can still talk to the device via my personal system. From thermostats to switches to various monitors and sensors, I don't need someone to spy on me in order for me to have a smart home.

I will not use a device's proprietary app. I won't connect it to the internet. I don't want appliances to phone home. I don't want them to help a company build profiles about me, my habits, etc. It's none of their business, and I don't trust them.

I will never use an app to operate my washing machine. I would love to be able to track the information (current status, total time, frequency of use, etc.) but not if it has to phone home to do it. It would be easy to expose this via a Zigbee interface, but manufacturers don't want me to bypass them. They want to spy on me from now on.

aristofun 4 days ago |

Manufacturers just trying to please tge crowd and brag about _features_, also save money on buttons and decent mechanical components. Crowd is gullible and patient enough to eat this for a while. There is very little to no real need for apps and touch screens in 99% of household tasks and usecases. They only make most of the things worse.

uberman 6 days ago |

Noone wants to use an app to control thier stuff. At least that I can think of. However, we got a new washer and dryer a while back and settings I want like sports are locked behind registration and the app.

al_borland 5 days ago | |

Even having the option for an app would be a no-buy for me. That’s an anti-feature.

If people keep buying them, companies will keep pushing them and then claim they make up a high percentage of sales and frame it as customer demand.

Consumers need to actively reject these things.

andrei_says_ 5 days ago | |

What sporty thing can a washer and drier do?

BjoernKW 5 days ago |

> “I have to now use an app to operate my washing machine. Why?!”

Frankly, that's asinine. However, I'd very much like my washing machine or tumble dryer to notify me when they're done (with those appliances sitting in the basement of my house).

I even remember a dorm at uni (TU Dortmund, back in the late 90s) having a website for their washers that'd retrieve and display a status via TCP/IP. IIRC, some guys at the local computer science department jerry-rigged some custom board into standard washing machines available at that time.

krapp 5 days ago | |

> However, I'd very much like my washing machine or tumble dryer to notify me when they're done (with those appliances sitting in the basement of my house).

Every one I've used has an alarm that goes off when it's done, and a timer so you generally know when it should be done anyway. This isn't something you need an app or an internet connection for at all.

BjoernKW 5 days ago | | |

Well, there are very few things you truly _need_ an app for, but quite a few where an app comes in handy.