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GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

theregister.co.uk

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Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#61

Post by pdkl95 »

qball wrote: post #35
mytailorisrich wrote: post #19

Could people remind me why they need these "smart" bulbs in the first place?

Because smart bulbs are the cheapest and best option for making the following possible: * Wake timers. I can wake up with light shining in my face even with the curtains drawn, which makes it easier for my body to sense that it's time to wake up and harder for it to fall back to sleep. Bonus points if it's green or blue on a grey day, which the more expensive bulbs allow you to choose. * Security and timing. Lights c…

> the cheapest and best option

My father and I implemented all of those features trivially and cheaply in the late 1980s with X10 switches/outlets/fixture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_%28industry_standard%29

X10 devices also featured:

* No internet (or other network) access. It worked as long as the mains power was on.

* Putting the control in the outlet or fixture allowed any type of light or device to be controlled. (My father used this to remotely control a CCTV camera)

* Plugging a X10-enabled dimmer lamp into a standard outlet (like any other lamp) allowed remote dimming without the need for any modifications to the existing electric outlets/etc.

(full-range color LED lights didn't exist yet, but controlling color could have easily used a similar protocol).

This type of feature doesn't need and shouldn't be implemented with a "smart" controller. If the design includes a "reset" procedure, it's overengineered and overcomplicated for basic automation of simple devices like lights. If the design requires internet access, it's a broken design that unnecessarily introduces an external dependency and risk of remote attack.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#63

Post by sannee »

acd wrote: post #21

If you have kids they play with turning the light switch on and off. So I can see the need not to reset by accident. A simpler solution is to have ordinary plain light bulbs. Probably friendlier to the environment due to less electronics. It’s hard to hack ordinary light bulbs so they are secure. Reset button makes sense though. Reset button are costlier for bill of materials so manufacturers save on that.

> If you have kids they play with turning the light switch on and off. So I can see the need not to reset by accident.

These are "smart" light bulbs, so I am guessing you are not supposed to control them by cutting of their power with a physical switch.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#64

Post by carlosperate »

_carl_jung wrote: post #51
janekm wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reset button is actually a safety issue, as the bulb would have to be plugged into the mains to register the reset. A metal paperclip inserted into the body of the light bulb would be very problematic from an electrical isolation point of view. The big failure arguably is not testing the firmware sufficiently (or building in recovery algorithms) to necessitate a reset procedure in the first place.

It has an app, right? So why not allow factory resetting from there?

Because often you want to reset to defaults when there is an issue connecting to the app.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#65

Post by martyvis »

_carl_jung wrote: post #51
janekm wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reset button is actually a safety issue, as the bulb would have to be plugged into the mains to register the reset. A metal paperclip inserted into the body of the light bulb would be very problematic from an electrical isolation point of view. The big failure arguably is not testing the firmware sufficiently (or building in recovery algorithms) to necessitate a reset procedure in the first place.

It has an app, right? So why not allow factory resetting from there?

Sure, but the whole point of factory reset is when the paired phone app no longer talks to the bulb. ( You might have lost the phone or the account details). It just allows you to start with the assumption you are physically in control of the bulb and hence are authorised to reset it.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#66

Post by Freak_NL »

_nalply wrote: post #42

Here the reset procedure for Awox color light bulbs: 1. If possible, put your bulb in white (hot or cold no matter ...). The reset procedure works better when the bulb is white rather than color. 2. In the steps below, the power is turned off. It is not ON / OFF done using the remote control or the application, but electrical ON / OFF. 3. Your light bulb is off. This is the beginning of the procedure. 4. Turn it on b…

> The reset procedure works better when the bulb is white rather than color.

So it doesn't just work or not, it works better.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#67

Post by pdkl95 »

Nokinside wrote: post #47

I had a chat with Japanese lifestyle management consultant for the rich recently. In the 90's Bill Gates had networked house and automatically adjusting lights and it was the peak of luxury. Today networking and automating the house is so affordable that it's not signalling luxury lifestyle. Apparently doing simple mundane tasks gracefully and carefully without feeling irritated is quickly becoming a way to signal to…

> In the 90's Bill Gates had networked house and automatically adjusting lights and it was the peak of luxury.

Nonsense. X10 devices cost a bit more than regular outlets/switches/fixtures, but not much more. I know many people that added dimmers/timers/remote-control to their lights for a few hundred dollars in the late-80s/90s.

Home automation has been a solved problem with cheap and easy solutions for decades.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#68

Post by undecisive »

> For some reason, GE decided not to install a physical reset button – you know, one of those tiny holes that you have to stick a pin or paperclip into.

Hmmm... Nope, I can't see a problem with getting people to stick a paperclip into holes around mains electricity! Sounds perfectly safe.

Seriously though, this is bonkers. Power cycling patterns are by far the best method for initiating a reset - and no, sending a reset command via apps is not feasible (what if you've lost the account password and you've accidentally paired it to your neighbours wifi?)

But all bulbs have a "first-use" setup procedure. So a simple power cycling routine (e.g. on-off 5 times with no more than 5 seconds in either state) - indicate with a flashing light when it's in the first-use state. Save the previous settings so that if the kids have done it (because they like the flashing lights) a simple power cycle will restore the previous settings.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#69

Post by hmd_imputer »

soufron wrote: post #57
acupofnope wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you live that your can afford a 15-hour week without worrying about rent, food,..etc?

Well, in Europe, you can.

no, you cannot. Not everyone can. At least, not in Germany. People pay 60% of their net income to rent while working 40 hours a week. How do you expect the rent to be paid with just 15 hours of work per week in Germany?

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#70

Post by mirekrusin »

soufron wrote: post #57
acupofnope wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you live that your can afford a 15-hour week without worrying about rent, food,..etc?

Well, in Europe, you can.

You mean without kids, not owning place you live in, likely sharing flat, without abroad winter/summer holidays, living in places with good public transport without a car, where employer can actually accept 2 days a week employments?
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