Does this procedure produce the morse-code for "Help I'm stuck in a GE factory"?
GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
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Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#72If this thing is "smart", wouldn't a software reset like via a voice command be easier?
A voice command probably (1) requires it to be connected to its hub, (2) which needs internet and be able to reach the voice processing servers of the vendor, (3) which needs to be still in business and running said servers.
The reason for needing to reset are likely to be the first and second requirement, so that wouldn't work. The third requirement just means you need to buy a new light bulb (at least that is the way the market seems to work for this gear).
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#73> 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 re…
>Hmmm... Nope, I can't see a problem with getting people to stick a paperclip into holes around mains electricity! Sounds perfectly safe.
Assuming you would have to unscrew the bulb to get to the reset, which seems likely, yes it would be perfectly safe.
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#74I 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.
It was way more than just the lights. He had originally something like 50 NT-servers managing his mansion. You could wear a pin that indicated your location. Light, sound system, climate would adjust to your preferences as you moved.
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#75Why do I need to reset a light bulb ?
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#76> 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 re…
>Hmmm... Nope, I can't see a problem with getting people to stick a paperclip into holes around mains electricity! Sounds perfectly safe. Assuming you would have to unscrew the bulb to get to the reset, which seems likely, yes it would be perfectly safe.
Ah, so you're thinking a switch that you depress, and stays depressed until you screw it back in? I guess that could work. I still don't have enough faith in humanity that someone might ignore the instructions and start poking around the electrical socket with a metal paperclip though...
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#77This is mind bogglingly silly. Just do this: On-off a bunch of times puts the bulb into a receptive state for 30 seconds, where it will stop everything else (other than the light being on) and listen for admin commands from a controller, one of which is "reset". Kids messing with the lights? If no admin command gets sent, it returns to normal operation after 30 seconds. Problem solved.
It's not about about technical problem that's idiotic, any HN reader could solve this way better. Imagine the bureaucracy and processes at GE that let this product to production. How many eyes looked at it and thought it's a good idea? It even went through a firmware refresh :) This will be an iconic product of the IoT era, not it a good way of course.
I've seen this kind of thing everywhere, from startups to bigcorp. I've seen entire teams of otherwise smart people come up with the most idiotic systems, and swear up and down that there's nothing wrong. It's not a bureaucratic problem; it's a people problem. And it's not that they're stupid... it's something else.
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#78"For some reason, GE decided not to install a physical reset button" Well, there might be some good reasons not to have a reset button. Without knowing GE's reasons let's brainstorm:
- My first thought is that many light bulbs are not easily accessible. They could be high up, or in a casing that requires a tool to open. So being able to reset them remotely is a practical benefit.
- If you google "accidents whilst changing light bulb" it seems that it's not impossible to injure or even kill yourself whilst changing a light bulb. So minimising the amount of times you need to physically access a light bulb has safety benefits.
- It is possible that the bulb is turned off but the power to it is still on. In that scenario getting a consumer to reach into a powered on light socket to press a button on the bulb, near the electrical connections, is not considered safe.
That's my 5 minutes worth of reasons. Any more?
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#79Separation. Of. Concerns.
Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity
#80Ikea bulbs use a 6 on-off cycle to reset, which is pretty simple (no timing), although toddler can do it. Hue bulbs require either a bridge (if it's linked to them, is one click in the interface, if not, you need to get the secret code which is printed on the actual bulb and enter it), or using a remote (press and hold I and O buttons for about 10 seconds, while holding remote next to bulb). The remote also resets other types of bulb, but has a pretty short range, so unless you have a multi-bulb fitting with several bulbs within about 10cm of the remote, it doesn't cause problems. Still a pain to do compared to the Ikea ones!
Ikea smart outlets have a pin hole reset though, and absolutely no buttons other than that, which I've found makes them pretty toddler proof (the fish tank lighting kept getting set to random by our toddler when using a traditional timer outlet...)