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

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

#231

Post by perl4ever » Sat, Aug 17, 2019, 3:13 AM UTC

kstenerud wrote: post #32

This 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.

Well, as someone else said, a reset procedure is probably for a situation where it's not processing commands from a controller for whatever reason. If it is, you still need a reset procedure for when it isn't.

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

#232

Post by perl4ever » Sat, Aug 17, 2019, 3:20 AM UTC

cptskippy wrote: post #176

davio wrote: post #136

Reminds me of the key programming method for my 2003 car: Sit in the driver seat of your G35. Close all of the car doors. Insert the key into the ignition then remove it. Repeat this process six times within 10 seconds. Watch for the emergency lights to flash on the car to indicate that programming mode is active.

In the 2007 Honda Accord you had to push the Emergency Brake button a number of times while doing something. I don't recall the exact procedure but I found it highly amusing at the time.

Something I had never thought of before recently - what if you are in your car with pushbutton stop-start, like most newer cars have, and there's an emergency where you need to turn the engine off, but the computer isn't responding, either because you're not in park, there's an electrical malfunction, or whatever?

I read that typically pressing the button several times or holding it down should shut the engine off. Which I'm sure seems to an engineer like a clever solution because isn't that what a person who's panicking would naturally do?

Except that people don't necessarily do that; they hit the button once or twice and then decide it isn't working. Or they don't think of it at all because they're more focused on their car being on fire. As documented on a video I saw.

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

#233

Post by dwild » Sat, Aug 17, 2019, 11:08 PM UTC

ramses0 wrote: post #218

dwild wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A rechargeable battery can easily live just as long as the LEDs inside it. I would still use a capacitor personally, but I said batteries because they could certainly work and Ikea does have a battery-powered light bulb with a button on it [1]. [1] https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60440888/

You have a lot of faith in rechargeable battery durability.

No need of faith, there are so many products that proved that you can trust rechargeable batteries. I'm considering buying a Volt right now and seems like that even the 2012 models are still keeping their ranges. I wish I could say that about many of my LEDS lightbulbs that are rated for tens of thousands of hours.

I have much less faith in any lightbulbs ;).

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

#234

Post by cptskippy » Sun, Aug 18, 2019, 10:56 PM UTC

perl4ever wrote: post #232

cptskippy wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the 2007 Honda Accord you had to push the Emergency Brake button a number of times while doing something. I don't recall the exact procedure but I found it highly amusing at the time.

Something I had never thought of before recently - what if you are in your car with pushbutton stop-start, like most newer cars have, and there's an emergency where you need to turn the engine off, but the computer isn't responding, either because you're not in park, there's an electrical malfunction, or whatever? I read that typically pressing the button several times or holding it down should shut the engine off. W…

The key and keyless systems still fundamentally work the same way.

In purely mechanical ignitions systems in cars prior to the 90s, the ignition switch is just a momentary switch that requires the key to actuate it. Once on, the key however can't be removed without triggering the momentary switch again that tells the car to shut off. That why when you see someone hot wiring a car in a movie they aren't tying wires together, they just touch them momentarily.

Since the 90s, most cars rely on transponder systems embedded in the keys. There are various systems from microprocessors with exposed contacts to NFC wireless chips but they work mostly the same. There's still a momentary switch whether it be key based or not but the car won't start unless the transponder successfully authenticates.

Since the transponder system is required to start the car, having the key on the ignition switch became redundant and was replaced with just a push button.

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

#235

Post by rusk » Mon, Aug 19, 2019, 12:18 AM UTC

rusk wrote: post #103

qball wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but wall timers (for lamps) have a garbage user experience, and for the price of one wired-in fixture timer (where a wall switch would go) + new bulbs you might as well have bought a smart hub. The problem is badly designed interfaces, not the underlying technology itself.

as far as I can make out, most "smart" devices have garbage UX and reliability, not to mention they'll sell you out to any intelligence agency you'd care to mention.

and what's more, the stuff that worked 50 years ago will probably still work in another 50 months whereas I'd be surprised if the modern junk would last 15 months.