Everything with a battery should have an off switch • Hacker News Board

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#91

Post by Nextgrid » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:08 AM UTC

kuu wrote: post #76

nickff wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ” How much extra cost does a hard on/off switch add to the bill of materials?” BoM cost is not the whole story; a physical switch can greatly complicate an assembly, and may require hand-soldered wires. In addition to those cost-related factors, external switches are usually quite ugly, and getting them right can be very challenging, so it’s much easier to just omit them.

Seriously? Is 2022 and we didn't solve the switch button? I'm sorry but I just don't believe you.

We did, but maybe not cheaply enough. If they can save a few cents by passing on the cost to you (in the form of more battery usage) they will do so as long as the market (or regulatory environment) doesn't mind.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#92

Post by mod » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:11 AM UTC

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #54

CRConrad wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nowadays it cuts off threads and refuses to let you read to the end unless you're logged in.

I just tried and I could read that whole thread without being logged in. Maybe twitter lets you read the whole thing if you've ever logged in with that browser? I guess if this is actually a problem, anyone who's bothered by it, who doesn't have a twitter login could look into rewriting twitter.com links to nitter.net instead.

If you scroll a little too far at the end, it'll lock you out and prompt you to login. Basically as soon as the first "recommended" tweet is displayed mid-screen.

The way I scroll as I read, I often have to go back and reload the page just to read the last tweet in a thread.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#93

Post by dschuetz » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:12 AM UTC

Especially those which supposedly are turned off, but still use battery power for low-power Bluetooth for device discovery. So many times I was driven mad by this very shitty and very expensive device, because a deep-drained battery is no joke!

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#94

Post by parenthesis » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:13 AM UTC

Nanite wrote: post #4

Examples lying around in my house: Bathroom scale: lovely it powers up when you tap it, but eats up 2 button cells a year for a few dozen uses a year Kitchen scales, bit more use, at least once a day but again 2 button cells a year electronic caliper: Same, eats up 1 button cell a year, just sitting in my toolbox Strangely enough none of our kids toys with batteries seem to suffer from this problem How much extra cos…

What's wrong with mechanical bathroom and kitchen scales?

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#95

Post by Nextgrid » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:15 AM UTC

kamranjon wrote: post #27

cristifalcas wrote: post #23

Quoted post unavailable.

It’s strange I have no issue reading posts like these but every time they come up someone complains about the format of twitter and I still have no idea what makes it so difficult for people and I definitely did not grow up with it.

Because it's actively user-hostile. It's not that we can't figure it out, it's that it takes extra effort and creates a problem that shouldn't be there in the first place. If things like ThreadReaderApp or Nitter can present the content in a more accessible & pleasant form, Twitter should be able to do so as well.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#96

Post by chrisandchris » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:15 AM UTC

hexo wrote: post #47

exmadscientist wrote: post #3

(Background: I work in product design/new product development, and conceivably might have designed this thing! If any of those were still designed in the Western world. Which they aren't. I have designed some stuff like it, though!) Oh, great, this debate again! I shall use this post as ammunition next time I am arguing with our stupid design team about why we need an off switch on the stupid product we are designing…

I would fire the whole team immediately if they really dont listen. Noone wants another e-waste.

I am pretty sure the market disagrees with you.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#97

Post by regularfry » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:16 AM UTC

Retr0id wrote: post #83

birdman3131 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of those are ones I would argue the best design is to eat a few batteries a year. Calipers need to hold memory specifically. But more generally most of those are using alkaleak batteries and you really wanna be changing those out on at least a yearly basis. So it actually makes since to let them have a small always on drain. (Some might be using a 2032 lithium but I can almost guarantee at least the calipers are…

Memory of what?

The zero set-point, usually.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#98

Post by Hamuko » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:19 AM UTC

Another hot take: every device where Bluetooth isn't the sole method of interacting with the device (think AirPods), you should be able to turn off Bluetooth.

You haven't seen hell before you've seen a speaker with Bluetooth that you can't turn off and you can't stop your neighbours from accessing. Or more specifically, heard hell.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#99

Post by IshKebab » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:19 AM UTC

mod wrote: post #88

lultimouomo wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> electronic caliper: Same, eats up 1 button cell a year, just sitting in my toolbox Had the same problem; got a good Vernier caliper, never looked back. Some things just don't need batteries!

I did the same! And now every time I go to use the thing I have to look up how to read it again. I don't do highly accurate work very often, obviously. I don't like buying non-rechargeable batteries, though, so cell batteries are out.

I agree. They're not difficult to read but they're definitely more of a pain than replacing a battery once a year.

A dial caliper is better than a vernier caliper anyway. Still more of a pain to read than a digital one.

Re: Everything with a battery should have an off switch

#100

Post by Zak » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:20 AM UTC

exmadscientist wrote: post #3

(Background: I work in product design/new product development, and conceivably might have designed this thing! If any of those were still designed in the Western world. Which they aren't. I have designed some stuff like it, though!) Oh, great, this debate again! I shall use this post as ammunition next time I am arguing with our stupid design team about why we need an off switch on the stupid product we are designing…

Make the battery removable, then you have an off-switch and a repairable device. For bonus points, use a battery in a standardized form factor so I can buy spares.

I know, I know, the industry doesn't want me to keep my device working longer than the lifespan of a Li-ion cell.