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Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

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Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#231
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can it be that we are just getting old? The new generation will have their brains wired to ignore ads, will be ok with devices spying on them (it will be called something else). And we will be something like that grandpa that can't unblock the mobile phone. (for example, use that new blockchain smart contract to open the fridge and order some food NFTs)

If depression rates in children and young adults are anything to go by, younger people absolutely cannot ignore adds. --for example, use that new blockchain smart contract to open the fridge and order some food NFTs. So in this instance grandpa would be using the smart contract to buy ledger space for a NFT about food? Because NFT's arn't food.

> younger people absolutely cannot ignore adds.

The very same people will claim that you can ignore ads and they aren't a problem, and that free market is efficient and doesn't waste resources

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#232
post #129
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is about dishwashers, but I once read about regulation-enforced water/energy-saving cycles resulting in ineffective cleaning, which backfired, as people then got in the habit of always selecting the heaviest cycle or even re-adopted pre-rinsing. Searching for the concept now, I can only find this article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/make-dishwashers-that-clean-aga...

My “modern” (20-year-old, which is solidly modern by this standard) dishwasher cleans much better than I remember my childhood dishwasher cleaning. It also doesn’t melt plastic on the bottom rack, which is a fantastic feature. The main downside is it takes two hours, and I think my childhood dishwasher took one hour. My modern front load washer gets clothes clean. It also doesn’t severely abrade them. As I understand…

> My modern front load washer gets clothes clean. It also doesn’t severely abrade them.

I had rented a place with a washer that ruined all of my clothes. I didn't figure out whats happening untill it was too late

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#233
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep hearing about speed queens. Are they available in the us market? Where would one purchase one ? What is the cost for one?

Yep. Check out their website in the sibling comment. The places around me tend to be for "luxury" homes -- surprisingly, the items at these shops tend to be quite low tech. Low tech == modern luxury? We went with a lower end model that cost about 50% more than the similar sized models available at Lowes/Home Depot. Considering we'd already repaired the old unit a handful of times and it cost in that range, we only ne…

I definitely will. I’m getting frustrated with the cleaning of the front load Samsung. Supposedly top end model but maintenance is exhausting

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#234
post #214

Am I the only one who looks at these projects with a combination of awe and apathy and jealousy? I do software, not hardware, and I like knowing how things work. When an expert in a different field glances at a PCB and identifies components, their purpose, by sight, and then rummages around a loose parts bin to go deeper, it dawns on me: this is someone's life. The same way I've been swimming in (application) softwar…

I believe you could get to that particular level (identifying and reprogramming an I2C EEPROM) pretty quickly as a software engineer. Just get started!

I’m here to say that you can. I spent many years in pure, high level software, but about five years ago, got an interest in electronics. Started with a learning kit, but just kept at it and now a project like this, while impressive, is 100% within my understanding and, while not underestimating or discrediting the amount of work and ingenuity put in by the author, my abilities. You can do it! Look to places like SparkFun and Adafruit to get started.

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#235
post #168
post #14

I am, more and more, deliberately choosing boring technology. Knobs in the car and on appliances. No screen interfaces. Low-tech where possible. We just replaced our "high tech" Maytag dryer and its "advanced" feature set for a low tech SpeedQueen, the same dryers you find in most Laundromats. Why? Repairability. While we could _technically_ replace the burnt out fuse in the Maytag, it would take at least two hours f…

> Knobs in the car and on appliances. I want knobs in my car, but I specially want no GPS tracking, no connection to the internet. My not-that-old dead-dinosaur-powered car doesn't have it, but I'd like to switch to an electric car in the next few years and I'm fearing it. Will anyone build an electric but dumb car? I know some of the earlier electrics were dumb (in this desirable sense) but they also had significat…

Well if you're in the EU then no, unless you can overturn the legislation.

> The Background: In 2019, the European Commission and the European Council jointly approved a regulation that will require new safety measures in motor vehicles starting July 2022, including the installation of so-called "Event Data Recorders," a device similar to "black boxes" in aircrafts.

From what I heard the car company has access to this device at all times and does not need a court order to listen in. They are supposed to only use it when the car has had an accident but it's a terrible precedent.

Edit: forgot the link https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/black-boxes-in-automobiles...

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#236
I wonder if OP did things the hard way. I2C eeproms, including their 24C02 has a write-protect line.

They could probably enable write protection and the chip would never decrement.

Just cut WP off from gnd and attach to vcc (with a pull-up for good measure), or vice-versa and voila.

Depends if the machine’s MCU verifies writeability or if the decrement actually happened and cares.

Early paytv satellite systems didn’t care…

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#237

Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but if you buy a product because you like it and admire the design and engineering on it, isn't this type of hacking actually a disservice to the company who made it? I mean, I'm not saying this should never be explored (hacking is fun), but in a way you're cutting the resources from the company and potentially helping to bring it down. After all, a business is not made only on top…

It’s perfectly reasonable to think both “neat design” and “fuck them” at the same time.

No-one’s nice design has a right to exist nor does their business have a right to work out. Personally I’ll do what I can do make DRM fail and companies that implement it go bust.

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#238

Wow. So I'm watching the Techmoan review and it's just amazing. You've got this pretty awesome product.... up until you can clearly see the business types shoving their grubby hands in the way of UX and good engineering. Oh no no no. We can't just sell a product. We need recurring revenue. So we'll make DRM proprietary detergent pods that require electronics in each one. Ah, but people will reject that because they k…

I don't want to quote Elon Musk as a matter of preference but I'll do so anyway: "If they[people] have, um, implicit, um, assumption that the economy is zero-sum, then the only way for one person to get ahead is by taking from one another". The context is that the economy is ever expanding, values are being created, and future is bright, but my thought is it characterizes the market today precisely if it had not been…

> The context is that the economy is ever expanding

Quality of life is not the economy. If housing and healthcare costs double, and everyone works ovetime to afford them, economy grows.

If people drop dead as soon as they reach pention age, and if we put children to work, economy grows.

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Yeah the eco mode takes 3 hours by default, but press "Vario Speed" and is done in 1:05h with the exact same result. I wonder about people complaining about this - whether it takes 1 hour or 3 hours, are you sitting in your kitchen waiting for the dishwasher to complete? Put it on after a meal and next time you're in the kitchen it will be done...

I mean, it's nice to have an option for a quick programme when you have guests over and actually it's good to do a couple loads in a single day. But yes overnight I don't care, it can take 6 hours and I wouldn't mind.

Time it to finish when you get up and it will release a lot of warm (humid) air to help you warm up your house

Re: Bob Cassette Rewinder: Hacking Detergent DRM

#240

I wonder if OP did things the hard way. I2C eeproms, including their 24C02 has a write-protect line. They could probably enable write protection and the chip would never decrement. Just cut WP off from gnd and attach to vcc (with a pull-up for good measure), or vice-versa and voila. Depends if the machine’s MCU verifies writeability or if the decrement actually happened and cares. Early paytv satellite systems didn’t…

Wondering the same!
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