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Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

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Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#481

Post by mistercheph »

ed_mercer wrote: post #401
jimt1234 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I drive a 30-year-old Nissan pickup truck for this exact reason. Not sure why, but I get a small sense of joy knowing that the corporate overlords aren't "watching" me drive. Of course they're "watching" me on my phone (as I drive the beater truck), but that's a different story.

That old truck is probably polluting 10-30× more than a modern one. While corporations have their flaws, they have spent time and money making engines more efficient and reducing harmful emissions.

That old truck will pollute less in its lifetime than the amount of energy it takes to produce a modern automobile, let alone the cumulative energy spent to sustain a consumer base ready to sign a new lease every 36 months for the latest and greatest in aggregated conflict minerals + spyware on wheels, it just does it all over the poors someplace else instead of where you live.

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#482

Post by colonial »

kmac_ wrote: post #467
ed_mercer wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That old truck is probably polluting 10-30× more than a modern one. While corporations have their flaws, they have spent time and money making engines more efficient and reducing harmful emissions.

After seeing how much safer new cars are in crash tests, old cars don't look so good anymore.

I wish more people were aware of this. I'm often reminded of a conversation I overheard at my high school retail job:

$OLDGUY_CUSTOMER (to my coworker): "Wow, I just saw a big crash on [nearby arterial road]! The entire front of the car was smashed in!"

$COWORKER: "Oh no! Was the driver alright?"

$OLDGUY: "Yeah, he seemed fine. There wasn't an ambulance or anything." [beat] "Man, they don't make them like they used to. When I was young, cars didn't crumple like that - it was much safer!"

Ugh.

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#483

Post by colonial »

sodality2 wrote: post #451
NotYourLawyer wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before I bought my most recent vehicle, I did my research and figured out how to physically disconnect the modem / telemetry unit.

Is this actually feasible for some decent percentage of cars nowadays? If so, where did you research?

Anecdotally, my 2023 Kia's infotainment unit is one big plastic box that I was able to access by just prying up some plastic and undoing a handful of screws.

I was applying some dielectric grease to the USB port used for Android Auto (in order to prevent intermittent disconnects while driving) but I wouldn't be surprised if one of the many other cables plugged into it led to a cell antenna on the exterior.

There are also software options; I was able to disable the "telematics" in the same vehicle by inputting a (frankly schizophrenic) combo of rolling back the date, touching random invisible trigger zones in menus, and entering a leaked PIN to access the appropriate service menu on the infotainment unit.

Figuring all that out was unfortunately quite difficult, although I imagine you might be able to get "official" help if your local dealership is friendly and willing to bend the rules. I had to settle for a lot of keyword massaging on Google.

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#484

Post by devilbunny »

update wrote: post #366
devilbunny wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with your broad statement, I have a TCL (with built-in Roku) TV that has a bug in the sound processing. Either it becomes very quiet, drops out completely, or comes in and out with a lot of stuttering. Happens irregularly, typically though not always weeks apart (though on no schedule I've identified), solved with a reboot of the TV (which of course can't just be done by turning it off and back on - you…

> they want my serial number to let me download it. Out of curiosity, why is that a problem to you? Granted, it is strange; I went through the process for my TCL Roku who's wifi stopped working (still not fixed, and now a second, 3yo TCL Roku has bricked itself. nice!)

I don't care in principle, but it's not just that. You have to give your serial, you have to boot the TV to the update, which then sends a challenge-response to their servers that must be correctly answered (you use your computer for this, so the TV isn't actually on the internet) for the upgrade to proceed.

I don't know what's in that data. And if I don't know what's in it, I'm not inclined to proceed; you might need my serial number to know if you're giving me the right software, but you don't need challenge/response for that. They sold me a cheap TV in hopes of collecting info on everything I watch, whether via Roku or just screen analysis. No thanks, and I have no interest in making it easier for them to break into my WiFi. I'm sure it would connect itself automatically to an open WiFi.

It's a little paranoid, but they really are out to get us (or at least our data).

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#485

Post by mafuy »

Hackbraten wrote: post #281
ryandrake wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate this idea that software "rots" all by itself when it's just left on a device and is impossible to keep working. I would at the very, very least expect my device to work exactly as it did on day one, for the next 50 years, assuming I don't change the software. It's bits on a flash drive! It doesn't rot, outside some freak cosmic ray from space flipping a bit. If you're saying the software stops working because…

Certificates expire.

Not my problem as a buyer. Build the infrastructure to make certificates and everything else work for a reasonably long time. Service is part of the contract.

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#486

Post by worewood »

kalleboo wrote: post #477
bhaney wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also have a pair of XM4s. I installed the app briefly when I first got them so I could turn off the voice notifications on connection/mode change, and then immediately uninstalled it and have never needed it again. Why on earth would I want to update the firmware on my perfectly working headphones?

* Resolves Bluetooth security issues (17 October 2024) * Enhances the security features of the system software * Improves Bluetooth connection stability * Improves the hands-free calling quality * Fixes an issue where the headphones cannot be paired on a Windows computer * Fixes an issue where, when there are 2 Bluetooth devices connected at the same time, the connected devices repeatedly disconnect and reconnect * I…

Only 5th and 6th to be believed. Every time a manufacturer says vague descriptions like "security" or "performance" fixes, be wary - they probably removing perfectly working functionality for "reasons".

If it was something that really added value to the user they would mention it specifically (like on the 5th and 6th items).

I have a Dell laptop that mentioned such vague "improvements". After updating the firmware I couldn't undervolt anymore. Luckily I was able to downgrade.

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#487

Post by angus-g »

xethos wrote: post #468
0xFEE1DEAD wrote: post #360

Someone on reddit [0] mentioned that they updated their device via USB and hadn't encountered any issues. If that's true, then it might actually have been the previous firmware update that silently bricked the device. Or maybe Samsung only test in a controlled lab environment without real world signal interference. In any case, it's mind boggling how a multi billion dollar company lacks proper rollout strategies. I h…

> Where on earth would I even have to go to find a place without there being any 2.4Ghz signal interference? Unironic answer: most airports. Even small ones will have avionics shops, those avionics shops will have to test Emergency Locator Beacons, and those beacon signals are not meant to escape to the outside world during testing. Thus, most have Faraday rooms, cages, or just small (2-3 cubic feet) boxes to block s…

> Would not recommend working in aviation

Why not?

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#488

Post by numpad0 »

bhaney wrote: post #372
0xFEE1DEAD wrote: post #360

Someone on reddit [0] mentioned that they updated their device via USB and hadn't encountered any issues. If that's true, then it might actually have been the previous firmware update that silently bricked the device. Or maybe Samsung only test in a controlled lab environment without real world signal interference. In any case, it's mind boggling how a multi billion dollar company lacks proper rollout strategies. I h…

I also have a pair of XM4s. I installed the app briefly when I first got them so I could turn off the voice notifications on connection/mode change, and then immediately uninstalled it and have never needed it again. Why on earth would I want to update the firmware on my perfectly working headphones?

Because a version 1.0 of anything predates power management bugs fixed in 1.28, massive connection improvement in 1.33, basic compatibility fix in 1.57, whole load of problems added in 2.00.00 and binary signature enforcement added at some point(not real world examples).

By the way, Sony wearable products make use of their proprietary NN inference library called Nnabla, with a free helper GUI app Neural Network Console for Windows that can export low-code code into Spresense board codes. It is apparently used across the brand for tiny and transparent features like on-head detection through accelerometers. Not super related, but just so you know...

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#489

Post by albert_e »

z3c0 wrote: post #124
reverendsteveii wrote: post #97

Do you guys miss owning things and they were just...yours? Like, you paid money for them and then you had them and you had full control over them and someone half a world away wasn't able to reach into your house and break them or make them do evil things?

A couple days ago, I was thrown by one of my Windows devices pitching an ad for a video game to me in the notifications. I immediately disabled the related setting, which was of course enabled by default. Every device you buy is rigged by default to encourage you to buy more things.

You _thought_ You disabled that setting forever.

It only takes a routine Windows Update to bring those setting back to helpful defaults.

And those updates are helpfully set to download and install by default.

Re: Samsung Q990D unresponsive after 1020 firmware update

#490

Post by harrall »

bhaney wrote: post #414
mh- wrote: post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The app enables other features like changing EQs, etc.

Yeah, I'm not sure why I'd want that on my headphones themselves. I just set it to a neutral EQ during initial setup, and now I change the EQs elsewhere in the audio pipeline (music app, mixer, etc) just like we were all doing before the advent of headphones with their own apps.

I use EQ only to get speakers to a more baseline neutral response so it makes sense to set them on the device themselves.

I’ve had to set EQ on Bluetooth speakers themselves that didn’t sound so good out of the box.

Though at that point I rather throw away the speakers and get better ones…

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