Dear lazy web, is there something like the sonos that is open source that makes the same synchronized sound field (I dont own a sonos, I assume that is what they do)? I believe I could hack something up using an ESP32, a microphone and/or a GNSS receiver, but does this already exist?
Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
111–120 of 478 posts
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's "illegal but we'll do it anyway since any penalty is less than what we made because of it" and there's "it's illegal so let's not do it as it puts our CEO in jail". I thought this was obvious.
You think that deactivating devices with customer consent is something that should land the CEO in prison.
No, but I think doing environmentally bad thing for profit and marketing it as environmentally good perhaps should. Climate change is a real issue, and companies abusing what little care people have for that issue are making people care less, threatening the ability to do anything about it, and so ultimately threatening us all.
Abuses of social trust should be punished hard.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#113If there's a demand, someone industrious will likely figure out a hack --- I hope. Server-side blacklisting (unlike whitelisting) doesn't stop someone from simply changing whatever unique ID they have to a different one. I can even see repair shops doing this service for those who accidentally bricked their devices. This reminds me of a related situation I've seen with electric toothbrushes --- they have instructions…
Which brands?
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#114If there's a demand, someone industrious will likely figure out a hack --- I hope. Server-side blacklisting (unlike whitelisting) doesn't stop someone from simply changing whatever unique ID they have to a different one. I can even see repair shops doing this service for those who accidentally bricked their devices. This reminds me of a related situation I've seen with electric toothbrushes --- they have instructions…
"Disposable electronics" is a big trend too. I myself saw not so few times devices that used rechargeable batteries, and a charging circuitry, but nevertheless were single use only.
A lot of Bluetooth "beacons" are of such construction, and not so cheap at all medical devices will be coming second.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#115Apple pays Chinese "recyclers" for not to refurbishing their I-stuff, and sending it to a crusher. That's not a big secret in the industry. A lot of luxury goods brands destroy their unsold merchandise, and some even go Apple style after their second hand market too.
"A lot of luxury goods brands destroy their unsold merchandise" This also happens since probably forever with fruit and vegetables if they're unsold or in overproduction. The reason is to keep prices fixed by artificially reducing the offer.
And if one's looking for the reason why so many people complain about the market economy, that's one reason. This is all economically sound, but beyond that, utterly fucked up.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why would it be illegal? And what’s the difference between illegal and incredibly illegal anyway?
There's "illegal but we'll do it anyway since any penalty is less than what we made because of it" and there's "it's illegal so let's not do it as it puts our CEO in jail". I thought this was obvious.
ok but then from what I've observed of the world incredibly illegal would be if
1. the CEO ripped off a bunch of rich people
2. the CEO ran a cocaine smuggling operation with a handful of the board on their private jets.
3. the CEO murdered the hot intern he was dating and made up a particularly inept story about having been out sailing when it happened, even though being found with her blood all over his luxury penthouse.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seems ripe for a hacking attempt. Being able to kill hardware with software always seems dangerous.
Do you think it’s really permanent though? I would assume Sonos maintains a list of the blacklisted devices and they could restore a device if they really needed or wanted to. Your comment also made me wonder whether there’s such a thing as green hat? It doesn’t seem like there’s much of an economic incentive for a hacking attempt but I’d imagine Sonos would take a very different approach to recycling if every active…
I think "green hat" would be the hacker who figures out how to reverse the bricking.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
The owner did try to recycle them for parts, by giving them to the recycling centre.
I now see what's going on...the OP claims to be running an e-recycling center but actually takes "donations" and sells them for a profit instead.
Recycling centers aren't nonprofits. The only way recycling can work in our economy is if the recycling party can sell the output of their work for more than they spend on that work.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#119So Sonos devices need "activation" via some server on the internet? Why? If I just want to stream audio within my own home, why is internet even necessary? And what happens when Sonos goes out of business and the servers are shut down? I just don't understand why people keep buying such things...
Unfortunately Sonos just seems to work well out of the box. Since we’re here, does someone have a good opensource alternative? Plug and play multi room audio streaming from Spotify et al?
Have you seen volumio.org ?
You can do everything from running it on a Raspberry Pi to buying a fully put-together high-end system. Open source software.
Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
The owner did try to recycle them for parts, by giving them to the recycling centre.
I now see what's going on...the OP claims to be running an e-recycling center but actually takes "donations" and sells them for a profit instead.
My understanding has always been that e-recycling centers have to pay to responsibly dispose of the junk they collect / are given, and they fund this by sorting through it for any equipment that can be refurbished or cannibalised and sold for re-use. There's nothing nefarious about this.