171–180 of 311 posts
I'd like to skip the whole "smart" toothbrush phase and go straight to the "smart ass" toothbrush, which razzes me about my sugar intake and gossips with the toaster behind my back.
As a bachelor who lives alone, it would actually be very motivating if I overheard my appliances making hushed comments about how I "look a little more plump than usual."
Earlier quoted context omitted.
How long's it going to be before "smart" toothbrushes become the only option? Should I start stockpiling "dumb" toothbrushes now while I still can? The other day I was trying to buy a pair of bathroom scales and it took me far too long to find one that just, you know, weighed things without also demanding I connect it to the Wi-Fi and download a smartphone app. How is this an improvement?
My pet peeve with bathroom scales is that it is impossible to find one that actually does what it claims and has accuracy of +-0.1kg. They do show the measurement to 0.1, but just shifting your weight differently can cause a difference of hundreds of grams. Does anyone knlw a scale that actually measures at 0.1kg accuracy?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084SFRSBD/
It claims 0.1 lb accuracy, and seems pretty repeatable, but I haven't tested it for accuracy. These digital scales have multiple sensors (this one has 4), so it makes sense that individual sensors may give different readings as you shift your weight around - not sure if there's an exact science to combining the 4 readings into the single one that is displayed.
We need to stop putting firmware in things that don't need firmware. Not everything needs a chip or intelligence. The rampant abuse of this kind of thing leads to shitty products and an uptick in electronic waste.
All I know is that I absolutely never, ever, ever want my toothbrush to be "smart." We need to stop putting firmware in things that don't need firmware. Not everything needs a chip or intelligence. The rampant abuse of this kind of thing leads to shitty products and an uptick in electronic waste.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
How long's it going to be before "smart" toothbrushes become the only option? Should I start stockpiling "dumb" toothbrushes now while I still can? The other day I was trying to buy a pair of bathroom scales and it took me far too long to find one that just, you know, weighed things without also demanding I connect it to the Wi-Fi and download a smartphone app. How is this an improvement?
A lot of bathroom scales are too "smart" and display recent cached weights rather than real measurements each time, in order to appear more consistent. Accuracy on some is also very bad if you store scales vertically (e.g. propped against wall) as that requires step-on, step-off re-calibration which people forget to do. I'm not sure you can even buy "just works" dumb mechanical scales any more.
You can, they're just more expensive (relatively speaking) because they cost more to make.
All I know is that I absolutely never, ever, ever want my toothbrush to be "smart." We need to stop putting firmware in things that don't need firmware. Not everything needs a chip or intelligence. The rampant abuse of this kind of thing leads to shitty products and an uptick in electronic waste.
It really makes a difference:
- The connection to my phone helps coach me in making sure I'm brushing my teeth properly. Bad habits sink in easily, and my various dentists all point out that my teeth and gums are much, much healthier. Given that I am cursed with some bad oral genetics, it's "money well spent" for me.
- The counter helps remind me when to change my toothbrush head. I used to be much lazier about changing it; again; because bad habits easily sink in.
Could someone figure out how to do this without an NFC chip in the toothbrush? I hope so! The toothbrush heads cost much more than traditional "dumb" manual toothbrushes. I don't want to have to spend big bucks just to have good personal hygiene.
Stops it from beeping at you when your allotted product lifetime is up though.
My toothbrush heads are usually very worn when my toothbrush tells me to change the head. (And I honestly suspect I should change them before the toothbrush tells me to.)
Anyone remember the old hole punches that would let you turn cheaper, low-density floppies into high-density floppies? A lot of those floppies ended up having data loss.
I kind hoped the conclusion would be that you could unlock hidden features in the brush head, increase the torque and reset the head so that you don't have to replace it. But alternatively, since the head has an NFC tag, could you use it for stuff like a partnership with Marriott (open your hotel door with your toothbrush, so much convenience) or with transit companies to charge your monthly transit pass? Possibiliti…
Right!?! NSFW features like the Oral-B brush has, where you can order a special brush that helps you relieve certain stress in the bedroom. With the modified Sonicare firmware, the brush won't stop after 2 minutes but keeps "brushing" until, well, you're 'done'...
My wife and I had a lot of fun that night! Turns out the "personal massagers" work a lot better that way.
It's a toothbrush. Why does it need all this tech and an app? It's better to think about sustainability. I had an Oral B IO electric toothbrush. The retail price is nuts and the brushes are expensive and can't really be recycled. Imagine millions of these out there slowly rotting. I gave up on the IO and bought this one instead. Simple design and battery lasts longer too. https://www.trysuri.com/
This is a nice idea. The problem is longevity. I'd be willing to bet this product disappears after a few years (best case scenario) and you are left with no ability to buy new heads and end up binning the brush. So net net you probably waste more than buying a Philips/Oral-B brush that likely has 10+ years of support for brush heads, which have a far lower environmental impact than replacing the brush. In terms of co…
That's why I bought this toothbrush to support them.
But if everyone thinks that this startup is not going to make it then yes they'll probably won't exist in a few years time.