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GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

theregister.co.uk

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Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#191

Post by SiempreViernes »

Phillipharryt wrote: post #98
SiempreViernes wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So one should expect many bulbs to need resetting at once? I would hope the need for resets would be very sporadic.

Well I would assume if you find yourself in a situation you need to reset a lightbulb in a light fitting, it's likely you would need to reset them all seeing as they're all being used for the same purpose/connecting to the same network.

You reset them because they stopped working correctly, otherwise you would reconfigure with an app or something. If you say one needs to reset them all, you mean that they have all broken.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#192

Post by robertelder »

Here is the instructional video referenced on how to reset the bulb:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BB6wj6RyKo

It reminds me of the 'cinco' product line:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSwqnR327fk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG8ZKwaC1jY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5BZkaWZAAA

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#193

Post by sizzzzlerz »

The first thing I thought of was why anyone would possibly be interested in buying these things.

Afterwards, I rationalized that there are those who want the latest hi-tech gadgets and see these as being state-of-the-art without really understanding their impacts.

Finally, after reading the inane steps needed to reset your light bulb, I could only think that I would hope that purchasers keep the owner's manual (for a light bulb?) is a well-known place because after a couple of months, nobody is going to remember the steps.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#194

Post by stickfigure »

wallace_f wrote: post #85
acupofnope wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you live that your can afford a 15-hour week without worrying about rent, food,..etc?

I think he means if humans were rational and enlightened. Note: the world started producing a surplus of food a while ago, and still we let many starve, and even today many people live with shortages and food insecurity. Honestly, if you take a step back and look, a large portion of our economy are just bullshit jobs, or outright cronyism. I mean, I worked in private sector fin tech (nothing fancy, more-pedestrian st…

Those rational and enlightened humans would have to be willing to move out of popular cities.

You work in technology. You are, in all likelihood, capable of moving to the country, cooking at home, and telecommuting for 15 hours a week. Have you? Why not?

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#195

Post by toss1 »

roland35 wrote: post #143
Talyen42 wrote: post #117

This is why I don't buy the "IoT smart home" future. There's no such thing as a "smart" device that doesn't typically break within 4-5 years. Dozens of such devices in a house means you'd be dealing with a broken device every few months, which is my nightmare. I want the LEAST amount of complexity possible to control all my critical living functions, from fridges to windows to lights to cars.

I am all for dumb appliances over the current crop of "smart" appliances, but one feature I would LOVE would be some kind of sensor log of my refrigerator! This would help to know if the power went off while I was gone - did the temperature rise too much? That is all I need... The same would apply to other appliances and HVAC, just simple data to know everything is working correctly.

I used these [1] with remote thermocouples to track temp mostly in curing epoxy for my biz, but also for freezers. They work great, and should for your freezer application too. Get the one with the display and you can view the current/hi/lo temps anytime, and grab the data for extended review. I've found that I can see the freezer's on-off cycles very well, pretty much the expected sawtooth wave...

[1] https://www.lascarelectronics.com/data-loggers/all?type=usb

edit: no commercial connection, just a happy customer

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#196

Post by Afton »

bryantraywick wrote: post #154
roland35 wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am all for dumb appliances over the current crop of "smart" appliances, but one feature I would LOVE would be some kind of sensor log of my refrigerator! This would help to know if the power went off while I was gone - did the temperature rise too much? That is all I need... The same would apply to other appliances and HVAC, just simple data to know everything is working correctly.

The fridge is trickier, but for your freezer fill a small plastic cup with water and let it freeze. Then place a penny on top of it. If it gets warm enough for the water to melt the penny will drop.

Put a bottle water in the freezer until it's frozen. Turn it on it's side. If you notice the ice-air line isn't vertical, you had a warming event.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#197

Post by jaclaz »

tompccs wrote: post #91
dominicr wrote: post #78

"For some reason, GE decided not to install a physical reset button" Well, there might be some good reasons not to have a reset button. Without knowing GE's reasons let's brainstorm: - My first thought is that many light bulbs are not easily accessible. They could be high up, or in a casing that requires a tool to open. So being able to reset them remotely is a practical benefit. - If you google "accidents whilst cha…

The fact that there is a logical chain of engineering considerations that got us to this point I take as granted (yes, the article thinks it could have been done better but, as you point out, there are safety problems). But our world is becoming more and more like a Doglas Adams novel - I seem to remember in one of the H2G2 books that they considered their civilisation so advanced that they did away with TV remotes,…

Almost, it was about radio knobs and touch control, not tv remotes:

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1329

>A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wave bands for news of himself. The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive--you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure, of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same program.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#198

Post by yaakov34 »

zrobotics wrote: post #187
yaakov34 wrote: post #111

I have a story on point. My brother is a manager at a company which installs electrical and HVAC systems, working mostly with very high-end private homes. They had this couple as clients, both very fancy architects, who designed their new home to be completely computer-controlled, from window shutters to air conditioners to lights, without any physical switches (I guess there was a remote and sensors or something). T…

Wait, so the preferred solution was a (presumably RF) remote and voice activation? So you've finished watching a movie, and now have to search the couch cushions just to turn the light on? Or you are going to the bathroom late at night and have to say "OK Google" loudly enough for the mic to hear you, possibly waking people up? Carrying around a portable lantern sounds more convenient. Congratulations, somehow this h…

I wasn't there, but from what I understand, the whole place looked like a concept drawing from a magazine, and there was nothing as convenient or comfortable as a couch with actual cushions. So that's one problem solved. As for the bathroom, maybe an infrared volume sensor of some sort?

Yeah, the whole thing was pretty dumb.

Re: GE's smart light bulb reset process is a masterpiece of modern techno-insanity

#199

Post by ndjskska »

Afton wrote: post #196
bryantraywick wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fridge is trickier, but for your freezer fill a small plastic cup with water and let it freeze. Then place a penny on top of it. If it gets warm enough for the water to melt the penny will drop.

Put a bottle water in the freezer until it's frozen. Turn it on it's side. If you notice the ice-air line isn't vertical, you had a warming event.

There are heat-sensitive stickers that change color if above some threshold.

It's on packaged meat in Norway I believe.

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