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Samsung accidentally freezes its smart fridges with a software update

247 points · 284 comments · Markoff

  1. phkahler · · focus · HN ↗
    Reminds me of when Nest thermostats stopped turning on the furnace without an internet connection. If your product fails at its primary job because of some other priority its junk. A thermostat can be as simple as a coiled spring with a mercury switch - no software. Same here, what stupid functionality was so important they failed to ensure the fridge would fridge?

    IoT is not for me.

    1. cryptoegorophy · · focus · HN ↗
      Similar to when printer stops printing black when color is gone.
      1. whizzter · · focus · HN ↗
        That probably means you've been wasting toner on "enhanced darkness" (check if it's turned on/off).
        1. account42 · · focus · HN ↗
          Color inkjets demand color ink for tracking dots even if it isn't used for anything else.
          1. jiveturkey · · focus · HN ↗
            inkjet printers to not print the tracking dots. it's laser printers that do it.
            1. Groxx · · focus · HN ↗
              I've had multiple that do it. they're quite visible in the right light. you can also see it when your yellow cartridge runs out, despite printing exclusively black and white, while the other color ones are full.

              "most" might not, I can't claim anything there and EFF claims most don't, when they were checking on it in 2015-2017. I'm pretty darn sure that some do though.

            2. autoexec · · focus · HN ↗
              As far as I know, the most common form of tracking in inkjet printers is in the ink itself. Companies add chemical markers to their inks which can show when the ink was made, and which company made it. The FBI collects that data in the International Ink Library <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;International_Ink_Library" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;International_Ink_Library

              There are also databases cataloging the specific printing characteristics of various models of printers and research has demonstrated that it&#x27;s possible to trace documents back to individual printers based on slight variations in how they print.

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