Thread

Samsung accidentally freezes its smart fridges with a software update

247 points · 284 comments · Markoff

sandworm101 · 1790169670 · focus · HN ↗
The fridge compressor answers to software? Idiocy. It need be nothing more than a relay attached to a thermocouple. I can see having a smart screen to deliver aps/ads and to collect data on people in the home, but why on earth would that need to actually manipulate temperatures?
1. chii · 1790169730 · focus · HN ↗
  Fridge sellers dont want their product to be seen as commodities, because they can't charge a high margin on those type of products.
  1. gedy · 1790170788 · focus · HN ↗
    I guess the sellers and industries should have thought of this when they offloaded manufacturing to cheap countries that can and will undercut them.
    pjc50 · 1790174497 · focus · HN ↗
    Samsung fridges are made in Korea. i.e. not outsourced.
    They're just very bad at software.
    boelboel · 1790176565 · focus · HN ↗
    Most non high-end samsung fridges aren't built in Korea, lower-end fridges are made in Vietnam and midrange fridges are made in China or Thailand. Regardless of Samsung outsourcing they still have to compete with outsourcing firms. There's only so much demand for fridges, 100-200 million fridges a year worldwide, and most of the consumer fridges end up primarily competing on price.

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