We live in an age where everything is getting 'smart'—from phones and TVs to refrigerators and washing machines.

The promise of smart appliances is enticing, with high-tech features like voice commands, mobile app controls, and AI-powered functions.

But are these internet-connected appliances really an upgrade for your home? More and more experts say no.

In fact, when it comes to major appliances, 'dumb' might just be the smartest choice.

On the surface, smart appliances seem incredibly convenient. Who wouldn't want a refrigerator that automatically creates a grocery list or a dryer that sends you a notification when the load is done?

But dig a little deeper, and you'll find some serious downsides.

For one, smart appliances jeopardise your privacy. An investigation by Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week—much of it concerning users' personal habits and food preferences.

Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes weekly. Credit: @KashonMY/X (Twitter)

For reference, a megabyte can contain about 100 pages of documents.

Some companies claim that this data is used to contribute new features to your appliance or fix an issue, but in most cases, customers are unaware of what’s being tracked or transmitted.

Smart appliances also depend on a steady internet connection to function properly. If your Wi-Fi goes down, key features will be disabled. This connectivity dependency also makes them prone to hacking.

Additionally, smart appliances often 'brick' or stop working entirely when companies go under or discontinue support. Just ask owners of Revolv smart home hubs that Google acquired in 2014 and disabled in 2016, rendering the $300 devices useless.

Revolv closed in 2016, which affected many users of their smart home hub. Credit: @thefeed2000/X (Twitter)

Smart appliances not only cost more to purchase, but they also cost twice as much to repair. Due to the components involved—usually including sophisticated chips and circuitry—repair workers tend to charge higher rates to fix them.

Moreover, it can be difficult to find someone who can repair one. Manufacturers often discourage do-it-yourself repair, leaving replacement as the only option for malfunctioning smart appliances.

So, if you value privacy, reliability and repairability, dumb appliances can make more sense.

You can operate them independently without big companies or the internet involved. Their mechanical controls rarely glitch. And when something does break, repairs are often quick fixes.

If you decide to go the smart route regardless, it is recommended to get extended warranties, research reliability, and choose brands with security updates and repair programs.

Key Takeaways

• A study revealed that 'smart' appliances can jeopardise consumers’ privacy.
  
• According to Consumer Reports, a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week.
  
• If connectivity issues arise or a manufacturer stops supporting a smart appliance, it can potentially become unusable, known as 'bricking'.
  
• Smart appliances tend to be more expensive to maintain and repair due to the cost of components and the need for specialised repair workers.
  

What’s your take on this, members? Do you prefer smart appliances over traditional ones? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Suzanne rose]

I have a google home in my bedroom, which looks like a small tablet . I listen to music on it, ask questions eg what's the weather ect. Normally when my TV goes off the light on the google will dim, but last night it was bright and making a noise here n there. I told it to go to sleep and it then went black.

How many times do you search something on your phone or tablet , let's say target, then adds keeps popping up for target

 

[BabsL]

We live in an age where everything is getting 'smart'—from phones and TVs to refrigerators and washing machines.

The promise of smart appliances is enticing, with high-tech features like voice commands, mobile app controls, and AI-powered functions.

But are these internet-connected appliances really an upgrade for your home? More and more experts say no.

In fact, when it comes to major appliances, 'dumb' might just be the smartest choice.

On the surface, smart appliances seem incredibly convenient. Who wouldn't want a refrigerator that automatically creates a grocery list or a dryer that sends you a notification when the load is done?

But dig a little deeper, and you'll find some serious downsides.

For one, smart appliances jeopardise your privacy. An investigation by Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week—much of it concerning users' personal habits and food preferences.

View attachment 33388

Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes weekly. Credit: @KashonMY/X (Twitter)

For reference, a megabyte can contain about 100 pages of documents.

Some companies claim that this data is used to contribute new features to your appliance or fix an issue, but in most cases, customers are unaware of what’s being tracked or transmitted.

Smart appliances also depend on a steady internet connection to function properly. If your Wi-Fi goes down, key features will be disabled. This connectivity dependency also makes them prone to hacking.

Additionally, smart appliances often 'brick' or stop working entirely when companies go under or discontinue support. Just ask owners of Revolv smart home hubs that Google acquired in 2014 and disabled in 2016, rendering the $300 devices useless.

View attachment 33389

Revolv closed in 2016, which affected many users of their smart home hub. Credit: @thefeed2000/X (Twitter)

Smart appliances not only cost more to purchase, but they also cost twice as much to repair. Due to the components involved—usually including sophisticated chips and circuitry—repair workers tend to charge higher rates to fix them.

Moreover, it can be difficult to find someone who can repair one. Manufacturers often discourage do-it-yourself repair, leaving replacement as the only option for malfunctioning smart appliances.

So, if you value privacy, reliability and repairability, dumb appliances can make more sense.

You can operate them independently without big companies or the internet involved. Their mechanical controls rarely glitch. And when something does break, repairs are often quick fixes.

If you decide to go the smart route regardless, it is recommended to get extended warranties, research reliability, and choose brands with security updates and repair programs.

Key Takeaways

• A study revealed that 'smart' appliances can jeopardise consumers’ privacy.
• According to Consumer Reports, a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week.
• If connectivity issues arise or a manufacturer stops supporting a smart appliance, it can potentially become unusable, known as 'bricking'.
• Smart appliances tend to be more expensive to maintain and repair due to the cost of components and the need for specialised repair workers.

What’s your take on this, members? Do you prefer smart appliances over traditional ones? Let us know in the comments below!

It is only SMART if you do not buy it!

 

[Ronloby]

Manual Control is the way to go. At least you know if it is on or off without having to tell Google what to do.

 

[Tipsy]

We live in an age where everything is getting 'smart'—from phones and TVs to refrigerators and washing machines.

The promise of smart appliances is enticing, with high-tech features like voice commands, mobile app controls, and AI-powered functions.

But are these internet-connected appliances really an upgrade for your home? More and more experts say no.

In fact, when it comes to major appliances, 'dumb' might just be the smartest choice.

On the surface, smart appliances seem incredibly convenient. Who wouldn't want a refrigerator that automatically creates a grocery list or a dryer that sends you a notification when the load is done?

But dig a little deeper, and you'll find some serious downsides.

For one, smart appliances jeopardise your privacy. An investigation by Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week—much of it concerning users' personal habits and food preferences.

View attachment 33388

Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes weekly. Credit: @KashonMY/X (Twitter)

For reference, a megabyte can contain about 100 pages of documents.

Some companies claim that this data is used to contribute new features to your appliance or fix an issue, but in most cases, customers are unaware of what’s being tracked or transmitted.

Smart appliances also depend on a steady internet connection to function properly. If your Wi-Fi goes down, key features will be disabled. This connectivity dependency also makes them prone to hacking.

Additionally, smart appliances often 'brick' or stop working entirely when companies go under or discontinue support. Just ask owners of Revolv smart home hubs that Google acquired in 2014 and disabled in 2016, rendering the $300 devices useless.

View attachment 33389

Revolv closed in 2016, which affected many users of their smart home hub. Credit: @thefeed2000/X (Twitter)

Smart appliances not only cost more to purchase, but they also cost twice as much to repair. Due to the components involved—usually including sophisticated chips and circuitry—repair workers tend to charge higher rates to fix them.

Moreover, it can be difficult to find someone who can repair one. Manufacturers often discourage do-it-yourself repair, leaving replacement as the only option for malfunctioning smart appliances.

So, if you value privacy, reliability and repairability, dumb appliances can make more sense.

You can operate them independently without big companies or the internet involved. Their mechanical controls rarely glitch. And when something does break, repairs are often quick fixes.

If you decide to go the smart route regardless, it is recommended to get extended warranties, research reliability, and choose brands with security updates and repair programs.

Key Takeaways

• A study revealed that 'smart' appliances can jeopardise consumers’ privacy.
• According to Consumer Reports, a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week.
• If connectivity issues arise or a manufacturer stops supporting a smart appliance, it can potentially become unusable, known as 'bricking'.
• Smart appliances tend to be more expensive to maintain and repair due to the cost of components and the need for specialised repair workers.

What’s your take on this, members? Do you prefer smart appliances over traditional ones? Let us know in the comments below!

dumb ones

 

[Lizzie1149]

We live in an age where everything is getting 'smart'—from phones and TVs to refrigerators and washing machines.

The promise of smart appliances is enticing, with high-tech features like voice commands, mobile app controls, and AI-powered functions.

But are these internet-connected appliances really an upgrade for your home? More and more experts say no.

In fact, when it comes to major appliances, 'dumb' might just be the smartest choice.

On the surface, smart appliances seem incredibly convenient. Who wouldn't want a refrigerator that automatically creates a grocery list or a dryer that sends you a notification when the load is done?

But dig a little deeper, and you'll find some serious downsides.

For one, smart appliances jeopardise your privacy. An investigation by Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week—much of it concerning users' personal habits and food preferences.

View attachment 33388

Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes weekly. Credit: @KashonMY/X (Twitter)

For reference, a megabyte can contain about 100 pages of documents.

Some companies claim that this data is used to contribute new features to your appliance or fix an issue, but in most cases, customers are unaware of what’s being tracked or transmitted.

Smart appliances also depend on a steady internet connection to function properly. If your Wi-Fi goes down, key features will be disabled. This connectivity dependency also makes them prone to hacking.

Additionally, smart appliances often 'brick' or stop working entirely when companies go under or discontinue support. Just ask owners of Revolv smart home hubs that Google acquired in 2014 and disabled in 2016, rendering the $300 devices useless.

View attachment 33389

Revolv closed in 2016, which affected many users of their smart home hub. Credit: @thefeed2000/X (Twitter)

Smart appliances not only cost more to purchase, but they also cost twice as much to repair. Due to the components involved—usually including sophisticated chips and circuitry—repair workers tend to charge higher rates to fix them.

Moreover, it can be difficult to find someone who can repair one. Manufacturers often discourage do-it-yourself repair, leaving replacement as the only option for malfunctioning smart appliances.

So, if you value privacy, reliability and repairability, dumb appliances can make more sense.

You can operate them independently without big companies or the internet involved. Their mechanical controls rarely glitch. And when something does break, repairs are often quick fixes.

If you decide to go the smart route regardless, it is recommended to get extended warranties, research reliability, and choose brands with security updates and repair programs.

Key Takeaways

• A study revealed that 'smart' appliances can jeopardise consumers’ privacy.
• According to Consumer Reports, a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week.
• If connectivity issues arise or a manufacturer stops supporting a smart appliance, it can potentially become unusable, known as 'bricking'.
• Smart appliances tend to be more expensive to maintain and repair due to the cost of components and the need for specialised repair workers.

What’s your take on this, members? Do you prefer smart appliances over traditional ones? Let us know in the comments below!

Well first off I would never buy an extended warranty again. The consumer laws in this country cover that as they conciser the cost and size of the item to be the measure of how long it should last. Buy products that have an extended warranty from the manufacturer. Many have two and three year warranties these days. We "inherited" a large smart tv from my father in law when he went into aged care. We had a power failure and it took out the TV. Had to replace it under insurance as one part for it wasn't procurable anymore and it was less than 5 years old. I'm too old to be bothered with fridges that do grocery lists. I turn the modem off at night and the tv power as well.

 

[freedy50]

If I have a choice then I always pick the Smart version of something. I like gadgets.

I'm currently looking into getting a Bosch dishwasher as you can work it from an app on your phone.

 

[Clancieblue]

If I have a choice then I always pick the Smart version of something. I like gadgets.

I'm currently looking into getting a Bosch dishwasher as you can work it from an app on your phone.

When it blocks and overflows, does the phone turn it off?

 

[DLHM]

I like some “smart” things because of convenience. But I don’t go overboard. I prefer simplicity.

 

[Luckyus]

It is only SMART if you do not buy it!

True I bought one and typical never use it, although at first it did find some obscure music. One in particular was in regard to the so-called royal racist bullshit comment, it was a song sung by an English singer Alma Cogan The Baby Song? By the way Alma was Jewish

 

[Colette 3799]

Well first off I would never buy an extended warranty again. The consumer laws in this country cover that as they conciser the cost and size of the item to be the measure of how long it should last. Buy products that have an extended warranty from the manufacturer. Many have two and three year warranties these days. We "inherited" a large smart tv from my father in law when he went into aged care. We had a power failure and it took out the TV. Had to replace it under insurance as one part for it wasn't procurable anymore and it was less than 5 years old. I'm too old to be bothered with fridges that do grocery lists. I turn the modem off at night and the tv power as well.

I agree, the extended warranty isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. We had to buy a new tv the day before Christmas Eve, something always dies around Christmas lol. Anyway, we had a look what was available and the brand we chose - TCL had a three year waranty as opposed to the more expensive brand which only had a twelve month warranty. The thing I was told years ago was if something is going to go wrong it shouldn’t happen in the first Three years so if you buy an extended warranty you are usually only covered for that three years anyway. I’m wondering had we had gone for the more expensive brand would we have been offered an extended warranty? Think we did ok with our choice

 

[MariaG]

If I have a choice then I always pick the Smart version of something. I like gadgets.

I'm currently looking into getting a Bosch dishwasher as you can work it from an app on your phone.

If I had a smartie pants dishwasher, it had better be clever enough to stack the trays and put the stuff away for me when it's done. You probably would have enough to pay for a maid if you buy smart everything. Sometimes smart is OK, but I'm getting too old for that stuff.

 

[Liz]

I have a very old fridge, 30 years, and am keeping everything crossed it doesn't go with all these storms. If it does I only want a basic job, no fancy thing that tells me what groceries I need to buy. Even the basic ones are expensive. The only really expensive item I really have is the vacuum cleaner as I have a pet so I want a realiable one. My stick Dyson works okay but my nephew just gave me a 2nd hand bigger Dyson and it really does pick up hair and all other things on the floor. Unfortunately, my electrolux died because it was a very good vacuum.

 

[DLHM]

I always preferred the appliances without all the bells and whistles. Less to go wrong with them.

 

[Tygie]

We live in an age where everything is getting 'smart'—from phones and TVs to refrigerators and washing machines.

The promise of smart appliances is enticing, with high-tech features like voice commands, mobile app controls, and AI-powered functions.

But are these internet-connected appliances really an upgrade for your home? More and more experts say no.

In fact, when it comes to major appliances, 'dumb' might just be the smartest choice.

On the surface, smart appliances seem incredibly convenient. Who wouldn't want a refrigerator that automatically creates a grocery list or a dryer that sends you a notification when the load is done?

But dig a little deeper, and you'll find some serious downsides.

For one, smart appliances jeopardise your privacy. An investigation by Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week—much of it concerning users' personal habits and food preferences.

View attachment 33388

Consumer Reports found that a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes weekly. Credit: @KashonMY/X (Twitter)

For reference, a megabyte can contain about 100 pages of documents.

Some companies claim that this data is used to contribute new features to your appliance or fix an issue, but in most cases, customers are unaware of what’s being tracked or transmitted.

Smart appliances also depend on a steady internet connection to function properly. If your Wi-Fi goes down, key features will be disabled. This connectivity dependency also makes them prone to hacking.

Additionally, smart appliances often 'brick' or stop working entirely when companies go under or discontinue support. Just ask owners of Revolv smart home hubs that Google acquired in 2014 and disabled in 2016, rendering the $300 devices useless.

View attachment 33389

Revolv closed in 2016, which affected many users of their smart home hub. Credit: @thefeed2000/X (Twitter)

Smart appliances not only cost more to purchase, but they also cost twice as much to repair. Due to the components involved—usually including sophisticated chips and circuitry—repair workers tend to charge higher rates to fix them.

Moreover, it can be difficult to find someone who can repair one. Manufacturers often discourage do-it-yourself repair, leaving replacement as the only option for malfunctioning smart appliances.

So, if you value privacy, reliability and repairability, dumb appliances can make more sense.

You can operate them independently without big companies or the internet involved. Their mechanical controls rarely glitch. And when something does break, repairs are often quick fixes.

If you decide to go the smart route regardless, it is recommended to get extended warranties, research reliability, and choose brands with security updates and repair programs.

Key Takeaways

• A study revealed that 'smart' appliances can jeopardise consumers’ privacy.
• According to Consumer Reports, a typical smart refrigerator was sending data back to its manufacturer nearly 19 megabytes per week.
• If connectivity issues arise or a manufacturer stops supporting a smart appliance, it can potentially become unusable, known as 'bricking'.
• Smart appliances tend to be more expensive to maintain and repair due to the cost of components and the need for specialised repair workers.

What’s your take on this, members? Do you prefer smart appliances over traditional ones? Let us know in the comments below!

Check your settings there may be a way to turn off the spying. Otherwise add it to your internet security to be kept a watch on and use a VPN. You should be able to tamp down it's leaking of info via a good (not useless Norton - which leaks everything including itself) Internet security suite while the VPN will help hide you. It does not hurt to have multiple layers to stop the info leak.

But the absolute best way to avoid the info leak is don't have so many smart appliances to begin with then they can't spy on you.

 

[Luckyus]

If I had a smartie pants dishwasher, it had better be clever enough to stack the trays and put the stuff away for me when it's done. You probably would have enough to pay for a maid if you buy smart everything. Sometimes smart is OK, but I'm getting too old for that stuff.

I'd just like a dog smart enough to clean up it's shit, then it will be man's best friend?

 

[Ezzy]

Never had nor intend buying a SMART APPLIANCE. I have enough trouble working my mobile phone.
Perhaps l need Dumb appliances at my age & leave Smart appliances to those young brains?