If you buy a “smart” washing machine and actually connect it to the internet, you deserve what you get.
I can think of a few smart functionalities of a washer that’d be nice. None of these would be motivation enough to buy one though, unless it was open source, which I’d guess isn’t a thing.
Yeah, I wouldn’t mind getting a notification on my phone … sometimes I don’t hear the little chime or I do but I’m the middle of something and forget.
Exactly. That’s a small benifit to potentially sacrifice your privacy for though, so they’re still a hard sell for me.
I don’t even let my smart TV connect to the internet. Why would I help it fetch ads for me lol
That means you don’t get any of the benefits of it being a smart TV. Which is fine, but unlike a washing machine there are actually obvious benefits for a smart TV.
No it couldn’t. My washing machine cant connect to my network! I can’t think of a valid reason why I would even want that.
Yeah, I don’t get it. I guess I can see the appeal of some “Internet Of Things” connected appliances, like smart fridges suggesting recipes and keeping track of stock and auto-populating shopping lists for you. I don’t need that personally, but I can see why it could appeal to some people.
But things like washing machines and dishwashers? You need to be there in person to fill them up just before they’re ready to go on, and to empty them when they’re done. And when they’re not turned on, they’re sat there doing nothing. What “smart” functions can they even offer?
What “smart” functions can they even offer?
Notification that the cycle is finished and checking how much is left.
But that’s about it.
My washer has WiFi but I’m sure as hell not turning it on. It tells me how long the cycle will be a few minutes after it starts and I’ll just set a timer on my phone - though most of the time I don’t bother because I never have so many loads that time is important.
I can think of a very valid reason. I very often forget that I ran the washing machine, I’m already investigating how to send a notification to my phone or computer after it is done. Right now I am checking how much electricity it consumes and when it stops doing it. But a API would be nicer.
stick a bell onto it and take a moment to listen whenever you want to check.
Anybody in his right minds wouldn’t connect a washing machine to WiFi in the first place.
I dunno about you, but I would love to get a notification on my watch when the machine has finished it’s cycle. The stupid high pinched repeated beeping noise sucks… especially when it’s the next door neighbour’s washing machine and they’re not even home, so it goes on and on for fucking hours. And I’d like to see proper error descriptions on my phone, instead of just “UE” on the timer LCD. WTF is a “UE” error?
If we’re going to get really fancy… I’d love to be able to load the machine in the morning, but tell it to actually start running several hours later while I’m at work. I obviously don’t want clean wet clothes going mouldy in the washing machine all day… but I don’t really want to run the washing machine when I’m home either, because it’s noisy.
Remote activation would also be better for the environment and also better for my clothes - I’d use the the slow gentle economy cycle every time if I could remotely trigger it at 3pm on a weekday. I’m definitely not going to use that on the evenings (when I’ll be asleep in 3 hours) or on weekends (when I don’t know if I’ll be home in 3 hours time).
A wifi connected washing machine sounds like a great feature to me, and I’d happily pay for it (with dollars, not with an invasion of privacy). I guess that means I won’t be buying an LG.
I don’t know. My washing machine beeps three times in increasing intervals, so it isn’t that intrusive. The display shows me unique error codes that I can look up when someone happens. And I can set the machine to finish in a set amount of hours, so it will start just in time to be done when I’m back. All without WiFi
I do something very similar with my connected dishwasher and Home Assistant. It’s way over-engineered due various limitations/odd design choices with the API and the machine itself), but I’ve got it setup to store the selected program when I press a button on a Hue Tap switch, and then it turns on and runs that program when our off-peak energy rate kicks in - which is better than working out how much to set on the delay timer each evening to start it in the right ballpark.
Of course I’ve also got it setup to announce the selected program, and that the machine is “armed” via Google Home when the button is pressed, and again each time the door is opened/closed to add new dishes. And it sends notifications to my phone when the program starts (mostly for debugging purposes) and ends.
Like I said, massively over-engineered but it was a fun little project.
I don’t have a smart washing machine (yet) but I do have it plugged into a smart plug with an energy monitor. When the power usage drops to near zero for more than 2 minutes it sends a notification to tell me that the cycle is done.
How old is your washing machine? All of the washing machines that I have had over the last 15 years have had unique error codes, a button combination to turn off the buzzer and a delayed end functionality. Just set the program, click on the clock icon and set the program end time.
Anybody in his right minds wouldn’t connect buy a washing machine to with WiFi in the first place.
Ftfy
Said this elsewhere recently, family had a washing machine for 30 years, from when I was little to in my 30’s. Just fixed as needed. Could’ve still fixed it when they replaced it, just felt it was time.
I’ve never had dirty clothes come out of a washing machine, using cold water and powder soap. Not sure why people think an agitator needs all this nonsense attached.
I still buy my machines used off Craigslist. Current one (apartment style) is 20 years old, I’ve had it for 5 if them. Cost me less than $200. Replaced a spring for $20 so far.
There are no IoT/smart devices in my house (well, damn TV, but I’m workin on that).
Only company that makes dumb TVs anymore is Scepter, but those TV are a dice roll cause in the same model 1 tv can have a great screen and 1 can have a horrible one… and I’ve had the bad luck of the draw to get multiple bad screens that looked like shit.
So I gave up and bought a TLC.
I cracked it open and unplugged the wifi antenna though, cause you can bet your ass that bitch will never have a chance to phone home and report any and all network snooping.
Why not?
My washing machine has wi-fi. I didn’t buy it for that reason, but it just happens to. Using the app, I have some programme options that aren’t possible to select using the hardware dials. I can do things like change the detergent dosage and the number of additional rinse cycles. It has some “special” programmes for various specific fabrics. And it has things like maintenance diagnostics and the ability to run a specific self-cleaning cycle.
That’s all pretty useful.
And what’s the actual danger of connecting it to wi-fi? Will Big Data know how often I wash my towels? Do I need to worry about the government spying on my fabric softener usage? Will hackers seize control of my machine and ransom my ability to get clean underwear?
I just can’t see the big downside here (other than the fact that the machine is more complicated than it needs to be, but that ship has already sailed seeing as I already own it).
My washing machine has wi-fi. I didn’t buy it for that reason, but it just happens to. Using the app
So you did not just connect it to your home wifi, but you also allowed the vendor to connect it to their servers. Now the vendor knows the name of your WiFi and the password. Just to begin with. Next year maybe this vendor’s website will get hacked and 20000 such wifi passwords go public in some darknet :-)
Using the app, I have some programme options that aren’t possible to select using the hardware dials.
Who benefits? You may find it cool to have it in the app, but FIRST the vendor has saved some of their money by not building the needed dials and buttons for these functions. (Or did they give you that discount? ;-))
And maybe in 3 years from now, they don’t feel like maintaining your app anymore. Are you going to shout “WARRANTY” at them?
I just can’t see the big downside here (other than the fact that the machine is more complicated than it needs to be
Yes, that is a downside, too. Part of this ‘smartness’ could break and maybe even the whole thing stops working when these ‘diagnostics’ give false data.
Another huge point is: My washing machines so far have lasted between 8 - 15 years. But NEVER has any wifi-active device lived that long. Think about this difference, and who’s the one who benefits from it?
Will hackers seize control of my machine and ransom my ability to get clean underwear?
It’s more likely that they’d seize control of it and add it to their botnet. Which is exactly what it looks like happened here. There was a small package downloaded, then a large amount of outgoing data. That looks like a compromised IoT device being used for a botnet. Small incoming package to hack the device, then the device starts spamming some poor dude across the country as part of a DDOS, because he beat a script kiddie in a COD match and the script kiddie is salty about it.
When it starts spying on you, sending conversations, like many smart cars, it is just the beginning.
It doesn’t have a microphone or camera, or any other way of recording my conversations. Other than laundry-related data, it really doesn’t know anything worth sharing.
I’d connect it to wifi maybe. I wouldn’t connect it to the Internet.
When it comes to home automation I’m generally onboard, but it’s local control or nothing.
As an appliance repair man if 20 years don’t ever connect your application to the wifi.
Knowing what part of the cycle your washing machine is in at all times is useless information.
Imagine spending extra money on a new clothes washer only to have someone turn it in to a crypto miner. 😬
I’m loving the puns quoted in the article haha
