Philips has a bad news for owners of a smart Hue lighting system of the first Generation. In a cryptic worded support document, the manufacturer announces, to provide the Bridge of the first Generation with Updates, and online services. From the end of April, the five-year-old System allows only a limited use. It is App-controlled, if the owner of Wi-Fi in his home. The operation from outside via the Internet or via a digital voice assistant is possible.

Philips is the only manufacturer in the course of its networked devices only have a limited life time. Osram has announced that by 31. To want to August 2021 its Lightify-platform off. This will cause the smart lamp to this manufacturer's "dumb" and only a few control functions are available. A way out is all the same, the lamps on a compatible System from another manufacturer's switch (Zigbee).

The Recycling mode of Sonos

Also speaker manufacturer Sonos has problems to keep older models on the amount of time: devices that have been launched ten or more years ago, no longer able to keep up with the current requirements of the processor performance and memory capacity. You work in isolation, while still properly. However, they do not work together with modern speakers and modern technologies such as Airplay 2. to solve

To this Problem, Sonos introduced the "Recycling mode". He was meant to disable after a 21-day Countdown to the older speakers, is irreversible. Customers who activated this mode, received in return a discount of 30 percent to a new speaker.

Someone recycled, five of these Sonos Play:5 speakers. They're worth $250 each, worn, and these are in good condition. They could easily be reused.

Unfortunately, the person who recycled them and put them in the recycle mode. to expect pic.twitter.com/TNx2MEOWqu

— ralph waldo cybersyn (@atomic thumbs) December 27, 2019

As it was, has ensured the permanent deactivation for harsh criticism. It is up to each environmental opponent to destroy thoughts, completely intact Hardware via an Update, according to users on Twitter. Sonos defended himself, you have to prevent that unknowing customers would acquire a more contemporary speakers second-Hand. However, after the protests of the users of Sonos has not articulated last week: users get the discount, even if you make your speaker unusable.

Without a Cloud

The examples show a fundamental Problem of the networked devices: It is the dependence of the Cloud. Without the connection to the Server, the smart speakers, cameras, lights, vehicles and household devices functioning only to a limited extent, or not at all. But it is time-consuming to make these Internet component for years or decades to be available and to provide with Updates, compatibility and security. Obviously, the manufacturers are not willing to bear the cost of that unlimited. And sometimes they are not able to, for example, in the case of a bankruptcy.

The customers, in turn, are unlikely to want to hold a manufacturer Loyalty, if you have just been forced to a fully intact device to throw away and replace. It is clear: the Internet of things has no existence when it is based on planned obsolescence and a completely antiquated throw-away mentality. The manufacturer must find a way, the lifetime of the Software to the Hardware. And the way for open Standards: If a product does not depend on a proprietary Cloud from the manufacturer, but also with alternative data clouds is in harmony, then the user has the choice to operate it so long to continue, as it suits him.

Created: 11.03.2020, 09:11 PM