Home LivingSmart HomeIs smart tech the smartest of purchases?John Bentley is concerned that we’re spending a lot of money on gadgets that simply stop working in a few short yearsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingSmart HomeIs smart tech the smartest of purchases?John Bentley is concerned that we’re spending a lot of money on gadgets that simply stop working in a few short yearsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
John Bentley is concerned that we’re spending a lot of money on gadgets that simply stop working in a few short years
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Back in the early days of mass gadgetry, around the mid-2000s, I used to joke about how onerous it would be if our toasters and kettles became like our computers; devices that needed frequent updates to be downloaded and installed, and that’d swiftly become obsolete when they couldn’t run the latest operating system.
But how long should we expect that support to be provided? All too often, it seems over far too quickly. One early example of dissatisfaction was the hoo-hah, in 2020, whenSonosannounced that it was no longer updating some of its older devices.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act of 2022, it’s actually now a legal requirement that manufacturers of smart products declare how long they will provide vital security updates, but many companies don’t, or at least don’t make it obvious. Maybe market forces will help. Consumers will start to favour brands that are more upfront and generous with their policies and are more likely to stay in business to deliver on it.
Come-and-go no-name brands could lose out. Friends have told me of lesser-known brand smart dumbbells that have become dumb paperweights after only two years and security cameras that have become a security risk because the companies that made them are nowhere to be seen.
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Some may want to stick with a simpler product. An unconnected, non-smart system of Hi-Fi separates could last a lifetime. Of course, security updates aren’t a panacea to escape all forms of obsolescence. You may still need to buy new hardware to get the latest features. I’d like to see a two-tier approach.
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