What no knobs

[Spectric]

I finished making my unit for a new single oven and eventually it will be incorporated into a kitchen refit but for now needed new oven as old rangemaster on last legs. Well got new oven fitted into unit and all wired up to new 16A MCB and then realised it had no knobs or obvious controls, it has a touch screen or you can use WiFi . Never even thought about this when I purchased but just shows how things are changing, grew up with black and white Tv with three channels and no remote and now ovens that want you to communicate using WiFi, shows you must be of a certain age!

 

[flying haggis]

why does everything these days need wifi on "app" on a phone to control it?? why does an oven need wifi, will it look up its own recipes for you

 

[Spectric]

I think it all started with the so called smart phone, people are now designing because they can and no longer purely to deliver functionality. It is not good when you have to read a manual just to find out how to turn something on whilst you are hungary and wanting to cook.

 

[Blister]

I had a email advising me of a screwfix app , I quickly realised it was not a dating web site

 

[artie]

You had 3 black and white channels. WOW

 

[TheUnicorn]

What is really annoying is how it is getting harder and harder to find things that aren't wifi / smart etc. Whenever I can I try and buy things that do a basic function well, and nothing else. Odds are in five years time you'll need some sort of upgrade to your oven because the software is obsolete. this stuff pushes all my buttons (see what I did there?).

 

[Sandyn]

We have one of those fancy no knob hobs. All the controls are on the top, so I wouldn't trust that the cats wouldn't jump up and somehow turn it on. I'm sure there's an interlock and it could be turned off, but what if we forget? so it remains off and we use a traditional gas hob.

This trend of computer controlled devices is called the era of ubiquitous computing. All predicted in the 70's by Mark Weiser

 

[Doug71]

I have a bit of a cinema/gaming room for me and my two boys, got a big tv etc in it and a few "smart" devices. You can turn on the lights by saying "Alexa, cave lights on" or "Alexa, cave lights 50%" if you want to dim them. Last night for some reason all the smart bulbs have stopped working properly, you can still turn them on with the wall switch but the problem is before they went wrong they were only on 5% brightness so now when you turn them on with the wall switch they only come on at 5%, it's a bit dark in there I'm presuming there has been an update or something and it's looking like I am going to have to mess about reinstalling them with the app.

All the smart stuff is great when it's working but can be a headache when it decides to do it's own thing. I feel like I don't actually own something that just updates itself without my knowledge.

 

[Bm101]

It's even easier to build obsolescence into digital gear than electrical.
I'm definitely not a cynic.

 

[Ollie78]

I just can`t do "talking to the device" like Alexa and stuff. It makes me feel daft, I just keep thinking of 2001 a space odyssey.

Smart devices has come to mean intrusive and owned by someone else even though you paid (a lot ) for it. Its the Data first business model, I am not a fan.
I like switches to go clunk when I use them.

Ollie

 

[Nigel Burden]

Our washing machine has WiFi facility, not that we use it.

The heater on my wifes Skoda Octavia is more complicated than it needs to be, but compared to my neighbours Peugeot it seems simple. My old 2009 Ford Fiesta had really simple controls, three knobs and a couple of push buttons. If you wanted to demist the screen, just turn the large central knob/ring fully clockwise to screen and the A/C kicked in automatically.

Nigel.

 

[RichHox]

I'm 'young' enough that smart phones and homes should be my thing but I cant stand it. It's a novelty going to someone elses house and chatting to alexa, but not for my home thanks.

Maybe the fact that a lot of people here love using hand tools and the hands on approach, it makes sense a lot of people dont like the modern 'smart' devices!

 

[clogs]

my Milwauki driver aslso has wifi.....
wouldnt know how to use it.....and never could work the video player.....
can just handle Amazon n Netflix tv.....oh so dumb am I.....hahaha.....

 

[Sandyn]

Smart devices have one huge problem, they are designed by people who think they know what is best for you. My iPhone suddenly lowered the volume on my headphones when I was out cycling, then followed by an annoying beep every 30 seconds, so I had to stop to see what was wrong. The phone wanted to tell me that I had listened to too much loud music this month, so it had turned down the volume. The phone got a "F off in return" It should have been smart enough to know the units connected by bluetooth were bone conduction headphones, and pretty much need to be full volume. I turned the volume up and the phone turned it back down again after a few minutes. It's really stupid cursing at a phone, but it makes me feel better.
One of my favourite saying is 'whoever designed this never actually used it!!

 

[Cabinetman]

Smart devices have one huge problem, they are designed by people who think they know what is best for you. My iPhone suddenly lowered the volume on my headphones when I was out cycling, then followed by an annoying beep every 30 seconds, so I had to stop to see what was wrong. The phone wanted to tell me that I had listened to too much loud music this month, so it had turned down the volume. The phone got a "F off in return" It should have been smart enough to know the units connected by bluetooth were bone conduction headphones, and pretty much need to be full volume. I turned the volume up and the phone turned it back down again after a few minutes. It's really stupid cursing at a phone, but it makes me feel better.
One of my favourite saying is 'whoever designed this never actually used it!!

Sandyn have you been following me around and listening? Ha ha, that’s exactly what I say! Just where do they get these people from. It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t bought an expensive camera just too many features, too much second guessing what they think you want, just too much like bloody hard work ! Good friend bought a new car, you put it into reverse and the wing mirrors tilt downwards, yes I know I’m meant to be looking at the screen from the camera on the back of the car, and the wing mirrors are purportedly showing me a child under my back wheels, but for F.... sake I want to be able to see what’s in the mirrors!! Ian

 

[pcb1962]

Good friend bought a new car, you put it into reverse and the wing mirrors tilt downwards, yes I know I’m meant to be looking at the screen from the camera on the back of the car, and the wing mirrors are purportedly showing me a child under my back wheels

It's so you can see the kerb when you're parking, I found it really useful in my last Mercedes, wish I had it on my current car which just has cameras instead.

 

[llangatwgnedd]

My wife asked me why I was speaking so softly at home.

I told her I was afraid Mark Zuckerberg was listening!

She laughed. I laughed.

Alexa laughed. Siri laughed

 

[Nigel Burden]

Sandyn have you been following me around and listening? Ha ha, that’s exactly what I say! Just where do they get these people from. It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t bought an expensive camera just too many features, too much second guessing what they think you want, just too much like bloody hard work ! Good friend bought a new car, you put it into reverse and the wing mirrors tilt downwards, yes I know I’m meant to be looking at the screen from the camera on the back of the car, and the wing mirrors are purportedly showing me a child under my back wheels, but for F.... sake I want to be able to see what’s in the mirrors!! Ian

Go on ebay and search for blind spot mirrors. You want the ones that clamp on the top of the door mirror, around £7-£8 a pair. I used to use them when I was teaching learners. You can set them to show the N/S rear wheel and kerb.

Nigel.