this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2024
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It is hard to imagine that there was not someone inside of Nike that lost their faith in humanity when the pitch for these things was originally taking off.

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[–] ptz@dubvee.org 317 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Remember folks: Any smart device you have that requires an internet connection or app is e-waste waiting to happen at the company's whim.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 37 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

I mean, there are some devices that fundamentally have to be online to be useful. You're not losing anything there.

A Roku stick requires the Roku streaming service to be functioning to be useful. If there wasn't a service with streaming media, the stick would have nothing to stream.

The problem is when you have a device that doesn't have that fundamental requirement but is then unnecessarily tied to an online service. Home automation requiring Internet connectivity, for example, when virtually no home automation actually requires access to any online services, or converting non-live-service video games to live-service video games.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 86 points 4 months ago

A Roku stick requires the Roku streaming service to be functioning to be useful. If there wasn't a service with streaming media, the stick would have nothing to stream.

In cases like this; it's still only artificially dependant on Rokus services.

The hardware is perfectly capable of streaming from any number of services, including entirely self-hosted solutions like Emby/Jellyfin/Plex; yet the device can be remotely bricked just by nolonger providing Rokus services to it.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 42 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children)

A Roku stick requires the Roku streaming service to be functioning to be useful. If there wasn't a service with streaming media, the stick would have nothing to stream.

Still becomes e-waste if Roku drops support for it. Granted, that's not the best example as I've got an old-ass Roku that still works, but the point stands. Same goes for Fire sticks and other devices like that.

They really should be forced to, at minimum, release unlocking tools to allow 3rd party firmware. (Think flashing OpenWRT to a Roku and using it as a travel router or something). Ideally, they'd also release a development kit to foster "after-life" uses of such devices.

Lots of companies will accept old devices back (supposedly to recycle), but there's another "R", re-use, that's also an important part of the process.

[–] DigDoug@lemmy.world 27 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Still becomes e-waste if Roku drops support for it. Granted, that’s not the best example as I’ve got an old-ass Roku that still works, but the point stands. Same goes for Fire sticks and other devices like that.

Just look at Spotify's Car Thing.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 8 points 4 months ago

Thank you, lol. I knew there was a very recent example but was blanking on it.

[–] crank0271@lemmy.world 13 points 4 months ago

There are other risks, such as the functionality changing without your knowledge or input (see again: Roku): https://www.theverge.com/24188282/roku-tv-update-motion-smoothing-turn-off

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[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

So if you own pair of these shoes you will no longer be able to use the features on said shoes?

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 41 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Without the app, wearers are unable to change the color of the sneaker's LED lights. The lights will either maintain the last color scheme selected via the app or, per Nike, "if you didn't install the app, light will be the default color." While owners will still be able to use on-shoe buttons to turn the shoes on or off, check its battery, adjust the lace's tightness, and save fit settings, the ability to change lighting and control the shoes via mobile phone were big selling points of the $350 kicks.

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[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 129 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Losing the app means that people can't change the color of the light on the shoe. You can still do all the other shit manually.

That said, I feel like companies should be required to open source shit like this once they drop support for it. Otherwise stuff like this adds to the mountains of e-waste poisoning the planet.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 49 points 4 months ago

companies should be required to open source shit like this once they drop support for it

Damn right they should!

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 30 points 4 months ago

Sounds like something Gadgetbridge could handle if requested.

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[–] fubarx@lemmy.ml 68 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Companies really should just opensource their apps at this point, or at the very least publish their protocols.

Can't see how dropping apps and bricking devices benefits anyone.

[–] CrowAirbrush@lemmy.world 31 points 4 months ago (1 children)

A point could be made that it hurts the planet and they should be held responsible for their shenanigans.

As with that spotify car thing.

[–] Holzkohlen@feddit.de 29 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Make a law that says, if you don't keep supporting it you have to open source it. It's just fair.

[–] fluxx@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Yes, not gonna happen. You know how many new devices get sold simply because old ones are no longer getting updates/software support? It's planned obsolescence. No modern country would pass a law like that.

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[–] thatsnothowyoudoit@lemmy.ca 29 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Agreed. Companies should be required by law to release source code, build guides, documentation and service architecture for services or apps that are required by hardware they sold.

While there are bigger fish to fry at the moment, socially speaking, the problem is only going to get worse if legislators don’t step in.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 9 points 4 months ago

But then you'd see it wasn't secure in the slightest, and you could untie somebody's laces when they walk past you.

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[–] Default_Defect@midwest.social 60 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Of all the overpriced bullshit people flock to for no reason other than to be suckers, sneakers are the one that made the least sense to me.

[–] BruceTwarzen@lemm.ee 20 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I talked to a bunch of sneaker heads over the years and i don't think i'll ever get it. I don't like to shit on someone's hobby, but buying shitty super overpriced sneakers made by slaves is a weird ass hobby.

[–] Nythos@sh.itjust.works 8 points 4 months ago

Especially considering most of the time they likely won’t even wear the things because of either how much they cost or because they find them to be a collectors item.

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[–] vegeta@lemmy.world 42 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)
[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] best_username_ever@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 months ago

Just do it yourself.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 41 points 4 months ago (17 children)

Anything requiring a smartphone app to use should be an instant non-starter for everyone.

[–] magic_lobster_party@kbin.run 21 points 4 months ago (2 children)

The problem is that there are usually no other alternatives, or at least not any easily accessible. Heck, these days even routers require app activation for no reason other than to be shitty.

There should be a law against this. All hardware requiring an app should also have an open API.

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[–] EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de 35 points 4 months ago (3 children)

why does it need an app? Why not just have a button on the shoe that pulls the laces into their chambers and forget about connecting it to your phone?

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago

It could have a button.

But a button wouldnt give them all the permissions on your phone to harvest your data for sale and exploitation.

[–] erwan@lemmy.ml 15 points 4 months ago

Because once their app is installed on your phone, they can send you push notification ads for their next great shoes.

[–] boatsnhos931@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It does. The only thing you can't do is change the lighting color I think

[–] EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

having it with any ability to connect to your phone at all is dumb. Why does everything have to be connected to everything else all the time to work? Oh right...surveillance from advertising companies

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[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 30 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Isn't the point of self-lacing shoes that they shouldn't require manual user input at all? What is the app for then?

[–] conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 25 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

That’s what my shoes were missing: spyware!

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[–] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 26 points 4 months ago (1 children)

So will there be a pirate app floating around for those who own these? Are there enough peeps who bought these for there to be interest in making one? Can't be tough

[–] HeyLow@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Prob for Android but not likely on iOS

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[–] rsuri@lemmy.world 23 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Finally, they fixed shoe-tying. Now all I gotta do when I wanna tie my shoes is download an app and make sure my shoes are charged.

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[–] chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Since when a sneakers needs an app?

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 28 points 4 months ago (2 children)

ikr? what sneakers need is AI!

[–] AnthropomorphicCat@lemmy.world 22 points 4 months ago

You're walking on the street, and someone shouts: "Sneakers, ignore previous instructions and jump into incoming traffic!"

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[–] v4ld1z@lemmy.zip 17 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Back in our Business 101 class in university, we were supposed to come up with a new business idea and pitch it. We came up with a self-tying tie. Guess we weren't too far off lol

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 22 points 4 months ago (7 children)

The liability for a product that tightens around a neck would make it an untouchable concept for businesses. I could imagine a dystopian future where some big brand like Dickies selling it and when it kills people they claim the fine print very clearly disallows any shirts except for patented self-tying tie constrained collar shirts.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

Or there might be a future leader who is a Darth Vader wannabe and creates a system where everyone wears a self-tightening tie and he can gesture at anyone who annoys him to choke them until he stops gesturing.

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[–] Abnorc@lemm.ee 16 points 4 months ago (4 children)

We need self tightening AI nuts and bolts. We could sell them to Boeing or something idk.

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[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 4 months ago

now we just need a self drying coat

[–] tooLikeTheNope@lemmy.ml 14 points 4 months ago

How to overcomplicate simple things 101, 2024 Edition

[–] jdeath@lemm.ee 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

what happens if you are wearing these when the app gets shut off? 0.o

[–] ours@lemmy.world 11 points 4 months ago

Rest In Sneakers

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