LG signals plan to put Wi-Fi in every appliance it releases in 2017 (opens in new tab)

Even if they do offer updates will they engineer the updating system properly for devices that aren't connected for a while?

Sounds like an "of course they would, who wouldnt?" situation.

Well, I have a Sony Bravia KDL46EX520 that I bought in June of 2011. It wasn't connected to the Internet for a few years while I used a PS3 with it. This year I moved, ditched the PS3 and decided to use the built in apps. I tried connecting to the net with both the USB dongle for WiFi and over Ethernet. The TV told me it had a connection but none of the internet features would connect. The built in software update tool also told me it couldn't connect.

After messing with my network, swapping cables, swapping switches, I went online and found very little documentation about my device.

Finally, as a bit of a last resort, I found a Sony support page where you can download the latest firmware and put it on a USB drive. If the USB drive is compatible with the Sony TV (no list of compatible devices is provided) then it will update the TV.

I got lucky and my USB drive was compatible and the TV updated.

After updating the TV's smart features work again, I can use Netflix and the software update tool says it can not find any newer version of software available.

If I wasn't technical I wouldn't even think to look online for some obscure software update procedure. Sony really dropped the ball on this. So badly that even though I love this TV I went and bought a Samsung unit for another room to hedge against future situations like this.

Hopefully the FTC suing D-Link will encourage LG (and other manufacturers) to properly support their devices: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/ftc-sues-d-link-over-route...

Planned obsolescence. The greater the software/hardware complexity included - the more opportunity for obsolescence. For the manufacturer & retailer - a great component of their "business models." Not so great for consumers/environment.

I'd like to see some great technical minds attack _this_ technico-societal issue.

LG appliances don't last that long.

TBH since the IOT part is removable you might just buy a new panel every 10 or so years. After 20 years it's unlikely that you'll be able to connect it to anything anyhow, most Wifi 802.11a cards do not work anymore with modern routers. You can't connect a 20 year old cellphone to modern networks, and even 15 year old DSL modems can very well not work anymore in many countries, same goes for cable modems if you have a DOCSIS 1.1 modem you likely not going to be able to hook it up to a modern cable network since most of them run DOCSIS 2.0 or higher.

So security updates should be mandated for the 7-10 years or so warranty period for large appliances, ideally you'll want more than that sure, but I don't think that connectivity would be common at that point.

Or they could just make sure the appliances don't actually last 10-20 years. Update problem solved, just buy a new fridge.

It's more likely they limit the lifetime.

...or maybe they'll trigger a new era of IoT custom firmwares?

This is such an obvious (and obviously good) idea, there must be a reason it's not done. Is it because it's difficult to get glass with the right thermal insulation properties?

It's not just about a microcontroller, it's also about developing the software and them supporting and maintaining it.

It gives me the impetus to set up another SSID that just loops-back every packet to its sender.

I was going to suggest not even associating them with an AP, but knowing how vendors code their software they'll probably overcome that 'problem' by having them search for and attach to the first open AP they find. So I might as well make that one be MyNullRoute.

This is probably the nastiest part of the whole Internet of Things hype. There is so much stuff that now comes with internet connected functionality that securing it all is simply not manageable. Sure, a household may demand that their smart thermostat keeps working reliably and securely, but how about the smart TV that's connected to WiFi, but is only used as a (classic) dumb screen? Or the talking doll the kids got for Christmas that talks back? (Yes, this is a thing!) Or the baby monitor? Or any other plug-and-play webcam?

All of these devices are by design capable of performing HTTP requests, and can be exploited to perform DDOS attacks. There is no economic incentive to keep these devices secure once the warranty runs out, yet hackers do have a lot of interest in hacking whole classes of devices.

It's not only the future, it's already happening. The Mirai botnet, mostly running on IoT devices, was used to perform massive DDoS attacks in 2016. This gives us a foretaste of what is to come when we can assume at least one vulnerable IoT device in more or less every household.

It's totally valid and was obviously written with tongue firmly in cheek - the author (or their editor) is just having a little fun and suggesting that adding wifi to e.g. a stove is a consumer-hostile move.

> So unless Alexa somehow develops a way to interact biologically with the contents

This pipe dream overlaps with something I've wanted since I became a reluctant bodybuilder: an appliance to measure the macronutrients of a meal, or at least a viable, reasonably priced calorimeter.