A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 12, 2016 17:02 UTC (Fri) by raven667 (subscriber, #5198)
In reply to: A Linux-powered microwave oven by fratti
Parent article: A Linux-powered microwave oven

> A lot of home appliances have come to a state where it would take some serious engineering to make a substantial improvement over previous models (which is expensive), so to keep up a fake air of technological evolution (as we've come to expect it from other devices such as computers or phones), they just tack things on that makes them look more advanced than it really is.

OMFG yes, I actually find that for many appliances, they really peaked in the 1950s and the actual utility has been on a plateau or decline since then. Maybe I am just getting old and cranky but I'm not excited about tools like the Nest thermostat or fancy Microwave because the more software the harder it is to reason about what the device is going to do, it becomes a mysterious black box with rules that you just can't quite spend the mental effort to figure out, because we all have better things to do with our time. Instead of our appliances being tools we use we become tools for babysitting the appliances, and a machine for vomiting up cash to the manufacturer.

There is also a lot of advertising out there to convince people that every chore is just _too_hard_ and you need a much larger number of appliances than are really necessary. Take a look at one of the many cooking competition shows to see how many appliances are actually useful in a kitchen.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 12, 2016 19:14 UTC (Fri) by rgmoore (✭ supporter ✭, #75) [Link]

I actually find that for many appliances, they really peaked in the 1950s and the actual utility has been on a plateau or decline since then.

I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I agree that development is very slow, especially compared to anything involving computers. The key is that for anything, the biggest change is from having nothing to having something, and after that it's mostly refinement, and often with declining returns. An icebox is a huge improvement over nothing, a refrigerator is a big advance over an icebox, but after that you're chasing improvements in convenience and efficiency rather than basic function. Similarly, many of the changes to the microwave (e.g. turntable for the food, variable power level) are real improvements, but they're marginal advances compared to getting one in the first place.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 12, 2016 19:17 UTC (Fri) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link] (3 responses)

Supporting evidence: fridges bought a few years ago are already obsolete: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/calendar/U...

Now that's progress!

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 18, 2016 12:54 UTC (Thu) by nye (subscriber, #51576) [Link] (2 responses)

I guess I'm becoming an old man: I can't even begin to imagine any possible purpose for a fridge being able to access a Google calendar.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 18, 2016 14:29 UTC (Thu) by spaetz (guest, #32870) [Link] (1 responses)

> I can't even begin to imagine any possible purpose for a fridge being able to access a Google calendar.

Easy, so it can order champagne when you have planned your next orgy. SCNR

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 19, 2016 0:23 UTC (Fri) by dfsmith (guest, #20302) [Link]

I don't think I'd trust my fridge with my credit card. It would probably blow all my money on milk and eggs and look sheepish when I couldn't close the door.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 13, 2016 23:35 UTC (Sat) by mathstuf (subscriber, #69389) [Link] (1 responses)

> There is also a lot of advertising out there to convince people that every chore is just _too_hard_ and you need a much larger number of appliances than are really necessary.

Those "As Seen on TV" bits should be viewed in light of being targeted at those with disabilities or handicaps. The reason they show normal people purposefully failing is because someone with Parkinson's failing to cleanly break an egg is not something anyone wants to tape, be taped doing, or watch.

A Linux-powered microwave oven

Posted Feb 14, 2016 2:51 UTC (Sun) by raven667 (subscriber, #5198) [Link]

That never occurred to me before but that makes a ton of sense, that also kind of tracks with the shows these ads run on