Comment on [deleted]
Fredselfish@lemmy.world 1 year ago
This should be read and understood by everyone and everyone needs to cancel their smart devices from Amazon. The company needs to be broken up.
The company needs to be broken up.
Because that solution worked so well in the telecomms industry.
We need a solution, but breaking up businesses isn’t the only one - and arguably isn’t a good solution when they can more or less carry on with the same practices under more complex ownership structures. A better solution is regulation and enforcement. The government is supposed to regulate to level the playing field between consumers and big business.
The government is supposed to regulate to level the playing field between consumers and big business.
Too bad our regulation framework is captured by the same people who own those companies and their friends.
I think we need new legislation that prevents companies with a valuation over a certain inflation-adjusted threshold, say $10 billion, from participating in mergers. Then split up the big troublemakers. This way, they can’t just buy each other out until there are only a few left. They have to innovate and compete to keep growing.
I already did this by never getting smart devices.
It’s increasingly difficult to get a TV nowadays that isn’t “smart”.
Don’t connect it to the Internet
That’s easier said than done. I’ve had TVs that wouldn’t work unless TOS were accepted and I’ve had TVs scan for open networks.
I’m at the point of opening TVs to disconnect the wireless antennas.
I see what you’re saying but you give up Netflix, Hulu, and screencasting. It’s an actual sacrifice.
I ended up just getting a big monitor.
Hmmmm, that’s a good option I hadn’t thought of.
I have two TVs. One is an small 720p set we keep in the bedroom with a connected Chromecast, and the other is a 1080p “smart” TV, but they made the mistake of building a Chromecast into it, so we literally never use the “smart” features and just cast from a phone or computer.
I don’t care if that’s “low resolution.” I grew up with CRT TVs. 1080p is terrific as far as I’m concerned.
I can’t even find a goddamned thermostat that doesn’t require some kind of internet connection.
Smart Devices are fine. Buy devices that use Z-Wave or ZigBee and run them with something like Home Assistant. All local processing, no internet needed.
I have a couple of smart bulbs and switches and a couple of wyze cans around but I don’t want or need a smart doorbell, thermostat, etc. I like being able to turn off our bedroom light from my watch or phone and the smart switches work well for devices that need to be plugged in where the actual power cable is hard to reach.
I would love to get rid of my smart devices from amazon/Google but I have yet to find a single plug and play device that allows me to control all my lights, plant humidifiers, aquariums, TV, and whole house music by voice that isn’t from them or even better FOSS.
PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 1 year ago
We should also be able to delete apps on our devices. I have an LG TV that keeps wanting me to use Alexa, but I’m not positive it’s not doing its shitty thing anyway because I can’t delete it.
Fredselfish@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Man that huge one for me. Samsung phones have so much bolated wear and you can’t delete the apps. Also should be illegal to add games to my device after an update.
ohlaph@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Use your wallet. Don’t buy products like that.
PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Which products don’t have that? I’m seriously asking, I would buy those.
orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts 1 year ago
Their TVs are annoying as fuck. I’ll never buy anything Samsung again.
Chailles@lemmy.world 1 year ago
That’s probably more on the carrier than Samsung themselves. I’ve genuinely never had an issue like that since switching to an unlocked device.
chevy9294@monero.town 1 year ago
monero.town/post/631850
Doorbook@lemmy.world 1 year ago
When reading about “smart” thermostat. It has been found that these would listen even though there is no account is linked nor it is activated.