this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2024
488 points (98.4% liked)
Technology
59207 readers
2939 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
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.
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.
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.
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