Forget Smart Appliances and Buy Dumb Ones
In 1988, the New York Times published an article about “smart” appliances. They weren’t called “smart” back then – in fact, they didn’t exist yet – but the writer was predicting they would make life easier for us in the not-so-distant future.
The article said that someday we’d be able to use our car phones to tell our home appliances to do things that would then be ready by the time we arrived home.
Things like defrosting a steak, heating up a pie, filling the bathtub with hot water, turning on the air conditioner, etc.
About 30 years later, very few homeowners have that type of technology. But we do have smart microwave ovens and smart phones and smart TVs… all of which are expensive and are out of date in a couple of years. Or they break and it’s too costly to fix them, so you have to buy another one.
The question is, do we really need “smart” products that can think for us? Or at least do things we think of and tell them to do?
Do we really need a smart meter that can tell us exactly how much electricity we used yesterday compared to the day before? Or do we just need one that can tell the utility company how much to bill us for?
Do we really need a smart oven that can suggest how many spices to add to a pot roast, or do we just need one that can cook the darned thing?
Do we really need clocks with 15,000 features on them for giving us reminders to call our mothers, telling us what the temperature is outside and advising us which clothes to wear that day? How about one that just tells you the only thing you really need to know – the time?
Does anybody really know what time it is? (Sorry, I had to throw that in there, and if you’re 55 or older, you’ll know what I mean.)
Do we really need a vacuum cleaner that can move around the house by itself, or a microwave oven with 300 different settings or a car that can parallel park itself? (Actually, that last one is pretty cool. I wouldn’t mind having that.)
But the point is, all of these new bells and whistles that are supposed to simplify our lives end up costing us more time and money. And it’s always too expensive to fix them.
By the time you figure out everything it can do, it’s obsolete or it breaks. Then you have to add it to what must be an enormous “smart landfill” that has probably overwhelmed an entire Pacific island by now.
Just give me the dumb appliances. Give me a clock that tells me what time it is, an oven that cooks my food and a phone that allows me to make and receive phone calls. And, oh yeah… that car that parks itself. Then I’ll be happy.
Show me where I can buy dumb appliances. I use to do all my own appliance repairs with little difficulty
A circuit board does not belong in a dryer or washing machine. We have managed to fix our “amazing Jenn-air range several times, including replace the whole circuit board for about a 1/5 of factory repair. Piece of Junk!!! I don’t like any of this nonsense. It makes no difference it how it works and none of it is made well, not reliable. The plastic tubing on the water supply or our icemaker has has had to be replaced 6 times since we bought it 5 years ago (did ourselves); Junk!
There is nothing intelligent about a smartphone or any other smart device. It has become increasingly difficult to buy a simple appliance, but if you do a little work, you can find one. As an electrical engineer I can assure you that digital devices (aka”smart “) are prone to expensive problems that mechanical or analog devices are not.
You are exactly right AmOs, technology will be the cancer of us all. These devices have led to laziness in our children and grandchildren. Video games and texting have given us kids that don’t look up anymore. You are spot on!
Chicago band member and horn arranger, James (Jimmy) Pankow is having a birthday on Sunday, ironically so! Maybe someone should record one called “Does Anybody Know What’s Really Going On.” LOL
Nice mention of Chicago Patriot! What a great band! :)
You covered all the bases, Frank, including reaching for the “dumb” appliances. My hat’s off to you for exposing what’s wrong with society for trying to buy the latest and greatest. Let’s try for the “Kodak” moments in our lives, with more sunshine and “hands-on” activities.
Yo, how about a piece on how to tell if a device is “smart,” if there is a year after which you cannot safely presume it is” dumb,” and such practical stuff.
Also, is there a year of mfgr before which the applicances are EMP resistant or proof, and if so why not explore that a wee bit.
You know: useful stuff for your readers.
A company that produces simple dumb appliances that last could make a killing!!
Made in America for smart Americans that want simple products that actually work and last would be wonderful.
17 years ago I replaced a Washer & dryer that was over 10 years old but still worked great. with a fancy expensive set.
This year purchased the simplest W/D I could find, but it controls the water level and destroys the clothes while not getting them clean.
Oh if I could only buy a good set like the ones they made 30 years ago!!
HOW RIGHT YOU ARE ABOUT ANY SMART AS WE AS HUMAN BEINGS BECOME STUPID JUST WHAT BIG BROTHER WANTS & WE CAN’T USE THE BRAIN THE GOOD LORD GAVE US
Every new gadget comes with a complex instruction book on how to enable and use these complex functions. By the time you have mastered all the options, the device is obsolete. The terms “plug and play” and “user friendly” hardly exist any more. Computers and machines were supposed to serve humans, but the opposite is now true. As a now-retired pilot, I hate “fly-by-wire” aircraft, and hope that I am not travelling in one if or when an EMP occurs. Hardly anything around your house will work if that happens. I keep candles and portable gas stove available, and I wonder if LED torches will work after an EMP.
Amen! …and does anybody REALLY care…about time?
Definitely return to the KISS principle !!
I remember the electricity going out in a restaurant and cash registers not telling the staff how much to give back in change. I stood there for 45 minutes teaching staff how to make change. They didn’t have the math or know how.
I choose to live off-grid in an area with no cell towers, cable tv, or any other sort of infrastructure. I have a satellite dish for internet access and nothing connects to it except for my laptop which is behind a DOD grade hardware firewall and running an “obsolete” OS. I use solar power and drive a pre-2003 car that is not equipped with the checkpoint transponder that all 2004 and newer cars are mandated to have. I would never buy a smart tv or other smart device, as I refuse to give up my privacy.
I wrote custom firmware for my travel cellphone which allowed me to disable GPS reception and storage of GPS date/time/longitude/latitude/direction/velocity/elevation data mandated under E-911, disabled firmware updating, and disabled the transmitter bursts used for triangulation. I used to write firmware (OS) for cellphone manufacturers that incorporated the spyware used to monitor and track us, so I am very familiar with the technologies implemented.
I like the idea of the robot vacuum but the rest I don’t need nor have.
How smart are they it takes an hour an half to wash a load then you have to wash them by hand to get them clean they are smart all right for using more energy less water oh wait we have to pre wash by hand we miss the good old fashion 30 minute wash for a load
I try to avoid hi-tech gadgets as much as possible-no TV (gave it up 5 yrs ago & don’t miss it) When the ‘nuker’ died, I got a toaster oven-‘landline’ ONLY in my apt. I handwash dishes & in 15+ yrs. never used trash bags–I re-use the plastic ones from groceries.
OK, I have an old & slow computer-bought 7 yrs ago at a yard sale-upgraded 2X from Win. 98 to XP Pro to Win. 7.
Some of you may be familiar with the name Ray Kurzweil-created his own line of synthesizers & wrote a book ‘The age of Intelligent machines’.
Part of what I recall from his book is now ‘echoed’ by Stephen Hawking & Elon Musk. BEWARE A.I!! they believe it’s only a matter of time till robots ‘decide’ humans are unnecessary & start eliminating us.
FB had 2 robots they shut down after they created their own language humans couldn’t decipher.
Its sad but I think “we” are the minority. I have a tracphone, so i can call and text my kids. (yet i still get the random sales calls, that I have to pay for) I have a solar hot water heater, and hang my clothes to dry, (yet the electric company still wants to put a “smart” meter on my home so they can help me SAVE $.) Its getting more difficult to find a stove, washing machine, refrigerator WITHOUT all those bells and whistles. (I still know how to take my 25 year old washer apart to fix it.) My car is over 10 years old because i dont WANT the “computer” in it… yet again its more difficult to find those old parts. So whats the answer? How do we lead the world to follow our example so we can be a SMARTER more economical, people?
Thanks for talking simplicity. Its a welcome subject. Its seems I’m always fixing, or more than likely, replacing appliances. Just turned 56 this summer and turned the flip phone in for an I-phone 7 Plus-only got it for the awesome camera since mine broke. Really don’t want people bothering me with texts, pictures, but I guess that will happen to some degree. I like when things were simpler-even the TV shows were simpler and much more enjoyable to watch. I still like to watch re-runs of Bonanza, Andy Griffith, The Waltons, and Little House on the Prarie with my twin 13 yr old girls-they actually have a plot, unlike some of the junk Hollywood produces these days. There are just too many options and too many choices to make each day, which usually trend to spending more money. I like you Frank because you bring forth other simple issues people don’t think about much, and put them on the table for discussion. From doing this, its like going through life’s basic training, which the younger generation does not get from school and friends. For example, I’m going to view the eclipse in SC this weekend and I’m hearing some worrisome topics. Cell phone outages and no GPS, gas shortages, lack of drinking water and food if the millions storm the stores, and possible terrorists taking advantage of large gatherings of people. At this point, I’m surely not going to back out and disappoint the family, so I thought, what would Frank do? 1) Cellphone & GPS outage- BRING A MAP-what a revelation! Went to AAA today and got free updated ones. 2) No INTERNET NEWS-What would Frank do? No problem-bringing a couple battery operated transistor radios! 3) Gas shortage -Frank? Use common sense and fill up often, and bring a few extra empty gas cans, a siphon, and cash for gas if available from other sources such as farmers. 3) Food and water shortages-Frank? Probably bring along a couple life straws and the “Big Berkey water purifier for insurance, as well as a few rations of freeze dried food and coffee. 4) Bad guys-will check the firearms laws in the state and make sure i maintain an acute situational awareness and good exit plan if necessary. Keep up the good work! Regards
The only “smart” appliance I own is a phone and I intend to keep it that way!
I. Would like to have a simple car, not one with all the electronics.
Retired at 71. At my age, I still like to even balance mown checkbook and do my math in my head. Sad for the youngster’s that do not even understand “deductive reasoning” when trying to resolve the daily problems of life that a Computer or cell phone cannot answer.
Another problem with smart appliances : they can be hacked.
So you leave home and the stove has been turned off – it’s possible for a malicious hacker to turn your stove on, and mess with other appliances as well.
Agree with you 100%, even about the parallel parking car !!!
Stop whining!
All of these electrical “things” have LED’s to tell us things we usually don’t need to know. walk around inside of your house some night when all of the lights are off. All of these little LED’s use electricity and most of them are always on. I would like to get rid them all.
All I have to say is AMEN!!
I live in “sunny” S FL. Controlled by one of the worst power monopolies in the USA. The states of Georgia and North Carolina generate more solar power than the “sunshine state. Our power bills are ridiculous.
My 700 sq ft Condo has a power bill of over $100 per month. I keep my temperature on 77.
Like many seniors I wonder if my money is going to run out!
Last appliances I bought were the ones with fewest bells and whistle s. Saved tons of money on the purchase and the electric bills
I totally agree the dumb items were much easier to repair and lasted much longer. The only Smart thing is, the companies are making more money for costly repairs that we really don,t need
Funny, I just had this conversation with a neighbor this morning. Recently, a Microsoft-based study down-graded the average human attention span from 12 seconds to 8 seconds. A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. So, the average human is now dumber than a goldfish. Not looking good for humanity’s future with “smart” devices. Any of you see the movie “Idiocracy”? It speaks volumes on this subject.
Amen, y’all! All of these “smart” appliances just sound DUMB to me. How much effort is it to push your own buttons?
HaHaHa……..I laughingly agree.
All of my siblings and their kids have smartphones. They use them for everything. My wife and I have basic cellphones. We even had the texting option turned off. We use a Garmin GPS mounted on the dash. Unlike my siblings who use their smartphones and keep losing their connections. I would NEVER have a built in GPS for the car, costs too much to update and repair. If you have one in your car and it breaks, you will be trying to sell a car with a non-working GPS, versus one that simply never had one. You can’t put your car’s GPS into another car ( rental car?). Our lives are NOT so urgent that I can’t wait until I get home to use my home PC to complete a task. We have no smart appliances in our home. We do NOT have anyone we need to impress.
This is funny. I just bought an old rotary phone from an Estate sale and that sucker still works! I called Called Comcast to get a traditional phone line and the customer service agent quoted me a price for digital services. I asked, “Can I make 911 calls in an outage?” He said, “No.” I said, “Then that is not a traditional phone.” He got quiet. I guess he did not know anything about analog lines.
My telephone is smarter than me.. my tv is smarter than me..my refrigerator is smarter than me.. my dryer is smarter than me…had a terrible time trying to buy a washer that just washed clothes and not fold them and put them away as well. And a phone that just made and received calls. All history . I have an analogue brain living in a digital world!
No smartphone, no smart house (locks, monitoring, temp control, etc), no smart appliances, no internet connected tv, no DVR or streaming services, no ip cameras, or smart doorbell, no drones, no robot vacuum or robot lawn mower, no smart car. Hackers can do all sorts of things through IoT – Internet of Things. Big Brother isn’t the government, but private business that knows more about us because we let them in to spy on us.
I don’t want other people to have access to my home or life and don’t need to have the machines do most of my work for me. I want control of my life, and make my own selections.
I have a feature phone with GPS turned off, but it can still track my movements. I have debit cards which track my spending habits, but prefer to use cash most of the time. The year end ‘how I spend my money’ report is insightful, but probably more useful to the demographics DB and companies they sell my information to.
Big business is slowly merging from thousands to just a few, there are 11 consumer goods companies that own the majority of the brands available on the market today. There are less than 50 companies that own controlling interest in most media companies (movie, tv, radio, streaming content), there are less than 25 pharmaceutical companies, that control most medical products. Less than 500 people that own 98% of the world’s financial wealth and most of the surface of the planet.
I work in technology, but don’t embrace it in my personal life, other than to advance my knowledge and career, and hopefully slow the advance of the industrial revolution that will destroy most jobs in the next 30 years. People are being made redundant by automation and technology, and we are helping them along, by accepting the intrusions, and innovations, driverless cars, drone deliveries, self-service anything (cashiers, ordering), buying online is killing retail stores, and jobs.
Ted K, the Unabomber was right with his message, but dramatic with his approach. Tech will be our downfall. Only by teaching our young NOT to embrace it, to be wary of it might we slow down it’s progress and retain some of our privacy and individuality, and future job opportunities.
not having smart appliances, they actually have a better chance of lasting longer, and nobody monitoring our usages. I am hanging onto my old huge tv I haven’t used in years, in the event of an EMP outage, more likely it’ll come back up sooner.
I cannot believe you didn’t even mention the WORST thing about SMART technology, is that it SPIES on you! I really don’t care as much about the other stuff, but I DO care if people listen to (and watch) things going on in a home through SMART items. I read long ago to totally stay away from anything SMART for that reason! And don’t even get me started on Smart Meters!
I remember when I went to the 1964 New York World Fair and saw the future world. In the homes, everything was push button. Fifty three years later, now everything in our homes is talking back to us. A refrigerator can tell you if you need to buy more milk or have a shopping list made out for you. You can see who is at your door ring the bell while you are at work. Your washer and dryer talk to one another all the while telling you that you need to add your detergent or softener. Shoot even my lights can be turned on or off by using my cellphone.
But all it takes is people with bad intentions to mess it up for everyone. They think it is funny that they can intrude upon your private life and create havoc. Their reason – because they can. When will people grow up and stop making a nuisance of themselves? Is it human nature to destroy what another has build? It is because of these spoil-sports that people feel that having the old stuff is best. You know what you get when you deal with old technology. People my age/our age feel comfortable with our old stuff. We know how it works and we are use to it. Whats more, we like it and prefer it. In fact, keeping our old stuff is often cheaper and better than the new stuff that they sell. There is something in knowing how things were and how they are now that you can pass on to your grand kids. (Try explaining The Beatles to your grand kids and why they are so important to music and you will understand what I mean.) :-)
But sooner or later progress will come to us all. Most will make the change, others will prefer to stay behind and others still will refuse to move at all. Where will you stand?
I do not even own a “dumb’ or “smart” dishwasher!..I think some of the technology is too tempting for people to hack into it and spy on you..and I think there have been cases where it has happened (web cams on computers and who know about your “smart” tv/fridge etc…could they be hacked -I bet they could! I will stick to the most basic stuff I can still find and be happy :-)
Washing machine. Freezer. Both have been ruined with “improvements”. Buy older good used and they actually work and can be fixed. Bty, remember when you could live through the extremely dangerous experience of ….lifting the lid of a running washer….
I am with you but shame on you … I have Chicago songs stuck in my head now
There are worse things to have stuck in your head than songs by Chicago, right? :)
Waiting for the break of day 25 or 6 to 4 25 or 6 to 4.
Nooooo, now THAT is in my head!!
So do I!!! AAHHHHH LOL
With all this “Smart Technology” available and more to come, I am very concerned for future generations. Are they going to know how to survive if all that technology disappeared one day? Would they be able to start a fire, cook a meal, grow food, or at the very least know how to find or filter water? Some catastrophe happens somewhere in the world a couple times a month. Will future generations know how to deal with them? My children know how to live off the grid. Very few of their friends know what that means.
Ah, the good ol’ days !
Amen to that, Hunter. I asked my grandkids if they knew what what “tugs” were as pertaining to a team of work horses. Not one of 12 knew the answer. Makes me feel old, but maybe wise?