The grumpy thread

[Supernaut]

Free drink, potential shag, you don't have to see them again and this is on the grumpy thread?

If only things were that straight-forward!

[chaseracer]

...I was very distressed to learn that my six-year old niece apparently wants to be a boy, because they get to be engineers and stuff. How the heck has she got that in her head at six?! Chatting with other kids at school apparently. She certain't hasn't been nurtured into that mindset. I'm making a mental note to convince her otherwise on our next visit.

 

If this is the one who came to Chinnor railway at SF16, I think she's got the smarts to be whatever she wants to be!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The 1100/1800 drivers (with a Scottie dog on the rear window shelf) have all died off....

There are still folks about who have dogs on the rear shelf & 45-to-Nought in 0.5secs will STILL convert hound into a cannonball TS

 

Scottie dog? Pah! Amateurs.

On long journeys my dad made a bed up on the parcel shelf of the Viscount for my little brother to sleep when he was about 2.( my brother not my dad)

[Pillock]

For the record, the next washing machine I have is definitely going to have WiFi.

[Timewaster]

Earlier this year I bought a fridge. They had touch screen Internet fridges.

 

3x the price of the one I bought.

 

I have no idea why it has Internet. It can probably cross reference the contents of the fridge with your club card records and remind you to buy fish or something.

[strangeangel]

For the record, the next washing machine I have is definitely going to have WiFi.

 

Why?

[Supernaut]

For the record, the next washing machine I have is definitely going to have WiFi.

Get out.

 

Actually, no. That's harsh. Just make sure it's secure and not just left on factory defaults.

[Pillock]

Because I love that sort of thing.

You're talking about someone who can tweet his kettle to boil it, see what the fridge temperature is, turn on the TV by asking it nicely and says goodnight to the house when it's bedtime to turn everything off.

 

So it would be nice to find out how long the washer has to run without walking through the house if I'm working, or get a text when it's finished - or a reminder hours later when I forgot to take the wet stuff out.

[Kiltox]

I'd like to be able to turn off my integrated dishwasher using my phone / Alexa because it BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEPs when it's finished unless you open it and turn it off. Cunting thing.

 

Got a couple of Hive smart bulbs at the moment, pretty cool.

[Pillock]

I've got a few Hue bulbs and Hive heating, I tend to steer clear of things that are their own ecosystem though for fear of being locked in. Hue bulbs for example can be "reset" and paired to my hub, Hive can't. IKEA do some cheap bulbs now too.

 

Latest piece, since someone sideswiped my car and drove off, is a pair of cameras. One is USB plugged into my router (cost zero as it came from work years ago) and one is a fancy panning tilting one for £30 from Gearbest. Both are going to be controlled by the house, eg recording clips when doors open or people come and go. I can also check the kids leave for school on time when I'm at work

[Pillock]

Get out.

 

Actually, no. That's harsh. Just make sure it's secure and not just left on factory defaults.

Only the Samsung interface is accessible from outside the house, and that's my personal account rather than admin:password style access. It also needs the app rather than a website, and I'd get a notification that a new device has been added.

 

I tell a lie, I can also SSH into it but that's got key access rather than password.

 

AFAIK, the SmartThings hub provides a level of abstraction since it's all ZigBee. None of my smart kit uses WiFi so you can't just guess my public IP and connect to it

 

I'll admit, it does worry me a bit but I've had a go at breaking into it and I didn't manage it.

[Cavcraft]

I've got Wife-I to tell me when the washing machine has finished.

[twosmoke300]

Liked Cav but the main problem is that its such an unstable app! 

[beko1987]

And it's hard to upgrade it

[Ghosty]

Amen to that. The Internet of Things in general can join them on the same train.

Ever heard of Juicero?

Look it up, IoT can really go too far.

[hairnet]

I've got Wife-I to tell me when the washing machine has finished.

no the black eye you get reminds you

[Supernaut]

Ever heard of Juicero?

Look it up, IoT can really go too far.

Are they ones who just went out of business?

[Guest Hooli]

Liked Cav but the main problem is that its such an unstable app! 

 

Not compatible with the girlfriend app either, installing both without secure sandboxing will destroy everything within reach.

[Eddie Honda]

Because I love that sort of thing.

 

Me and the rest of the "AS luddites" will be like this when you next have a power cut.

 

[Pillock]

What. because I won't be able to turn my lights or the telly on?

[Supernaut]

A thunderstorm-induced power cut could be interesting though.

 

All those lovely little bits of fragile electronics to get hit by surges. Mmmmm.

 

But yeah, we're just stubborn luddites.

[Pillock]

They're all battery powered, the smart things. I buy CR2032s in bulk from IKEA.

[strangeangel]

Because I love that sort of thing.

You're talking about someone who can tweet his kettle to boil it, see what the fridge temperature is, turn on the TV by asking it nicely and says goodnight to the house when it's bedtime to turn everything off.

 

So it would be nice to find out how long the washer has to run without walking through the house if I'm working, or get a text when it's finished - or a reminder hours later when I forgot to take the wet stuff out.

Mine just beeps until you empty it. It's too annoying to ignore or forget.

 

I would only accept a machine that full of electronics if it was capable of trundling off to the bedroom, collecting up my socks and trolleys, washing them and then hanging them out (after first ascertaining whether or not it was going to rain). If it could also check my socks for holes, and order me some new ones from M&S, well that would be even better.

 

Until then...

[strangeangel]

Ever heard of Juicero?

Look it up, IoT can really go too far.

It's already gone too far when my satellite PVR and Blu-Ray player have network ports. Why on earth would I connect non-updateable and eminently hackable devices like these to the internet? Especially when there would be absolutely no benefit to me from doing so.

[strangeangel]

But yeah, we're just stubborn luddites.

For the record, I am a stubborn luddite. Why? Because progress* doesn't always mean doing things better. Often it's just a triumph of marketing and form over function.

[dollywobbler]

Drove into town because I need a new stereo in the house. Bloody coach on my favourite hooning road. A chavved up Golf tried overtaking and almost got taken off the road (yeah, ok, it's fairly narrow). I nip past the car in front of me, but am forced to concede that there's no way to get past this coach. It trundles along, as coaches do (and indeed as the community bus does when I'm driving it). I ponder whether the driver of said coach might allow some of us to get past. In this, I am disappointed. Eventually, we reach a straight section. I go for it. Coach starts encroaching over the white line. Nowt to do but give it the beans (in a 1.6LX Bluebird) as I'm already halfway past. Just about squeeze through. Feel a bit of a twat, but mostly annoyed.

 

Get to the retail park. Put my right indicator on to show I'm NOT going left at the small roundabout therein. Some TWAT in a Zafira pulls straight out in front of me anyway. FFS. 

 

Go to Currys, because THERE IS NO CHOICE. Can't play with the stereos because some bright spark has decided that the best place to have a desk to chat with customers is right next to the stereos. FFS. I wait, patiently, listening to my carefully prepared USB stick of excellent music at a respectful volume. I get fed up with waiting and head off to grab some shopping. I come back, they're still bloody chatting! Who goes to Currys for this much of a bloody chat? Just buy something and piss off as quickly as possible! Isn't that how shopping is done? I stomp off in discuss and drive home at relatively high (and entirely legal) speed. Feel a bit better because there are no coaches and it actually isn't raining.

 

I think that mostly, I've been unreasonably angry about fuck all, so therefore this is ideal for this thread.

[hairnet]

 just a triumph

explains everything right there

 

modern? fuck no...

[hairnet]

Drove into town because I need a new stereo in the house. Bloody coach on my favourite hooning road. A chavved up Golf tried overtaking and almost got taken off the road (yeah, ok, it's fairly narrow). I nip past the car in front of me, but am forced to concede that there's no way to get past this coach. It trundles along, as coaches do (and indeed as the community bus does when I'm driving it). I ponder whether the driver of said coach might allow some of us to get past. In this, I am disappointed. Eventually, we reach a straight section. I go for it. Coach starts encroaching over the white line. Nowt to do but give it the beans (in a 1.6LX Bluebird) as I'm already halfway past. Just about squeeze through. Feel a bit of a twat, but mostly annoyed.

 

Get to the retail park. Put my right indicator on to show I'm NOT going left at the small roundabout therein. Some TWAT in a Zafira pulls straight out in front of me anyway. FFS. 

 

Go to Currys, because THERE IS NO CHOICE. Can't play with the stereos because some bright spark has decided that the best place to have a desk to chat with customers is right next to the stereos. FFS. I wait, patiently, listening to my carefully prepared USB stick of excellent music at a respectful volume. I get fed up with waiting and head off to grab some shopping. I come back, they're still bloody chatting! Who goes to Currys for this much of a bloody chat? Just buy something and piss off as quickly as possible! Isn't that how shopping is done? I stomp off in discuss and drive home at relatively high (and entirely legal) speed. Feel a bit better because there are no coaches and it actually isn't raining.

 

I think that mostly, I've been unreasonably angry about fuck all, so therefore this is ideal for this thread.

nope

 

will not go to currys (insert other elec shop here) because of that - even when the place is empty you cant talk to people but when theyre rammed then they dont leave you alone

[RoadworkUK]

Currys hasn't sold anything worth listening to for years.

[richardmorris]

Currys hasn't sold anything worth listening to for years.

Quite. Last stereo I bought at currys was in 1997 in Hayes - its still going at work. It's what the internet was invented for in my opinion, shopping without having to deal with thick sales staff.

 

On a similar note, I saw that Bang And Olufson had closed in Windsor last weekend. You'd think they'd have enough customers there to keep them going.