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from the planned^Wscheduled-obsolescence dept.
Sonos, the consumer electronics company known for audio streaming and "smart" speakers, has decided that the music controller device, the "CR100", has reached end of life. By which they mean they will be pushing a software upgrade that will kill it.
... the next Sonos update in early April will turn off the CR100 connection -- unless you decide you don't want any updates at all. (Make sure you set that up in advance -- if you accept the update, you can't undo it and go back to using the old controller.)
That means if you want to keep on using a device you're happy with, you have to give up all the new features on all your Sonos speakers.
The company says its primary concern is the age of the lithium ion batteries in the controllers; although in that case an official device recall would be better than an update that stops them working - and a battery replacement scheme would handle the problem just as well.
Although the controller is old (Sonos stopped selling the CR100 in 2009) it is still perfectly functional for many users. However, according to a forum posting explaining the options these users will have to choose between the CR100 and the functionality of the rest of their system:
... opting not to update means you will not receive any new features or future security patches for your entire system – not just the CR100. For example, being on an unsupported version means that you might lose connectivity to music services, as is already the case for Google Play Music on the CR100. It is necessary to configure your system in advance to avoid future updates. Any update applied to the firmware and/or to the app, even unintentionally, is irreversible.
Originally spotted on The EEV Blog Youtube channel.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday February 12 2018, @04:06PM (1 child)
I bought a couple of IP cameras about 6 years ago. One was a cheap, low res PTZ that I could access from within the home network, and potentially open a hole in my firewall if I wanted to get at it from outside. I didn't use it much, and it died after 3 years of electrical failure. Another was a cheap fixed camera that came with a web based recording and free access service, it was only accessible via the cloud. It was pretty cool when it worked, but I didn't use it much, and after about 3 years I fatigued from constant cloud-access software updates and let it effectively die. For all I know, it still works if I plug it in and spend a couple of hours deciphering how to access it now that the company was bought out and "improved" services made available - but, at any moment it could die from forced shutdown by the company.
I have very mixed emotions about cloud based gadgets, they run about 95% hate and 5% love... I love the "ease of use" and some of the more powerful features offered, but I truly despise the subscription based pricing models on top of having to pay for the hardware up front. I have a garage full of junk I've accumulated over the last 30+ years, and most of it I can pull out of a box, dust it off, and use it just like I could when I put it in the box years ago. And none of that stuff is charging me a monthly fee. Not so with "subscription based" devices. Now, whether I would actually be happier if that garage burned to the ground and I just went and bought what I need, when I need it? I suppose that could be true, until the zombie apocalypse happens, or, during post-hurricane strandings, which do last for a couple of days.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by EEMac on Monday February 12 2018, @07:52PM
That's why everything from thermostats to dishwashers is becoming cloud-based!