You are fined one credit for a violation of the verbal morality code!
Posted on 10/28/2025 5:40:02 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe
Samsung is rolling out a new software update to owners of its Family Hub refrigerators. This will bring cool features like an upgrade to Bixby and smarter food tracking with AI, but it comes with curated advertisements on the cover screen.
The biggest part of this update is a major upgrade to the AI Vision Inside technology in compatible refrigerators. This feature is meant to help you reduce food waste and save money, which is something I can always get behind. The AI Vision Inside can now recognize 37 fresh food items, like apples, kiwis, and cucumbers, which is a big jump.
(snip)
So this isn't something forced on you after you buy your expensive fridge, but this may be because you were not informed of ads when buying fridges before today. However, I would keep an eye on the terms and conditions you agree to in the future, just in case the option to turn ads off is ever removed.
Another part of the update is an upgrade to Bixby. The voice assistant now has Voice ID capabilities, meaning it can recognize who is speaking and automatically switch to their specific Samsung account. This is super convenient, letting you easily access your personal calendar and photos, or even use the Find My Phone feature to locate a misplaced device, even if it's on silent.
(Excerpt) Read more at howtogeek.com ...
That is my experience and the recommendation of the owner of my local independent appliance retailer/service company.
The more features, the more likely they will break at some point.
Classic point the LID LOCK on our Speed Queen top load washing machine. After being replaced twice under warranty my wife looked up a hack on YouTube to fix the problem.
Basically I put a zip tie around the gizmo(technical term)so the switch is closed. Then I taped the whole switch and wires to the inside right sidewall of the machine with DUCT tape.
There is also a way to disconnect the lid open sensor in case you want to put something in AFTER you start the wash cycle.
Now, Speed Queen makes a washer with NO lid lock. No lid open lid sensor and a dial (just like in 1965) to change the cycles on the machine. It has buttons to turn it on.
Basically, NO Computer board. All solid state electronics.
It has three cycles. Hot, warm and cold water. It washes clothes.
Another major issue is ice and water through the door. Which according to the appliance repair guy I know is the number one issue. Especially in the French door fridges. That is because they put a freezer(the ice maker)in the fridge.
So, my Maytag/Ammana/Whirlpool/KitchenAid/Kenmore french door fridge has the ice tray/bucket in the bottom door of the freezer. To get filtered cold water there is a thingy on the left inside of the fridge.
Open the fridge door, HAL.
I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that. You’ve exceeded you allowed caloric intake today.
What if you don’t have Wi-Fry running in your home? Does that “brick” the fridge?
Blast from paranoia land....could they still be monitoring the fridge and just be telling you that the computerized functionality is “off”? How would one know? Could it be sending your eating habits data to somewhere?
Unnecessary and intrusive.
if they had a built in temp monitor that could inform one of temp fluctuations and time spent out of safe temp range, well would be useful. Could help in extending storage times
Very helpless people do.
no doubt this new refrigerator will require me to watch an ExLax commercial before letting me in to get my tv dinner
I buy strictly mechanical! If I can.
It's for your own good, citizen.
I am very familiar with branding. I am strongly convinced by experience across 3-4 or their brands that all the Whirlpool brands have been thoroughly enshittified, to use a relatively recent neologism. There are 6-7 in the brand family. That said, I’m pretty sure Samsung and Lucky Goldstar are separate companies, as Whirlpool and GE are.
Only a complete nut case would ever buy an appliance that spies on you, or has to connect to the internet to use it’s features. Some people are very stupid. Stay away from junk made by those companies.
You are fined one credit for a violation of the verbal morality code!
This stuff was invented a couple decades ago for vending machines to monitor their inventory and phone home. It allowed the owners go on a service run with appropriate new stock, and schedule service runs to prevent a machine running out of a product. In the home ... I don't want it, I don't want to have to turn it off (and trust that it stays off). Given that, I also don't want to pay for it.
We noticed that, too.
Exactly my first thought. You have WAY TOO MUCH beer in this fridge, your social credit score has automatically been updated, BAD PERSON!!!
Same here. I’ve only lived in apartments since the early 70’s, and the landlord always provided the appliances, and they had to fix or replace them when they died. I just paid the utilities to use them. The fridge here was here before I moved in 25 years ago. It keeps my stuff cold and frozen. Who wants ads from a fridge? I don’t even watch streaming ads.
I owned a Samsung Large Screen projection screen TV when they first came out. Bought a Samsung home theater to go with it. Both died early. I'd never buy anything that Samsung made ever again.
HAVE OWNED MY OWN HOUSE SINCE 1966.
NEVER NEEDED ANY SUCH ‘BACK UP ITEMS’.
STILL DO NOT. NOW IN 3rd HOUSE.
IIRC-—THAT MODEL IS CALLED THE SPEED QUEEN CLASSIC
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