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Your washing machine could be sending 3.7 GB of data a day — LG washing machine owner disconnected his device from Wi-Fi after noticing excessive outgoing daily data traffic (www.tomshardware.com)

submitted 10 months ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] tdawg@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Why are people connecting their machines to wifi in the first place?

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

It's starts with a sales pitch (not just to you, it's sales pitches all the way down) about how the washer can send the user status, maybe let them schedule, etc. They probably have an app to pair with it to keep it all in-house. One thing leads to another, every appliance gets wifi and sends a ton of data to a totally undoubtedly secure and anonymous centralized server full of harmless data for the sake of saving the customer 15 steps.

Big Brother didn't ride in on the back of a commie tank, he was invited in for the slightest increase of convenience.

[–] AuntieFreeze@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It tells them when the cycle is done. Which apparently a beep can't do.

[–] Wrench@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

My machines are in a disconnected garage. There's no hearing the beep. And the wash time varies due to load size, to the point that the estimate on the screen isn't very accurate, so seeing a timer isn't great either.

I have never bothered to connect them to wifi yet, though. But a phone notification would have is uses.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago

I can understand wanting it on your local network. Being able to check remotely how much time is remaining. Getting alerts if it needs maintenance. In a big house with multiple family members all doing laundry, just checking to see if the machine is in use before hauling all your stuff down could be nice. But, that info doesn't need to leave the house. I don't know why you'd want that information leaving the house.