Unnecessary Tech

[Mito Man]

My treadmill died last month in the same way as they all do typically every 4-5 years - frame welds break, then the running particle board ends up breaking up and the belt gets caught and I get flung off.

So I decided to buy something which wasn’t bottom of the barrel. A Nordic Track commercial 1250 - hoping the commercial bit means the welds are a bit better quality.

Today it arrived and I just put it together and used it a bit. So far it’s just extremely annoying. Each time you start it up it takes a minute to turn on. Then it asks me if I want to spend $400 on a subscription. Then it proceeds to show me a bunch of shite like yoga which is behind a locked symbol because I haven’t paid the $400.

I thought I bought a treadmill.

Start my exercise and press the 5kmh button for a gentle warmup. 30 seconds it takes for the fucker to compute this but it starts at a different speed as it tells me I should warm up first. I am getting extremely pissed off with it. There is an override button. Then I can finally use it as a treadmill.
Do 5k run, tells me I can’t earn a trophy unless I have a $400 subscription.
Tell it to fuck off and pull the red plug, on every treadmill I’ve ever used that’s how you turn off the machine but not this one, keeps moaning that I’ve disabled the treadmill and beeps at me. Reinsert it and go have a shower. Think it’s finally shut off.

What a hassle. And they’re all like this now unless you buy a really cheap one which will probably break quite quickly

[mik]

[DeskJockey]

Have you considered running outside?

[Mito Man]

Run outside too. Treadmill is different though, I like to run until I fall off it/feel like I’m about to have a heart attack/die. When running outside it’s very much within my limits.

[Ascender]

That sort of stuff would boil my piss. Too late to return it?

We bought a Noble something-or-other after my knee op during covid as it seemed to be a good sweet-spot between commercial units at many thousands and the sort of thing that would break within a year.

We have decided to get a rowing machine in the new place though so need to find something which isn't trying to sell you a monthly subscription of some sort.

[Mito Man]

I don’t think I came across Noble when I was looking at treadmills, or maybe I did and it was out of my price range so I ignored it.

Took me an hour to wrestle it into the spare bedroom and assemble it and most the packaging is torn to shreds so yeah, I think it’s too late. But everything else I was looking at in this price range was the same kind of software. There was one brand which wouldn’t actually work without a sub from the reviews I read about it too. Guess it’s just the norm now - Peleton has ruined exercise machines.

[V8Granite]

Run outside too. Treadmill is different though, I like to run until I fall off it/feel like I’m about to have a heart attack/die. When running outside it’s very much within my limits.

Ski-Erg.

Dave!

[Jobbo]

I have discovered wifi logos on our ovens and on the hob extractor fan in our new house. I have no idea what this is for but I'm never going to give them the wifi password to find out.

[Mito Man]

The wifi hobs/extractors just link to each other rather than the home network so when you turn on your hob the extractor turns on too. It’s a stupid system and would work better if the extractor just worked off a moisture and odour sensor.
No idea on the oven though.

[Jobbo]

The hob doesn't have wifi, or at least there's no symbol for it. I nearly went down the rabbit hole of finding out, but actually I don't want to use it so I closed the tab

[dinny_g]

Our new Washing Machine and Dishwasher are both Wifi enabled but I really don't see the point - Loading them, putting in the powder and then turning them on remotely ?? Seems unnecessary

the oven I can understand because you can prep your one pot meal, leave in the oven and then turn it on to be ready when you get home etc.

[Mito Man]

Maybe so they can take advantage of cheap overnight tariffs? I wouldn’t ever have a tumble dryer on when I’m sleeping though, feel like they can combust at any time

[dinny_g]

Yeah, I'm the same - I just don't trust them.

(Although, I try not to use it as much as possible)

[Swervin_Mervin]

Maybe so they can take advantage of cheap overnight tariffs? I wouldn’t ever have a tumble dryer on when I’m sleeping though, feel like they can combust at any time

But they all have delay settings, so still no reason for wifi, which you'd have to be awake for to use to set them off.

[Mito Man]

Maybe so they can take advantage of cheap overnight tariffs? I wouldn’t ever have a tumble dryer on when I’m sleeping though, feel like they can combust at any time

But they all have delay settings, so still no reason for wifi, which you'd have to be awake for to use to set them off.

Probably still easier to use, or you can do something like "Alexa, wash my large load at 1am"

[V8Granite]

The wifi hobs/extractors just link to each other rather than the home network so when you turn on your hob the extractor turns on too. It’s a stupid system and would work better if the extractor just worked off a moisture and odour sensor.
No idea on the oven though.

I’d be permanently farting by the cooker to try and set it off.

Dave!

[IanF]

Having a dishwasher that you can activate remotely works brilliantly with forgetful children. It telling me when it needs salt or rinse aid is also helpful as everyone else seems to be blind to the indicators!

What I really want is a coffee machine that can be activated remotely, like an old teas maid, but the initial rinse through stops you being able to have a cup in place ready to go..

[Mito Man]

So true on the coffee machine - iPhone app totally useless due to rinse function. Also leave coffee for 5 minutes whilst you do something else and it will do a post rinse into it as well!

[Ascender]

Our new tumble drier also has some sort of connectivity and an app. I've not bothered to understand what functionality it gives... I can't imagine anything approaching being useful given you still have to load the clothes into it yourself.

[Beany]

Probably still easier to use, or you can do something like "Alexa, wash my large load at 1am"

Nocturnal emissions