Mastodawn

Jeff Geerling Mar 24, 2025

My old GE dishwasher broke (completely dead, tried many ways to reset, was dying for months though...).

Bought a new Bosch 500 (highest not-zillion-dollar model I could get over weekend).

Installed, went to mess with some settings, then saw:

"this setting requires the HomeConnect app"

Oh. Okay, so like Bluetooth or NFC or something?

Nope. They want me to connect my _dishwasher_ to WiFi to configure a number of settings on it! Ugh. No way, no how.

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Jeff Geerling Mar 24, 2025

For illustrative purposes, re: Bosch requiring WiFi connection + app to use certain features like rinse or eco mode.

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Thibug Mar 24, 2025

@geerlingguy I hate how everything nowadays needs to be connected to the freaking wifi. No, I don't want my toaster to send me a notification when my toasts are done! No I don't want my oven to send me "handpicked" recipes based on what it thought I cooked before (obviously I'm exaggerating here, but I'm sure, somewhere, it's a thing or at least it is in development). Oh and don't forget that these online features are as secured as an open air library box.

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arclight

@Thibug @geerlingguy A previous rant over a similar issue resulted in the phrase "meat thermometer attack surface". We should never be worrying about the security and privacy implications of connecting a dishwasher to the internet because there is no legitimate reason to connect a dishwasher to the internet.

We live in the stupidest timeline.