this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2026
717 points (99.3% liked)

World News

52236 readers
2497 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Toyota, Progressive Insurance, and a data analytics firm are now being accused of collecting detailed personal driving information without proper consent

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] prex@aussie.zone 74 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The Mozilla foundation did a great report on cars & privacy.

[–] MonsterMonster@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I bought a new dishwasher and that wants to be connected to the internet "to let me know when it's finished".

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Matter over Thread is what you want. It means it can work locally with anything. You do need a Thread controller (called a "thread border router"), but most people already have one. Google Home, Alexa, or Apple things all do it.

Ikea is starting to move over to this stuff. Just be aware that they're also trying to get rid of the old tech still.

[–] Vespair@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Why though? Why does he want a networked dishwasher at all? There's no benefit or reason for that in the first place

[–] prex@aussie.zone 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I really hate those guys, you know. They really are the creeps of the cosmos, buzzing around the celestial infinite with their junky little machines that never work properly or, when they do, perform functions that no sane man would require of them and,’ he added savagely, ‘go beep to tell you when they’ve done it!’

Ford Prefect
"So long & thanks for all the fish" Douglas Adams

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Douglas Adams, apparently ever prescient, was on top of this long before the rest of us. This is from The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul, which I will remind you was published in 1988 and in the foreword says it was typeset on a Macintosh II:

There was a pay phone in one of the dark corners where waiters slouched moodily at one another. Dirk threaded his way through them, wondering whom it was they reminded him of, and eventually deciding it was the small crowd of naked men standing around behind the Holy Family in Michelangelo's picture of the same name, for no more apparent reason than Michelangelo rather liked them.

He telephoned an acquaintance of his called Nobby Paxton, or so he claimed, who worked the darker side of the domestic appliance supply business. Dirk came straight to the point.

"Dobby, I deed a fridge." (At this point in the book, Dirk has recently been punched in the face and is talking funny due to a broken nose.)

"Dirk, I been saving one against the day you'd ask me."

Dirk found this highly unlikely.

"Only I wand a good fridge, you thee, Dobby."

"This is the best, Dirk. Japanese. Microprocessor-controlled."

"What would a microprothehtor be doing in a fridge, Dobby?"

"Keeping itself cool, Dirk. I'll get the lads to bring it round right away. I need to get it off the premises pretty sharpish for reasons I won't trouble you with."

"I apprethiade thid, Dobby," said Dirk. "Problem id, I'm not home at preddent."

"Gaining access to houses in the absence of their owners is only one of the panoply of skills with which my lads are blessed. Let me know if you find anything missing afterwards, by the way."

[–] Vespair@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

Love Hitchhikers, but I'm not sure that replacing annoying machine beeps with annoying mobile notifications is the improvement you're suggesting :p

[–] nogooduser@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Some people would like the feature where they are notified that the job is finished but don’t want to allow it to connect to the manufacturer. That would be possible if you could get one that uses Thread over Matter.

Most people either don’t care about the feature or don’t care about their privacy so it’s a real niche market.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My 15 year old dishwasher makes a happy little jingle when it's done to let me know it's finished. Alternatively, I can just look at it the next time I'm in the kitchen and see if it's done. I can't think of any scenario where I am so pressed for time that I must be notified the second my dishwasher is done, but also be far enough away that I don't hear it's pretty loud jingle. All so I can... What? Do another load of dishes? Who would ever need that?

[–] nogooduser@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I don’t need it either but the home automation guys often want to do things that I don’t understand and detecting when an appliance has finished its job is one of them.

[–] Vespair@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

Yeah but it seems clear from @MonsterMonster@lemmy.world's comment that they also think this is frivolity, so the unrelated niche market is a moot point in this case.

My new air purifier wants to connect to my wifi network. No thanks, I'm good.