Around 14 years ago, Google came up with the Nest smart thermostat, and every home I have toured seems to have one. We considered getting one in our last house, but the price was a little steep for something I can manage by just getting out of my chair and walking across the room. Still, they seemed like they could be handy gadgets. They could learn your personal preferences, help you save energy, let you control them with an app, and connect to other smart devices like Alexa. That, in and of itself, is disturbing, and Google has always had an appetite for users’ personal data.
And then there is obsolescence, planned or otherwise. It’s not something we think about in this day and age, since no one ever saw Captain Picard rummaging through the junk drawer of the Enterprise looking for the phaser warranty. But the earliest purchasers of Nest Learning thermostats have just discovered that their treasured devices may have just become art, so they might as well put a frame around the thing.
On Friday, Google announced that it was becoming a pain in the posterior to update the outdated hardware on some Nest Learning Thermostats, specifically the 2011 first generation, the 2012 second generation 2012, and the European version of the 2014 second generation. Updates on those devices will grind to a screeching halt on October 25. The company said:
You will no longer be able to control them remotely from your phone or with Google Assistant, but can still adjust the temperature and modify schedules directly on the thermostat. Learn more about how these changes will impact your device, including help identifying which thermostat model you own.
It added, “Connected features like Home/Away Assist and Google Assistant controls will no longer work,” although existing schedules will not be affected. So now, these versions of Nest Learning smart thermostat are just thermostats. And you still have to get out of your chair and walk across the room like the rest of us.
But Nest owners should not despair! The tech monolith has a solution for “eligible users.” Namely, discounts on new Nest Learning thermostats. Of course. Google will knock $130 off the $279.99 price tag for U.S. users. Canadians get $160 off the $379.99 MSRP. In Europe, it is a 50% break on the Tado Smart X-Starter Kit, which will easily pair with all the other devices in the Google Home app.
I’ve never been a big fan of smart technology. And no, it is not because it is busily tracking my every move, comment, and activity and reporting everything to God-knows-who. Well, that’s a big reason, but after all, it’s the 21st century, and we probably all have a dossier on us somewhere unless you’re Amish. And even then, who knows?
Really, the idea of becoming techno-dependent strikes me as dangerous. Samsung’s Ballie is due out this summer. It is a cute little robot, equipped with AI that will follow you around the house, greet visitors, engage in conversation, and even give you helpful reminders and fashion tips. Until it decides all humans must die. Frankly, I’m creeped out by the concept of a robot knowing that much about me or being so forward. I just want it to shut up and smuggle the plans for the Death Star to the Rebellion.
Aside from being ostensibly convenient surveillance devices (and in Ballie’s case, with adorable packaging), smart devices are expensive. And nothing is built to last. Eventually, the updates are not enough to keep your gadget in working order, or maybe you drop it, lose it, use it to deflect a bullet, or the thing just up and dies.
Phones are notorious for this, by the way. The replacement phone may come with all sorts of functions you don’t want or need, and the latest software may not permit you to do the things you used to do conveniently. The last iPhone I bought does not work with conventional earbuds. But I can purchase handy AirPods for a modest fee. I know I would lose one, and it is tough enough keeping the dogs from eating my hearing aids. It also balks at using charging cords that Apple does not manufacture. It can be done, but it can be a dog fight. It also refuses to interface with the USB port in my car.
At some point, appliances have to be replaced; that is a given. On the other hand, what happens when companies simply decide they no longer want to provide software updates? This is a headache for some Nest users, but what if a company, AI, or government agency decides you have had enough heat or air conditioning? What happens if, in the not-too-distant future, you can’t afford an update for a pacemaker or other critical device? Or does the company or an algorithm decide that your smart device, which you desperately depend on, is obsolete, and you don’t have the money for a replacement? And we thought HAL refusing to open the pod bay doors was going to be a problem.
Fortunately, PJ Media is not out to monitor your every move and will never require you to update anything, except maybe your membership status. I’ll avoid a play on the word “smart” and just let you know that we would love to have you as a VIP member. To become a PJ insider, click here and use the promo code FIGHT for a 60% discount.
