cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/37646129

Source: Reddit postPrivate front-end.

Samsung Statement to Android Authority:

Samsung is committed to innovation and enhancing every day value for our home appliance customers. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen that value, we are conducting a pilot program to offer promotions and curated advertisements on certain Samsung Family Hub refrigerator models in the U.S. market.

As a part of this pilot program, Family Hub refrigerators in the U.S. will receive an over-the-network (OTN) software update with Terms of Service (T&C) and Privacy Notice (PN). Advertising will appear on certain Family Hub refrigerator Cover Screens. The Cover Screen appears when a Family Hub screen is idle. Ad design format may change depending on Family Hub personalization options for the Cover Screen, and advertising will not appear when Cover Screen displays Art Mode or picture albums.

Advertisements can be dismissed on the Cover Screens where ads are shown, meaning that specific ads will not appear again during the campaign period.

  • mechoman444@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    The easiest thing in the world is not to connect your fridge to the internet.

    Also don’t buy Samsung refrigerators they are truly truly horrific.

    I’m an appliance repairman.

    • phx@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      In that case the easiest thing is not to buy a Samsung or any other “smart” fridge

  • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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    6 days ago

    If you have gone out of your way and intentionally purchased a fridge with an internet connection and a screen frankly you deserve this. What did you expect? Screens have advertisements on them, why else would they put a screen on there.

    • BanMe@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      There was a time when WiFi was actually useful in smart appliances, I have an LG washer/dryer about 7-8 years old, no touchscreens, but by WiFi you can get cycle done alerts, time checks, even remote start it. My matching fridge gives me energy conservation information, and allows me to choose a lower duty winter cycle

      I like these features. IDK why the fuck I would want a fridge with a touchscreen. All the smart appliances I’ve seen in the last 5 years are just there to serve you ads and steal your data.

      • HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        Yeah. We have a smart washer. It’s out in our detached garage/shop so even if the chime were on, no one in the house would ever hear it.

        The only “smart” feature we use on it at all is remote notifications.

        And we don’t use the GE app for that either. I have it linked through our Home Assistant, so no one in the family needs their crap on our phones. Yes, HA must link into their servers, but the only real data GE gets is how much we use it, and the “city” where our internet connection says we’re in… which is 300 miles away from our actual home, in a completely different state.

  • surph_ninja@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    Given how many times Samsung’s been caught spying on customer mics, and throwing ads into everything with an internet connection, I don’t understand why anyone is still putting wifi credentials into a Samsung device.

    • TomAwsm@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      I don’t understand why people even buy their products. Shouldn’t trust them farther than you can throw your fridge.

        • TomAwsm@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          Last time I had a Samsung product was their S7 phone, and even then it was so full of bloatware I just couldn’t take it anymore.

  • tabular@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    “Innovation” used to mean better prices and/or better products. Adding adverts to a product you already own isn’t innovation.

    • prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works
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      7 days ago

      When the idea of them first came in to play the thought were items put in would have rfid tags or another identifier and your fridge could help you keep inventory and track when things might be going bad, suggest recipes and whatnot.

      We shoulda known it’d be ads tho

        • Opisek@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          More like asking yourself “do I have milk” in the supermarket and being able to check that in a phone app.

          • JcbAzPx@lemmy.world
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            6 days ago

            They planned on having it automatically order more milk for you, but I guess Amazon wasn’t offering enough kickback for that. So we get ads instead.

            • Opisek@lemmy.world
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              6 days ago

              I’m calling it here that other companies will start advertising dumb fridges on these smart fridges.

    • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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      7 days ago

      It should display what is inside the fridge, without the energy loss of a window.
      It should have a bar code scanner and a complete food inventory system.
      It should be the “kitchen’s tablet” able to show recipes, watch cooking instruction videos, have a high quality curated knowledge compedium in a convenient and easy to access way.
      It should be able to stream outside cameras and answer door bells.
      It should be able to take video calls from Mom on XMPP.
      It should have high precision control and diagnostic systems.
      It should run ENTIRELY on open source software, not damn blob drivers, the display panel should connect internally with an HDMI cable.
      Run Proxmox and all my menagerie of LXC containers, don’t cheap out LG!! I want 64 GB RAM and 2tb ssd and a slot to add an HDD.
      It should auto-doomscroll for me while I peel potatoes.
      It should be able to run a smart voice assistance running Mistral 8x70B medium, locally and OFFLINE but networked and answer my agentic commands with a posh british accent.

      ok, good enough, send it

      • jnod4@lemmy.ca
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        7 days ago

        I would buy and work and invest for whatever company you create.

        • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
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          7 days ago

          Imagine if didn’t make things that sucked.
          Where I live we had little cheapass gas station cake company called Vachon
          Say what you will, they were a staple and “our beloved trash cakes”
          Some company came in, bought it, and made them suck hard.
          Replaced animal fat and sugar with seed oil and HFCS.
          Nearly all the better cakes are getting cancelled and the company is probably on the verge of bankruptcy.
          I haven’t bought those shitty cakes in years.

          Imagine if we had a trend of doing not-that.

      • cley_faye@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        You got a bit trigger happy for the last few points, but seriously, why isn’t the first 3 standards now. It can’t be that expensive to put that in a fridge, and with an open platform manufacturer could even get away by providing the barest software offering and let us do the job for them.

    • glitch1985@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      How else are you going to look at Facebook while you drink milk out of the carton if you forgot your phone in the living room?

  • Octavio@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I need my fridge to maintain a cold temperature on the inside. That’s it. That’s 100% of what I need from a fridge. The last one I bought was $300 and there’s no place to put an ad. I have no idea why y’all were hooking your appliances up to the internet in the first place, but I’m sorry you’re having a bad time.

    • TheProtagonist@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      You could add a printed ad with adhesive tape to the front door of your fridge to have a similar experience like all those “smart” things…

      In the past, the typical example for a “smart device” was a refrigerator, that would automatically buy milk online once it’s empty, but I’m not sure if that really works (or makes any sense). But at least you can now see ads together with weather and news on your refrigerator door.

  • cley_faye@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I see a bright future for “low tech” tech companies soon.

    "Here’s our new fridge.

    - What does it does?

    - It cools your food.

    - And?

    - That’s it."

    • Rose@slrpnk.net
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      6 days ago

      In the 1980s, home computers were sold like this:

      “Look at these awesome games, kids! And as for your parents, uh… well, you could use the computers to… uh… I dunno… keep track of the contents of the fridge? Yeah, let’s go with that.”

      Nobody ever did that. Not then, not now.

      Don’t buy a smart fridge, it’s a scam

      • Rooty@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        The computer manufactuers knew what they were doing. Although, 8-bit computers were cool typewriter replacements/spreadsheer machines if an adult wanted to use them.

      • ayyy@sh.itjust.works
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        7 days ago

        Fast charging stations tend to have the brightest, most gigantic ad video screens. So big that you’re subjected to them merely passing by and not even using the charger. I suspect they’re brighter than the sun because they get cheap subsidized energy to run the ad screens since it’s “for charging green cars” and they’re using a loophole.

        • lemming741@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          I was talking about the L2 at my house but ok. The largest L3 charging network doesn’t even have screens, though it’s figurehead is a Nazi.

  • stoly@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I think that people who would buy a fridge like that deserve to watch ads.

  • 2910000@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I’d love a fridge with network connectivity and ‘smart’ features, but I’d need control over the firmware it runs

  • SpiceDealer@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 days ago

    Don’t ever buy any fridge with internet connectivity. This also extends other home appliances. Just buy those classic white boxes or, if you fancy yourself the Gordon Ramsey type and have money/credit score to buy one, get a Viking fridge.