Lightbulb DRM: Philips Locks Purchasers Out of 3rd-Party Bulbs With New Firmware (techdirt.com)

sandbagger writes: Purchasers of the Philips Hue 'smart' ambient lighting system are finding out that the new firmware pushed out by the manufacturer has cut off access to previously-supported lightbulbs. Philips contends that this move will help their customers. A statement from the company reads in part: "While the Philips Hue system is based on open technologies we are not able to ensure all products from other brands are tested and fully interoperable with all of our software updates. For guaranteed compatibility you need to use Philips Hue or certified Friends of Hue products."

Comments

Philips just fell off my vendor list

[QuietLagoon]

I do not support vendors who put arbitrary DRM in their products.

.
My first CD player (purchased in 1985) was a Philps (with a Magnavox nameplate). I've also purchased other Philips products since then.

I will no longer buy Philips products so long as they are aggressively DRM-happy.

Re:Philips just fell off my vendor list

[rtb61]

On slashdot, we always made the analogy of DRM in automotive tradition of being like buying a car and the manufacturer being able to control the brand of fuel you put in it. It would seem that instead of just taking that as an explanation, various corporate douche bags are taking it to heart and trying to do it with every possible product they can. Corporations always complain about too many regulations but those asshats are the ones who always force the implementation of more regulations because of their abuses.

Premature

[samwichse]

I think Philips forgot the cardinal rule of technological trojan horses: make sure people are actually using your product BEFORE the dick lock-in moves.

Queue "bright idea" lightbulb above Philips exec

[JoeyRox]

We can't guarantee other vendors' bulbs will work so we'll cut the users' suspense and make sure they wont.

Re:Time for a boycott

[reboot246]

Looks like I've bought my last Philips light bulb.

I strongly encourage others to do the same.

the firmware??

[Anonymous Coward]

new firmware pushed out by the manufacturer

The fuck?

I've been buying lightbulbs for well over 5 decades and have never once needed my lightbulb to have "firmware". My computer, sure. My lightbulbs, not so much. Everything seems to have been alright thus far.

What is this about? Why would I ever want firmware in my lightbulbs, let alone anything internet connected?

Re:Box it all up and send it back for a refund

[LVSlushdat]

buy products from a responsible company that isn't out to screw over their customer base.

Good luck finding one....

Re:So basically

[bmo]

Corporate douchebags never learn from history. They think that /they/ are special and are going to be able to pull it off, speculating that nobody will catch on and that their product is /so special/ that it can't be changed out for something else, that their company, and their company alone, is the sole innovator in the market.

It's a blinkered thought process only that sociopaths would find attractive. You know, the Carly Fiorina types.

Meanwhile this brain-dead transparent effort to boost stock price only does the opposite.

--
BMO

Re:So basically

[Daemonik]

Funny you point out Carly, but not one of the thousands of male examples of CEO sociopaths, like oh... Steve Jobs.

Re:So basically

[Daemonik]

Jobs is a much better example of the "we invented it sue everyone else into oblivion lock in our customers" sociopathic CEO though. I would say he's the Alpha Sociopath. Cult leaders took lessons from him.

Re:Thankyou you Cocksucking Envirowackos

[naughtynaughty]

My LED bulbs all put out nice, pleasant light. The old ones cost $1 to buy and $20 to operate for the year they operated. The new ones (not Hue) cost $5 to buy but last 5 times as long and use only $1 of electricity per year. The new ones screwed into standard sockets, the new ones do too. I use the same dimmer switches and regular switches, no new rules to learn. None of mine need software but you are welcome to buy some that do. Now head back outside and tell the kids to stay off your lawn.

Re:So basically

[evilviper]

Funny you point out Carly, but not one of the thousands of male examples of CEO sociopaths,

Are they all running for president right now, too?