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

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the company-bulbs dept.

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."

4 of 358 comments (clear)

  1. Premature by samwichse · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  2. Queue "bright idea" lightbulb above Philips exec by JoeyRox · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

  3. Re:So basically by bmo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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

  4. Re:Thankyou you Cocksucking Envirowackos by naughtynaughty · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.