I just bought a new dishwasher and it came with "smart" features like remote start and notifications, which I don't want. Easy solution: I didn't connect it to my wifi.

On the positive side, the manufacturer (Bosch) wasn't pushy about it at all. The only indication that the machine has smart features was a small instruction card, which I promptly tossed in the recycling.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

A tech-savvy San Francisco resident has sparked conversation online after he shared a perplexing discovery about his LG washing machine's seemingly voracious appetite for data on X (formerly Twitter).

The connection to a Wi-Fi network allows the user to operate functions from a smartphone, download additional wash programs, and receive alerts when a load is complete.

Results found that smart washing machines are collecting a significant amount of user data, including personal information such as date of birth, location, and even access to photos.

article said that LG washing machines require users to provide their date of birth to use the associated app, while Samsung and Miele request access to photos and location data.

Lee is keen to embrace technological advances in everyday life but was baffled by the behavior of the washing machine and shared what he had found on X, hoping to prompt a laugh or two with his followers.

The unexpected attention prompted a wave of reactions and jokes, touching on issues including AI, bitcoin, privacy, downloadable content (DLC), and the ever-growing impact of technology on our lives.

The original article contains 553 words, the summary contains 181 words. Saved 67%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

I have the circuits for all my "dumb" appliances monitored by my homeassistant. Then HA sends notifications to my phone. And it doesn't need to send 3.6GB to the internet to do it.

At this point I suspect that washing machine vendors are running botnets themselves. People won’t care anyway what happens with their appliances without consent anyway.

Laundering Bitcoins

Gotta transfer all your dirt.

Man that laundry must be heavy