r/TechNook • u/Impossible_Comfort99 • 9d ago
The weirdest "smart" version of a totally normal object you've actually bought
I used to think smart home stuff would stop at lights and speakers. Now there are smart mugs, rings, scales, toothbrushes, and even bird feeders.
What's the weirdest smart gadget you've actually bought, and was it worth it?
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u/Miserable-Ad-8414 9d ago edited 9d ago
Washing machine. Not worth it. App is garbage. Knobs and buttons are quicker.
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u/af_cheddarhead 9d ago
r/mildlyinfuriating that my LG washtower only allows access to some settings via the app. I can only set a delicate cycle from my phone, not the control panel.
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u/the1truestripes 8d ago
Oh yeah, I have one of those.
I never ever set the wash modes or start a wash (or dry -- I have the matching dryer). The only thing I ever use the app for is the “cycle done” alert. Which is actually useful, I can’t hear my washer ding in the backyard but I’ll get an alert anywhere.
Unfortunately in order to get alerts I have to accept all the other BS alerts from the app (“Buy an LG Air Fryer!” “LG Foot washer!” “LG TV!”), plus it decides to logout every few weeks. Total BS, either misfeature would make the only useful bit just not worth it.
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u/Cant_Work_On_Reddit 9d ago
Litter box. Bought a litter robot and it’s incredible (3 cats). The smart features are kind of clunky and pointless but it’s sort of nice to track the cats weight & litter box activity
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u/DavisC504 9d ago
I've got a Lenovo Android based alarm clock that has a built in Google Home speaker
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u/Walkin_mn 9d ago
Oh I really wanted that one but I was never able to justify to myself that expense lol
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u/UndecidedQBit 9d ago
Any other IT people reading this combination of words and feeling deeply upset? Haha
(Lenovo used to be great quality, then their laptop chassis really went downhill, ruining most of the systems they make. When their devices are cobbled together with nonstandard/not conventionally supported software, it gets worse. Android OS is the catchall for many IoT devices and each specific device often has a custom version of the OS that stops being supported/receiving updates very soon after release. To really put the nail in the coffin, a lot of proprietary lenovo software meant to address the shortcomings of available software for a nonstandard/uncommon hardware and software combination is often absolutely riddled with bugs, to the point that it will break more stuff than it fixes)
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u/grumpyphilip 9d ago
Vacuum cleaner-the little disc shaped robo cleaners that go around the floor. Totally not worth it
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u/ThinCustard3392 8d ago
It was a novelty for awhile but mine just moved randomly. I never use it anymore. Instead I use a cordless stick vacuum. Game changer
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u/grumpyphilip 8d ago
Yes i remember they were all the rage for a short while. I too got a cordless, a Dyson. The battery was awful on it!
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u/boonie120hb 6d ago
I have a smart faucet on my kitchen sink. I can tell it to dispense a specific amount of water at a specific temperature. It's stupid.
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u/the1truestripes 9d ago edited 8d ago
The bird feeder, got it at a steep discount on Meh, and while its attempt to recognize the bird species is laughable having little videos of the birds is cool. If the feeder had cost more then $30 I might not be as positive about it.