Revolv shut down - told you so

[Razor512]

Wanted to add a recent article which helps to further demonstrate what cloud reliance does.

One of the first major products from google to have the servers commit seppuku, and turn all of the client devices into paperweights. https://medium.com/@arlogilbert/the-time-that-tony-fadell-sold-me-a-container-of-hummus-cb0941c762c1

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3051...-be-the-last-iot-devices-knocked-offline.html

http://revolv.com/

we can’t allocate resources to Revolv anymore and we have to shut down the service. As of May 15, 2016, your Revolv hub and app will no longer work.

When it originally came out, it cost $299
It came out mid 2014 and will by dying on May 15, 2016. The hardware is technically not obsolete, but because of an unnecessary reliance on their servers, it is easy for them to turn the devices into a paperweight.

 

[sfx2000]

Well... since the HW is freshly out of warranty, time to crack one open and get hacking... the radios are still there.

OpenWRT can fit into a pretty small footprint, and there are quite a few IoT stacks available..

 

[Razor512]

The issue with many of these devices is that they typically only accept signed firmware updates, and offer no local access, this makes flashing 3rd party firmware extremely difficult. The next issue is hoping that someone developing OpenWRT will go through the mountain of work needed to port it over. The average user who purchased that product will likely not be up to reverse engineering it and porting a copy of OpenWRT over to it.

 

[stevech]

Marketing problem is that the product looks like a doggie dish.

 

[RMerlin]

The "friendly" way of exiting the market would have been to publish the protocol specifications, and provide a firmware that allows you to point the device at a third party server. That would have allowed someone to develop his own backend and host it on a VPS (I suspect the backend must not be THAT complex). But I assume the API is all wrapped in secrecy, so they chose not to.

 

[stevech]

The "friendly" way of exiting the market would have been to publish the protocol specifications, and provide a firmware that allows you to point the device at a third party server. That would have allowed someone to develop his own backend and host it on a VPS (I suspect the backend must not be THAT complex). But I assume the API is all wrapped in secrecy, so they chose not to.

Tiny few, if any would develop.

 

[sfx2000]

The "friendly" way of exiting the market would have been to publish the protocol specifications, and provide a firmware that allows you to point the device at a third party server. That would have allowed someone to develop his own backend and host it on a VPS (I suspect the backend must not be THAT complex). But I assume the API is all wrapped in secrecy, so they chose not to.

With Google/Aphabet, one never really knows - perhaps they'll open it up, and provide a minimal board support package...

 

[RMerlin]

Tiny few, if any would develop.

It only takes one...


Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[stevech]

It only takes one...

What would motivate a bankrupt company closing its doors, likely with employees that got stiffed on paychecks... to work to release their intellectual property that others didn't want to buy? They're all looking for new jobs!

 

[RMerlin]

What would motivate a bankrupt company closing its doors, likely with employees that got stiffed on paychecks... to work to release their intellectual property that others didn't want to buy? They're all looking for new jobs!

Nest isn't closing its doors.

And actually, they have been reaching out to their customers, looking for a way to best address the situation:

http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/05/nest-has-case-by-case-help-for-abandoned-revolv-owners/

 

[L&LD]

Well... since the HW is freshly out of warranty, time to crack one open and get hacking... the radios are still there.

OpenWRT can fit into a pretty small footprint, and there are quite a few IoT stacks available..

The problem with this line of thought is that it is great for a developer that can do so.

Unfortunately, the people that bought into this cr@p only know how to plug it into the wall and smear their fingers on a phone to get an 'app' to get it to work.

 

[System Error Message]

one of the few points i mentioned before, having everything have to go through a server not only means more cost but people feel violated and the unreliability of consumer routers really makes it annoying. The price of these things also isnt encouraging.

 

[stevech]

Of Cloud computing (& storage).

Harken me to the 1980's and IBM mainframes and the mainframe staff's attitude about users: Let them eat cake.

 

[sfx2000]

Harken me to the 1980's and IBM mainframes and the mainframe staff's attitude about users: Let them eat cake.

I know this is a little off track - but SteveCH makes a darn good point... see below from the BOFH archives...

Another user rings.

"I need more space" he says

"Well, why don't you move to Texas?" I ask

"No, on my account, stupid."

Stupid? Uh-Oh..

"I'm terribly sorry" I say, in a polite manner equal to that of Jimmy Stewart in a Family Matinee "I didn't quite catch that. What was it that you said"

I smell the fear coming down the line at me, but it's too late, he's a goner and he knows it.

"Um, I said what I wanted was more space on my account, *please*"

"Sure, hang on"

I hear him gasp his relief even though he covered the mouthpeice.

"There, you've got plenty of space now"

"How much have I got"

Back into Jimmy Stewart mode.

"Well, let's see, you have 4 Meg available"

"Wow! Eight Meg in total, thanks!" he says pleased with his bargaining power

"No" I interrupt, savouring this like a fine red, room temperature "4 Meg in total"

"Huh? I'd used 4 Meg already, How could I have 4 Meg Available?"

I say nothing. It'll come to him.

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhH!"

I kill me; I really do​

 

[sfx2000]

The problem with this line of thought is that it is great for a developer that can do so.

Unfortunately, the people that bought into this cr@p only know how to plug it into the wall and smear their fingers on a phone to get an 'app' to get it to work.

Some folks are missing the point - if Revolv can free up the hardware, it's already in customer hands - just a matter of defining a software stack, and setting up a couple of Amazon service instances, and relaunching the service - going perhaps from Revolv to evolvR

Sounds like a good business opportunity...

 

[L&LD]

Some folks are missing the point - if Revolv can free up the hardware, it's already in customer hands - just a matter of defining a software stack, and setting up a couple of Amazon service instances, and relaunching the service - going perhaps from Revolv to evolvR

Sounds like a good business opportunity...

I think you're missing the point. Sure it is easy to 'free up the hardware' as you state. But no incentive on the manufacturer to do so.

A good business opportunity doesn't involve giving free money away (on 'wasted' resources, and potential new revenue from the next scam, I mean 'product', they offer).

 

[stevech]

But no incentive on the manufacturer to do so.

But if they went chapter-13, there IS NO manufacturer.

At best, there may be benevolent volunteer ex-employee engineers.


See also:
Pogoplug

 

[L&LD]

But if they went chapter-13, there IS NO manufacturer.

At best, there may be benevolent volunteer ex-employee engineers.


See also:
Pogoplug

If the entity went chapter 13, doesn't mean that the actual people exited that industry permanently either. And in that event, they too would have the same agenda; milk more money from the same type of people that bought that same type of product in the first place.

Not saying there are no benevolent people left. But if there is any possibility of monetizing any given situation, there will be far less of them showing on the public's radar.