Oral-B Bricking Alexa Toothbrush Is a Cautionary Tale Against Buzzy Tech (arstechnica.com) 61
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: As we're currently seeing with AI, when a new technology becomes buzzy, companies will do almost anything to cram that tech into their products. Trends fade, however, and corporate priorities shift -- resulting in bricked gadgets and buyer's remorse. That's what's happening to some who bought into Oral-B toothbrushes with Amazon Alexa built in. Oral-B released the Guide for $230 in August 2020 but bricked the ability to set up or reconfigure Alexa on the product this February. As of this writing, the Guide is still available through a third-party Amazon seller.
The Guide toothbrush's charging base was able to connect to the Internet and work like an Alexa speaker that you could speak to and from which Alexa could respond. Owners could "ask to play music, hear the news, check weather, control smart home devices, and even order more brush heads by saying, 'Alexa, order Oral-B brush head replacements,'" per Procter & Gamble's 2020 announcement. Oral-B also bragged at the time that, in partnering with Alexa, the Guide ushered in "the truly connected bathroom."
On February 15, Oral-B bricked the Guide's ability to set up Alexa by discontinuing the Oral-B Connect app required to complete the process. Guide owners can still use the Oral-B App for other features; however, the ability to use the charging base like an Alexa smart speaker -- a big draw in the product's announcement and advertising -- is seriously limited. The device should still work with Alexa if users set it up before Oral-B shuttered Connect, but setting up a new Wi-Fi connection or reestablishing a lost one doesn't work without Connect. Oral-B owner, Proctor & Gamble, said in a statement: "The Oral-B Connect app was originally developed to support Oral-B Guide and Oral-B Sense electric toothbrushes, which were discontinued ... While some features are no longer supported on these brushes, the Oral-B app does remain compatible with both devices. Consumers are invited to contact Oral-B customer service where they can get additional support for these brushes."
Meanwhile, an Amazon spokesperson told Ars: "The Oral-B Guide still has Alexa built-in and customers can keep using the Alexa experience on devices that were set up through the Oral-B Connect app. The Oral-B Guide is currently sold by an independent seller on Amazon.com. Please contact Oral-B for any further questions about their app."
The Guide toothbrush's charging base was able to connect to the Internet and work like an Alexa speaker that you could speak to and from which Alexa could respond. Owners could "ask to play music, hear the news, check weather, control smart home devices, and even order more brush heads by saying, 'Alexa, order Oral-B brush head replacements,'" per Procter & Gamble's 2020 announcement. Oral-B also bragged at the time that, in partnering with Alexa, the Guide ushered in "the truly connected bathroom."
On February 15, Oral-B bricked the Guide's ability to set up Alexa by discontinuing the Oral-B Connect app required to complete the process. Guide owners can still use the Oral-B App for other features; however, the ability to use the charging base like an Alexa smart speaker -- a big draw in the product's announcement and advertising -- is seriously limited. The device should still work with Alexa if users set it up before Oral-B shuttered Connect, but setting up a new Wi-Fi connection or reestablishing a lost one doesn't work without Connect. Oral-B owner, Proctor & Gamble, said in a statement: "The Oral-B Connect app was originally developed to support Oral-B Guide and Oral-B Sense electric toothbrushes, which were discontinued ... While some features are no longer supported on these brushes, the Oral-B app does remain compatible with both devices. Consumers are invited to contact Oral-B customer service where they can get additional support for these brushes."
Meanwhile, an Amazon spokesperson told Ars: "The Oral-B Guide still has Alexa built-in and customers can keep using the Alexa experience on devices that were set up through the Oral-B Connect app. The Oral-B Guide is currently sold by an independent seller on Amazon.com. Please contact Oral-B for any further questions about their app."
I think I see the problem (Score:4, Insightful)
Oral-B also bragged at the time that, in partnering with Alexa, the Guide ushered in "the truly connected bathroom."
Just what I always wanted. A connected bathroom. Did the toothbrush come with a webcam as well?
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Just what I always wanted. A connected bathroom. Did the toothbrush come with a webcam as well?
No, but the phone I posted this comment from does and I may or may not currently be in the bathroom. ;-)
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It's not what *users* want that drives the push of invasive electronics into every moment of their lives. You aren't the customer, you're the product.
Re: I think I see the problem (Score:2)
I don't think that strategy works as well as you think it does. Why do I say that? Well, here we are, shocked, shocked I tell you, that nobody wanted a cloud connected toothbrush. So now what do we have? A discontinued and now cloud disconnected toothbrush.
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3D TV
Curved Screens
My Smart TV (all I could buy) have never been net connected, and a friend who bought one early has found the lack of updates has made it a dumb TV anyway.
Now it basically if you do not have AI, or Smart associated with your product something is wrong, and then all these products do is phone home so you can get more adverts.
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Just like
My Smart TV (all I could buy) have never been net connected, and a friend who bought one early has found the lack of updates has made it a dumb TV anyway.
Almost all TVs sold now are network enabled. Although I have an outdoor antenna connected to my TV, most of the content watched in our family is streamed over WiFi. I imagine that is true for many, if not most households. I also have an Android TV box connected to my TV, but I find that it's easier to just use the TV remote.
If there is a problem with the obsolescence of early adoption devices, the problem is with the early adoption and not with the concept of a network-connected TV.
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Oh, the strategy works great. The question is, how far can they push it? Connected toothbrush holders turned out ot be a bridge too far.
Speech Recognition while Brushing (Score:3)
Just what I always wanted. A connected bathroom.
Come on you should be impressed by the fact that they now have an AI that can understand what you are saying while you are also brushing your teeth! I mean they must have right if they connected this to a toothbrush?
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Well, I've heard about a company selling an internet connected toilet. (I think it was a Japanese company.) Not anything I'd plunk any extra dollars down for.
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Well, I've heard about a company selling an internet connected toilet. (I think it was a Japanese company.)
That does not surprise me - Japanese toilets already look like they are connected to the internet and frankly already seem to have evolved some sort of machine intelligence.since it's never clear whether they are going to shoot you with water, play music or something worse. The only way to be safe with those things is to disconnect them from the power.
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Did the toothbrush come with a webcam as well?
Judging by what I see on Onlyfans the answer is objectively, yes.
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For many years there have been waterproof radios for bathrooms, so apparently yes people do want this. People prefer to have their own playlist these days, instead of the radio DJ's one.
Why not just use your phone? Some manufacturers (e.g. Apple) will void your warranty if you use the device in a very humid environment. They have moisture detectors inside. People think "waterproof" means humidity proof, but it's more complicated than that.
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100%. I don't understand how people can't see the obvious use cases staring them in the face as they yell, "IOT are so dumb!" while also not berating electric toothbrushes in general.
Are electric toothbrushes reasonable? While I don't use one, my partner does, and there seems to be good evidence that they're beneficial enough to be worth it.
If one is OK with an electric toothbrush in the bathroom, then you have to acknowledge that it'll need to be charged, so there will be something plugged in all(most) all
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If the toothbrush had a web cam (Score:2)
then dentists could inspect your mouth and report issues. Sounds like a good application!
FIRST POST! (Score:2)
Bricking? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, this is a dick move by Oral-B, but bricking? Really?
I feel like this is a tech equivalent of the creeping expansion of the definition of "genocide" or "violence". Bricking has a pretty specific meaning in my book, it means "Making the device into a brick, a non-functional device that cannot be restored to functionality by the user". Disabling one (extremely minor) feature is not "bricking".
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lol you call everyone communist but you just the same are more than happy to sell democracy down the river to get your way
you and the communists are closer together than the rest us are to either of you
Re: Bricking? (Score:2)
I'm trying to figure out who saw that and said to themselves "oh wow, a toothbrush with Alexa built in! I must have it!" Apparently nobody. So who is surprised that it's already a dead product?
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I'm trying to figure out who saw that and said to themselves "oh wow, a toothbrush with Alexa built in! I must have it!" Apparently nobody. So who is surprised that it's already a dead product?
Presumably the same people who actually have an Alexa puck in their bathroom - which is many people - especially those who insist on having music in the shower. That's all this is. A charging station with combined bluetooth speaker and Alexa.
Not actually a bad product if you're the type who insists that your smart gadgets can hear you everywhere, and there are a lot of those people.
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I'm trying to figure out who saw that and said to themselves "oh wow, a toothbrush with Alexa built in! I must have it!"
I'm trying to figure out why you think the toothbrush has Alexa built in. It doesn't.
The part that stays plugged in all the time to charge the toothbrush has Alexa added. What's so weird about that? Why not listen to your morning flash briefing, some music or a book while brushing your teeth, showering, getting ready, etc..?
At Last! (Score:2)
Yeah, this is a dick move by Oral-B, but bricking? Really?
Well at least we all now know what the 'B' stands for.
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Considering how expensive this thing is, I don't think it's all that unreasonable to describe it as bricked. It becomes a basic charger, the sort of thing you can buy for a few quid. If I'd dropped $240 on it for Alexa functionality and it became a dumb charger, I'd be pretty upset. I'd want a $235 refund.
We need an abandonware law. (Score:5, Interesting)
Any product that is abandoned must be immediately and irrevocably released as open source... both for the software and hardware.
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We need buyer intelligence enough not to buy products that aren't licensed in such a way as to preclude you from having all the keys you need to operate it. This was a key reason for the FSF's move from the GPL v2 to v3. Unfortunately, too many people see this as too activist and impractical. Well, then suffer the fucking consequences when the company you gave your bucks to and who essentially owns the inside of your hardware decides they don't care any more.
Just don't buy this shit to begin with. Deman
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Are you talking about the guy who wanted to lock up Biden and Hillary?
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We have a different solution to sufficiently atrocious products, we tell them "We don't like you go away, maybe to jail for good measure." That's much better than "Please trick us so we need to look up the fine print on everything and look up your company's policies and study their CEO and..."
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Many people don't know enough about tech to make that evaluation. Sometimes you have to do some digging even if you are knowledgeable since there are plenty of products where being tied to a mothership makes no sense, but they are nevertheless.
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Any product that is abandoned must be immediately and irrevocably released as open source... both for the software and hardware.
I agree 100%. I'm waiting for the Oral B / Alexa code to be open sourced. I have an idea for repurposing the devices. I envision MMODCGs - Massively Multiplayer Online Dental Care Games.
Failing that, they could be repurposed as sex toys. Think "internet orgies"...
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Any product that is abandoned must be immediately and irrevocably released as open source... both for the software and hardware.
As much as I wish this sort of thing could happen? Not in this world. Not at this time. I think it's far more likely we see companies get fined the corporate equivalent of "shake the couch cushions out" and that'll be that. What do you mean recompense for those who bought the products that are abandoned? Government exists to prop up government and protect the corporations and owners. The rubes who keep it all lubricated with their money need not concern themselves with such matters. Just go buy another one.
"bricked" (Score:4, Informative)
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Hey, if you actually *wanted* the Alexa functionality, then losing that would indeed be (partially) bricked.
No, I don't get why anyone *would* want Alexa in a toothbrush. But apparently some did!
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The title says the toothbrush is bricked, not Alexa.
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I know, this is slashdot, reading the summary is a few paragraphs too far!
On February 15, Oral-B bricked the Guide's ability to set up Alexa by discontinuing the Oral-B Connect app required to complete the process. Guide owners can still use the Oral-B App for other features; however, the ability to use the charging base like an Alexa smart speaker -- a big draw in the product's announcement and advertising -- is seriously limited.
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Hey, if you actually *wanted* the Alexa functionality, then losing that would indeed be (partially) bricked.
No, it wouldn't. It would mean a lost feature. To be a brick it would have to be completely non-functional, other than whatever use you can make of its physical form. In this case, you could probably still use it to brush your teeth, though it would be less ergonomic than a $2 toothbrush.
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That's why I used the qualifier (partially).
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Sympathy and All That (Score:3, Insightful)
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It's a good idea to be against a company fucking its customers, if only out of self-interest. Every consumer-friendly thing we had to fight for, such as the ingredients list on foods. I say if someone bought a toothbrush base that is supposed to be sending a recording of their orders/bathroom noises to the mothership, gosh darn they should get exactly what they paid for (or a refund).
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I don't know what you think this is, but it's nothing more than a moisture proof Alexa that also charges a toothbrush. Yeah many people do have Alexa / Google Home in their bathrooms. This is (was) just one of those which happened to charge a toothbrush too.
Expensive gag gift? (Score:2)
I mean, if you have $250 to spend on gag gifts, it would be kind of fun to see somebody open one of these and go "What the heck is it for???"
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What good are cautionary tales (Score:2)
when nobody listens to them?
How many times will people have to buy some stupid IoT doodad for beaucoup bucks, only to see it turn into e-waste artificially by the manufacturer within months of purchase, before they revolt against stupid IoT doodads?
Sales of those stupid products aren't abating and they've been around for many years now. So I can only assume the consumer really loves to waste money at this point.
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I overheard your mom in the bathroom, over and over "Alexa brush my teeth" brrrr moaning, "Alexa brush my teeth" brrrr moaning. What will your mom do now?
Ask you to visit her much more frequently?
contact Oral-B customer service (Score:2)
When you need to contact customer services for a toothbrush, something is seriously wrong.
But seriously... (Score:2)
WTH....why ?!!! (Score:2)
Oh no! (Score:2)
The one person who bought this silly thing is going to be disappointed!
No... wait... they returned it. Because it was dumb.
Awexa (Score:2)
I never understood the point to a smart toothbrush (Score:2)
high tech heaven (Score:2)
Well gorsh, I could not live without being able to talk to Alexa while brushing my teeth. For a while there I also wanted to pinch a loaf and talk to Alexa, but it kept interpreting my gas as an Amazon order for 300 white doves and a partridge in a pear tree.