Amazon is Bricking Primary Feature on $160 Echo Device After 1 Year (arstechnica.com) 43
Amazon is canceling its PhotosPlus subscription service for the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, effectively ending the device's main selling point. The company will automatically cancel all PhotosPlus subscriptions on September 12 and cease support for the service on September 23. The Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, launched in September 2023, allowed users to display personal photos indefinitely on the home screen for a $2 monthly fee.
Without PhotosPlus, the device will revert to showing ads and promotions after three hours, like standard Echo Show 8 models. Amazon spokesperson says that the Photos Edition was discontinued in March, citing regular product evaluations based on customer feedback. Users can still display photos on the device, but not indefinitely. The move has sparked criticism from customers who paid a $10 premium for ad-free photo display.
Without PhotosPlus, the device will revert to showing ads and promotions after three hours, like standard Echo Show 8 models. Amazon spokesperson says that the Photos Edition was discontinued in March, citing regular product evaluations based on customer feedback. Users can still display photos on the device, but not indefinitely. The move has sparked criticism from customers who paid a $10 premium for ad-free photo display.
Any of you ready to stop trusting Big Tech yet? (Score:5, Insightful)
I didn't trust 'big tech (as defined by the birth of google, youtube, twitter, facebook, and the like). In the beginning I used the tools like everyone else, but soon I developed a deep distrust, especially of Google, just based on things I noticed in how search returns happened.
But it seems an awful lot of people still trust them.
I feel no sympathy anymore. Want to display photos? Get a frame. Not some cute little advertising portal.
Hell, it could even be multiple frames, arranged tastefully, each one with a picture that will never change, will never pitch ads at you, and will never go out due to lack of batteries / power.
What's this world come to? In the race to be "techy" people have chucked common sense right out the window along with their privacy.
Re:Any of you ready to stop trusting Big Tech yet? (Score:5, Interesting)
I have a photo frame which I bought back in 2020. It's been displaying photos from the same cheap USB stick, 24/7, since then. It was like 60 bucks at the time.
One of my best investments.
Re: (Score:2)
The exception here is something like a 3rd party cheap thing from China, which can use other cloud services (which have standard APIs. Things like: use Google Photo albums for a digital frame.
That said, most of those have multiple options, so you're not bound to that, it's the value added proposition (which they replace with some other service in other countries).
Personally, I've had the best luck with "cheap chinese junk" for any of these small gadget computers.
Re: (Score:2)
They keep getting away with it. If you find yourself in this situation, return the thing. Get your money back.
Re: (Score:2)
This has to be a case where the guarantee applies, right?
I believe the standard product guarantee in the EU has been two years for approaching a decade, with any luck it is still that in the UK as well.
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly, statutory warranty if it stops working in the first couple of years.
Re: (Score:3)
I see skies of Azure and organge
And clouds of green$
The blight riddled day
The dark scary night
And I think to myself
What the fuckity fuck
Re: (Score:2)
I won't touch them for anything except 'single serving' functionality, at this point. I've been burnt too many times on 'deals' which seemed, at first blush, to be a good deal. This is especially true for the (absolute garbage) consumer goods Amazon produces.
There's no way I'm shackling myself to their products, all of which have a required pay-to-play pricing model. The hardware is generally also basement grade, which removes the incentive anyone might have to hack them to take non-locked-down releases.
"Co
Re: (Score:2)
I'm tired of companies hiring complete shit for brains as managers. This has got nothing to do with the size of the company or greed, it's laziness and stupidity from people getting paid high 6 figures or more.
There is no profit in this, even if you don't have enough customers to justify keeping the billing running, just set a flag on their account to let the photo app run continuously. It adds pretty much nothing to maintenance cost compared to the cost of permanently losing customers.
Re: Any of you ready to stop trusting Big Tech yet (Score:2)
It shouldnâ(TM)t be a case of trusting or not trusting big tech, but using any device that depends heavily a closed and undocumented cloud API.
If a device canâ(TM)t be used off-grid, then you know that your deviceâ(TM)s very existence depends on the whims or financial state of the vendor.
This is very much the next thing Iâ(TM)d like to see the EU get involved in regulating, since it is in my interests as a customer and reduction of eWaste.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The AI took over (Score:2)
Aside from photos "special" device... (Score:2)
I have a couple of shows, various vintages. Bought them for the functionality they advertised at the time. Which was indeed useful. However...
When Amazon eliminated the nice clocks feature (last present in the echo show 5) and started using them as advertising display devices, I had a few different shots I'd taken of my sweetheart printed, attached truly black paper to the back of the prints, and double-sticky taped them on the display surfaces.
Now they're oddly-shaped "dots."
If Amazon ever offers a reasona
It was always the plan (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
In the case of Amazon, I think it can be more aptly chalked up to incompetence. Their teams are now largely staffed by midwit DEI hires who only hire and promote friends. The technical skills, or even knowledge of technology, is not good.
The sole purpose for all the Amazon devices, by the way, seems to be to upsell and consume their services. Usually, those services aren't well conceived and they don't have accurate cost models for them before launch. If the services themselves can't make money, the devices
Yeah, right. (Score:5, Insightful)
Amazon spokesperson says that the Photos Edition was discontinued in March, citing regular product evaluations based on customer feedback
Show me one -- just ONE -- customer who said, "I don't want to see my photos, I want to se ads!".
Re: (Score:1)
Show me one -- just ONE -- customer who said, "I don't want to see my photos, I want to se ads!".
all the customers who voted with their wallet: said "I don't want to pay full price for a full featured product, i want to pay a low upfront cost and a subscription because I am bad at math and also saving money." Tyranny of the lowest common denominator.
Re: (Score:2)
They said: "I want the cheapest thing because it's what I'm willing / able to afford." Not "Sarcastic comment justifying of the greed of companies."
People love to tell me all the time that "Grandma" is the standard. Well, guess what? "Grandma" knows as much about the modern rent-seeking market place as she does about IT. Which is to say: Nothing, and needs to be handheld through all of it, preferably by an automation so no-one else has to put up with her. Guess what th
Fraud. (Score:5, Insightful)
Without PhotosPlus, the device will revert to showing ads and promotions after three hours... The move has sparked criticism from customers who paid a $10 premium for ad-free photo display.
I can only describe what Amazon did in 1 word: Fraud.
Re:Fraud. (Score:5, Interesting)
In the UK this could fall foul of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This says that a consumer has got a reasonable expectation as to how long something should work. One year is plainly too short. Those who bought it within 6 months of 23 September would be able to take it back to the shop for a refund; if they bought it before 23 March 2024 they would need to make a claim to Amazon. I expect that Amazon would refuse to do anything however I have found that the UK small claims court to be a cheap and effective way of getting redress.
Re: (Score:2)
In the UK this could fall foul of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This says that a consumer has got a reasonable expectation as to how long something should work. One year is plainly too short.
Just how short is “too short” when 99% of consumer crapware comes with a one year warranty?
The expectation from the manufacturer sure as hell seems plain enough.
Re: (Score:2)
Just how short is “too short” when 99% of consumer crapware comes with a one year warranty?
Warranty period doesn't equate product lifetime. Warranty is the minimum amount of time a product is expected to be free of defect, which includes functioning.
Most regions have mandatory warranties on new products, and the minimum length depends on each region, but typically it's required by law to be at least 30 days, but it's also up to the manufacturer to offer any length longer than that minimum. Any failure of the product within the warranty period guarantees free repair or replacement.
Just look at car
Re: Fraud. (Score:1)
Re:Fraud. (Score:5, Insightful)
Yep. If you buy ad-free, it must be ad-free and remain ad-free. Making it non-functional can be an option under some circumstances, but turning it into the non-ad-free version is fraud, plain and simple.
'The Cloud', ha ha ha (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Also: a popular definition of insanity is 'repeating the same action over and over again expecting a different result'.
Also: how many more metaphors does one have to present before allegedly 'intelligent, educated' people come to the conclusion that 'The Cloud' is a scam, always has been a scam, and always will be a scam designed and intended to separate people fro
Are people really buying this thing?! (Score:4, Insightful)
Why would anyone buy a device whose primary purpose is to display advertisements inside one's home?!
Re: (Score:2)
I bet most of the people who bought one of these gave it to [elderly relative who lives in assisted living or nursing home] so it probably won't get returned.
Re: Are people really buying this thing?! (Score:2)
Brought to you by Carl's Junior
People actually pay money for this shit? (Score:2)
What a pile of junk. Got to hand it to amazon though, they have convinced people to pay them money to put an advertising bill board in their homes, controlled by amazon.
Re: (Score:1)
Well, if it had been making money, I'll wager they wouldn't have ended it. I'd like to see a P&L for it.
Re: (Score:2)
How can it not be making money? They're charging a monthly subscription for a feature that's supported by digital photo frames from your local discount supermarket.
My wife insisted on buying several dots and plugs. (Score:2)
We use 'em to turn light on and off (and our coffee pot). They're glorified versions of the clapper. Oh, and they do play my music and news streams. Never saw the utility, even when it does feel kind of like Star Trek to walk into a room and say "Computer, lights" and have the light come on. Unfortunately, my wife insists on leaving the damned things verbose, so I have to hear that chirpy "Okay" response.
I never saw the utility of an always-on general purpose computer with no video display.
Re: (Score:3)
In my world, "my wife insisted on buying several plugs" means something totally different.
You deserve this (Score:2)
The sad thing is, advert-free slide-show photo frames were being sold, then people inexplicably decided hardware plus a monthly fee was better. Now, slide-show photo frames are twice the price. Although, CoViD and excessive inflation have contributed to the price-increase.
Nice! (Score:2)
People never learn (Score:2)