xkcd #3109: Dehumidifier

Title text:

It’s important for devices to have internet connectivity so the manufacturer can patch remote exploits.

Transcript:

[A store salesman, Hairy, is showing Cueball a dehumidifier, with a “SALE” label on it. Several other unidentified devices, possibly other dehumidifier models, are shown in the store as well.]

Salesman: This dehumidifier model features built-in WiFi for remote updates.
Cueball: Great! That will be really useful if they discover a new kind of water.

Source: https://xkcd.com/3109/

explainxkcd for #3109

  • Norah (pup/it/she)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 day ago

    Clearly I just trust my abilities to disable a devices internet access in my router more than you. I also know that my risk factor is really low, because I’m not a journalist or a politician.

    As well, I only buy smart devices that I can lock down, brands like LIFX & Shelly that have cloud services, but don’t require you to connect to them for the device to function over LAN.