Get ready to see ads on your… Samsung refrigerator

Yeah, there’s no way I’m buying an internet connected fridge with a giant screen.

Hahaha. Who would pay so much for a smart fridge. In the words of Gilfoyle, all it needs to do is keep my fucking beer cold.

Valve, fortunately, has already codified a ban on advertisement in games sold and on the steam platform itself (The store page is curated by an algorithm fetching popular games or game genres desired by the player rather than advertisers) https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/advertising

Edit: There’s an exception for cross promotions and in-world/in-universe assets (giving logos on a race car in a racing game as an example)

I was recently at a gas station that scanned my license plate and then started showing me ads telling me to upgrade to a newer model of my car, while showing me ads for those ewer models from a used car website. It felt incredibly invasive and I haven’t been back to that gas station.

I’m still grouchy about a sandwich place that I liked that recently changed ownership putting in kiosks that apparently do facial recognition, as once I walked up, they suggested items that I’d purchased last time. That started me looking, and I’ve been noticing that a lot of the ordering kiosks that places have been installing around where I am have cameras (though none have been actively making suggestions). I can only imagine that that gets hooked into the tracking and advertising system at some point too, though.

Between increasing use of facial recognition and ALPRs, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to avoid targeted ads. I don’t have a fix for that. I mean, it’s illegal to block use of ALPRs. A lot of places also have anti-masking laws, though I suspect that in practice, they aren’t enforced much, and someone could theoretically put something on their face. I don’t especially want to run around wearing stuff on my face, though.

Ah, thanks! Well, that’s one lone ray of light.

Lololololololilolololololollol

Gross, my fridge got hit with ransomware again and now all the food inside is encrypted. Time to see if my canned backups are any good.

…Where did I put those backups?

I recall the hype was to keep track of groceries or some such gimmick. I feel it to be unnecessary tech. How convenient that it shows ads. In any case, do not buy a Samsung appliance. They are total shite and will break down on you. Fridges, washing machines, dishwashers. All garbage. The televisions are fine.

I would love a monitor on my fridge (it’d be better than most of the dusty old shit on mine right now. ) But I would want to have complete control of the hardware attached to that screen

I hope a DIY mod community springs up to help people take back the machines they own.

I’m not against my refrigerator having a screen that I can control

But, can it play Doom?

Honestly, it doesn’t cost much more than fridge without a screen. I was trying to buy an LG with the window that you can knock on to see inside (not screen) but it was out of stock… and ended up with one of these fridges. The software is stupid though, I use it to play music sometimes when I’m cooking. It has some menu options for controlling the fridge too. I would love to load up custom ROM though… What annoys me the most is lack of RTC battery, because the time resets whenever there’s a power outage.

Well, with ads it will likely become cheaper than dumb fridges, which will lock in more and more customers until the sudden subscription service hits and everyone have to agree and pay up or buy a new fridge altogether. This isn’t the first, second nor third time this has happened.

To keep track of groceries? Just I don’t know, LOOK inside the fridge. Oh the cabinets and drawers don’t have screens, just slap a few of them on there to keep track of that shit too! Why stop at the fridge?

First world problems

But why have a screen at all?

unless they force people to stop and wait to get their money

Do you really feel like inconveniencing us is unlikely?

A few years ago before I moved away, PNC bank had a few branches with new ATMs that made me tap through ads for loans and special checking accounts.

I would love to load up custom ROM though… What annoys me the most is lack of RTC battery, because the time resets whenever there’s a power outage.

They made an Internet-connected fridge and didn’t put an NTP client on it?

When I used to work at Home Depot, selling appliances, I would absolutely refuse to sell anyone anything from Samsung.

They make absolutely terrible and extremely expensive overpriced appliances which are guaranteed to break within three years.