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I have 3 Withings products and I must say all 3 have helped improve my life and health. I hope this helps create more great things rather than uncertainty.

• pjc50 10y ago
  Given the history of acquisitions, I'd say prepare for your devices to be EOL and possibly remote-bricked within a year.
  • k-mcgrady 10y ago
    >> "I'd say prepare for your devices to be EOL and possibly remote-bricked within a year " No way they would get away with that, especially as they're both European companies and consumer protections laws tend to be a lot better here than in the US (where if I remember correctly Nest pulled something like that recently).
    • spdustin 10y ago
      That gives me hope, but please forgive those of us in the US for our cynicism when it comes to acquisitions like this. It's become almost a truism that acquisition = EOL.
    • amirmc 10y ago
      > No way they would get away with that, especially as they're both European companies and consumer protections laws... I'm curious. Why would you think they couldn't get away with it? I don't have one of these scales but I'd guess that they function as ordinary scales just fine (i.e. accurate readings), without the backend stuff. The 'cloud features' are probably under some ToS that lets them do whatever they want (like shut it down). The fact that people bought it for exactly that feature doesn't seem to have much bearing.
      • pc86 10y ago
        "remote-bricked" sort of implies you won't be able to use it as a standard scale.
      • k-mcgrady 10y ago
        If you take a look at the product page it's not just a scale. [0] It's a 'smart body analyser'. There are several features that probably wouldn't work if they turned off the servers. For example if gives you the weather forecast when you weight yourself. Wifi sync and the companion app are also billed as main features. I would guess shutting down the servers would be fine providing all of this stuff still works and the device can maintain your history as it is supposed to show you trends. So it may still function as a scale but it's not being sold as a scale - it's not even called a 'scale'. [0] http://www.withings.com/uk/en/products/smart-body-analyzer http://www.withings.com/uk/en/products/smart-body-analyzer Edit: Also under EU law if a product does not function as advertised you have a minimum two-year guarantee. So the company "must repair or replace them free of charge or give you a price reduction or a full refund." Unless the product continued doing everything it says on that sales page I linked Nokia would probably have to refund me and in many countries in the EU you are given even longer that the minimum required two years.
        • TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
          To get to that link from their home page you have to click an icon labelled "SCALES".
          • k-mcgrady 10y ago
            Sure, that's the product category. The iPhone is a phone. But it's sold on the premise that it does much more than simply make phone calls. If Apple bricked everything apart from the phone call functionality it still isn't carrying out the functions it was advertised to me and sold to me to do, thus violating the law.
  • Gracana 10y ago
    Too bad the internet archive can't take care of this, like the way they do with data-hoarding startups that shut down.
  • tenpies 10y ago
    Isn't that more of a Google/Alphabet thing?
• eddieroger 10y ago
  I agree - I have a wifi scale that is part of my daily routine, and it's helped me so much. I was debating a few of their other products, and I don't think this changes that plan, despite some other comments saying be weary of the merged Withings.
  • cbeach 10y ago
    Weary = tired Wary = skeptical
    • eddieroger 10y ago
      I guess I was weary when I wrote the comment. Thanks for the correction.