22 ms·
Mercedes Makes Better Performance a $1,200 Subscription in Its EVs
- MR4D 4y agoI hate these things already, but putting them on a car that starts over $100,000 is just asinine. No thank you!
- dsfyu404ed 4y agoEven after the upgrade it's less than 500hp. Sub-500hp in a 100k luxury car in 2022 is just insulting. Edit: JFC people. I'm not endorsing spending $100k on a car. I'm saying even if you do it's still a pretty bad deal since it fails to meet the high baseline that is expected of luxury vehicles. WTF did I do to draw your ire?
- arielweisberg 4y agoCayman/Boxster and 911 look around nervously.
- dsfyu404ed 4y agoI almost added a carve out for "unless it's some Miata-esque" lightweight roadster. But on the other hand I guess the Caymen and Boxster are pretty fat these days.
- slaw 4y agoAnd they should.
- hello639 4y ago> And they should. Nah, even the Porsche Cayman is more prestigious than the Tesla Plaid.
- brookst 4y agoAt drag strips, yes. But there have always been faster straight-line cars. The EQE weighs 5300lbs. The EQS weighs 6200lbs. It is amazing and impressive how quickly they can accelerate, but inertia is still a thing and those things are not going to be even remotely nimble. By comparison, the 911 at its heaviest (AWD, convertible) is 3800lbs. A porker for sure, but most configs are closer to 3400lbs. And a Porsche Cayman weighs between 3000 - 3200lbs depending on trim. Unless/until batteries get a lot lighter, even heavy GTs don’t have a lot to be nervous about in the fun-to-drive category.
- someweirdperson 4y agoWith EVs that 500+ hp fun ends 15 minutes later with a break to recharge. That's pretty much useless in any case. A fun EV would first of all be non-SUV but low air drag, non-luxury, non anything that's not needed to move. But even that would only provide higher possible cruising speeds compared to other EVs, but still inferior to ICEs.
- brookst 4y agoYeah, two dimensions there: useful time at high power, and cornering ability / agility. Time isn’t a huge concern to me at least. Typical sports cars get maybe 50-100 miles on a tank of gas at a track day, and breaks are nice anyway. Even spirited driving on mountain roads isn’t nearly that tough; you can’t use 500hp all that often. But that weight…. Ugh. I’m interested to see the new Tesla roadster, but it’s probably still >4000lbs. And weight just takes the fun out of anything.
- lm28469 4y agoI find it more insulting that people spend 100k+ in a computer on wheels than the fact it doesn't have 1990 supercar performances
- frontiersummit 4y agoPeople buy cars with that much power as a "flex," not because they are regularly hooning around in them. A $100k+ vehicle with a Mercedes badge is enough of a flex already, and flexing towards a different crowd regardless, so the additional power is not necessary.
- josefresco 4y ago> A $100k+ vehicle with a Mercedes badge is enough of a flex already AMG would like a word: there's always a bigger flex.
- dndvr 4y agoLaughs in Brabus
- dsfyu404ed 4y agoRegardless, it's kind of assumed that $100k worth of "flex" comes with a pretty high minimum amount of any given quality. My complaint would still stand if it had 1000hp and manual windows and seats.
- frumper 4y agoThis just made me think of the last DoorDash driver I had sporting a large Mercedes badge on the front when he pulled up and seeing all the Hyundai branding on the rest of the car as he pulled away.
- endemic 4y agoI imagine that the folks who would pay $100k for a car probably won't quibble about a measly $1k subscription.
- abcd_f 4y agoI am in right smack in the middle of their target audience and they will never see me pay a f#cking cent this way. It's a matter of principle. This bullshit must be nipped in the bud. Greedy morons. That's exactly how you drive people away from your brand.
- soheil 4y agoBut I mean why does this make you so angry? You're paying for the product one way or another, for whatever business reasons they chose to charge you for it on a monthly basis instead of a lump sum.
- w0m 4y agoFor one; it's not transferable. I paid ~2k for Boost for my Tesla; functionally the same thing. But at least if travels with the car if I sell it (if you find someone who values it properly). Subscriptions like this is just burning the $$. Serious feelsbadman.
- soheil 4y agoIsn’t it the same as the car depreciating faster. AFAIK Mercedes is one of the worst depreciating cars.
- sunaurus 4y agoThere's a huge difference between renting and buying.
- abcd_f 4y agoDoes it matter? If I were to make rational decisions when buying a car I would've been a proud owner of previously owned Toyota Corolla in a stylish beige color. In this particular case I feel like being manipulated into paying more and generally taken advantage off. Just like with any unsubstantiated subscription.
- squishy47 4y agoit's amazing how far detached from the customers these 'legacy' car companies are. Bring on the car hacking!!! with ev's it seems the less premium brands like hyundai + others have seen their opening and are taking it and it's working the ev6 seems to be really well liked online.
- SketchySeaBeast 4y agoIs it really 'legacy' car companies? Last I checked Tesla was offering insane subscription packages as well.
- cde-v 4y agoO boy, I can hear the muskrats scurrying out of the woodwork to come tell you you're wrong.
- SketchySeaBeast 4y agoI was a bit reluctant to even post that knowing that it's going to be ideologically conflated with all the rest of the Elon Empire but it's seemed the best counter-example of a new company doing the same dirty tricks.
- nrjames 4y agoWhat are they offering? I thought they just had the self-driving subscription package?
- SketchySeaBeast 4y agoThat's what I referring to, yeah. Looking it up it's double this performance package ($199 / month), and it might be even more weasely (a claim of "Full Self-Driving" being to real full self-driving as the modern "hoverboard" is to a real hoverboard).
- robohydrate 4y ago
- giuliomagnifico 4y agoAs long as these subscription features are only for “performance options” is okay and legit, if you want more speed you pay more (I don’t know who need it but I don’t judge). The important thing is to keep the basic features free from this method. And for basic features I mean all the safety stuff/ADAS. You can pay more to gain speed but not to gain safety!
- onion2k 4y agoif you want more speed you pay more Close, but not quite. You have the car that can do that speed. You're paying for permission to use it.
- kneebonian 4y ago> The important thing is to keep the basic features free from this method. Sorry expedited charging is a premium feature, standard charging will take 10 hours. The average speed limit across the US is 35 mph in order to go above that please purchase the "Premium Roadster Package" that will allow you to go up to 45mph for up to 30 minutes a day. If you need more than that for only a small price increase you can get the Unlimited roadster package that will allow you to use your 45 mph speed as much as you want (meaning 10 hours a day as statistically speaking almost no one uses it more than 5 and those that do are responsible for excessive wear and tear on roadways.) What's that you need to go more than 45 mph. I'm sorry in order to travel faster than 45 mph you'll need a special driver's license, it was discovered that too many people die above 45 mph so the government restricted that privilege to only individuals specially licensed to operate a vehicle above 45 mph. The good news is anyone can get that kind of license just please complete the 8 hour safe driving course, accumulate 45 hours of driving time at the training track, and submit your application to get approved, which will be returned to you in less than a year. Unless you are a member of state or federal government then it will be given to you in taking office and be granted in perpetuity.
- sagarm 4y agoFaster travel already costs more: walking, biking, mopeds, scooters, various grades of faster and more deadly motor vehicles, trains (not Amtrak), and planes. Really, speed governors should be required. If that's only politically possible with a fee to opt out, I'll take it. We let people pay to stay out of jail after all (cash bail), this seems far more palatable than that.
- parkingrift 4y agoWhat a hilarious and asinine way to torpedo your own brand. It seems that Mercedes and BMW want to be known as the "Spirit Airlines of electric cars." ...except at least Spirit Airlines is cheap. The Mercedes EQS sedan starts at $102k for relatively middling performance of 5.9s 0-60 and range of 350 milse. I have no doubt that the EQS is a more luxurious car, but the Tesla Model S is $105k for significantly better performance of 3.1s 0-60 and better range at 405 miles. I doubt anyone is cross-shopping a Model 3 against a Mercedes, but the economics are almost comical in favor of the 3. Model 3 $63k for 3.1s 0-60 and 315 miles of range. I can only wonder who would buy this. Pay a significant premium for a Mercedes and then stuck with a $100/month subscription? I'd love to hear from someone who is into this, and why.
- blitzar 4y agoPeople who dont want to be mistaken as the Mini Cab / Uber driver everytime they pull up will avoid the Model 3
- uncletaco 4y agoSo this is endemic? I noticed a lot of Uber drivers drove Model 3s when I flew into Miami a few months back and saw the same thing in Berkeley a few weeks ago. Are the Model 3 owners having trouble paying that high car note?
- kylecordes 4y agoApparently Model 3 has a low total cost of ownership/operation per mile - i.e., popular for Uber for the same reason a Prius is popular for Uber.
- parkingrift 4y agoThis seemed so absurdly impossible that I had to look it up. I went to Edmunds and sure enough the 5-year TCO for a 2022 LR Model 3 is $115k. The 5-year TCO for a 2022 LE AWD Prius is $69k. The Model 3 is ridiculously expensive. Base price RWD $47k. You can get into a Prius for $25k. At 58mpg there will never be a breakeven for the Model 3. Economics will be different with this upcoming $7,500 tax credit, but that obviously doesn't apply to any current owners.
- Finnucane 4y agoI have a '99 Honda. That's what it costs, on average, in maintenance costs to keep it on the road. I'm just going to keep doing that. New cars are just nuts.
- the-anarchist 4y agoI'm honestly curious, is Mercedes still relevant enough for post-boomers for anyone to actually care? As far as I understood they try to position themselves more into the premium niche anyway.
- userbinator 4y agoThe worry is that this stuff starts spreading to other makes and models too.
- uncletaco 4y agoYes but only in the used market. High performance luxury sedans have an audience but no one who's really in that niche buys new and it's still an older crowd (Gen-Xers mostly these days because they can afford used without crazy high mileage).
- Neil44 4y agoIn the UK at least they're the 4th largest car manufacturer by volume, no mean feat for a premium product.
- dbuder 4y agoYeh Albanians love them
- frontiersummit 4y agoDon't ignore the commercial market. Daimler Truck has a massive global footprint---here in North America their brands include Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas (school busses), and Detroit Diesel. These brands will not be unseated anytime soon.
- someweirdperson 4y agoDaimler (trucks) is no longer Mercedes (cars). Two fully separated companies.
- subroutine 4y ago
- aliqot 4y agoI'd never buy a Mercedes, but.... Mercedes is the car you buy your wife to signal that you're a person of means. A person of means does not scoff at the wishes of their wife, especially not for such a paltry sum.
- fortran77 4y agoLet people buy the cars they want. I think it's odd to judge someone by it.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- NDizzle 4y agoExcept for the AMG line. Although, the one I owned WAS owned by an elderly realtor who just wanted the most expensive one. Supercharged, 525 ft lbs of torque on tap, tire murdering machines. I really, really liked my E55. Had it for 3 years and sold it before anything expensive broke. Went through like 5 sets of tires. Couldn't corner for shit, but onramps and any straight line, look out.
- soheil 4y agoI didn't know they built them supercharged out of the factory.
- bombcar 4y agoAmusingly enough, being able to use a horse and buggy (or better yet, an actual coach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_(carriage) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_(carriage) ) would indicate extreme obsession, extreme wealth, or extreme Amish.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- sschueller 4y agoSo do you no longer own the car? How can they stop you from hacking it once the warranty is over? It's your car, doesn't need internet for more performance.
- NovemberWhiskey 4y agoAbout two-thirds of Mercedes-Benz cars (and three-quarters of BMWs) in the U.S. are leased; so the driver never owns the car in the first place. The reality is that most cars in this price range are leased and returned at the end of their leases ... if your monthly payment never actually includes an ownership element (only depreciation) then it's not actually that big of a stretch, is it?
- highwaylights 4y agoYeah but there’ll be software updates that you want in the future. I’m pretty surprised regulators aren’t already on this given that car subscriptions is a pretty massive story already.
- blackbear_ 4y agoThey will just do the same shit that's done on android smartphones, locking the bootloader and showing you the middle finger.
- PartiallyTyped 4y agoThis is why right to repair, not only for mobile devices for all electronics MUST exist. We are effectively at the mercy of a cartel. Auto companies are pushing propaganda around this and exploit the less informed among us.
- froh 4y ago"the vehicle software, part of the functional safety critical infrastructure, has been modified. please call a technician." that's one very viable scenario to control "your" car. for your safety, of course.
- uni_rule 4y agoIsn't this illegal to do in New Jersey? Will there now be a New Jersey spec of the vehicle software in a similar vein as having a CARB spec for ice emissions?
- buro9 4y agoCould you not observe the CAN bus via the debug port, figure out what they enable and disable... and then just toggle it? I expect the answer is no, but I would like to know how the answer is no.
- soheil 4y agoI doubt the signal would be sent over CAN bus and if it is it's likely to be encrypted.
- 323 4y ago> would like to know how the answer is no TL;DR: cryptography and secure hardware (think TPM) This is a very interesting talk from Microsoft about how they made Xbox immune to physical attacks (modding) like you proposed. Now they are working on getting this tech into regular computers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7VwtOrwceo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7VwtOrwceo Of course, we don't know if the solution Mercedes used is as robust. For all we know it can be hacked in 1 minute.
- mradek 4y agoMore reasons why I’ll be keeping my ICE until I have to get an EV again. Total operational cost per month is about 300-400. My Tesla was nice (but cost me about 1500/mo) maybe by the time I have to get a new car the interior quality will be much better.
- hotpotamus 4y agoI would think that the ongoing ownership costs of an EV would be less than ICE - energy is cheaper, no oil changes, way less fluids that need to be replaced, brake systems are supposed to last longer, etc... A battery replacement could kill most of that but I've also heard that there are Teslas used as taxis that have done several hundred thousand miles on their factory batteries, so it might not be the biggest issue. If I was looking at two identical cars on the lot for the same price, but one was an EV and one was ICE, I'd pick EV today no hesitation.
- mradek 4y agoFor sure. My next car will be an EV. Maybe a model X if I am financially able.
- sys_64738 4y agoWe'll eventually need open source EV solutions for major auto manufacturers. This is just the start of being held hostage to these companies trying to create recurring revenue streams. For auto manufacturers, EVs are not about the environment but from ripping off customers until the very end. Wonder if any open source EV projects have started.
- iwillbenice 4y ago
- ragebol 4y agoHow would that work? Download the car's design (you wouldn't...) and have it manufactured by someone with the right machines?
- leodriesch 4y agoI'd think about it as a "Linux" car, in the sense that you'd have an open source operating system for cars, the manufacturer would just supply drivers for the hardware (like graphic cards drivers).
- krolden 4y agoOh yay nvidia car. The firmware is locked down and it costs 150% more every generation.
- salawat 4y agohttps://docs.nvidia.com/drive/drive_os_5.1.6.1L/nvvib_docs/index.html https://docs.nvidia.com/drive/drive_os_5.1.6.1L/nvvib_docs/i... For those wondering whether this is just a joke, it most certainly is not.
- nebula8804 4y agoIts really just the control boards that are the problem. Swap them out and you are done. I guess with how much a car costs, there is incentive to reverse and engineer a solution.
- 323 4y agoIt's funny to see HN complain about this, but at the same time not say anything about how you can upgrade IntelliJ IDEA (and other software) from Free to Pro to Ultimate which is exactly the same thing - receive a code to unlock functionality which is already baked into the code.
- P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y agoIt would be akin to purchasing a cd-rom and having to pay a subscription to get it to go from 1x to 24x. There is clearly a separate set of rules for physical goods vs purely software. that expectation hasn't changed just because vehicle manufacturers have started using more software in their vehicles. People understand why GPS needs a subscription, there's no reason for physical performance to need a subscription except purely for segmentation and profits. It will eventually become illegal to do.
- Workaccount2 4y agoThere is no need for software to have a subscription except segmentation and profits.
- clintonb 4y agoMaintenance. If you want new features and bug fixes, you will either pay upfront with a high sticker price or pay overtime via subscription. Subscriptions also make software more affordable for those breaking into industries. I, along with many peers, pirated Photoshop for years. That’s not necessary when I can get Creative Suite for $10 per month. It’s actually been free for me for the past couple years because I upload stock photos. Both Adobe and the consumer come out ahead in a world where the consumer doesn’t have to pirate software.
- Workaccount2 4y ago>Both Adobe and the consumer come out ahead in a world where the consumer doesn’t have to pirate software. You left out the option of "Purchase the full software package for a single flat cost equal to 1 year's subscription fee today". Taken from the brief period when companies offered offline packages. The truth is that a lot of users don't need the latest and greatest. They need the software to do a few things, and if that software is 5 years old it doesn't matter. Software companies don't like this, so they instead switched to a subscription model that forces users to constantly upgrade despite not needing anything new. It's a truly scummy business model.
- neogodless 4y agoThe people buying these cars (and buying these subscriptions) must care a lot about bragging rights. Literally telling people they pay extra all the time for this stuff. "Oh you got an EQS? But do you have the UPGRADE? See how much money I spend!"
- cs702 4y agoLike many others here, I've read quite a bit of science fiction pondering what the future might be like for humankind. As far as I know, there isn't a single work of science fiction that explores the impact of subscription fatigue on the human soul. I'm so sick and tired of getting asked to subscribe to yet another service. For electricity, there's no choice, and we're used to it; for mobile phone service, it's a modern necessity too; for internet connectivity, also; for video streaming services, sure; for music streaming services, sure; for email applications, sure; for office software, sure; for news outlets, sure; for web applications and services, sure; for webcam services, sure; for food delivery services, sure; and now, for "car performance" services too?[a] There's no obvious end to it. It seems we're on the path to a hellish future in which we all have to pay up for hundreds (thousands?) of subscriptions to go about our daily lives. -- [a] For a while, Tesla has been charging extra for a software update that enables greater acceleration: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-mobile-app-upgrades-acceleration-boost/ https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-mobile-app-upgrades-accelera... -- Mercedes is just going the extra mile, so to speak!
- ryanchants 4y agoWhile it doesn't directly explore it, it is mentioned in Ubik: “The door refused to open. It said, “Five cents, please.” He searched his pockets. No more coins; nothing. “I’ll pay you tomorrow,” he told the door. Again he tried the knob. Again it remained locked tight. “What I pay you,” he informed it, “is in the nature of a gratuity; I don’t have to pay you.” “I think otherwise,” the door said. “Look in the purchase contract you signed when you bought this conapt.” In his desk drawer he found the contract; since signing it he had found it necessary to refer to the document many times. Sure enough; payment to his door for opening and shutting constituted a mandatory fee. Not a tip. “You discover I’m right,” the door said. It sounded smug. From the drawer beside the sink Joe Chip got a stainless steel knife; with it he began systematically to unscrew the bolt assembly of his apt’s money-gulping door. “I’ll sue you,” the door said as the first screw fell out. Joe Chip said, “I’ve never been sued by a door. But I guess I can live through it.”
- cs702 4y agoThis already exists -- search online for "smart locks". It's only a matter of time before smart locks start charging a subscription fee. "Pay to manage your home's entry/exit security." Without a doubt, smart-lock makers are thinking about and want to figure out how to get consumers to subscribe.
- ankaAr 4y agoI'm sure that with enough time, from this website, we can build an open source, standardized, laws compliant and profitable e-vehicle. And without subscription scam.
- trabant00 4y ago"You no longer own the car" - plenty of BMW, Mercedes and other premium brands customers don't want to own the car any more. They just want to lease it, get the updated model every few years and especially don't care to maintain it. In this context it makes sense to tax for a 20% increase in power. That will put significant additional stress and wear on the car so you need to cover the increased maintenance. Now I don't know if this is the exact context because the article doesn't really give details. Might be just a money grab that applies even to sold and post warranty cars.
- Scalene2 4y agoIt feels like I can't drive more than a dozen hours without being in a situation where rapid acceleration is definitely a safety feature.
- frontiersummit 4y agoI guess I don't know what roads you are driving on, but as a counter example, class 8 trucks (tractor trailers, etc.) have abysmal acceleration but most of their drivers have gone millions of miles without even a fender-bender.
- hotpotamus 4y agoAll cars have the equivalent of a 1000HP 4 wheel drive system, it's just that it's used for 60-0 rather than 0-60.
- that_guy_iain 4y agoI bet this gets hammered by the EU courts.
- user3939382 4y agoThe mechanism auto lobbyists will (attempt to?) push through can be modeled after what we do with mobile modem software. For the uninitiated, there are open source stacks out there for running 4G, LTE base stations, and for the modems on the device side. However you're not allowed to operate them without FCC approval and licensing. The car industry can similarly say, we can't legally stop you from modifying the software in a car you own, but we can get the government to outlaw anyone running un-govt-approved/unlicensed auto software on public roads.
- Havoc 4y agoI hear the auto industry is working on car loot boxes too given how successful the DLCs are There is also group wondering whether early access users could potentially do crash testing betas /s
- Workaccount2 4y agoEvery piece of hardware is just turning into a vehicle to sell subscriptions. Really what bothers me even more is that people are so apathetic about this. They are just lying down and taking it.
- Tade0 4y agoThis is nothing new. The 1.5l EcoBoost Ford Focus in Europe had two trim options: 150BHP and 182BHP. The only difference was software. Just instead of a subscription you had to buy the option upfront. Of course barely anyone took the 182BHP version considering every other mechanic could perform the necessary upgrade. One friend of mine even did that during the lease. Considering 2/3 of premium brands' stock is usually leased and returned after that period anyway, I think this trend will only continue. Sucks to be the third owner of such a vehicle I guess, but the manufacturers never cared too much about the used market, considering they make most of their money on the initial sale/lease and authorized dealership maintenance. Personally I'm now even less likely to ever get a premium brand car, because it's becoming increasingly obvious that I'm not the target market.
- teh_klev 4y agoWas the 182BHP engine map a subscription or a one off option that couldn't be disabled over the air? There's quite a difference here.
- taylodl 4y agoIf I can't own it then I'm not buying it. Period, end. Full stop. This is why I don't use services such as Spotify. This is also why I still buy DVD's and Blu-Ray. You can make fun of me all you want but at least I own these things and I don't have to keep paying for them ad infinitum. That's also why I use software such as LibreOffice and Gimp. These tools are installed on my machine and I can use them whenever I want for as long as I want. I don't have to keep paying to continue using them. I pay them when I upgrade. Bottom line, I'm not against paying for things so long as I own them. I'm against subscribing to durable goods. At the rate this nonsense is going Ryobi is going to start demanding a subscription for me to continue using my mitre saw. Nonsense!
- adlpz 4y agoI believe it makes sense to pay a subscription for fungible, consumable things. That includes running water, access to the internet, electricity and also, for me, music and media in general. It's very rare for me to want to own a TV show or particular music album, I kind of just browse and consume and move on to something else. Maybe for some very specific movies or albums I rewatch/listen to a lot I'll go ahead and purchase them individually. But the key is that in none of those valid cases I'm purchasing anything outright. Once I do, I expect no subscriptions for it or any of it's features. Otherwise what was the point of buying it? Just let me rent it.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y ago> This is why I don't use services such as Spotify. This is also why I still buy DVD's and Blu-Ray. Heh...I'm very much the opposite. I don't want DVDs and Blu-Rays taking up space, especially since I rarely watch a movie more than once or twice. I'd much rather pay for Netflix. When it comes to music, while I have a few favorite bands, I also like the discovery that something like Spotify has, where I can just tell it to play a bunch of music from a specific genre and not have to purchase individual songs/albums and create playlists and folder structures to organize it all. Music streaming is here to stay. If Spotify dies, it'll be because it's getting replaced by something else, and then I'll just switch to them. > Bottom line, I'm not against paying for things so long as I own them. I'm against subscribing to durable goods. Agreed. I think the difference is that I'm not really interested in buying music, and instead, I'm perfectly happy renting access to a massive music library. > At the rate this nonsense is going Ryobi is going to start demanding a subscription for me to continue using my mitre saw. Nonsense! 100% If something costs $0 for the company to maintain, then there's no valid reason to charge a subscription beyond increasing profits.
- more_corn 4y agoThat’s funny. I was just considering buying a Mercedes. Never again.
- bokohut 4y agoFortuitous timing for this post /u Geeek! I wrote this up last night after a cybersecurity mentoring session I conducted as a means to analogously try to get others to comprehend since so many are blind to what is happening. Having decades of experience in technology at all levels I tried to sum up the focus points of why this is wrong in a dark humorous manner. Enjoy! ==================== U.S. public national big box stores look to capitalize on the rent seeking model with new internet of thing toolings. No longer will this industry miss out on the technology explosion and revenue opportunities that being smart brings. Formerly dumb tools are being modernized with cellular connectivity and features that will bring significant revenue for this brand while setting in motion the modernization of this overlooked industry. Revenue will come from the unique features and hidden charges that clients cannot live without such as in the case of the smart shovel in current testing that bills per scoop. There are no talks at the moment on bulk scoop discounts however if enough revenue is generated they stated it would not be considered. Currently protected under NDA several of the smart tools are in smart testing and the smart customers have provided overwhelming smart feedback which is showing great signs of significant income for the brand even in limited deployment. One client's happiness sums it up below. B.K. states: "I am overwhelmed at the simplicity of using my smart shovel which doesn't really help me dig more but certainly adds weight to the tool use but I don't mind since I am strong. I do have to charge my shovel daily and the firmware updates have been a burden at times taking up to an hour of my day per update per shovel but I understand cybersecurity is important and I would hate for my shovel to get hacked. The best time is at the end of the month when I have to pay my bill for data use and features such as with each hole I dig as it charges per scoop so I have really optimized my hole digging process. The smart app is the best as it shows me nothing but I do have a cool avatar and I can connect all my shovels as well as my friends shovels into my "YouBeenScooped" social network. I have given feedback that the social network should be all tools in one place but I don't understand the internet so that may not be possible but I trust them to not rip me off or waste my time. As a local home building contractor just getting by I cannot wait to replace all my dumb tools and make them smart but I will have to adjust and sacrifice my family's life style to afford the benefits of being smart. I really look forward to the smart hammer which I have not yet tested but I am informed it has biometric authentication, remote lockout with electric shock and a gps find feature. There are even rumors that the hammer may have regenerative capture so while each swing will cost me plenty the more I swing it the longer I can go without charging! Of course I have to pay more for this regen feature which is another monthly charge but it will save me money since I also have to pay them to charge my shovel currently. All in all I am all in on being smart!" Well folks there you have it from the anonymous testing clients feedback. The era of dumb tools is coming to an end so all hail the smart shovels, smart hammers, smart trowels, smart crowbars, smart screwdrivers and more which will be released in phases starting in the Spring of 2023 timed with the next housing building boom. We cannot wait to see the improvements that these smart tools will bring as we move into the new era of smart home building! *edit spellcheck
- solarkraft 4y agoCombining the downsides of owning and renting is such a cool business model!
- csours 4y agoSubscriptions should have required operational costs (cloud, map updates, content updates) - OR - (inclusive or) Subscriptions should be sub-to-own. Unlock a feature for the same price as it would have been on the original purchase. This smooths out purchase price, so it may be worth it for some consumers.
- happyjack 4y agoInteresting comments. My dad was in the printing business. He did about every faction of it: printed ads for supermarket chain, bought / sold equipment worldwide, etc I also asked him why printers shunned digital printing in preference of offset printing. The digital printing could do everything! Saves ink! Customs jobs! Low volume jobs! His answer "they can shut your machine down with the click of a mouse. You miss your payment? Shut off. New software update you don't want or need, but they can legally do? Pay or you're off.
- helf 4y agoMicrotransactions, subscriptions for damn near everything, in-app purchasing for every little addon, *aaS... I hate the modern tech world in a lot of ways. It is ridiculous. OEMs: "oooh.. EVs are just computers with Wheels. I bet we can do the same thing everyone else is doing!" I really, really hope there is so much backlash that they drop it. It should be illegal to purposefully gimp something like a car just to milk more money out of it. I can understand something that has to be maintained like sat radio or OnStar etc. Those are actually "value-adding services". But freaking performance? It's like the bullshit with Tesla and restricting battery capacity. What next? your cellphone wont charge past 50% without a subscription? Your car's headlights will only operate at 60% brightness without a fee? Your fridge's ice-maker will make ice slower without a "premium" addon? You can't use certain colors without paying a fee... oh wait. /smh
- karmakaze 4y agoThis isn't all that new. IBM mainframe contracts were handled this way decades ago. When you eventually need/want more compute, an IBM field rep shows up and enables a thing on the hardware already on your premises for what you pay for. The IBM P and Z series (midrange and mainframe hardware) still uses a similar scheme.
- jacknews 4y agoEVs apparently have around 30 moving parts compared to ICE vehicles' 3000 ish. Which suggests we could be on the verge of a golden era of automotive simplicity, modularity, tinkering, etc. But no, this is what we will get. Locked subscription-only features, pay-per-mile, spyware, crapware, bloat, software-enforced maintenance and obsolescence, software-certified components (no 3rd party replacements), etc, etc, just like printers, but even worse. The manufacturers should restrain themselves, or ownership will become so onerous that people don't bother and just use uber etc.
- simonebrunozzi 4y agoRegulation is supposed to stop this shit to happen. But it won't.