5 ms·

It does feel like something that’s easy to cut from a bill of materials though, nothing else in the microwave relies on the time being accurate. Probably not e

It does feel like something that’s easy to cut from a bill of materials though, nothing else in the microwave relies on the time being accurate. Probably not expensive to implement, but if you’re building a lot of them, I imagine the ~4cents per unit (maybe more, just guessing) adds up fast.

bpye 3y ago
Whilst it maybe doesn’t need to be accurate, I have had an oven that wouldn’t turn on if you didn’t set the time…
- graypegg 3y ago
  Haha, oh wow that sucks. I’m sure most of those units are all set to 12:00AM by mashing the OK button after every power outage.
- rwky 3y ago
  The last few ovens we've had do that too. I assume it's something to do with the delayed start function which I never use...
- Cthulhu_ 3y ago
  That would be amazing. Same with clocks for that matter. That said, do these radio signals contain the exact time for that timezone or is it more of a synchronization signal that goes "it is now exactly 0 minutes, 0 seconds" once an hour? Since the image shows that the signal crosses some timezone boundaries.
bayindirh 3y ago
My professor is a materials/mechanical engineer and in contact with many auto companies. He told me of the following dialogue: Prof: Why did you stopped adding passenger side handles? How much one cost? CarGuy: Around €1.50 Prof: That's not much? CarGuy: A new car leaves the factory every 60 seconds. Prof: Oh. For the lazy, that's €2,160/Day, €64,800/Month, €777,600/year.
- jader201 3y ago
  I guess, but still, these seemingly large numbers are still a minute percentage (e.g. probably 0.00001%) of overall costs/revenue that are relatively way, way more. I would understand manufacturing pain, and the ROI just doesn't justify it. But saying that it's solely to do with costs doesn't line up, IMO.
  - bayindirh 3y ago
    For auto industry, that's big money. VW creates small inserts and adds them to their motor covers for Seat and Skoda. If you pry that logo, there's a molded VW logo on that plastic engine noise cover. Stellantis shares tons of parts and software. Peugeot 2008 and Opel Mokka is essentially the same car. They share the same shifter, electronics and software stack sans the skin applied to displays and LCD geometry. Even 3008 has the same hardware with the same software. Heck, even the "lane hold" button is exactly the same one in all three cars. Same for parking brake switch, down to the blinking pattern of indicator LED. I bet all three use the same 8 gear auto gearbox, with different ratio sets, too. After Fiat bought Chrysler, they started to use the same steering wheel in Dodge Charger and Fiat Tipo. Newer Fiats come with Mopar brakes and fluid subsystems (steering, cooling, etc.) Key fobs are even funnier. In practice, every company uses the same key fob. A Lamborghini has the same fob with a VW Polo, sans the logo. Same for Stellantis group cars. When you start to notice "chassis sharing" in commercial market vehicles, it stops being funny and starts to become ridiculous.
    - pram 3y ago
      It also sometimes works out in your favor, especially for VW, since theres Audi and Porsche parts you can just slap on your GTI.
      - bayindirh 3y ago
        I know a guy who installed TT's magnetic active shocks to a Golf and got terrific results. However, I'd rather have a boring car which I don't need to constantly maintain instead of an exciting one which needs a tune-up every weekend but that's just me. It's not that I can't. It's rather I won't.
lm28469 3y ago
> nothing else in the microwave relies on the time being accurate. The real question is why does your microwave gives time in the first place. Sounds like they had a display and didn't know what to show on it while the microwave wasn't actively used, I'd say drop the clock altogether
- graypegg 3y ago
  Yeah honestly! But, if I had to guess, it’s probably built into whatever “microwave controller” SOC is mass manufactured. The clock was an upsell long ago, but now that the whole device is a commodity product, and the clock is using parts already in the machine, I guess it’s just not worth removing.
- Cthulhu_ 3y ago
  It's pretty common to bolt on features, like how a lot of powerbanks have a light or a belt loop built in because why not.
RealityVoid 3y ago
I would gladly pay 4 cents more just to never have to figure out how to set the time on my oven or microwave ever again.
ilyt 3y ago
Probably more. And they are too cheap to even put a capacitor in to cover for most short power failures

bpye 3y ago

Whilst it maybe doesn’t need to be accurate, I have had an oven that wouldn’t turn on if you didn’t set the time…

graypegg 3y ago
Haha, oh wow that sucks. I’m sure most of those units are all set to 12:00AM by mashing the OK button after every power outage.
rwky 3y ago
The last few ovens we've had do that too. I assume it's something to do with the delayed start function which I never use...
Cthulhu_ 3y ago
That would be amazing. Same with clocks for that matter. That said, do these radio signals contain the exact time for that timezone or is it more of a synchronization signal that goes "it is now exactly 0 minutes, 0 seconds" once an hour? Since the image shows that the signal crosses some timezone boundaries.

bayindirh 3y ago

My professor is a materials/mechanical engineer and in contact with many auto companies. He told me of the following dialogue: Prof: Why did you stopped adding passenger side handles? How much one cost? CarGuy: Around €1.50 Prof: That's not much? CarGuy: A new car leaves the factory every 60 seconds. Prof: Oh. For the lazy, that's €2,160/Day, €64,800/Month, €777,600/year.

jader201 3y ago
I guess, but still, these seemingly large numbers are still a minute percentage (e.g. probably 0.00001%) of overall costs/revenue that are relatively way, way more. I would understand manufacturing pain, and the ROI just doesn't justify it. But saying that it's solely to do with costs doesn't line up, IMO.
- bayindirh 3y ago
  For auto industry, that's big money. VW creates small inserts and adds them to their motor covers for Seat and Skoda. If you pry that logo, there's a molded VW logo on that plastic engine noise cover. Stellantis shares tons of parts and software. Peugeot 2008 and Opel Mokka is essentially the same car. They share the same shifter, electronics and software stack sans the skin applied to displays and LCD geometry. Even 3008 has the same hardware with the same software. Heck, even the "lane hold" button is exactly the same one in all three cars. Same for parking brake switch, down to the blinking pattern of indicator LED. I bet all three use the same 8 gear auto gearbox, with different ratio sets, too. After Fiat bought Chrysler, they started to use the same steering wheel in Dodge Charger and Fiat Tipo. Newer Fiats come with Mopar brakes and fluid subsystems (steering, cooling, etc.) Key fobs are even funnier. In practice, every company uses the same key fob. A Lamborghini has the same fob with a VW Polo, sans the logo. Same for Stellantis group cars. When you start to notice "chassis sharing" in commercial market vehicles, it stops being funny and starts to become ridiculous.
  - pram 3y ago
    It also sometimes works out in your favor, especially for VW, since theres Audi and Porsche parts you can just slap on your GTI.
    - bayindirh 3y ago
      I know a guy who installed TT's magnetic active shocks to a Golf and got terrific results. However, I'd rather have a boring car which I don't need to constantly maintain instead of an exciting one which needs a tune-up every weekend but that's just me. It's not that I can't. It's rather I won't.

lm28469 3y ago

> nothing else in the microwave relies on the time being accurate. The real question is why does your microwave gives time in the first place. Sounds like they had a display and didn't know what to show on it while the microwave wasn't actively used, I'd say drop the clock altogether

graypegg 3y ago
Yeah honestly! But, if I had to guess, it’s probably built into whatever “microwave controller” SOC is mass manufactured. The clock was an upsell long ago, but now that the whole device is a commodity product, and the clock is using parts already in the machine, I guess it’s just not worth removing.
Cthulhu_ 3y ago
It's pretty common to bolt on features, like how a lot of powerbanks have a light or a belt loop built in because why not.

RealityVoid 3y ago

I would gladly pay 4 cents more just to never have to figure out how to set the time on my oven or microwave ever again.

ilyt 3y ago

Probably more. And they are too cheap to even put a capacitor in to cover for most short power failures