4 ms·

Someone on reddit [0] mentioned that they updated their device via USB and hadn't encountered any issues. If that's true, then it might actually have been the p

Someone on reddit [0] mentioned that they updated their device via USB and hadn't encountered any issues. If that's true, then it might actually have been the previous firmware update that silently bricked the device. Or maybe Samsung only test in a controlled lab environment without real world signal interference. In any case, it's mind boggling how a multi billion dollar company lacks proper rollout strategies. I have a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, and their app constantly tells me to install the latest firmware update. After the 20th time I finally agreed - only to be met with the update instructions: I must perform the update in a place with no other bluetooth or wifi devices. Where on earth would I even have to go to find a place without there being any 2.4Ghz signal interference? I've never been more careful when pressing “Cancel,” making sure I don't accidentally tap “Agree and Continue”. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/Soundbars/comments/1jb1ymp/comment/mhsc00r/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Soundbars/comments/1jb1ymp/comment/...

mmmlinux 2y ago
My girlfriend had to wear a sleep monitoring device, and the instructions also had stuff to that effect. including putting all phones in airplane mode and unplug any assistant speaker things you might have. I assume the real purpose of this is to make you actually sleep. But they claimed it was to make the data collect properly...
- TylerE 2y ago
  It’s much more just typical manufacturer trying to avoid liability. It costs them nothing to say don’t do that, and if it cuts tech support costs by 1%.
  - jrockway 2y ago
    The key is to call in and ask how to put your device in airplane mode ;)
    - LoganDark 2y ago
      I love when I last called my cell phone carrier and they asked me to try putting my phone in airplane mode. I said "wouldn't that disconnect the call?", they went "no it will not", and guess what happened when I turned on airplane mode.
      - 14 2y ago
        they obviously knew that was going to happen and so did you. The correct response should have been "okay I am in airplane mode now what?"
        LoganDark 2y ago
        yeah, I normally use that trick for other stuff, but I guess I was just especially gullible at that moment. If it really was just some ploy to get me off the line because they just didn't want to talk to me or something, well that's hilarious honestly, I wouldn't even be mad at them for that.
        jrockway 2y ago
        I think it's a ploy. I shared your comment with a friend who works in a call center and agents have been known to resort to shenanigans to get rid of a call (or just take a break). In her specific case they had a combined support/sales line where you get commission for sales but not for support, so if someone is just ranting at you about some issue you have no power to fix, you might be tempted to unplug your phone's Ethernet cable and re-roll for a new call that might be sales instead of support. Could easily be the same thing for cell phone providers, though this was a hotel chain.
bhaney 2y ago
I also have a pair of XM4s. I installed the app briefly when I first got them so I could turn off the voice notifications on connection/mode change, and then immediately uninstalled it and have never needed it again. Why on earth would I want to update the firmware on my perfectly working headphones?
- SequoiaHope 2y ago
  What if they release a firmware update that ads “immersive advertisements” to your audio? I’d hate to miss out on that.
  - LoganDark 2y ago
    "Want a break from the ads?"
- mh- 2y ago
  The app enables other features like changing EQs, etc.
  - bhaney 2y ago
    Yeah, I'm not sure why I'd want that on my headphones themselves. I just set it to a neutral EQ during initial setup, and now I change the EQs elsewhere in the audio pipeline (music app, mixer, etc) just like we were all doing before the advent of headphones with their own apps.
    - dsr_ 2y ago
      None of my headphones have firmware to update. They connect with copper (8000BCE) wires (1830CE) to a 3.5mm jack (1950CE) based on a 1/4" phone plug (1890CE). Some of them use neodymium (1885CE) magnets. If I want equalization or convolution I apply them upstream shortly after decoding.
    - abdullahkhalids 2y ago
      The EQ settings should depend on what you device you are using to listen - your headphones or your phone's internal speaker - according to their natural response curves. I don't think major music listening apps will switch your EQ automatically settings based on your listening device. So either you are doing that manually every time you switch devices, or you set your headphone EQ directly. In any case, the software around this is not clean, and has lots of room for improvement.
luis8 2y ago
a faraday cage should do the trick
0xbadcafebee 2y ago
> In any case, it's mind boggling how a multi billion dollar company lacks proper rollout strategies. Having worked for several billion-dollar companies, I can tell you it's very common. The extremely short answer to why is "silos on silos on silos on silos". Quite often, each team rolls things out however the hell they feel like. And the teams don't have very good people on them. It doesn't have to be this way, but the people at these companies simply don't give a shit about doing it in a better way. Bad leadership ensures it continues.
userbinator 2y ago
Where on earth would I even have to go to find a place without there being any 2.4Ghz signal interference? Inside a microwave oven.
- londons_explore 2y ago
  Actually doesn't work particularly well. I suspect signal reflections destroy the signal. You get similar problems in other larger metal boxes, eg caravans. In a caravan, short high data rate packets are transmitted properly, but bigger packets get lost because they interfere with a reflection off an internal wall.
forgotTheLast 2y ago
The real reason is that Bluetooth is awful for data transmission and the bitrate absolutely plummets when there's crosstalk. I live in an older building with a ton of interference on the 2.4GHz band (WiFi, BT beacons, "smart" appliances) and updating any device over bluetooth is impossible.
- mmis1000 2y ago
  The new models actually handle update much better. The update is way slower (requires about 1 hour) compare to old model. But it allows you to continue using it while update. (It probably rate limited itself?)
xethos 2y ago
> Where on earth would I even have to go to find a place without there being any 2.4Ghz signal interference? Unironic answer: most airports. Even small ones will have avionics shops, those avionics shops will have to test Emergency Locator Beacons, and those beacon signals are not meant to escape to the outside world during testing. Thus, most have Faraday rooms, cages, or just small (2-3 cubic feet) boxes to block signals. I used to work for one of those teeny-tiny companies. Would not recommend working in aviation. That said, knocking on the door and offering to come back with doughnuts if they can help you out when it's not crazy busy, feels like less an insane idea than I'd have expected previously.
- angus-g 2y ago
  > Would not recommend working in aviation Why not?
  - chneu 2y ago
    Low pay. High stress. High responsibility. You can't report a lot of health problems(anything mental health will get your license taken away). Aviation is expensive and shitty. The FAA is a garbage organization that covers it's own ass first.
    - xethos 2y ago
      Agreed to everything in the first paragraph - second isn't something I can speak to as a Canadian. Came back to say you forgot the boom-bust cycle and the constant layoffs that come with it. Would like to reiterate on the stress and (corresponding) responsibility too, with again, the low pay not helping. Can't say how glad I am to be out of aviation. I will say that it can play well on dating apps though - it can be dressed up to look very nice
- Wololooo 2y ago
  Sure there are places. But if you're an average consumer I doubt that you would be thrilled to book a gateway room to update your device...
colonial 2y ago
Perhaps you could stick the phone and earbuds in a (non-running) microwave. They keep 2.4GHz in just fine, and Faraday cages don't discriminate based on direction. You might have to line the inner walls with something to prevent the signal from bouncing back? I'm not sure.

mmmlinux 2y ago

My girlfriend had to wear a sleep monitoring device, and the instructions also had stuff to that effect. including putting all phones in airplane mode and unplug any assistant speaker things you might have. I assume the real purpose of this is to make you actually sleep. But they claimed it was to make the data collect properly...

TylerE 2y ago
It’s much more just typical manufacturer trying to avoid liability. It costs them nothing to say don’t do that, and if it cuts tech support costs by 1%.
- jrockway 2y ago
  The key is to call in and ask how to put your device in airplane mode ;)
  - LoganDark 2y ago
    I love when I last called my cell phone carrier and they asked me to try putting my phone in airplane mode. I said "wouldn't that disconnect the call?", they went "no it will not", and guess what happened when I turned on airplane mode.
    - 14 2y ago
      they obviously knew that was going to happen and so did you. The correct response should have been "okay I am in airplane mode now what?"
      - LoganDark 2y ago
        yeah, I normally use that trick for other stuff, but I guess I was just especially gullible at that moment. If it really was just some ploy to get me off the line because they just didn't want to talk to me or something, well that's hilarious honestly, I wouldn't even be mad at them for that.
        jrockway 2y ago
        I think it's a ploy. I shared your comment with a friend who works in a call center and agents have been known to resort to shenanigans to get rid of a call (or just take a break). In her specific case they had a combined support/sales line where you get commission for sales but not for support, so if someone is just ranting at you about some issue you have no power to fix, you might be tempted to unplug your phone's Ethernet cable and re-roll for a new call that might be sales instead of support. Could easily be the same thing for cell phone providers, though this was a hotel chain.

bhaney 2y ago

I also have a pair of XM4s. I installed the app briefly when I first got them so I could turn off the voice notifications on connection/mode change, and then immediately uninstalled it and have never needed it again. Why on earth would I want to update the firmware on my perfectly working headphones?

SequoiaHope 2y ago
What if they release a firmware update that ads “immersive advertisements” to your audio? I’d hate to miss out on that.
- LoganDark 2y ago
  "Want a break from the ads?"
mh- 2y ago
The app enables other features like changing EQs, etc.
- bhaney 2y ago
  Yeah, I'm not sure why I'd want that on my headphones themselves. I just set it to a neutral EQ during initial setup, and now I change the EQs elsewhere in the audio pipeline (music app, mixer, etc) just like we were all doing before the advent of headphones with their own apps.
  - dsr_ 2y ago
    None of my headphones have firmware to update. They connect with copper (8000BCE) wires (1830CE) to a 3.5mm jack (1950CE) based on a 1/4" phone plug (1890CE). Some of them use neodymium (1885CE) magnets. If I want equalization or convolution I apply them upstream shortly after decoding.
  - abdullahkhalids 2y ago
    The EQ settings should depend on what you device you are using to listen - your headphones or your phone's internal speaker - according to their natural response curves. I don't think major music listening apps will switch your EQ automatically settings based on your listening device. So either you are doing that manually every time you switch devices, or you set your headphone EQ directly. In any case, the software around this is not clean, and has lots of room for improvement.

luis8 2y ago

a faraday cage should do the trick

0xbadcafebee 2y ago

> In any case, it's mind boggling how a multi billion dollar company lacks proper rollout strategies. Having worked for several billion-dollar companies, I can tell you it's very common. The extremely short answer to why is "silos on silos on silos on silos". Quite often, each team rolls things out however the hell they feel like. And the teams don't have very good people on them. It doesn't have to be this way, but the people at these companies simply don't give a shit about doing it in a better way. Bad leadership ensures it continues.

userbinator 2y ago

Where on earth would I even have to go to find a place without there being any 2.4Ghz signal interference? Inside a microwave oven.

londons_explore 2y ago
Actually doesn't work particularly well. I suspect signal reflections destroy the signal. You get similar problems in other larger metal boxes, eg caravans. In a caravan, short high data rate packets are transmitted properly, but bigger packets get lost because they interfere with a reflection off an internal wall.

forgotTheLast 2y ago

The real reason is that Bluetooth is awful for data transmission and the bitrate absolutely plummets when there's crosstalk. I live in an older building with a ton of interference on the 2.4GHz band (WiFi, BT beacons, "smart" appliances) and updating any device over bluetooth is impossible.

mmis1000 2y ago
The new models actually handle update much better. The update is way slower (requires about 1 hour) compare to old model. But it allows you to continue using it while update. (It probably rate limited itself?)

xethos 2y ago

> Where on earth would I even have to go to find a place without there being any 2.4Ghz signal interference? Unironic answer: most airports. Even small ones will have avionics shops, those avionics shops will have to test Emergency Locator Beacons, and those beacon signals are not meant to escape to the outside world during testing. Thus, most have Faraday rooms, cages, or just small (2-3 cubic feet) boxes to block signals. I used to work for one of those teeny-tiny companies. Would not recommend working in aviation. That said, knocking on the door and offering to come back with doughnuts if they can help you out when it's not crazy busy, feels like less an insane idea than I'd have expected previously.

angus-g 2y ago
> Would not recommend working in aviation Why not?
- chneu 2y ago
  Low pay. High stress. High responsibility. You can't report a lot of health problems(anything mental health will get your license taken away). Aviation is expensive and shitty. The FAA is a garbage organization that covers it's own ass first.
  - xethos 2y ago
    Agreed to everything in the first paragraph - second isn't something I can speak to as a Canadian. Came back to say you forgot the boom-bust cycle and the constant layoffs that come with it. Would like to reiterate on the stress and (corresponding) responsibility too, with again, the low pay not helping. Can't say how glad I am to be out of aviation. I will say that it can play well on dating apps though - it can be dressed up to look very nice
Wololooo 2y ago
Sure there are places. But if you're an average consumer I doubt that you would be thrilled to book a gateway room to update your device...

colonial 2y ago

Perhaps you could stick the phone and earbuds in a (non-running) microwave. They keep 2.4GHz in just fine, and Faraday cages don't discriminate based on direction. You might have to line the inner walls with something to prevent the signal from bouncing back? I'm not sure.