[LINK] Has the world just gone light-headed, or completely bonkers?

[Karl Auer]

On Wed, 2019-07-17 at 10:21 +1000, Roger Clarke wrote:
> If you need to reset the software in your GE smart light bulb -- 
> firmware version 2.8 or later -- just follow these easy instructions

This procedure saves them the cost of a reset switch in the bulb
circuitry. A switch that they cannot have people operating in the
presence of 240V mains power, so would have to be on the base of the
bulb, inaccessible when the bulb is in place.

With the switch, the procedure would be "turn off light, remove bulb,
set switch, insert bulb, turn on light, bulb will flash three times,
turn off light, remove bulb, set switch off, insert bulb".

However, this procedure does not ensure that the customer turns off the
light before removing or inserting the bulb, so dramatically increases
the risk that the customer will electrocute themselves while trying to
reset the bulb. As bulb resets are not a function of ordinary light
bulbs, these electrocutions will immediately become "GE's fault", and
they don't want that.

The actual procedure directly incorporates having the bulb in place and
safe. The many steps ensure that the bulb is highly unlikely to reset
accidentally.

So not as insane as it may first appear...

Regards, K.


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Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)
http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer
http://twitter.com/kauer389

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