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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => General Internet News => Topic started by: amigamad on January 21, 2003, 04:36:57 PM

Title: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: amigamad on January 21, 2003, 04:36:57 PM

Dishwashers, automobiles and other products are increasingly driven by software. But digits don't always do a better job. Where do you turn when your appliance's software goes south?

link here (http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,3959,833424,00.asp?kc=BAZD103019TX1K0100547)
videos of software causing problems with hardware here (http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,3959,832994,00.asp)

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: odin on January 21, 2003, 06:22:05 PM

Dunno....but that drive by wire idea scares me a bit. Unless they get the same guys to design it who design the fly-by-wire systems of airliners and fighter jets.

Could open up a whole new possibilities to sue evill Bill though :-) (not to mention the excuses for police officers).

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: Elektro on January 21, 2003, 08:46:36 PM

ahahah!

BMW's iDrive uses Windows CE. Well serves them right...

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: hagar on January 21, 2003, 09:51:01 PM

I will take cover the day when microsoft starts shipping Windows for satellites...

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: Argo on January 21, 2003, 10:00:30 PM

I can see the TV shows now:

"Appliances Gone Bad II"

"Cars Gone Crazy"

"Microwave Mayhem"

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: Argo on January 21, 2003, 10:01:52 PM

Anyone seen "Maximum Overdrive"?

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: Waccoon on January 22, 2003, 08:55:37 AM

Every computer I've ever used that has a software-based power switch has the same problem as that BMW -- it won't turn off!

I used to laugh at Macs that wouldn't turn off when you hit the power button, so you had to reach behind the computer and actually pull out the plug.  Now my PC occasionally does the same thing, and sometimes refuses to wake up from sleep mode.

I have a computer at work that CAN'T be turned off.  When you "power down", it goes into hibernate mode, and there's no way to override it (I called the company and asked, and they told me that power up and power down is a software controlled system, only).  Not too bad an idea, except when you power up again, the memory card reader doesn't work, and the hard drive sometimes doesn't spin up at all.  Diagnosis?  PULL THE PLUG!  Sheesh!

I'm starting to second guess the idea of Virtual Processing technology.  The idea of a "driver for your CPU" doesn't sound so good. :-?

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: odin on January 22, 2003, 10:03:31 AM

@argo:

Yeah....aint that the crappy King movie about some stupid 'alien' force which makes all machinery go haywire?

Title: Re: Consumer Products: When Software Bugs Bite
Post by: L8-X on January 22, 2003, 12:56:20 PM

Future news item......

"Man decapitated when removing groceries from boot of car"

 :-D  ;-)  :-D