Grilling is now GAMIFIED?!?

[Muldokken]

I got my first RecTeq four years ago, but I thought it was always "gamified." No??

Pretty much every weekend I would throw in a decent cut of meat, insert the probes, set my target temps, then sit back and try to guess how long after my meal was ready before the app notifications came through. Then we'd play a quick round of "find the edible section" at dinner. Good times!

Turns out my wife didn't really care for that game, so I bought a Thermoworks Signals...

now that I have ditched the rectec app and now have voice control as well as the remote function still, I now use meater probes. much better experience and they even tell you how long the meat should rest.

 

[Bustergut]

ya unfortunately, ray and the others have lost their integrity. it will not be long when the quality of the grills start to suffer, we seen that with the rt340 remake.

Every time a hedge fund or other "outside investor" gets involved with a company, things happen that are not good for the customer OR the company's long term future.

 

[Motodad1776]

Every time a hedge fund or other "outside investor" gets involved with a company, things happen that are not good for the customer OR the company's long term future.

Yup and history just keeps repeating.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Game hack, unhook the ignition wire, empty hopper and put a candle next to the internal probe. Turn on the grill to low and your hours will stack up and you’ll be on top of the leaderboard in no time. May have to unscrew the probe so it can be above the flame, but if being number 1 is important to you, I’m pretty sure this will work.

 

[C. Keeper]

Game hack, unhook the ignition wire, empty hopper and put a candle next to the internal probe. Turn on the grill to low and your hours will stack up and you’ll be on top of the leaderboard in no time. May have to unscrew the probe so it can be above the flame, but if being number 1 is important to you, I’m pretty sure this will work.

I used a light bulb and it worked without issue.

 

[SmokeOCD]

I used a light bulb and it worked without issue.

Brilliant!

 

[TheRicker]

IMHO…the RecTeq app is moving towards what most all phone apps are doing…learning more about you. The data captured may benefit them or sold off to third parties.

I’ll give you an example. I just bought a new Samsung refrigerator (we can go into the reason in separate posts). I know the thing is WiFi capable but I have no desire or intention of using it. But even registering the product requires the customer to create a Samsung account to do so. But in the process, they want your birthdate, submit a valid credit card, and agree to three different policies. It’s all part of their whole Samsung user experience…their cell phones, having smart appliances managed by your app, their version of the Apple Store that provides access to gaming and other stuff. I had serious concerns with one policy where they state they do share the data they have on you with third-parties that would be part of various transactions you could procure. And they share your credit card info with the third-parties.

Well, I’m kind of particular about what and where my personal information is stored and how it’s used. But I digress. I did not create the account because I don’t want any part of the circus that revolves around having an account with them. The problem is there’s no way to register the product (for warranty coverage) without creating an account. Getting any human support was very difficult…albeit a chat session. The only good that came from the chat session was I was given a phone number I can call. That was after 11pm EDT so I plan to call them tomorrow.

My point with this drivel is that pretty much any app and/or online website drives us to participate in their shenanigans to learn more about us, make offers to us that fit our profile, and share/sell data to others that want to learn more about us. I want no part of that.

 

[Greg Jones]

I’ll give you an example. I just bought a new Samsung refrigerator…

I hear you, and agree with the privacy issues you raised. Having said that, last fall we bought new Samsung appliances for our kitchen (Kentucky). Microwave, range, and refrigerator all WiFi enabled. I love them, especially the refrigerator. Fast forward to summer and I bought a Samsung refrigerator and washer/dryer combo for the SC home. I would have bought a Samsung microwave for SC also if they made a countertop model. I’ve found many of the app features to have utility, but let me give one of the more useful examples I’ve encountered. When we came to SC in July for 3 weeks, I turned off the water main in the Kentucky house. A few days later I got a message on the Samsung app that there was a water supply problem to the Kentucky refrigerator and I should turn off the ice maker until it was resolved. Easy to do from the app. Don’t know if one can damage an ice maker by starving it from water, but I don’t need to know the answer. Carry on!

 

[Motodad1776]

Yes......it is all about data mining now, and I no longer use the app.

 

[TheRicker]

IMHO…the RecTeq app is moving towards what most all phone apps are doing…learning more about you. The data captured may benefit them or sold off to third parties.

I’ll give you an example. I just bought a new Samsung refrigerator (we can go into the reason in separate posts). I know the thing is WiFi capable but I have no desire or intention of using it. But even registering the product requires the customer to create a Samsung account to do so. But in the process, they want your birthdate, submit a valid credit card, and agree to three different policies. It’s all part of their whole Samsung user experience…their cell phones, having smart appliances managed by your app, their version of the Apple Store that provides access to gaming and other stuff. I had serious concerns with one policy where they state they do share the data they have on you with third-parties that would be part of various transactions you could procure. And they share your credit card info with the third-parties.

Well, I’m kind of particular about what and where my personal information is stored and how it’s used. But I digress. My point is I did not create the account because I don’t want any part of the circus that revolves around having an account with them. The problem is there’s no way to register the product (for warranty coverage) without creating an account. Getting any human support was very difficult…albeit a chat session. The only good that came from the chat session

I hear you, and agree with the privacy issues you raised. Having said that, last fall we bought new Samsung appliances for our kitchen (Kentucky). Microwave, range, and refrigerator all WiFi enabled. I love them, especially the refrigerator. Fast forward to summer and I bought a Samsung refrigerator and washer/dryer combo for the SC home. I would have bought a Samsung microwave for SC also if they made a countertop model. I’ve found many of the app features to have utility, but let me give one of the more useful examples I’ve encountered. When we came to SC in July for 3 weeks, I turned off the water main in the Kentucky house. A few days later I got a message on the Samsung app that there was a water supply problem to the Kentucky refrigerator and I should turn off the ice maker until it was resolved. Easy to do from the app. Don’t know if one can damage an ice maker by starving it from water, but I don’t need to know the answer. Carry on!

I hear you, and agree with the privacy issues you raised. Having said that, last fall we bought new Samsung appliances for our kitchen (Kentucky). Microwave, range, and refrigerator all WiFi enabled. I love them, especially the refrigerator. Fast forward to summer and I bought a Samsung refrigerator and washer/dryer combo for the SC home. I would have bought a Samsung microwave for SC also if they made a countertop model. I’ve found many of the app features to have utility, but let me give one of the more useful examples I’ve encountered. When we came to SC in July for 3 weeks, I turned off the water main in the Kentucky house. A few days later I got a message on the Samsung app that there was a water supply problem to the Kentucky refrigerator and I should turn off the ice maker until it was resolved. Easy to do from the app. Don’t know if one can damage an ice maker by starving it from water, but I don’t need to know the answer. Carry on!

Thanks. That helps.

 

[SmokeOCD]

My LG TV has 9 Eula’s I need to agree to, including recording my voice thru the remote. I slapped on an Amazon stick on hdmi1 and my laptop is on hdmi2 - I’ve not used a single feature of this tv because of the ridiculous Eula’s . It’s a 50” monitor most of the time, the stick and dvd player cover the rest of the tv use.

 

[TheRicker]

My LG TV has 9 Eula’s I need to agree to, including recording my voice thru the remote. I slapped on an Amazon stick on hdmi1 and my laptop is on hdmi2 - I’ve not used a single feature of this tv because of the ridiculous Eula’s . It’s a 50” monitor most of the time, the stick and dvd player cover the rest of the tv use.

Amen.

 

[opus]

I'm waiting for them to start requiring In-App purchases to run our grill. I can see it now, get 10,000 XP points for $19.99, normally $24.99. 100 XP points to turn on your grill.

 

[C. Keeper]

I'm waiting for them to start requiring In-App purchases to run our grill. I can see it now, get 10,000 XP points for $19.99, normally $24.99. 100 XP points to turn on your grill.

Is remote start included?

 

[Beach Bum]

Is remote start included?

Maybe they will toss in a firmware upgrade on my 4 year old 700? Nah why mess with it.

 

[C. Keeper]

Maybe they will toss in a firmware upgrade on my 4 year old 700? Nah why mess with it.

I'm still waiting on my Bullseye firmware update.

 

[RattleR]

Is remote start included?

Yes but only if you pay with points

 

[RattleR]

I'm still waiting on my Bullseye firmware update.

As am I for my 700. Feels like we are not getting any firmware

 

[SweaT-rex]

Watch out guys because I’m in your rear view mirror and coming fast! I’ve broken into the 70,000 range of number of cooks

 

[SmokeOCD]

Watch out guys because I’m in your rear view mirror and coming fast! I’ve broken into the 70,000 range of number of cooks

The guys who bought the button pushers when remote start went away can really run up their number of cooks. Grill on, wait 5 min, grill off, repeat for infinity.