Lmst

Hackaday Links: February 1, 2026

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/hackaday-links-february-1-2026/

<div><img alt="Hackaday Links Column Banner" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="430" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/had-links-banner.jpg?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>For many readers, more snow is the last thing they want to see right now…but what if it <a href="https://potch.me/2026/snow-simulation-toy.html" target="_blank">comes in the form of an online simulator</a> in the style of an old DOS game? Created by [Potch], it works like one of those “falling sand” simulators, with sliders that let you control various elements of the wintry action. For more a immersive experience, open the window and let some cold air in while you play.</p>
<p>If those old school graphics have you yearning for a simpler time, then you’ll love <a href="https://telnet.org/htm/places.htm" target="_blank"><em>Places to Telnet</em></a>, a page on the very slick CRT-themed telnet.org that lists servers you can connect to. The list is made up primarily of games, but there’s also systems you can call up to do things like show the weather or browse Wikipedia. They even take submissions, so if you know any interesting destinations that aren’t on the list, make sure to share with the class.</p>
<p>Our ability to make and use tools is one of the things that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, and is an ability not often seen outside of primates. But a recent paper in <

Hackaday Links: February 1, 2026 https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/hackaday-links-february-1-2026/
#HackadayColumns #Hackadaylinks #Animalintelligence #Artemis #BelkinWeMo #Nasa #Snow #Spacetourism #Telnet #WeMo

It looks like #Wemo switches have retained their settings but now with no way of changing them. So I now have 2 stuck on away mode and another that turns itself off after 20 mins. Was this known? I just assumed they'd stop working.

Today’s project: Replace the Wemo’s!

#wemo #Kasa #smarthome #automation

Two boxes of TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim, each containing four smart plugs designed for energy monitoring. The packaging highlights compatibility with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Home.

@ai6yr

That's why I only bought smart home stuff that's not dependent on manufacturer infrastructure but can all be controlled locally.

#wemo #bricked #belkin

Light switches...

light bulbs and outlets... and apparently a crock pot and coffee maker. LOL.

#bricked #wemo

Long list of products which will stop working on Jan 31, 2026

Wow... Wonder how many people will be sitting in the dark and stuff not working suddenly and not realize it's because their "smart home" product has stopped working. Announced awhile back, but... still.

WEMO: "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to end technical support for older Wemo products, effective January 31, 2026. After this date, several Wemo products will no longer be controllable through the Wemo app. Any features that rely on cloud connectivity, including remote access and voice assistant integrations, will no longer work. "

https://www.belkin.com/support-article/?articleNum=335419

#wemo #bricked #belkin

RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115985036185528885

Ordered a bunch of Kasa smart plugs to replace ours yesterday… 🙄

#Belkin #WeMo #smarthome #Kasa #automation #HomeAutomation

PSA: If you have older #Wemo smart plugs or other connected devices, make sure they are connected to Apple HomeKit if you want to keep using them after Saturday. Belkin is ending support for the Wemo app. https://www.belkin.com/support-article/?articleNum=335419

So, Belkin is killing off the WeMo app at the end of the month, & Apple is forcing the HomeKit upgrade by February 10. We have WeMo smart plugs all over the place & are using an old iPad as our HomeKit hub. A Raspberry Pi with @homeassistant is running it all. We plan on buying an Apple TV to replace the iPad but are waiting for the new models to drop.

We may need to come up with some sort of plan B… 😬

#apple #wemo #belkin #homekit #homeassistant

From today's news in #enshittification:

I've been using #Wemo switches in #homeassistant for almost as long as I've been using it. Once I set up Zigbee and Z-Wave, I stopped buying wifi switches and bulbs. Now we see why.

Although my first concern was architectural, your wifi #iot devices require servers to be running. No matter how nice the device, when the company turns off servers the device is useless unless and until there is a firmware hack. Bleh. Local control only henceforth!

A screenshot of an email from Belkin stating that cloud support for Wemo IOT devices is ending in January 2026

Got the email that Belkin are killing off the WeMo cloud & app for their smartplugs.

Local control still works fine though. Easily integrated into HomeAssistant.

Lots of cheap WeMo bits on eBay if you want a local-first smarthome.

#WeMo #Belkin #HomeAssistant #IoT

@webmink Usage with #homeassistant seems to be possible for #wemo devices after that shutdown. See https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant/comments/1lwk3x5/comment/n2qdib3/ and also and https://github.com/pywemo/pywemo/wiki/WeMo-Cloud#disconnecting-from-the-cloud

#belkin #wemo app to control my light switches has been unable to login for three days with no status message from Wemo nor any news articles. But I did find out that I missed the announcement their cloud service is going offline in January with a less-than-six-month warning. "We got paid, fuck you" I guess. Some can still be used via Apple HomeKit, but I have one that requires the Wemo app.

#Belkin balance ses objets connectés #Wemo aux orties #Obsolescence
https://www.minimachines.net/actu/belkin-wemo-135329

Belkin Bricks Most Wemo Smart Home Devices, Again Demonstrating You Don’t Own What You Buy

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/15/belkin-bricks-most-wemo-smart-home-devices-again-demonstrating-you-dont-own-what-you-buy/

La joie des objets connectés...

En arrêtant définitivement ses serveurs, #Wemo (#Belkin) envoie des milliers d’objets connectés à la casse

Belkin met fin au support de ses produits Wemo, condamnant des milliers d’objets connectés à l’ #obsolescence. Une décision qui suscite forcément l’incompréhension chez les utilisateurs, contraints de remplacer des appareils encore fonctionnels.

https://www.clubic.com/actualite-572658-en-arretant-definitivement-ses-serveurs-wemo-belkin-envoie-des-milliers-d-objets-connectes-a-la-casse.html

#environnement