Futurehome Smarthub Mandatory Subscription Fee: Difference between revisions
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The '''Futurehome Smarthub'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Futurehome |url=https://www.futurehome.io/en_no/ |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref> was '''originally sold as a one-time purchase.''' '''Prior to 2025, Futurehome operated on a one-time hardware purchase model''', with app and cloud services included at no extra cost. | The '''Futurehome Smarthub'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Futurehome |url=https://www.futurehome.io/en_no/ |access-date=2025-07-14}}</ref> was '''originally sold as a one-time purchase.''' '''Prior to 2025, Futurehome operated on a one-time hardware purchase model''', with app and cloud services included at no extra cost. | ||
Futurehome AS was declared bankrupt on 20 May 2025. The platform and its services were acquired in a 50-50 split by Sikom Connect AS and the former Futurehome owners. The business was relaunched under a new entity: '''FHSD Connect AS.'''<ref name=":0" /> | Futurehome AS was declared bankrupt on 20 May 2025. The platform and its services were acquired in a 50-50 split by Sikom Connect AS and the former Futurehome owners. The business was relaunched under a new entity: '''FHSD Connect AS.'''<ref name=":0" /> A press release by Sikom Connect AS on the same day clearly depicted their expectation of making every futurehome user into a paying customer for FHSD Connect AS by counting the entire user base of Futurehome into their customer base: "''With the purchase of futurehome, Sikom expands their services to private housing with a combined customer base of more than 70 000 customers''"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schieflow |first=Torfinn |date=2025-05-20 |title=Strategisk viktig samarbeid |url=https://www.sikom.no/2025/05/20/strategisk-viktig-samarbeid/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=www.sikom.no}}</ref>(Translated from Norwegian) | ||
==June 2025 subscription rollout== | ==June 2025 subscription rollout== | ||
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These limitations were delivered via a firmware update to the hub's software, locking previously available features behind the paywall. One Futurehome software engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the firmware was designed to enforce this lockout mechanism and compel users to subscribe. As of the changeover, the Futurehome system was reportedly installed in over '''38,000 Norwegian households''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome Norge |trans-title=The updated figure of 38,000 is listed only on the Norwegian version of the site |url=https://www.futurehome.io/no/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |language=no}}</ref> all of which had to choose between paying the new fees or losing most "smart" functionality. | These limitations were delivered via a firmware update to the hub's software, locking previously available features behind the paywall. One Futurehome software engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the firmware was designed to enforce this lockout mechanism and compel users to subscribe. As of the changeover, the Futurehome system was reportedly installed in over '''38,000 Norwegian households''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome Norge |trans-title=The updated figure of 38,000 is listed only on the Norwegian version of the site |url=https://www.futurehome.io/no/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |language=no}}</ref> all of which had to choose between paying the new fees or losing most "smart" functionality. | ||
[[File:Image(1).png|thumb|Indexed search results from the forum about disabling automatic hub and app updates]] | |||
As part of the ownership transition, FHSD Connect also shut down the official Futurehome user forum, stating they were ''"consolidating support channels"'', further limiting access to help resources for users who don't subscribe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome Forum |url=https://forum.futurehome.io |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715103026/https://forum.futurehome.io/ |archive-date=2025-07-15 |access-date=2025-07-15}}</ref><gallery> | As part of the ownership transition, FHSD Connect also shut down the official Futurehome user forum, stating they were ''"consolidating support channels"'', further limiting access to help resources for users who don't subscribe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Futurehome Forum |url=https://forum.futurehome.io |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715103026/https://forum.futurehome.io/ |archive-date=2025-07-15 |access-date=2025-07-15}}</ref> The forum contained, among other things, discussions from previous years about how to disable automatic updates for the hub and app ([https://forum-old.futurehome.io/t/smarthub-and-app-update/6400 link to delisted forum thread])<gallery> | ||
</gallery><gallery> | |||
File:Futurehome Subscription App Info 1.PNG|Futurehome app home screen prompting the user to activate a subscription. | File:Futurehome Subscription App Info 1.PNG|Futurehome app home screen prompting the user to activate a subscription. | ||
File:Futurehome Subscription App Info 2.PNG|Subscription-activation screen showing annual-payment terms; one link opens the subscription FAQ, the other opens a [https://us1.zonka.co/1pBYm3?language=en_US feedback form] | File:Futurehome Subscription App Info 2.PNG|Subscription-activation screen showing annual-payment terms; one link opens the subscription FAQ, the other opens a [https://us1.zonka.co/1pBYm3?language=en_US feedback form] | ||
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==Questionable legality== | ==Questionable legality== | ||
This issue drew attention to consumer protection laws. Norway is not an EU member but is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), which means EU consumer-protection directives (such as those barring unfair commercial practices) are incorporated into Norwegian law. Observers noted that retroactively charging a subscription for a product that was sold under a no-fee premise might violate these rules, though as of mid-2025 it remained unclear if any official action would be taken. Some users discussed the possibility of legal recourse or a class-action lawsuit in response to Futurehome's move. | This issue drew attention to consumer protection laws. Norway is not an EU member but is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), which means EU consumer-protection directives (such as those barring unfair commercial practices) are incorporated into Norwegian law. Observers noted that retroactively charging a subscription for a product that was sold under a no-fee premise might violate these rules, though as of mid-2025 it remained unclear if any official action would be taken. Some users discussed the possibility of legal recourse or a class-action lawsuit in response to Futurehome's move. | ||
==$5000 bounty to crack firmware== | |||
On the 16th of July, 2025, consumer rights advocate Louis Rossman announced that he would pay a $5000 bounty to anyone capable of restoring the previous functions of Futurehome's products. In addition, Rossman would hire a lawyer to defend the individual that provided the solution, if he or she were to be taken to court. | |||
In response to this, FHSD Connect AS CEO, Øyvind Fries, says that: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
It is regrettable that we now have to spend time and resources on strengthening the security around a service in demand, rather than further developing functionality for the benefit of our customers (Translated from Norwegian). | |||
</blockquote> | |||
Fries adds that their focus is on reliable and user-friendly services, with former customers of Futurehome being of primary interest. Regarding the bounty, Fries expressed: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
Although some perceive this as entertainment, it can have serious consequences for several thousand subscribers who use the service daily. | |||
Unauthorized access to software is considered illegal hacking, and is punished according to Norwegian law (Translated from Norwegian). | |||
</blockquote> | |||
When asked by the journalists at Tek.no about what legal actions that FHDS Connect AS would take if someone were to obtain the bounty, Fries said: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
Any offenses are followed up by the police, who have experience with this type of problem (Translated from Norwegian). | |||
</blockquote> | |||
==Similarity to Wink== | ==Similarity to Wink== | ||
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At this point, we should now know: | At this point, we should now know: | ||
# The DNS A/AAAA requests and responses that the FH device queries | #The DNS A/AAAA requests and responses that the FH device queries | ||
# The Layer-3 protocols and Layer-4 ports in use by the device | #The Layer-3 protocols and Layer-4 ports in use by the device | ||
# The commands sent back and forth between the FH device and the FH server | #The commands sent back and forth between the FH device and the FH server | ||
# The responses sent back and forth from item three, above | #The responses sent back and forth from item three, above | ||
Armed with this, we will need to create a DNS server that has a local zone (db.rpz.local) for each DNS request by the FH device. These entries should point to (what will eventually become) our custom FH server. For this example, let's use 1.2.3.4 as the server IP. Now, any time the FH device wants to connect to the actual FH server and it's using our DNS server, it will connect to 1.2.3.4 (our custom server) instead. | Armed with this, we will need to create a DNS server that has a local zone (db.rpz.local) for each DNS request by the FH device. These entries should point to (what will eventually become) our custom FH server. For this example, let's use 1.2.3.4 as the server IP. Now, any time the FH device wants to connect to the actual FH server and it's using our DNS server, it will connect to 1.2.3.4 (our custom server) instead. | ||
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Firmware isn't hacked: We've just created a new tool that the FH device ''happens'' to work with. :) | Firmware isn't hacked: We've just created a new tool that the FH device ''happens'' to work with. :) | ||
== Futurehome Debian "Wheezy" software repositories == | |||
The following are two of futurehome`s software repositories: | |||
* Cube-1v1-eu hub: http://archive.futurehome.no/prod-1v1 | |||
* Cube-2v0-eu hub: http://archive.futurehome.no/prod-2v0/ | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||