The Smart Home Graveyard Grows as June Oven Goes Dark

The risk of owning cloud-dependent hardware was highlighted this week when Weber shut down the app and cloud services for the June Oven, as The Verge first reported.

Founded by former Apple engineers, June Oven was a high-end appliance featuring a built-in scale, camera, and AI food recognition. While the device launched at a premium price of $1,495, it has now been rendered a "sleek-looking toaster oven" without app control, software updates, or AI capabilities. Weber, which acquired the company in January 2021 and ceased oven production in 2022, declined to open-source the technology, stating that the intellectual property is part of the Weber Connect platform.

This shutdown is part of a broader trend of connected products becoming obsolete. The Verge notes that other devices recently losing support include Neato robot vacuums, Belkin’s WeMo line, Logitech’s Pop buttons, Sengled smart bulbs, Bose SoundTouch speakers, and early Nest Thermostats. While some devices, such as the Nest Thermostats, retain basic functionality, others, like the Nest Secure, are described as "pure e-waste."

While some products have been rescued by open-source platforms like Home Assistant or community buyouts—as seen with Insteon in 2022—most remain in a "zombie state." June co-founder Matt Van Horn stated on X that he attempted to keep the servers online but was unsuccessful. Similar instability is noted with Level Lock, a startup bought by Assa Abloy, which subsequently fired most of the company's staff.