Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty Images
If you paid more than $US4,000 ($5,130) for Peloton’s Tread+, you’d expect that treadmill to be yours. And it is. Kind of. But the thing you should know about connected devices is that ownership isn’t as straightforward as simply buying a gadget.
Yesterday, Peloton notified Tread+ owners that they would no longer be able to use the “Just Run” feature without subscribing to Peloton’s $US40 ($51) monthly membership. “Just Run” was a mode that let you use the Tread+ without Peloton’s classes, and, crucially, without paying for that subscription. The reason Peloton gave for the change was its Tread Lock software update, which added a 4-digit passcode to prevent unauthorised access. Tread Lock is part of Peloton’s voluntary recall for the Tread+, following numerous reports of injuries and in one case, a child’s death. The response on Twitter has not been kind. Some went as far as to call this ransom and extortion under the guise o