> It's a total dick move on Philips's part to "update" incompatibility into existing products that people already own
Last year, Shimano (the bikes-and-fishing people) released a firmware update for their electronic shifting system which prevents 2012 (10-speed) parts from working with 2014 (11-speed) gear mechanisms. Literally, if you upgraded your bike from 10 speeds to 11, it worked when the hardware was released, but not after you installed the (irreversible) firmware update. This is with everything coming from a single brand!
> I'd be surprised if they didn't recharge it by pedaling. ;)
I'd be surprised if they did. A dynamo adds a noticeable load on the bike, and the people buying this are already optimising for small improvements. Adding a dynamo to power it would probably be a net negative for performance.
A dynamo doesn't actually add that much load to the bike, but they're heavy and invasive, the exact opposite of what an electronic shifting system aims to be.
I run a dynamo generator for lights on my bike. The datasheet says it steals about 7 watts of power. I'm a relatively weak cyclist, but I can put out 230W continuously for an hour. The dynamo doesn't matter unless you're racing.
That said I still have good-old-classic 10 speed mechanical shifting. It works so well I don't see the need to add another computer-based gadget to my life.
> They should generate power from the motion of the shift levers.
How much power would that really generate? You can't make them too stiff, since part of the reason people like electronic shifting is that it's easy to do when your hands are numb from cold.
Actually no--the Shimano and Campagnolo systems (the first two to market, and the only ones anyone really has yet except some pros) are wired. Look up "Shimano Di2." The battery lasts about 1000 miles before it needs to be recharged, and it can be charged via USB.
To be fair, it's the same as top of the range sports cars having automatic transmissions(like Bugatti Veyron). Top of the range automatics are just faster than any human could possibly be, so they are a natural choice at that level. From what I understand, all professional cyclists use electronic shifters because they are more precise and faster - one click always means one gear, while with a manual sometimes you can miss a gear or jump two at once.
Don't get me wrong, there is definitely such a thing as firmware crippleware, but being strict about compatibility with other devices isn't necessarily such a case, particularly in this case where random devices are disproportionately likely to cause all kinds of mischief.
In general, being more compatible increases the value of a device. When it doesn't, you've got some bad market forces at play.
Last year, Shimano (the bikes-and-fishing people) released a firmware update for their electronic shifting system which prevents 2012 (10-speed) parts from working with 2014 (11-speed) gear mechanisms. Literally, if you upgraded your bike from 10 speeds to 11, it worked when the hardware was released, but not after you installed the (irreversible) firmware update. This is with everything coming from a single brand!
You can read a little about that here: http://fitwerx.com/converting-shimano-ultegra-6770-di2-to-11...