Rinse and repeat: washing machine tune revealed!!!!

'An amazing Kiwi success story'

It was a mystery buried deep inside Fisher & Paykel washing machines, but former staff have come clean.

Last week, I reported how machines with ‘SmartDrive’ technology could play several national anthems including God Defend New Zealand.

The company confirmed that an unnamed software engineer programmed a popular movie theme song into the code. That unnamed theme remains buried deep within the software, “dormant and inaccessible to the user”, according to Neil Cheyne, Fisher & Paykel reliability and compliance general manager.

Dormant and inaccessible, but no longer a secret.

A previous Stuff story suggested the hidden tune was a science fiction themes from the 80s, another Reddit post said it was the 2009 hit Crazy Frog by Axel F, while another contacted me to say it could play Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon…

Heavy.

Former Fisher & Paykel software engineer, Adam Darby, said he was part of a small team who wrote code for SmartDrive washing machines, “when this legend was started by a teammate, who wishes to remain anonymous”.

The work by the six strong washer electronics development team included coding Axel F, the theme tune to Beverly Hills Cop, by German musician Harold Faltermeier.

As an aside, that tune was later sampled for Crazy Frog, possibly the worst song ever released.

But Axel F was only playable on one particular model of Fisher & Paykel washing machine, with that same model not able to play the national anthems.

That was secretly included on one of early 90s SmartDrive models, “without telling anyone how to access it”.

“Management loved the idea, but wanted something that wouldn't get us in trouble over music rights, so we decided to change the tune to the national anthem of whatever country the particular washer was being exported to.”

Darby said the Auckland factory, which was based in East Tamaki, was very advanced and automated, exporting to the United States and Australia, and throughout New Zealand.

That led to the production line control systems defaulting the coded tune to that of the country of export, enabling the respective anthem to be played in the retail store of that country, and “the dealers loved it”.

“Later on we even figured out how to play tunes with the actual motor itself.

“Didn't release that idea though.”

Darby said he and his fellow workers remained proud of the SmartDrive washing machines, which were innovative, successful, and “all designed by our little team in Auckland”.

The Fisher & Paykel direct drive system had since been replicated by many major international manufacturers, while there were “many patents covering the design of this washer”.

Darby, who specialises in advanced motor control systems, has one of the prototype SmartDrive machines at his house, which was still washing clothes daily, “over 20 years later, still going strong”.

The machines were much more than just the hidden tunes they could play, with the SmartDrive development “an amazing Kiwi success story”.

The core design of that technology was essentially unchanged to this day, he said.

The only thing that had changed was the manufacturing plants had gone offshore, while the R&D team for laundry and refrigeration was still based in Auckland and the company’s oven and dishwasher R&D team were based in Dunedin.

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ICYMI, a couple of my favourite stories over the last week include confirmation that abortion protesters will have until the end of the month before the area around the Dunedin clinic becomes a safe zone. The map is below:

I interviewed Sam Sharpe, who is known locally as the ‘Dicks guy’, and has led his counter-protest for more than a decade. What a legend, and surely deserving of a higher honour.

You can read that here.

I also profiled Jarrod Hodson who now has a seven-tonne locomotive engine in his house. You can read that here.

I also did a piece on a Dunedin connection to the Barbie movie, I’ve made mental note to read John Egene’s book, and I wrote a profile before the big Football Ferns v Switzerland match.

I took my family to that game (we went to three, my eldest son went to four matches), and I’ve never experienced an atmosphere like it at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Apart from a concert (Kendrick Lamar), it was probably the best time I’ve had at the venue and I think most people would have been buzzing, despite the 0-0 result.

The only downside was repeatedly getting hit in the head by poi wielded by my wife and our youngest, and then having a bird shit on my right shoulder.

Over the next few days, Dunedin Stadium will be converted back to Forsyth Barr Stadium for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match-up.

As an aside, Uber, which has partnered with the All Blacks and Black Ferns, is providing local driver partners, delivery people and restaurant owners with All Blacks’ kit for the event.

If Uber Eats is your thing you can get 50% off on match days. While I use Uber when I travel, I have never used Uber Eats.

But it does remind me of when I was a student and too young to buy drinks (the age used to be 20). My flatmates would order booze for a delivery service, which would never check I.D. RESULT!

For those wanting to meet the All Blacks, they will be in the Octagon on Friday from 12.15pm.

Hopefully it will be warmer.

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As Winter conditions start to bite, I was pleased to see this email in my inbox: KIWIS AND AUSTRALIANS SNUGGLE INTO LUXURY NZ-MADE DUVETS

That was about Dunedin company Eiderdown recording online sales increasing by up to 40% over the last year.

While many manufacturers outsourced production overseas, Eiderdown continued to make duvets and pillows in Dunedin and sell them online.

Great stuff.

If you know where the below is in Dunedin, please answer in the comments.

Meanwhile, the Film Festival starts on Thursday, and looks amazing. I’ll be checking out a few, time permitting, but certainly will be heading to the King Loser doco and gig.

Have a great week!