A lot of people are asking for the right to repair. Many people believe products should last longer, and therefore when broken, they should be repaired. This requires products to be designed for repair as well as support for repairers of all kinds. The goal of right-to-repair rules, advocates say, is to require companies to make their parts, tools and information available to consumers and repair shops in order to keep devices from ending up in the scrap heap. The surge in interest in right to repair is good news for consumers and environment, but it isn’t great news for those companies keen on planned obsolescence.
Fix, or Toss? The ‘Right to Repair’ Movement Gains Ground article says that in USA both Republicans and Democrats are pursuing laws to make it easier for people to fix cellphones, cars, even hospital ventilators. In Europe, the movement is further along.
Vice article The Right to Repair Movement Is Poised to Explode in 2021 article says that in USA fourteen states are exploring “right to repair” legislation as the movement gains steam. Whether it’s John Deere’s efforts to make tractor repair costly and annoying, Apple’s bullying of independent repair shops, or Sony and Microsoft’s attempt to monopolize game console repair, US corporations have done an incredible job the last few years driving bipartisan public interest in the “right to repair” movement. Last year witnessed monumental progress for right to repair and 2021 is expected to take the effort to an entirely new level.
In addition to the environmental impact of slowing the rate of expanding landfills there are also other benefits. A recent report by US PIRG found that repair monopolization comes with significant costs for American consumers. It also found that American families would save $40 billion ($330 per family) per year if they repaired more products and used them for longer periods. That’s of course
The French repair index: challenges and opportunities article tells that since January 1st 2021, France is the first country in Europe to have implemented a repairability index on 5 categories of electronic devices. While this index is a key milestone for the Right to Repair in Europe, it isn’t without limitations.
261 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
France is requiring tech companies come clean about how repairable their devices are.
Why France’s world-first repairability labels are a big deal:
https://grist.org/climate/why-frances-new-repairability-index-is-a-big-deal/
source: https://twitter.com/themadstone/status/1358818634223681547
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tractor-Hacking Farmers Take on John Deere
These tractor-hacking farmers are fighting for the right to repair their own equipment.
https://www.freethink.com/shows/coded/season-3/tractor-hacking
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Right to Repair Movement Is Poised to Explode in 2021
Fourteen states are exploring “right to repair” legislation as the movement gains steam.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgqk38/the-right-to-repair-movement-is-poised-to-explode-in-2021
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgqk38/the-right-to-repair-movement-is-poised-to-explode-in-2021
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG Electronics Urges the Australian Government on Right to Repair
https://www.electropages.com/blog/2021/02/lg-electronics-urges-australian-government-right-repair?utm_campaign=2021-02-23-Latest-Product-News&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_content=LG+Electronics+Urges+the+Australian+Government+on+Right+to+Repair
Recently, electronics giant LG Electronics called on the Australian government to introduce a framework that would provide clear guidance on right-to-repair. What is “right-to-repair”, why has this met resistance, and what are LG Electronics intentions with their request for regulation?
What is Right-To-Repair?
Right-To-Repair’s concept is the idea that anyone has the inalienable right to repair equipment that they own. However, the right-to-repair goes beyond being able to open a product up and perform a repair. It also includes the right that a customer can go to a manufacturer and ask for spare parts, or alternatives to those parts.
This concept was extremely commonplace with most products in the past. Cars were mostly mechanical and all parts for a car could be sourced and replaced. Simultaneously, electronic products (such as old radios and TVs), would sometimes have a schematic provided that allowed a customer to identify and replace any component. Furthermore, manufacturers of electronic components would freely provide customers with details as to where to obtain parts if they no longer themselves stocked the needed part.
How Electronics have Changed to Make Repair Work Harder
The electronics industry has gone through massive leaps in technological capabilities with billions of transistors fitting on chips and resistors that can barely be seen. Such technology has repaired electronic products more impractical and costly which have resulted in a throw-away culture. What used to be fixable with a few through-hole parts and a steady hand with a soldering iron can now require a reflow oven with precision tweezers and a microscope.
However, not all electronics are considered impractical to repair, especially those containing personal or sensitive data. For example, computers typically store photos of memories, programs that contain license keys, and files that are far too important to be lost. If such a device’s motherboard was to fail, it could make sense to hire a professional repairman to fix the device and recover the information.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NEW EU ‘RIGHT TO REPAIR’ LAWS REQUIRE TECHNOLOGY TO LAST FOR A DECADE
New devices will also have to come with repair manuals and be made in such a way that they can be dismantled using conventional tools
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/eu-right-repair-technology-decade-b1809408.html
Daisy Beusink says:
Definitely a good thing that you are now able to see how easy it is to repair the device..
There are a lot of spare parts available so longer lasting devices !!
https://fixpart.nl/nl
Daisy Beusink says:
Definitely a good thing that you are now able to see how easy it is to repair the device..
There are a lot of spare parts available so longer lasting devices !!
https://fixpart.nl/nl
Tomi Engdahl says:
OVH reveals it’s scrubbing servers – to get smoke residue off before rebooting
Quite a few have come back online, but it takes seven hours to restore each rack
https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/29/ovh_restoration_update/
French cloud operator OVH has revealed how it is cleaning every server it thinks can be returned to service in its scorched Strasbourg data centres.
Founder and chair Octave Klaba used his Twitter account so show off some of the work being done by the company’s clean-up crew.
Details of incident that lead to this clean-up operation:
OVH data centre destroyed by fire in Strasbourg – all services unavailable
https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/10/ovh_strasbourg_fire/?td=keepreading-uu
Tomi Engdahl says:
Unintended consequences
https://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-blogs/unintended-consequences-2/235788/
UK ministers recently confirmed that, from this summer, consumers will have a right to repair on goods they buy in what is being described as a major step in cutting down on the estimated 1.5 million tonnes of electronic waste that the UK generates each year.
It comes at a time of pushback amongst consumers against unrepairable devices and the idea that many manufacturers deliberately sell products knowing that they will only last a few years i.e. planned obsolescence.
Our consumer society has succeeded in creating a mountain of e-waste and it’s only recently that governments have started to announce plans to ensure that products can be more easily recycled, repaired or simply designed to last longer. Too many manufacturers fail to offer replacement parts or servicing, so this new law is looking to extend the lifespan of household appliances by up to 10 years – from a current average of around 2-3 years.
While this ‘Right to Repair’ law chimes with changing consumer attitudes and the demand for more sustainable technology Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, has warned that while this is a well-intentioned green policy, consumers should not attempt to repair their electrical appliances without the knowledge to do so safely and the
Government should be giving serious thought as to who can carry out repairs – which is a fair point.
It’s certainly a sensible law but it only applies to domestic appliances and not to mobile phones or other electronic devices. Could that prove a missed opportunity, especially when you consider that the likes of Apple and Samsung continue to make it impossible to fix their devices – surely consumers should be able to get their devices repaired without having to go to the manufacturer?
This legislation also comes with some possible unintended consequences, one of which is that 3D printing could provide manufacturers, who are affected by this law, with a solution for supplying spare parts, which they are legally obliged to make available to consumers for up to a decade. For many companies this could involve stocking hundreds of thousands of spare parts.
So, could 3D printing reduce the need for physical inventory and vast warehouses and make it possible to hold less frequently required parts as digital files only reproducing them as required?
The ‘Right to Repair’ law will undoubtedly mean that goods last longer, to the benefit of both consumers and the environment, but it could also provide a real boost for additive manufacturers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
THANK YOU LINUS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F-Wxj-v9-g
Words aren’t enough. We need ACTION.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvVafMi0l68
Right to repair is a frequently misunderstood issue, and we’re here to set the record straight.
Tomi Engdahl says:
We Told the Copyright Office that Repair Should be Legal, Period.
https://www.ifixit.com/News/49993/we-told-the-copyright-office-that-repair-should-be-legal-period
What do ventilators, smart ice cream machines, and game consoles have in common? Fixing them could land you in trouble—lawsuits, fines, or even prison time under copyright law. We’re trying to change that.
It’s firmware’s world, and we’re only living in it. At this point in the 21st Century, almost every device imaginable contains firmware—the embedded software that controls the device. To keep you from accessing that firmware (and doing anything the makers don’t want you to), manufacturers often use digital locks called Technological Protection Measures (TPMs).
Getting around these digital locks, even if you only want to fix your devices, could land you on the wrong end of a lawsuit for violating Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
We believe that restrictive firmware is a mortal danger to the future of repair, and that copyright law shouldn’t keep you from fixing your stuff—and we told the US Copyright Office so at a hearing this week
Tomi Engdahl says:
That would be news to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency that actually regulates medical devices. In 2018, the FDA published a report finding that repairs done by independent medical technicians are just as safe and effective as those by the manufacturer’s own technicians. Right on the first page of text, the FDA notes that third-party repair is “critical to the functioning of the U.S. healthcare system.”
https://www.ifixit.com/News/49993/we-told-the-copyright-office-that-repair-should-be-legal-period
Tomi Engdahl says:
FTC delivers death blow to anti-repair lobbyists & their disingenuous arguments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKALUEoRd7E
Comment:
How capitalism is SUPPOSED to work: we as consumers as SUPPOSED to NOT BUY their CRAP, and let them lose millions supplying something “the market doesn’t want” (irreparable goods). But sadly as a whole, we’re stupid, lazy, individuals who just want our gratification now. So instead of letting APPLE and all their stock holders suddenly eat dirt and put pressure on apple to figure it out, we have to MANDATE that they do the RIGHT thing, just getting the populous accustom to government force being the only tool they have.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Durability, Derating, and Circularity
https://www.eetimes.com/durability-derating-and-circularity/
Last month, we began our evaluation of the Circular Electronics Partnership’s (CEP) roadmap. To me, it appears to be focused on recyclability and design for recyclability. Product modularity, design for repairability, and design for reuse are equally important and relate strongly to design for recyclability.
Lesson: Derating guidelines (e.g., for electrolytic capacitors) must be defined and in place to enable achieving an expected product lifetime (at an acceptable mean time between failure rate, or MTBF). They become critical when that lifetime is driven by regulatory and market pressures to exceed what used to be the design life for the product.
Repairability: This is becoming a regulatory requirement in the European Union, with France leading the way. While my subwoofer is not one of the five product categories subject to the French requirement for manufacturers to define the reparability rating of their product, it would probably get a rather low score. The product effectively has three replaceable subassemblies: the speaker, the amplifier, and the enclosure. Replacement of the speaker doesn’t appear to be particularly difficult, but replacement of the amplifier/power supply subassembly, which was not designed for maintainability — it was designed to be readily assembled into the system, but not to be removed, repaired, and/or replaced — without significant damage is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, the cost of third-party repair would exceed the cost of simply buying a new unit (which is what I ended up doing).
These are not simply design choices a design engineer alone can make. A product strategy embodying an extended product life has broad implications for the company, its (forward and reverse) supply chains, required resources internally and externally, and its business model. A holistic approach to redefining the company to support circularity must include most, if not all, product-related organizations in the company along with executive and financial management. In other words, circular market requirements represent a fundamental shift in how a manufacturer must operate to remain viable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You need to get these voltages when repairing a laptop motherboard
This how you use your multimeter
STEPS WHEN TAKING MEASUREMENTS
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAmHjhiWBI&feature=youtu.be
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tractors And The Right To Repair: It’s Going Global
https://hackaday.com/2021/06/08/tractors-and-the-right-to-repair-its-going-global/
For more than a few years now, we’ve been covering the saga of tractors from the larger manufacturers on which all components are locked down by software to the extent that they can only be replaced by officially sanctioned dealers. We’re thus pleased to see a couple of moments when the story has broken out of the field of a few farmers and right-to-repair geeks and into the mainstream. First up: a segment on the subject from NPR is worth a listen, as the US public radio station interviews a Montana farmer hit by a $5k fuel sensor on his John Deere as a hook form which to examine the issue. Then there is a blog post from the National Farmers Union, the body representing UK farmers, in which they too lay out the situation and also highlight the data-grabbing aspects of these machines.
The last piece is particularly interesting, as not only does it break the story out of the USA, but also because the NFU are the largest farmers’ body in the UK and represent farmers across the whole range of British agriculture. Their leverage as a political pressure group is not inconsequential, so if this is a subject they’ve taken up, it could result in it being heard in the corridors of power.
Most of the coverage of this has centred upon John Deere tractors, but it extends beyond the familiar green and yellow machines. At its root is the vast majority of larger-scale tractor manufacturing lying with a very small number of multi-national companies who are each pursuing similar problematic software-based paths. Legislation to curb their extent is one route out of the problem, but perhaps another is for it to become an opportunity for a market entrant to seize an edge.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://stories.oras.com/fi/kosketusvapaiden-hanojen-4-yleisint%C3%A4-huoltotarvetta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Would better components reduce disasters?
Various gadgets are simply tossed out after a few years, either because they are obsolete due to a short lifecycle or they just fail.
There are mechanical and electronics failures. In very many cases the root cause for failure of long used mains powered device is that the electrolytic capacitors used for filtering of the power supply have failed.
Capacitor-replacement repairs is practical for the average consumer and recapping is often time consuming for those who know how to do repairs.
More:
https://www.edn.com/would-better-electrolytic-capacitors-reduce-e-waste/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Biden to Sign Executive Order Granting Farmers Right to Repair Protections
The federal government is officially planning to fight policies that prevent farmers from repairing their tractors.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epn5mk/biden-to-sign-executive-order-granting-farmers-right-to-repair-protections?utm_source=vice_facebook&utm_medium=social
President Biden is preparing to issue an executive order on the right to repair, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. This would be the first time a president has weighed in on the ability for consumers to fix their own things; it would also be the first time that a president has taken concrete steps on the issue.
At the White House press briefing today, Psaki said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Trade Commission, at the direction of Biden, is working on new rules to increase competition in the farming industry,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Justin Sink / Bloomberg:
Source: Biden will direct the FTC to draft new right-to-repair rules, with an explicit mention of mobile phone manufacturers expected in the directive — – Order may loosen rules on who can undertake phone repairs — Pentagon contractors, farm equipment also under scrutiny
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-06/biden-wants-farmers-to-have-right-to-repair-own-equipment-kqs66nov
Tomi Engdahl says:
Good news for those pc repairs, specially those who fix apple products
https://www.wired.com/story/biden-executive-order-right-to-repair/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Right to repair movement gains power in US and Europe
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57744091
There is growing pressure on manufacturers around the world to allow consumers the right to repair their own devices.
The UK has introduced right-to-repair rules that legally require manufacturers to make spare parts available to people buying electrical appliances.
The European Commission has announced plans for right-to-repair rules for smartphones, tablets and laptops.
And later this week, US President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to draw up rules on the repair of farming equipment.
‘Safety risk’
It would give farmers “the right to repair their own equipment how they like”, the president’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, said.
And some expect the rules to go further and take in consumer electronic devices such as phones or game consoles.
Tractor manufacturer John Deere is among those who opposed the idea, saying it posed a safety risk.
It has also been opposed by technology giants such as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, which impose limits on who can repair phones and game consoles and say independent repair could affect the security and safety of devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/41493/teslas-16000-quote-for-a-700-fix-is-why-right-to-repair-matters
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.wikihow.com/Recone-Speakers
Tomi Engdahl says:
FTC puts hardware makers on warning for potential ‘unlawful repair restrictions’
https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/21/ftc-puts-hardware-makers-on-warning-for-potential-unlawful-repair-restrictions/?tpcc=ECFB2021
The statement then makes four basic points. First, it reiterates the need for consumers and other public organizations to report and characterize what they perceive as unfair or problematic repair restrictions. The FTC doesn’t go out and spontaneously investigate companies, it generally needs a complaint to set the wheels in motion, such as people alleging that Facebook is misusing their data.
Second is a surprising antitrust tie-in, where the FTC says it will look at said restrictions aiming to answer whether monopolistic practices like tying and exclusionary design are in play.
Tomi Engdahl says:
If you can’t fix it, you don’t own it.
https://www.ifixit.com/Manifesto
Tomi Engdahl says:
Impeccable timing, with the FTC this week having unanimously voted to approve right-to-repair policies.
The first totally modular Intel laptop is now shipping, and I really hope it’s a success
By Paul Lilly 1 day ago
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-first-totally-modular-intel-laptop-is-now-shipping-and-i-really-hope-its-a-success/?utm_campaign=socialflow
Everything on this laptop can be replaced, even the individual I/O ports.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A chilling development in Right to Repair
The McFlurry Machine Company Just Got Hit With a McRestraining Order
https://gizmodo.com/the-mcflurry-machine-company-just-got-hit-with-a-mcrest-1847449236
A judge ordered the company to turn over third-party repair tech it had allegedly obtained with the intention of learning its secrets.
More background information on the case is in this article than the Gizmodo one. https://www.wired.com/story/they-hacked-mcdonalds-ice-cream-makers-started-cold-war/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Earlier this year, the #EU introduced a right-to-repair law that provides all citizens access to manuals, tools, and parts for fixing their appliances and TVs. Will other regions–and devices–be next?
Europe Champions the Right to Repair Are other regions next?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/right-to-repair-europe
In May, European activists stacked used printers—which they say are among the least repairable consumer technologies today—outside the European Commission in Brussels to advocate for extending the EU’s new right-to-repair regulations.
In July, U.S. president Joe Biden issued executive order 14036, which among other things urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address “unfair anticompetitive restrictions on third-party repair or self-repair of items.”
The notion of soldiers at some far-flung military base unable to fix critical gear because the manufacturer insists that it be sent back to an authorized repair facility is troubling to say the least. So it’s no wonder that the FTC quickly responded by voting unanimously to reinvigorate its efforts to enforce existing right-to-repair legislation, in line with the stance the agency took in May when it issued a report on the topic, “Nixing the Fix.”
Those moves alone make 2021 a promising year for those wishing to see expansion of the right to repair. But the gains are in fact broader, in particular because the very first right-to-repair regulations for electrical and electronic appliances took effect in Europe earlier this year.
While there’s still a long way to go, advocates there say, European thinking on the topic appears years ahead of that in the United States.
The European Commission’s new Ecodesign Measures
Specifically, Europe’s new regulations demand that manufacturers of washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and displays (including televisions) make spare parts and repair documentation available to professional third-party repairers, preventing the kind of repair monopolies that manufacturers might otherwise maintain. Manufacturers must be able to supply these repairers with spare parts within 15 business days, and depending on the class of product and type of part, must continue to offer such support for 7 to 10 years. Matching rules went into effect in the United Kingdom at the start of July.
“This is a great first step,”
“People want everything to be a lot more repairable than it is now.” —Ugo Vallauri, the Restart Project
In 2024, this scheme is slated to evolve into one that scores the overall durability of products, repairability being one component.
The current law demands that the seller display the repairability score close to the price, with the index printed in a font that is just as large as the one showing how much the thing costs. So it’s hard to ignore. And this numeric score is accompanied by a color code, which ranges from red to green.
“Some brands have decided to release some very detailed documentation,” says Groussier. “They wouldn’t have done that without the index.”
And next year France will take yet another huge step to encourage people to have their gizmos fixed rather than throw them out—by developing a fund that will subsidize repairs. “When you go to a repair shop, when you pay your bill, you’ll have a discount, thanks to this fund,”
The new fund will be part of existing EPR ( Extended Producer Responsibility) schemes that are widely in place in Europe. Where applicable, manufacturers already have to contribute a fraction of the purchase price to cover disposal costs for their products. Soon in France, part of such up-front fees will be directed toward a new repair fund
Tomi Engdahl says:
eevBLAB 88 – Right To Repair Questions & Answers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moa3YBdLepg
NOTE: This video was a response to various questions about Right to Repair I hastily did for a legacy media current affairs program who are doing a segment on right to repair. But I now won’t be on it, so here is the footage if it’s of use to anyone else.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2600net/permalink/3171767783046325/
Apple today announced Self Service Repair, which will allow customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts and tools. Available first for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and soon to be followed by Mac computers featuring M1 chips, Self Service Repair will be available early next year in the US and expand to additional countries throughout 2022. Customers join more than 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) and 2,800 Independent Repair Providers who have access to these parts, tools, and manuals.
The initial phase of the program will focus on the most commonly serviced modules, such as the iPhone display, battery, and camera. The ability for additional repairs will be available later next year.
“Creating greater access to Apple genuine parts gives our customers even more choice if a repair is needed,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.
Apple announces Self Service Repair
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/11/apple-announces-self-service-repair/
Apple parts, tools, and manuals — starting with iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 — available to individual consumers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ian Sherr / CNET:
Apple announces Self Service Repair, a program starting next year that will publish repair manuals, let customers buy parts and tools, and more — The tech giant says it will publish repair manuals and allow everyday customers to buy the same parts and tools certified technicians and repair shops use.
Apple to begin do-it-yourself repair program for iPhones, Macs next year
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apple-to-begin-do-it-yourself-repair-program-for-iphones-macs-next-year/
The tech giant says it will publish repair manuals and allow everyday customers to buy the same parts and tools certified technicians and repair shops use.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple to begin do-it-yourself repair program for iPhones, Macs next year
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apple-to-begin-do-it-yourself-repair-program-for-iphones-macs-next-year/
The tech giant says it will publish repair manuals and allow everyday customers to buy the same parts and tools certified technicians and repair shops use.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kyle Wiens, co-founder of iFixit, discusses Apple’s right-to-repair moves, which aren’t as radical as you think
Did Apple Really Fix Its DIY Repair Stance? iFixit’s founder explains Apple’s new pairing concept and the barrier it presents
https://spectrum.ieee.org/right-to-repair-apple?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&socialux=facebook&share_id=6816485&utm_medium=social&utm_content=IEEE+Spectrum&utm_source=facebook
Spectrum: Take a moment to describe the situation before a couple of weeks ago, when Apple announced a change of policy on self-repair. Suppose I bought a new Apple phone and I sat on it and cracked the screen and decided I wanted to repair it. What could I do?
Wiens: Apple basically provided no option for that. They’ve gone out of their way to prevent people from doing that kind of repair. So your option is to go to a third party—an organization, like iFixit. We’ve been working in spite of Apple. Apple’s known for going after independent parts companies for trademark violations and that kind of thing. Apple did not make any service information available. They designed the product to be glued together, so it’s hard to work on. They don’t sell parts. That’s been the state of things.
about a year ago Apple launched a program that they call IRP and for Independent Repair Provider program. It is a mechanism for local shops to get access to Apple parts and tools. But there are many catches. The biggest catch is that the contract you have to sign requires you to turn your customer data over the Apple.
Then on November 17th, Apple makes an announcement. What did they say? And did this come as a surprise?
It was definitely a surprise. They said that they are going to start making information and parts available directly to consumers to be able to fix their own device, starting with the iPhone 12 and 13 and then potentially expanding to other devices in the future. It hasn’t launched yet. They said it’s going to start early next year. This is a big change: Apple has never posted the service manual for an iPhone before.
Why now? Is it because of the kind of lobbying you’ve been doing?
It’s clear that this is in response to pressure from lawmakers and the Federal Trade Commission, which has been investigating this. So there was pressure coming from all sides. They are trying to kind of get ahead of it.
There is, however, a catch with the software that they’re saying they’re going to provide: They’re saying that you’re going to have to buy the part from Apple in order to use the software to “pair” the part.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Europe Champions the Right to Repair Are other regions next?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/right-to-repair-europe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Replating Edge Connectors (1982)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqr-ZmDHR8U
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/11/controller-swaps-can-save-an-hdd-if-you-do-it-right/
Tomi Engdahl says:
PCB Microsurgery Puts The Bodges Inside The Board
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/14/pcb-microsurgery-puts-the-bodges-inside-the-board/
We all make mistakes, and there’s no shame in having to bodge a printed circuit board to fix a mistake. Most of us are content with cutting a trace or two with an Xacto or adding a bit of jumper wire to make the circuit work. Very few of us, however, will decide to literally do our bodges inside the PCB itself.
https://twitter.com/azonenberg/status/1469808785694683139
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oh Deere, Is That Right To Repair Resolution Troubling You?
https://hackaday.com/2021/12/14/oh-deere-is-that-right-to-repair-resolution-troubling-you/
Over the years a constant in stories covering the right to repair has come from an unexpected direction, the farming community. Their John Deer tractors, a stalwart of North American agriculture, have become difficult to repair due to their parts using DRM restricting their use to authorised Deere agents. We’ve covered farmers using dubious software tools to do the job themselves, we’ve seen more than one legal challenge, and it’s reported that the price of a used Deere has suffered as farmers abandon their allegiance to newer green and yellow machines. Now comes news of a new front in the battle, as a socially responsible investment company has the tractor giant scrambling to block their shareholder motion on the matter.
Deere have not been slow in their fight-back against the threat of right-to-repair legislation and their becoming its unwilling poster-child, with CTO Jahmy Hindman going on record stating that 98% of repairs to Deere machinery can be done by the farmer themself (PDF, page 5) without need for a Deere agent. The question posed by supporters of the shareholder action is that given the substantial risk to investors of attracting a right-to-repair backlash, why would they run such a risk for the only 2% of repairs that remain? We’d be interested to know how Deere arrived at that figure, because given the relatively trivial nature of some of the examples we’ve seen it sounds far-fetched.
Deere shareholders: “It doesn’t add up.”
https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/deere-shareholders-it-doesnt-add-up
Tractor giant petitions SEC to strike shareholder resolution asking tough questions about Right to Repair
“What the advocates ask for is impossible, plus we’re already doing it!”
That’s how clean energy advocate Rob Sargent describes the arguments utilities use to lobby against renewable power. It’s strikingly similar to how manufacturers argue against Right to Repair — reforms that would enable more options for how we get modern devices fixed.
Companies routinely tout their inadequate repair programs as complete, while saying the sky would fall if people were to have everything they need for repair. And as Right-to-Repair campaigns move forward, these arguments are starting to raise more questions — including from the shareholders of the companies making these contradictory claims.
Nothing runs away like a Deere
In September, Green Century Capital Management°, PIRG’s affiliated socially responsible mutual fund company, announced it had filed a shareholder resolution with Deere & Co.*, calling for an account of the company’s “anti-competitive repair policies.”
Earlier this month, Green Century announced that Deere had petitioned the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to block the resolution rather than allow the issue to go before shareholders. According to Green Century, one of the arguments that Deere made to the SEC was that the company had already publicly addressed Right to Repair. But Green Century’s release notes its questions are very much unanswered.
A lot of risk for “2% of repairs”
Deere’s response to Right to Repair has been to suggest that they give farmers plenty of repair support, specifically that farmers can do 98% of repairs already.
Despite that claim, farmers and advocates continue to demonstrate how repair restrictions harm farm operations. The Right to Repair campaign has led to an executive order from President Joe Biden that encourages the Federal Trade Commission to take action on repair restrictions, “such as the restrictions imposed by powerful manufacturers that prevent farmers from repairing their own equipment.” The FTC has shown readiness to carry out this charge, voting unanimously to support Right to Repair, with Chairwoman Lina Khan pledging to “move forward on this issue with new vigor.” And state legislators across the country are pushing for bills to restore farmers’ Right to Repair.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Encourages Kids to Repair Chromebooks at School
Some schools have already launched repair services while others offer Chromebook repair as an elective course.
https://uk.pcmag.com/laptops/138541/google-encourages-kids-to-repair-chromebooks-at-school
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/31/factory-defect-ic-revived-with-sandpaper-and-microsoldering/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Do Potentiometers Work And How To Service Them. Cleaning Volume Controls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q225qr0BctA
How Do Potentiometers Work And How To Clean Test And Lubricant Them.
Electronics repair.
Cleaning volume controls
Potentiometers – How They Work, Disassembly and Exploration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUkrpqEmXb8
In this video, I disassemble a couple different pots (Bourns and CTS 500k audio taper) to show how they’re constructed, and explain how they work. I also show how to identify pot values and taper by their markings and by measuring with a multimeter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
If analog stick drift ever becomes a problem, it’s gonna be easy to fix.
Valve is partnering with iFixit to sell Steam Deck replacement parts
By Wes Fenlon published 1 day ago
https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-is-partnering-with-ifixit-to-sell-steam-deck-replacement-parts/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow
The news comes with a new teardown video of the hardware, too.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/02/24/caps-wiki-place-for-you-to-share-your-repair-notes/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/02/26/you-break-it-we-fix-it/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Repair-Marshall-Major-I-Headphone/#aoh=16458604669677&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=Julkaisija%3A%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instructables.com%2FHow-to-Repair-Marshall-Major-I-Headphone%2F
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vintage Meter Repair? It’s Easier With X-Rays
https://hackaday.com/2022/03/06/vintage-mmu-repair-its-easier-with-x-rays/
Here’s an interesting and detailed teardown and repair of a Keithley 2001 7.5 Digit multimeter that is positively dripping with detail. It’s also not every day that we get to see someone using x-ray imaging to evaluate the extent of PCB damage caused by failed electrolytic capacitors.
TNP #13 – Teardown & Repair of a Keithley 2001 7.5 Digit Multimeter
February 20, 2022 Comments Off
https://thesignalpath.com/blogs/videofeed/tnp-13-teardown-repair-of-a-keithley-2001-7-5-digit-multimeter/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Hack is Genius! Fix Broken Plastics With Plastic Welding Method
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4T3KcMJNYE
Many items in the house and workshop are made of plastic. These plastics stretch and break over time, and most people throw away their broken plastic items. However, since plastic is a material that melts easily, you can easily repair it with plastic welding or soldering. If you have broken plastic items and you want to throw them away, be sure to watch this video called Repair your broken plastics with plastic welding method and learn how to repair your broken, cracked plastics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Umar Shakir / The Verge:
Samsung partners with iFixit to launch a self-repair program, offering parts, tools, and guides, coming this summer for the Galaxy S20, S21, and Tab S7 Plus — Coming this summer for the Galaxy S20, S21, and Tab S7 Plus — Today, Samsung announced a new self-repair program …
Samsung is working on a Galaxy self-repair program with iFixit
Coming this summer for the Galaxy S20, S21, and Tab S7 Plus
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/31/23004309/samsung-self-repair-service-program-ifixit-right-to-repair-galaxy?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Today, Samsung announced a new self-repair program that will give Galaxy customers access to parts, tools, and guides to repair their own devices. The program is in collaboration with popular repair guides and parts website iFixit, which has worked with manufacturers such as Motorola and Steam on similar ventures. The Galaxy S20 and S21 series phones and the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus are first in line for the spare parts — but not Samsung’s latest S22 family of phones.
“We are working with Samsung to improve their repair guide and DIY parts offerings,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens tells The Verge. The new program follows Apple’s recent change of heart in announcing a self-service program and Microsoft’s work with iFixit to manufacture Surface tools. “It is clear that manufacturers are recognizing that they need to embrace repair,” Wiens says.