Fight to Repair Daily: August 3, 2022
“Wake up...time to die!” Exposing the built in death dates of common electronics. Also: Samsung and iFixit unveil parts and repair program.
Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret.
We the users want electronics that are easy to use, beautiful — and also last a long time. So in my hunt for ways to make tech work better for us, I tried to figure out when 14 of my devices are going to die. Most of them, I discovered, could peter out within three to four years. And half of them are designed to just be thrown away. You can see all the details in my gadget graveyard. (Washingtonpost.com)
Samsung and iFixit unveil repair program
Calling all Samsung Galaxy fans: If your Galaxy needs a little pick-me-up, you’re in luck! iFixit now offers genuine Samsung parts for Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 series, along with the Galaxy Tab S7+. Samsung Galaxy users can finally take self-repair into their own hands with genuine parts—and we’re stoked for Samsung to join us on our march towards repairability!
Starting today, replacement screens*, back glass, and charging ports are available on iFixit.com as individual components or in Fix Kits with all the parts and tools required to get your Galaxy into tip-top shape. Our collection of genuine parts keeps expanding, and of course our repair guides are, too: every new part has a polished guide to help you finish your latest Galaxy fix. (iFixit.com)
Both sides of Right to Repair bill vie for Hochul’s support
People on both sides of the debate of the Right to Repair legislation are working hard to get the attention of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has not indicated where she stands on the measure.
If signed into law, the Right to Repair bill would require the original manufacturers of electronic equipment, like smartphones, tablets and laptop computers, to provide diagnostic and repair information to independent repair providers.
"We think it's a win-win-win for the system," bill sponsor Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy said Tuesday.
Fahy, a Democrat from Albany, said it's akin to allowing independent mechanic shops to repair your vehicle, or how the original founders of Apple and Windows got their start.
"If you think of how things started in the garage of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, as a teacher put to me, they burned the bridge behind them by closing off their repairability and their diagnostic information," she said. "So we want to reopen that and create the innovators for tomorrow." (Spectrumlocalnews.com)
What’s next for ADAS standardization?
As advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on vehicles become more and more commonplace, both the collision and mechanical repair industries have been thrust into calibrations training and tooling while awaiting standardized procedures across OEMs — but what is the big picture for the future of ADAS?
That’s the topic the Collision Industry Conference (CIC)’s Emerging Technologies Committee explored during its July 21 meeting, which included a brief history of some other technologies that have been standardized in the past and a recent study on ADAS calibrations as a business venture. (Repairerdrivennews.com)
A mountain that just keeps growing': What to know about the e-waste left behind by your gadgets
When Corey Dehmey worked in corporate IT departments, he had to figure out what to do with hundreds of company computers that were no longer up to date. Now, as executive director of non-profit Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), he is part of a group trying to tackle the e-waste crisis by bolstering cooperation between the government, private sector and consumers.
"E-waste is the result of not planning for the product throughout its lifecycle," Dehmey said. "We're just reacting to a problem we created years ago. And so if we want to get in front of this thing, we have to think about these things on the front end — what we're designing and what we as consumers are purchasing as well."
To do that, SERI introduced and oversees its own certification standards for e-waste recycling that makes sure facilities are properly disposing of e-waste. It also hosts events for businesses and other stakeholders and engages in advocacy work to pressure companies and governments to take more sustainable approaches to developing electronics.
"We've got to figure out ways to use [an electronic device] longer, repair it, reuse it," Dehmey said, noting this will require mindset shifts from both consumers and companies.
In recent months, there has been some cause for optimism on this front. The surge in e-waste has led to increased pressure on manufacturers to ease restrictions on fixing devices for individuals and independent repair shops in a push known as the "right to repair" movement. President Joe Biden last year passed an executive order that directed the Federal Trade Commission to issue rules requiring companies to allow DIY repairs, and the FTC vowed to "root out" illegal repair restrictions.
Now, a handful of tech companies have launched initiatives to help with repairing old gadgets. Earlier this year, Apple and Samsung launched their self-service repair stores, offering parts for users seeking do-it-yourself fixes for their smartphones. Google similarly promised parts for repairing Pixel phones will be available to the public later this year. (CNN News Wire)