#plannedobsolescence — Public Fediverse posts

After having my Celestron SLT 130 telescope for some 10 years now, yesterday it broke. Exactly before the total solar eclipse next month...after I was preparing so much for it.

What broke? This shitty little plastic gear that got worn out over the years:

That's all. A terrible design pairing such badly made gears with metal ones. And now I cannot control the left/right movements of my telescope. And I cannot find a way to replace it. Or to buy the entire motor... Unless, maybe, I order it from USA/Canada and I pay a lot of money and may not arrive in time for the eclipse.

Hey Universe, not enough that I was already in a black hole mentally? You want more?! What else next ha?!

I give up man... :))

Fuck this shit. All of it. I wish I could sleep and just sleep. And not dream. But I can't even sleep for the past weeks. And when I do I always have nightmares.

Welcome to my downfall.

Is fine...I think I will survive. But that's the last thing I needed for the telescope to break. I also don't feel like buying a different one since it works, is just a little fucking gear/wheel....is just that I also broke something else when I opened it...so I likely need to get the entire engine for it...

I wish life was a stupid game and I can say: ok that's it, turn it off. I'll go back to the real life and not play this stupid game again.

#solareclipse #telescope #plannedobsolescence

After having my Celestron SLT 130 telescope for some 10 years now, yesterday it broke. Exactly before the total solar eclipse next month...after I was preparing so much for it.

What broke? This shitty little plastic gear that got worn out over the years:

That's all. A terrible design pairing such badly made gears with metal ones. And now I cannot control the left/right movements of my telescope. And I cannot find a way to replace it. Or to buy the entire motor... Unless, maybe, I order it from USA/Canada and I pay a lot of money and may not arrive in time for the eclipse.

Hey Universe, not enough that I was already in a black hole mentally? You want more?! What else next ha?!

I give up man... :))

Fuck this shit. All of it. I wish I could sleep and just sleep. And not dream. But I can't even sleep for the past weeks. And when I do I always have nightmares.

Welcome to my downfall.

Is fine...I think I will survive. But that's the last thing I needed for the telescope to break. I also don't feel like buying a different one since it works, is just a little fucking gear/wheel....is just that I also broke something else when I opened it...so I likely need to get the entire engine for it...

I wish life was a stupid game and I can say: ok that's it, turn it off. I'll go back to the real life and not play this stupid game again.

#solareclipse #telescope #plannedobsolescence

My Shokz OpenRun Pro's are failing, specifically the power/volume+ button. Which apparently is a very well-known issue, due to a small plastic tube below the button that's failing after a while.

Turns out that even though this is a common and well-known issue, Shokz have stuck to the same setup for their subsequent models. So at this point, they just seem to be designed to fail. And of course you can’t repair them.

So I'm looking for a new pair of bone conducting headphones that are not Shokz. Because fuck them.

#righttorepair #plannedobsolescence

My Shokz OpenRun Pro's are failing, specifically the power/volume+ button. Which apparently is a very well-known issue, due to a small plastic tube below the button that's failing after a while.

Turns out that even though this is a common and well-known issue, Shokz have stuck to the same setup for their subsequent models. So at this point, they just seem to be designed to fail. And of course you can’t repair them.

So I'm looking for a new pair of bone conducting headphones that are not Shokz. Because fuck them.

#righttorepair #plannedobsolescence

My Shokz OpenRun Pro's are failing, specifically the power/volume+ button. Which apparently is a very well-known issue, due to a small plastic tube below the button that's failing after a while.

Turns out that even though this is a common and well-known issue, Shokz have stuck to the same setup for their subsequent models. So at this point, they just seem to be designed to fail. And of course you can’t repair them.

So I'm looking for a new pair of bone conducting headphones that are not Shokz. Because fuck them.

#righttorepair #plannedobsolescence

My Shokz OpenRun Pro's are failing, specifically the power/volume+ button. Which apparently is a very well-known issue, due to a small plastic tube below the button that's failing after a while.

Turns out that even though this is a common and well-known issue, Shokz have stuck to the same setup for their subsequent models. So at this point, they just seem to be designed to fail. And of course you can’t repair them.

So I'm looking for a new pair of bone conducting headphones that are not Shokz. Because fuck them.

#righttorepair #plannedobsolescence

My Shokz OpenRun Pro's are failing, specifically the power/volume+ button. Which apparently is a very well-known issue, due to a small plastic tube below the button that's failing after a while.

Turns out that even though this is a common and well-known issue, Shokz have stuck to the same setup for their subsequent models. So at this point, they just seem to be designed to fail. And of course you can’t repair them.

So I'm looking for a new pair of bone conducting headphones that are not Shokz. Because fuck them.

#righttorepair #plannedobsolescence

"In its day, however, the shift to planned obsolescence was in keeping with the views of a growing body of economists and businesspeople who felt that, unless you dealt in coffins, it was bad business and unsound economics to sell a person any product only once."

#JBMacKinnon, 2016

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-l-e-d-quandary-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-built-to-last

(1/2)

#PlannedObsolescence

"In its day, however, the shift to planned obsolescence was in keeping with the views of a growing body of economists and businesspeople who felt that, unless you dealt in coffins, it was bad business and unsound economics to sell a person any product only once."

#JBMacKinnon, 2016

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-l-e-d-quandary-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-built-to-last

(1/2)

#PlannedObsolescence

"In its day, however, the shift to planned obsolescence was in keeping with the views of a growing body of economists and businesspeople who felt that, unless you dealt in coffins, it was bad business and unsound economics to sell a person any product only once."

#JBMacKinnon, 2016

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-l-e-d-quandary-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-built-to-last

(1/2)

#PlannedObsolescence

"In its day, however, the shift to planned obsolescence was in keeping with the views of a growing body of economists and businesspeople who felt that, unless you dealt in coffins, it was bad business and unsound economics to sell a person any product only once."

#JBMacKinnon, 2016

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-l-e-d-quandary-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-built-to-last

(1/2)

#PlannedObsolescence

The Security Illusion: How Corporate Overlords Strip Your Ownership

1,571 words, 8 minutes read time.

The modern hardware market is a calculated trap for the man who values his independence. You walk into a store, lay down your cash, and leave believing you own the machine, but you are mistaken. The transaction is no longer a clean break between buyer and seller; it is an induction into a digital prison camp. Manufacturers have weaponized the fear of being hacked to maintain a total stranglehold on every piece of hardware they move. They wrap their control in the flag of cybersecurity, but the reality is a cold, calculated campaign to dismantle your autonomy and ensure you remain a permanent tenant in their proprietary ecosystem.

They use the promise of safety to sell you the chains. The moment that device touches your network, you are no longer the operator; you are a captive audience for their remote directives. These companies know that as long as they can convince you that the world is a dangerous, breach-prone place, you will accept any restriction they force upon you. They are not protecting your interests, and they are certainly not worried about your network integrity. Their singular goal is to strip away your ability to repair, modify, or master your own property so they can continue to dictate the terms of your existence.

The Calculated Strategy of Forced Compliance

Manufacturers push mandatory firmware updates under the guise of protecting your home or office network from the specter of modern exploits. They deploy these patches with a heavy, uncompromising hand, forcing code onto your machine that you never requested and that you lack the authority to uninstall. These updates are a classic Trojan horse. They bundle necessary security patches with restrictive, hidden locks that deliberately break your ability to use third-party parts or run the open software of your choosing. It is a tactical strike against the user who dares to think their hardware belongs to them.

When you attempt to refuse, they flood your interface with dire, alarmist warnings about vulnerabilities and potential exploits. They force a binary choice upon you: either you surrender absolute control of your hardware to their remote backend, or you remain exposed to a digital threat they claim only they can stop. It is a textbook psychological maneuver from a corporate playbook that relies on fear to bypass your critical thinking. They bet on your instinct for safety to keep you compliant, ensuring that you never look under the hood to see exactly what functionality they are gutting in the name of your protection.

Cyber Resilience Versus Corporate Authority

The industry hides behind professional standards set by organizations like NIST and CISA to justify this aggressive behavior. They point to the necessity of platform firmware resiliency to silence anyone who dares to ask why their expensive equipment suddenly lost core features after a routine update. In truth, these technical guidelines are being cynically twisted. Genuine, robust security requires total transparency, yet these updates are delivered as black boxes. You are given no granular logs and absolutely no say in what is being overwritten or disabled within your own equipment.

When a company can reach into your home or shop and disable your hardware’s functionality with a single, unrequested remote command, your claim to ownership is a hollow lie. They maintain a high-privileged, persistent foothold on your hardware long after you have paid the bill, essentially treating your property as a node in their private network. You become an observer in your own house rather than the master of your own tools. The firmware serves as the final, immutable authority, granting the manufacturer the right to decide what your machine is permitted to do today, tomorrow, or a year from now.

The Cold Economics of the Digital Leash

This is not about your safety; it is strictly about their bottom line and total market domination. A device that can be locked down is a device that generates constant, recurring revenue through forced upgrades and the requirement to purchase exclusive, overpriced parts. By wrapping this greed in the language of cybersecurity, they neutralize all rational dissent. Anyone who demands the right to repair or modify their gear is immediately framed as a reckless, dangerous amateur who does not care about the systemic risk of a breach. This narrative is designed to keep you subservient to their profit margins.

The ultimate objective is a future where no machine can operate outside of the manufacturer’s direct control, ensuring that every cycle and every transaction flows back to their balance sheet. You are being managed like a predictable data point rather than treated like an autonomous owner. They have built an environment where your tech is merely a satellite within their wider commercial architecture. If you cannot modify it, you do not own it. You are simply renting a utility that can be revoked, restricted, or rendered obsolete the second it ceases to be profitable for them to let you keep using it.

Conclusion

The current state of hardware ownership is a failure of principle. Corporations have successfully weaponized the fear of cyber threats as a tool to consolidate power and crush individual autonomy. By understanding this dynamic, you can start to see through the marketing fluff that covers up this erosion of rights. To recap the reality of this landscape:

True security requires transparency and individual control, both of which are currently being systematically dismantled by manufacturers.

Security is the primary justification used to strip you of your rights as a hardware owner.

Mandatory firmware updates are often calculated commercial tactics to enforce ecosystem lock-in rather than genuine vulnerability mitigation.

The industry maintains a permanent, unauthorized, and intrusive level of control over the hardware you have already purchased and paid for.

Reclaiming Your Property Rights: A Call to Action

The reality is harsh: if a manufacturer can reach into your device and rewrite its capabilities after you have paid for it, you do not own that hardware. You are merely a long-term renter under the illusion of possession. To reclaim your property, you must stop being a passive consumer and start acting like an owner. You need to organize, push back, and demand the legal right to control the machines you paid for. This fight is not just about convenience; it is about the fundamental principle of property rights in a digital age.

You have the power to push back by supporting the organizations already on the front lines. Groups like the Right to Repair movement, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Free Software Foundation are fighting the legislative and technical battles to strip away the manufacturer’s backdoor access. They are the ones documenting these abuses and lobbying for legislation that forces companies to stop bricking hardware remotely. Align yourself with them, lend your voice to their campaigns, and put pressure on the systems that have been built to ignore your rights.

Finally, take direct action by contacting your state and federal representatives today. Do not settle for form letters or generic responses. Demand that they support legislation establishing that software-locked hardware is a violation of consumer protection and antitrust laws. Tell them you expect a market where ownership is absolute and where firmware updates cannot be used to degrade the utility of your purchased property. If they want your support, they must defend your right to own what you buy. Stop waiting for permission to be the master of your own tools and start demanding the accountability you are owed.

D. Bryan King

Sources

• NIST SP 800-193: Platform Firmware Resiliency Guidelines
• CISA: Secure by Design Principles
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Right to Repair
• Free Software Foundation: Free Hardware Campaign
• The Repair Association: Advocacy and Legislation
• FTC: Nixing the Fix Report
• IEEE: IoT Security and Firmware Standards
• MITRE: Firmware Security in the Supply Chain
• NIST SP 800-147: BIOS Protection Guidelines
• CISA: Protecting Against Firmware Vulnerabilities
• EFF: When Hardware Isn’t Yours
• FSF: The Problem with Tivoization
• FTC: Competition Advocacy in Tech Markets
• IEEE: Securing the Connected Future
• NIST: Cybersecurity Framework for Manufacturing
• CISA: IoT Security Best Practices
• EFF: Coders Rights Project
• FSF: Defective by Design Campaign
• FTC: Statement on Right to Repair
• IEEE: Firmware Update Security Risks
• NIST SP 800-147B: BIOS Protection for Servers
• CISA: Supply Chain Risk Management
• EFF: Issues with the DMCA
• FSF: What is Free Software?
• FTC: Consumer Rights Overview
• IEEE: Security Analysis of Firmware Updates
• NIST: Hardware Root of Trust
• CISA: Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
• EFF: Lawsuits against Repair Restrictions
• FSF: GPL Compliance and Enforcement
• FTC: Antitrust Enforcement
• IEEE: Challenges in IoT Firmware Integrity
• NIST: Definition of Firmware
• CISA: Industrial Control Systems Security
• EFF: Copyright Reform and Device Ownership
• FSF: The Fight for Hardware Freedom
• FTC: Staff Reports on Market Competition
• IEEE: Trusted Execution Environments in Firmware
• NIST: Supply Chain Risk Management
• CISA: Binding Operational Directives
• EFF: Intellectual Property vs. Ownership
• FSF: Copyright Assignment and Control
• FTC: Enforcement Actions against Manufacturers
• IEEE: Secure Firmware Over-the-Air Updates
• NIST SP 800-190: Container Security Guidelines
• CISA: Cybersecurity Framework Overview
• EFF: Repair is a Fundamental Right
• FSF: Know Your Rights regarding Software
• FTC: Consumer Advocacy Programs
• IEEE: Verified Boot and Firmware Security

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.

Related Posts

Rate this:

The Security Illusion: How Corporate Overlords Strip Your Ownership

1,571 words, 8 minutes read time.

The modern hardware market is a calculated trap for the man who values his independence. You walk into a store, lay down your cash, and leave believing you own the machine, but you are mistaken. The transaction is no longer a clean break between buyer and seller; it is an induction into a digital prison camp. Manufacturers have weaponized the fear of being hacked to maintain a total stranglehold on every piece of hardware they move. They wrap their control in the flag of cybersecurity, but the reality is a cold, calculated campaign to dismantle your autonomy and ensure you remain a permanent tenant in their proprietary ecosystem.

They use the promise of safety to sell you the chains. The moment that device touches your network, you are no longer the operator; you are a captive audience for their remote directives. These companies know that as long as they can convince you that the world is a dangerous, breach-prone place, you will accept any restriction they force upon you. They are not protecting your interests, and they are certainly not worried about your network integrity. Their singular goal is to strip away your ability to repair, modify, or master your own property so they can continue to dictate the terms of your existence.

The Calculated Strategy of Forced Compliance

Manufacturers push mandatory firmware updates under the guise of protecting your home or office network from the specter of modern exploits. They deploy these patches with a heavy, uncompromising hand, forcing code onto your machine that you never requested and that you lack the authority to uninstall. These updates are a classic Trojan horse. They bundle necessary security patches with restrictive, hidden locks that deliberately break your ability to use third-party parts or run the open software of your choosing. It is a tactical strike against the user who dares to think their hardware belongs to them.

When you attempt to refuse, they flood your interface with dire, alarmist warnings about vulnerabilities and potential exploits. They force a binary choice upon you: either you surrender absolute control of your hardware to their remote backend, or you remain exposed to a digital threat they claim only they can stop. It is a textbook psychological maneuver from a corporate playbook that relies on fear to bypass your critical thinking. They bet on your instinct for safety to keep you compliant, ensuring that you never look under the hood to see exactly what functionality they are gutting in the name of your protection.

Cyber Resilience Versus Corporate Authority

The industry hides behind professional standards set by organizations like NIST and CISA to justify this aggressive behavior. They point to the necessity of platform firmware resiliency to silence anyone who dares to ask why their expensive equipment suddenly lost core features after a routine update. In truth, these technical guidelines are being cynically twisted. Genuine, robust security requires total transparency, yet these updates are delivered as black boxes. You are given no granular logs and absolutely no say in what is being overwritten or disabled within your own equipment.

When a company can reach into your home or shop and disable your hardware’s functionality with a single, unrequested remote command, your claim to ownership is a hollow lie. They maintain a high-privileged, persistent foothold on your hardware long after you have paid the bill, essentially treating your property as a node in their private network. You become an observer in your own house rather than the master of your own tools. The firmware serves as the final, immutable authority, granting the manufacturer the right to decide what your machine is permitted to do today, tomorrow, or a year from now.

The Cold Economics of the Digital Leash

This is not about your safety; it is strictly about their bottom line and total market domination. A device that can be locked down is a device that generates constant, recurring revenue through forced upgrades and the requirement to purchase exclusive, overpriced parts. By wrapping this greed in the language of cybersecurity, they neutralize all rational dissent. Anyone who demands the right to repair or modify their gear is immediately framed as a reckless, dangerous amateur who does not care about the systemic risk of a breach. This narrative is designed to keep you subservient to their profit margins.

The ultimate objective is a future where no machine can operate outside of the manufacturer’s direct control, ensuring that every cycle and every transaction flows back to their balance sheet. You are being managed like a predictable data point rather than treated like an autonomous owner. They have built an environment where your tech is merely a satellite within their wider commercial architecture. If you cannot modify it, you do not own it. You are simply renting a utility that can be revoked, restricted, or rendered obsolete the second it ceases to be profitable for them to let you keep using it.

Conclusion

The current state of hardware ownership is a failure of principle. Corporations have successfully weaponized the fear of cyber threats as a tool to consolidate power and crush individual autonomy. By understanding this dynamic, you can start to see through the marketing fluff that covers up this erosion of rights. To recap the reality of this landscape:

True security requires transparency and individual control, both of which are currently being systematically dismantled by manufacturers.

Security is the primary justification used to strip you of your rights as a hardware owner.

Mandatory firmware updates are often calculated commercial tactics to enforce ecosystem lock-in rather than genuine vulnerability mitigation.

The industry maintains a permanent, unauthorized, and intrusive level of control over the hardware you have already purchased and paid for.

Reclaiming Your Property Rights: A Call to Action

The reality is harsh: if a manufacturer can reach into your device and rewrite its capabilities after you have paid for it, you do not own that hardware. You are merely a long-term renter under the illusion of possession. To reclaim your property, you must stop being a passive consumer and start acting like an owner. You need to organize, push back, and demand the legal right to control the machines you paid for. This fight is not just about convenience; it is about the fundamental principle of property rights in a digital age.

You have the power to push back by supporting the organizations already on the front lines. Groups like the Right to Repair movement, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Free Software Foundation are fighting the legislative and technical battles to strip away the manufacturer’s backdoor access. They are the ones documenting these abuses and lobbying for legislation that forces companies to stop bricking hardware remotely. Align yourself with them, lend your voice to their campaigns, and put pressure on the systems that have been built to ignore your rights.

Finally, take direct action by contacting your state and federal representatives today. Do not settle for form letters or generic responses. Demand that they support legislation establishing that software-locked hardware is a violation of consumer protection and antitrust laws. Tell them you expect a market where ownership is absolute and where firmware updates cannot be used to degrade the utility of your purchased property. If they want your support, they must defend your right to own what you buy. Stop waiting for permission to be the master of your own tools and start demanding the accountability you are owed.

D. Bryan King

Sources

• NIST SP 800-193: Platform Firmware Resiliency Guidelines
• CISA: Secure by Design Principles
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Right to Repair
• Free Software Foundation: Free Hardware Campaign
• The Repair Association: Advocacy and Legislation
• FTC: Nixing the Fix Report
• IEEE: IoT Security and Firmware Standards
• MITRE: Firmware Security in the Supply Chain
• NIST SP 800-147: BIOS Protection Guidelines
• CISA: Protecting Against Firmware Vulnerabilities
• EFF: When Hardware Isn’t Yours
• FSF: The Problem with Tivoization
• FTC: Competition Advocacy in Tech Markets
• IEEE: Securing the Connected Future
• NIST: Cybersecurity Framework for Manufacturing
• CISA: IoT Security Best Practices
• EFF: Coders Rights Project
• FSF: Defective by Design Campaign
• FTC: Statement on Right to Repair
• IEEE: Firmware Update Security Risks
• NIST SP 800-147B: BIOS Protection for Servers
• CISA: Supply Chain Risk Management
• EFF: Issues with the DMCA
• FSF: What is Free Software?
• FTC: Consumer Rights Overview
• IEEE: Security Analysis of Firmware Updates
• NIST: Hardware Root of Trust
• CISA: Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
• EFF: Lawsuits against Repair Restrictions
• FSF: GPL Compliance and Enforcement
• FTC: Antitrust Enforcement
• IEEE: Challenges in IoT Firmware Integrity
• NIST: Definition of Firmware
• CISA: Industrial Control Systems Security
• EFF: Copyright Reform and Device Ownership
• FSF: The Fight for Hardware Freedom
• FTC: Staff Reports on Market Competition
• IEEE: Trusted Execution Environments in Firmware
• NIST: Supply Chain Risk Management
• CISA: Binding Operational Directives
• EFF: Intellectual Property vs. Ownership
• FSF: Copyright Assignment and Control
• FTC: Enforcement Actions against Manufacturers
• IEEE: Secure Firmware Over-the-Air Updates
• NIST SP 800-190: Container Security Guidelines
• CISA: Cybersecurity Framework Overview
• EFF: Repair is a Fundamental Right
• FSF: Know Your Rights regarding Software
• FTC: Consumer Advocacy Programs
• IEEE: Verified Boot and Firmware Security

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.

Related Posts

Rate this:

@Earl @RueNahcMohr it makes me think of #righttorepair and #plannedobsolescence and #schematics. Why aren't there laws requiring the posting of electronics schematics? With a schematic I would have a fighting chance of repairing this.

@Earl @RueNahcMohr it makes me think of #righttorepair and #plannedobsolescence and #schematics. Why aren't there laws requiring the posting of electronics schematics? With a schematic I would have a fighting chance of repairing this.

@Earl @RueNahcMohr it makes me think of #righttorepair and #plannedobsolescence and #schematics. Why aren't there laws requiring the posting of electronics schematics? With a schematic I would have a fighting chance of repairing this.

@Earl @RueNahcMohr it makes me think of #righttorepair and #plannedobsolescence and #schematics. Why aren't there laws requiring the posting of electronics schematics? With a schematic I would have a fighting chance of repairing this.

@Earl @RueNahcMohr it makes me think of #righttorepair and #plannedobsolescence and #schematics. Why aren't there laws requiring the posting of electronics schematics? With a schematic I would have a fighting chance of repairing this.

Science has gone to far... so we are trying to bring things back to order...
@FahrradkuecheGraz

#cargobike #DIY #repair #bikekitchen #cycling #welding #bullit #plannedobsolescence #bike #cycling #framebuilding #e-mobilityisalie

Science has gone to far... so we are trying to bring things back to order...
@FahrradkuecheGraz

#cargobike #DIY #repair #bikekitchen #cycling #welding #bullit #plannedobsolescence #bike #cycling #framebuilding #e-mobilityisalie

Science has gone to far... so we are trying to bring things back to order...
@FahrradkuecheGraz

#cargobike #DIY #repair #bikekitchen #cycling #welding #bullit #plannedobsolescence #bike #cycling #framebuilding #e-mobilityisalie

Science has gone to far... so we are trying to bring things back to order...
@FahrradkuecheGraz

#cargobike #DIY #repair #bikekitchen #cycling #welding #bullit #plannedobsolescence #bike #cycling #framebuilding #e-mobilityisalie

Bissell has totally dropped the ball on a battery replacement for my SpinWave floor cleaner. The damn thing is only about 8 years old but they don't offer batteries for it (and I can't find one online). They had the nerve to offer me a 20% discount on a new Bissell. Considering their inability to support customers, why would I ever buy another Bissell product? And yeah, that was my reply to them. #RightToRepair #PlannedObsolescence

Bissell has totally dropped the ball on a battery replacement for my SpinWave floor cleaner. The damn thing is only about 8 years old but they don't offer batteries for it (and I can't find one online). They had the nerve to offer me a 20% discount on a new Bissell. Considering their inability to support customers, why would I ever buy another Bissell product? And yeah, that was my reply to them. #RightToRepair #PlannedObsolescence

Bissell has totally dropped the ball on a battery replacement for my SpinWave floor cleaner. The damn thing is only about 8 years old but they don't offer batteries for it (and I can't find one online). They had the nerve to offer me a 20% discount on a new Bissell. Considering their inability to support customers, why would I ever buy another Bissell product? And yeah, that was my reply to them. #RightToRepair #PlannedObsolescence

Bissell has totally dropped the ball on a battery replacement for my SpinWave floor cleaner. The damn thing is only about 8 years old but they don't offer batteries for it (and I can't find one online). They had the nerve to offer me a 20% discount on a new Bissell. Considering their inability to support customers, why would I ever buy another Bissell product? And yeah, that was my reply to them. #RightToRepair #PlannedObsolescence

Bissell has totally dropped the ball on a battery replacement for my SpinWave floor cleaner. The damn thing is only about 8 years old but they don't offer batteries for it (and I can't find one online). They had the nerve to offer me a 20% discount on a new Bissell. Considering their inability to support customers, why would I ever buy another Bissell product? And yeah, that was my reply to them. #RightToRepair #PlannedObsolescence

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surface Book w/ NixOS

Why a Surface Book? Well, I found this one at a yard sale many moons ago. I paid next to nothing for it. I...

#Guides #PlannedObsolescence #Enshittification #Linux #NixOS #ConsumerDisobedience #BryantReview

gardinerbryant.com/rejuvenating...

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surfa...

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surface Book w/ NixOS

> Why a Surface Book? Well, I found this one at a yard sale many moons ago. I paid next to nothing for it. I love the design and I especially love the gorgeous 16:10 display. Also, it does the neat party trick of separating the screen half from the...

#Guides #PlannedObsolescence #Enshittification #Linux #NixOS #ConsumerDisobedience #BryantReview

https://gardinerbryant.com/rejuvenating-a-microsoft-surface-book-w-nixos/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_source=mastodon

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surface Book w/ NixOS

> Why a Surface Book? Well, I found this one at a yard sale many moons ago. I paid next to nothing for it. I love the design and I especially love the gorgeous 16:10 display. Also, it does the neat party trick of separating the screen half from the...

#Guides #PlannedObsolescence #Enshittification #Linux #NixOS #ConsumerDisobedience #BryantReview

https://gardinerbryant.com/rejuvenating-a-microsoft-surface-book-w-nixos/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_source=mastodon

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surface Book w/ NixOS

> Why a Surface Book? Well, I found this one at a yard sale many moons ago. I paid next to nothing for it. I love the design and I especially love the gorgeous 16:10 display. Also, it does the neat party trick of separating the screen half from the...

#Guides #PlannedObsolescence #Enshittification #Linux #NixOS #ConsumerDisobedience #BryantReview

https://gardinerbryant.com/rejuvenating-a-microsoft-surface-book-w-nixos/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_source=mastodon

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surface Book w/ NixOS

> Why a Surface Book? Well, I found this one at a yard sale many moons ago. I paid next to nothing for it. I love the design and I especially love the gorgeous 16:10 display. Also, it does the neat party trick of separating the screen half from the...

#Guides #PlannedObsolescence #Enshittification #Linux #NixOS #ConsumerDisobedience #BryantReview

https://gardinerbryant.com/rejuvenating-a-microsoft-surface-book-w-nixos/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_source=mastodon

Rejuvenating a Microsoft Surface Book w/ NixOS

> Why a Surface Book? Well, I found this one at a yard sale many moons ago. I paid next to nothing for it. I love the design and I especially love the gorgeous 16:10 display. Also, it does the neat party trick of separating the screen half from the...

#Guides #PlannedObsolescence #Enshittification #Linux #NixOS #ConsumerDisobedience #BryantReview

https://gardinerbryant.com/rejuvenating-a-microsoft-surface-book-w-nixos/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_source=mastodon

The other day, autofocus failed on my general-purpose camera lens (Sony 16-70/4). The other lens with me (Sony 70-350) works fine.

Now I learn that my lens is discontinued. And I’m traveling so I cannot track down a used lens in good condition. I didn’t want to miss any photos on my trip so I bought something else that is good enough for now.

In the meantime, I learned that the cost to repair my lens is … about the same as buying a replacement one. 🤯

#plannedobsolescence #photography

The other day, autofocus failed on my general-purpose camera lens (Sony 16-70/4). The other lens with me (Sony 70-350) works fine.

Now I learn that my lens is discontinued. And I’m traveling so I cannot track down a used lens in good condition. I didn’t want to miss any photos on my trip so I bought something else that is good enough for now.

In the meantime, I learned that the cost to repair my lens is … about the same as buying a replacement one. 🤯

#plannedobsolescence #photography

The other day, autofocus failed on my general-purpose camera lens (Sony 16-70/4). The other lens with me (Sony 70-350) works fine.

Now I learn that my lens is discontinued. And I’m traveling so I cannot track down a used lens in good condition. I didn’t want to miss any photos on my trip so I bought something else that is good enough for now.

In the meantime, I learned that the cost to repair my lens is … about the same as buying a replacement one. 🤯

#plannedobsolescence #photography

The other day, autofocus failed on my general-purpose camera lens (Sony 16-70/4). The other lens with me (Sony 70-350) works fine.

Now I learn that my lens is discontinued. And I’m traveling so I cannot track down a used lens in good condition. I didn’t want to miss any photos on my trip so I bought something else that is good enough for now.

In the meantime, I learned that the cost to repair my lens is … about the same as buying a replacement one. 🤯

#plannedobsolescence #photography

The other day, autofocus failed on my general-purpose camera lens (Sony 16-70/4). The other lens with me (Sony 70-350) works fine.

Now I learn that my lens is discontinued. And I’m traveling so I cannot track down a used lens in good condition. I didn’t want to miss any photos on my trip so I bought something else that is good enough for now.

In the meantime, I learned that the cost to repair my lens is … about the same as buying a replacement one. 🤯

#plannedobsolescence #photography

Quite incredible that this guy ( #Thinkpad x200s) - who is now at least 12 years old - is still alive and kicking! :blobrat_aww:

Also, this was the best keyboard ever, the Lenovo keyboards have been downgraded since then to become blend just like any other laptop keyboard. The trackpoint still works perfectly on it while it doesn't on my more recent lenovo (T490s, about 6 y.o.).
The fingerprint reader is much more reliable.
The screen is perfect, while T490 has a dead pixel band at the top.
It has a WiFi switch (😍) and a removeable battery.

Why are things getting worse instead of getting better? 😕

#ComputerProblems #PlannedObsolescence #Lenovo #OldieButGoodie

Quite incredible that this guy ( #Thinkpad x200s) - who is now at least 12 years old - is still alive and kicking! :blobrat_aww:

Also, this was the best keyboard ever, the Lenovo keyboards have been downgraded since then to become blend just like any other laptop keyboard. The trackpoint still works perfectly on it while it doesn't on my more recent lenovo (T490s, about 6 y.o.).
The fingerprint reader is much more reliable.
The screen is perfect, while T490 has a dead pixel band at the top.
It has a WiFi switch (😍) and a removeable battery.

Why are things getting worse instead of getting better? 😕

#ComputerProblems #PlannedObsolescence #Lenovo #OldieButGoodie

Quite incredible that this guy ( #Thinkpad x200s) - who is now at least 12 years old - is still alive and kicking! :blobrat_aww:

Also, this was the best keyboard ever, the Lenovo keyboards have been downgraded since then to become blend just like any other laptop keyboard. The trackpoint still works perfectly on it while it doesn't on my more recent lenovo (T490s, about 6 y.o.).
The fingerprint reader is much more reliable.
The screen is perfect, while T490 has a dead pixel band at the top.
It has a WiFi switch (😍) and a removeable battery.

Why are things getting worse instead of getting better? 😕

#ComputerProblems #PlannedObsolescence #Lenovo #OldieButGoodie

Quite incredible that this guy ( #Thinkpad x200s) - who is now at least 12 years old - is still alive and kicking! :blobrat_aww:

Also, this was the best keyboard ever, the Lenovo keyboards have been downgraded since then to become blend just like any other laptop keyboard. The trackpoint still works perfectly on it while it doesn't on my more recent lenovo (T490s, about 6 y.o.).
The fingerprint reader is much more reliable.
The screen is perfect, while T490 has a dead pixel band at the top.
It has a WiFi switch (😍) and a removeable battery.

Why are things getting worse instead of getting better? 😕

#ComputerProblems #PlannedObsolescence #Lenovo #OldieButGoodie

Quite incredible that this guy ( #Thinkpad x200s) - who is now at least 12 years old - is still alive and kicking! :blobrat_aww:

Also, this was the best keyboard ever, the Lenovo keyboards have been downgraded since then to become blend just like any other laptop keyboard. The trackpoint still works perfectly on it while it doesn't on my more recent lenovo (T490s, about 6 y.o.).
The fingerprint reader is much more reliable.
The screen is perfect, while T490 has a dead pixel band at the top.
It has a WiFi switch (😍) and a removeable battery.

Why are things getting worse instead of getting better? 😕

#ComputerProblems #PlannedObsolescence #Lenovo #OldieButGoodie

While waiting for a Switch 2 mod, some observations about the system

Got a #Switch2 recently and so, while the memory is fresh, some observations, a.k.a. potential fail points for #consolemods, or even a potential #plannedobsolescence I noticed.

First, like with the Switch 1, while it's docked, you can't keep the console completely offline. Because of that, I'd suggest connecting to a phone's hotspot, changing the hotspot password afterwards, and connecting if/when needed only.

Second, some peripherals may force you to go online or even update the system online:

• Some Switch 1 cartridge I tried as soon as I got the console, system update demanded to be able to run the game.
• Some express SD card I tried just now, system upate demanded.
• Game key cards require at least some data to be downloaded, despite coming as cartridges, meaning online needs to be tapped again
• You can't get DLCs without connecting to Nintendo Switch Online (this one expected in this day and age, sadly)

Means to mod a console are too varied to be able to guess which will be for the Switch 2, but so much enforced connectivity feels like a bunch of trip wires just waiting to be triggered. So beware if planning to use the console while waiting for an eventual mod.

#Sony didn't learn from Bose's good example: it's #ending #streaming #support for lots of #services on tons of its #speakers, #soundbars and #BluRay #players — they'll still work, but you'll lose the likes of #Netflix, #Spotify, #Prime #Video and even #Google Cast

source: techradar.com/televisions/soun…

Like #Bose earlier this year, Sony is shutting down servers for some of its #audiovisual products. But unlike Bose, which went to great pains to enable people to #maintain as much #functionality as possible, Sony's devices will lose many core #features as a result.

#fail #news #technology #electronics #cloud #service #capitalism #product #own #buy #software #company #economy #business #customer #future #soundbar #speaker #tv #player #multimedia #stream #feature #useless #device #end #thisistheend #waste #PlannedObsolescence #obsolescence

#Sony didn't learn from Bose's good example: it's #ending #streaming #support for lots of #services on tons of its #speakers, #soundbars and #BluRay #players — they'll still work, but you'll lose the likes of #Netflix, #Spotify, #Prime #Video and even #Google Cast

source: techradar.com/televisions/soun…

Like #Bose earlier this year, Sony is shutting down servers for some of its #audiovisual products. But unlike Bose, which went to great pains to enable people to #maintain as much #functionality as possible, Sony's devices will lose many core #features as a result.

#fail #news #technology #electronics #cloud #service #capitalism #product #own #buy #software #company #economy #business #customer #future #soundbar #speaker #tv #player #multimedia #stream #feature #useless #device #end #thisistheend #waste #PlannedObsolescence #obsolescence

#Sony didn't learn from Bose's good example: it's #ending #streaming #support for lots of #services on tons of its #speakers, #soundbars and #BluRay #players — they'll still work, but you'll lose the likes of #Netflix, #Spotify, #Prime #Video and even #Google Cast

source: techradar.com/televisions/soun…

Like #Bose earlier this year, Sony is shutting down servers for some of its #audiovisual products. But unlike Bose, which went to great pains to enable people to #maintain as much #functionality as possible, Sony's devices will lose many core #features as a result.

#fail #news #technology #electronics #cloud #service #capitalism #product #own #buy #software #company #economy #business #customer #future #soundbar #speaker #tv #player #multimedia #stream #feature #useless #device #end #thisistheend #waste #PlannedObsolescence #obsolescence

Also kann man so einfach mal straflos Computersabotage begehen wenn man (genauer Scheißhaus Firma) es nur verklausuliert genug ins Kleingedruckte schreibt...

https://www.golem.de/news/blu-ray-player-heimkino-und-musik-ueber-70-sony-geraete-verlieren-alle-streamingfunktionen-2606-209688.html

#sony #plannedobsolescence

Also kann man so einfach mal straflos Computersabotage begehen wenn man (genauer Scheißhaus Firma) es nur verklausuliert genug ins Kleingedruckte schreibt...

https://www.golem.de/news/blu-ray-player-heimkino-und-musik-ueber-70-sony-geraete-verlieren-alle-streamingfunktionen-2606-209688.html

#sony #plannedobsolescence

Also kann man so einfach mal straflos Computersabotage begehen wenn man (genauer Scheißhaus Firma) es nur verklausuliert genug ins Kleingedruckte schreibt...

https://www.golem.de/news/blu-ray-player-heimkino-und-musik-ueber-70-sony-geraete-verlieren-alle-streamingfunktionen-2606-209688.html

#sony #plannedobsolescence