A subscription anti-theft feature that should be free.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/28468838

The auto industry’s commitment to right to repair is being tested.

Today, we at SFC, along with our OpenWrt member project, announce the production release of the OpenWrt One. This is the first wireless Internet router designed and built with your software freedom and right to repair in mind. The OpenWrt One will never be locked down and is forever unbrickable. This device services your needs as its owner and user. Everyone deserves control of their computing. The OpenWrt One takes a great first step toward bringing software rights to your home: you can control your own network with the software of your choice, and ensure your right to change, modify, and repair it as you like.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/15232893

I’ve just watched the video. I find it pretty outrageous. The word about it should spread.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9227800

Polish train manufacturer that lost servicing tender programmed train controller to brick itself after train stays for some time in 6 ISP facilities or in 1 their faculity(for testing?) until undocumented button combination is pressed. Some controller versions brick itself after train is idle for 10 days. After news about this became public, manufacturer removed ability to unlock train by button combination.

Also manufacturer is able to remotely brick train over internet(connected via GSM) at any time.

Mod wanted ONLY article, so enjoy reading in polish.

A judge rejected John Deere’s motion to dismiss a landmark class action lawsuit over the agricultural giant’s repair monopolies, paving the way for a trial that will determine whether the company’s repair practices are illegal At issue are the many tactics Deere has used to make it more difficult and often impossible for farmers to repair their own tractors, from software locks and “parts pairing” that prevent farmers from replacing parts without the authorization of a Deere dealership "Deere—by itself or through its agents—repeatedly made public statements that purchasers could make repairs to their own Tractors but the reality was that they couldn’t,” Johnson wrote.

I feel it is important to support projects and businesses who are working on making it easier to repair and upgrade the things they make. So here's a thread about laptop computers.

Context

Desktop computers were not perfect in terms of being able to be fixed/upgraded, but they were better than laptops. So, where can one go to find laptops that can be repaired or upgraded?

The List

• https://mntre.com/ Open source, modular, ARM-based laptops
  • There's also a smaller model in the works
    • https://www.crowdsupply.com/mnt/pocket-reform
    • https://hackaday.com/2023/04/11/a-miniature-mnt-for-every-pocket/
• https://frame.work/ Faster, intel based modular laptop
  • Components can be reconfigured into a tablet form factor https://www.instructables.com/Framework-Tablet-Assembly-Manual/

Honorable mentions

Some honorable mentions that are no longer available (or never were):

• https://www.crowdsupply.com/sutajio-kosagi/novena
• https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68/micro-desktop

Multi-pronged approach

I'm not opposed to asking politicians to solve the problem of sustainability, but it typically takes many years, and even then with mixed results. So I thought a thread on some more direct action was in order. I believe there is room for both strategies in our fight to fix our stuff.

A call to action

If you know of other sources that we can shop to get quality gear, while supporting people who are actively giving people the right to repair right here and now (and without being forced to against their will), post 'em in the replies.

Xmas is coming up. If a laptop is something you're considering, please give the vendors in this thread a look. Even if you ultimately go with something else, it's good to consider your options. Besides, it's not a matter of just being altruistic; many of us would argue these are also the better value in the long term!

You'd think it'd be simple-- you should be able to repair things you've bought and paid for!-- but big corporations want to squeeze even more blood out of that stone wallet of yours. Want to fight back? Check out #RightToRepair: https://jimhightower.substack.com/p/friday-signpost-can-you-repair-what
@righttorepair @uspirg

Water gets into 2018 Ford truck tail light assembly, corrodes connectors, disables vehicle, $5600 repair.

And now to meteorologist Louis Rossmann with expected impacts of the forecasted snowstorm in Hell.

See also PIRG's statement NHTSA Walks Back Anti-Repair Letter, but Questions Remain, including link to the NHTSA's letter.

Holly Borgmann, vice president of government affairs for ADT, Boca Raton, Fla., said that while these types of laws may make sense for some industries, tools and manuals that could enable someone to disarm an alarm or reroute an emergency signal should remain proprietary. Borgmann is an SIA board member and vice chair of the SIA government affairs committee.

A security system that can be repaired without notifying the monitoring service, nor sending any suspicious signals, is a security system that can be defeated independent of right to repair legislation. Likewise, if the monitoring service can't verify repairs to be authorized by the customer, they can't handle response to an ordinary alarm.

The site specific data of an alarm panel is generally uploaded remotely by the monitoring service using the communication system through which the panel is monitored. That data is retained by the monitoring service in the event it needs restored, or for use as a template should it need modified. This is a trivial operation if there are any doubts regarding the integrity of the programming.

"In a letter sent to New York Governor Kathy Hochul in December, People for Bikes asked that e-bikes be excluded from the state’s forthcoming digital right-to-repair law... The letter cited 'an unfortunate increase in fires, injuries and deaths attributable to personal e-mobility devices' including e-bikes. Many of these fires, People for Bikes claimed in the letter, 'appear to be caused by consumers and others attempting to service these devices themselves,' including tinkering with the batteries at home. Before Hochul signed the right-to-repair bill, it was revised to exempt e-bikes.

"Asked for data to back up the claim that e-bike fires were being caused by unauthorized repairs, Lovell said that it was 'anecdotal, from folks that are on the ground in New York.'"