This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
The manufacture should have zero say if their product gets repaired or not. The only person who can give permission to repair it is the owner. It should be illegal to implement tying to lockout parts being used as a replacement. Right to repair
They call it jailbreak because this is an issue of freedom: software freedom
They call it jailbreak because this is an issue of freedom
I support your position and the right to repair, but that’s not the origin of the term jailbreak in the context of computing.
The term jailbreaking predates its modern understanding relating to smartphones, and dates back to the introduction of “protected modes” in early 80s CPU designs such as the intel 80286.
With the introduction of protected mode it became possible for programs to run in isolated memory spaces where they are unable to impact other programs running on the same CPU. These programs were said to be running “in a jail” that limited their access to the rest of the computer. A software exploit that allowed a program running inside the “jail” to gain root access / run code outside of protected mode was a “jailbreak”.
The first “jailbreak” for iOS allowed users to run software applications outside of protected modes and instead run in the kernel.
But as is common for the English language, jailbreak became to be synonymous with freedom from manufacture imposed limits and now has this additional definition.
Thanks for the history and technical explanation. I didn't mean to imply that was the origin (for computing) and was only talking about a specific usage of the word.
I think most people say it to refer to manufacture imposed limits but I wanted to promote a broader usage. That using proprietary software is like being in a jail because your software freedoms are denied.
I'd temper that by saying a manufacturer would need to provide a reasonable option. Some things could become dangerous or even deadly if repaired incorrectly. Or it could be dangerous or deadly to even attempt to repair it.
In the medical field when a device can only be repaired by the manufacturer then you can expect long wait times, bad repair jobs and having your own equipment sent in for repair destroyed for "safety".
We let people repair their own car's brake pads.. we shouldn't give up ownership rights for a unwarranted claim to safety. If something is potentially dangerous then making it more difficult to repair is a bad idea.
We probably shouldn't let people repair their own brake pads but that's another argument. Not enough people die from randoms repairing their own brake pads. Repair an insulin pump the wrong way and it will absolutely kill you. Oxygen masks, CPAP machines, pace makers. So many medical devices that people rely on for life or death care.
I'm all for right to repair. But having seen some of the thing people have done to repair safety items I have serious doubts about the efficacy of someone repairing something wrong and killing their grandma. I can appreciate that not everyone feels the same way. I can appreciate that there are absolutely people out there who can and do repair their own devices, cars, machinery etc, and they may do it well. But there are always going to be people out there who don't know what they're doing but will try and then we'll hear about them on the news because they touched a capacitor or something.
We probably shouldn't let people repair their own brake pads
What kind of auth-dystopian nonsense is that?
Repair an insulin pump the wrong way and it will absolutely kill you
You're just as dead if you can't get that insulin pump repaired or replaced because the manufacturer won't or can't support it. When they go bankrupt because other customers have sued them into non-existence, you still own the device they manufactured, and you still need it repaired.
Further, you presume the manufacturer can provide the best repairs. It is entirely possible and plausible that a competing engineer or programmer can improve upon the device, rendering it safer or providing superior operation. Car Mechanics can install a better braking system than the cheap, generic calipers and pads provided by the factory. Repair technicians can replace generic parts of medical devices allowing superior operation.
It's OK for manufacturers to say using aftermarket parts voids the warranty, it's not OK for them to prevent using them entirely. Likewise if there's a safety concern that should be handled by regulation and things like safety inspections, not by forcing all repairs to go through the manufacturer. If whatever it is is that critical to the safe operation it should be publicly documented so that third parties can manufacture it correctly to the needed tolerances.
Medical device manufacturers also threatened iFixit because it posted ventilator repair manuals on its website.
What the fuck is wrong with people. Anyone who opposes the right to repair for MEDICAL DEVICES is irredeemable.
Education and healthcare should never be for profit.
Please read this next line as if it had alternating/random caps:
"But capitalism improves efficiency!"
Tap for spoiler
I'm on mobile and would rather not deal with my spellcheck "learning" anything today.
There's this app, I don't use it often but leave it installed for this
https://github.com/MobileFirstLLC/irregular-expressions
The option spongemock LeTs YoU wRiTe LiKe ThIs
Keeping repairs locked into your system of parts/techs can at least feign “safety” or “quality”.
But essentially just refusing to repair is an absolute fuck you.
I’ve started choosing the companies I use based much more on the experience offered when their product/service DOESN’T work, rather than when it does.
I’ve started choosing the companies I use based much more on the experience offered when their product/service DOESN’T work, rather than when it does.
Easy to do for a cell phone or a toaster, but I can't imagine there's a ton of options for exosuits that correct your condition, covered by your insurance, that your doctor is familiar enough with to prescribe (for lack of a better term).
Some things are annoying to make abandonware, and some things should be criminal.
For me it's a mix of what you said and how they treat their employees/where they're making the product.
I spend extra time trying to find higher priced, higher quality, more fairly manufactured products.
Right it begs the question.
Is me not receiving care or having access to care REALLY better for me?
If the answer can't clearly be yes, then they are just choosing to make me ill or kill me for their perceived interests.
A right to repair is long overdue but more than that when it comes to medical devices it's obvious battery replacement is going to be necessary and should be user accessible.
corporations are a problem we need to solve as a society.
Orrrr and hear me out. We just pass a national right to repair law.
There, problem fixed and we don’t need to burn anything!
Corporations are a fucking curse.
any company who locks medical device repair should be burned to the ground. and dont bullshit me about liabilities bla it is more likely cash grab which they get in the form of "extra care packages" or exorbitant repair prices charged after the guarantee period ends.
For a $100k device, I would expect better long term support.
You would, but if there's no reason for them to spend the money on it why?
This is what regulation is for, and it needs to have teeth.
They just want him to get a new one... Why repair a $20 battery on a perfectly functioning device when you can force him to get a new $100,000 exoskeleton?
This is just more capitalist ghouls doing the only thing they know
Absolutely hate this shit.
It’s definitely annoying, but they have a provided decent explanation of why, imo
I hate not having everything for free also. What a bunch of jerks.
there is absolutely no excuse for this
The right to repair is such an obvious good in the world that those opposed to it should be publicly shamed.
These companies don't give a single shit about shame. They care about money.
Right to repair NOW!
Medical devices should be either supported for life (with money on escrow to support it) or provided with all schematics, manuals and spare parts
Non paywalled article
Line must go 🆙
The CPAP lockout is something I went through. The company behind my CPAP does not allow you to get ANYTHING off the device. But there is an SD Card that you can get all the info you want from your old system. Its arbitrarily locked out.
You are also unable to repair anything on the device without insurance getting involved. And insurance is often at OEM prices (think 200+ for a basic mask). Thankfully, people have illegally added STLs/chips/parts/etc... online that you can basically reverse engineer the entire device nowadays. As long as you use medical safe materials, it saves you literally thousands of dollars. Ive replaced quite a few parts and the device is still working after many years of usage.
Medical devices are required to comply with 21 CFR 820 in the United States, which establishes quality management standards. This includes minimum standards for the software development lifecycle, including software verification and validation testing.
In the EU, broadly equivalent standards include ISO 13485 and IEC 62304.
If an OEM wants to do a software update, they at minimum need to perform and document a change impact analysis, verification testing, and regression testing. Bigger changes can involve a new FDA submission process.
If you go around hacking new software features into your medical device, you are almost certainly not doing all of that stuff. That doesn't mean that your software changes are low quality--maybe, maybe not. But it would be completely unfair to hold your device to the standard that the FDA holds them to--that medical devices in the United States are safe and effective treatments for diseases.
This may be okay if you want to hack your own CPAP (usually a class II device) and never sell it to someone else. But I think we all need to acknowledge that there are some serious risks here.
repair techs had resorted to creating DIY dongles loaded with jailbroken Ukrainian firmware to fix ventilators without manufacturer permission
How many jailbreaks are done by Ukrainian hackers? Wasn't the John Deere firmware from Ukraine as well? Nice job 💖
Louis Rossmann should definitely get right on this case ASAP.
I agree, 404 is legit journalism. No org is perfect, but they're as good as it gets.
