How Companies Profit off Unfixable Devices (ft. Louis Rossmann)
Summary
TLDRThis video from Cold Fusion TV delves into the diminishing rights of consumers to repair their own devices. It highlights the increasing control tech giants like Apple exert over products post-purchase, using tactics like parts pairing and software locks to restrict repairs. The episode features an interview with repair advocate Louis Rossman, discussing the right to repair movement, which advocates for accessible, affordable repair options and opposes manufacturer-imposed barriers. The video also touches on the broader implications of 'hostile software' and the environmental and health benefits of repair-friendly design.
Takeaways
- 📱 The script discusses the diminishing control and ownership consumers have over the products they purchase, particularly in the context of tech devices and software.
- 🔒 Companies are increasingly implementing 'right to repair' barriers, making it difficult for consumers to maintain, repair, or operate their own devices.
- 🛠️ The 'right to repair' movement advocates for consumers' ability to repair their own products without facing intentional obstacles from manufacturers.
- 🎮 The script uses examples from gaming, such as Nintendo's Cic, to illustrate the historical context of manufacturers controlling products post-sale.
- 🚜 It highlights cases like John Deere's tractors, which were locked with software accessible only by authorized representatives, as an extreme example of repair restrictions.
- 🔩 The concept of 'parts pairing' is explained, where manufacturers use software to ensure that only specific parts work with their devices, hindering independent repairs.
- 📱 Apple is called out as a leading example of a company using software locks to restrict repairs, with the iPhone 15 being a case in point.
- 🛠️ The script mentions various tactics used by manufacturers to deter DIY repairs, including soldering components to make them hard to replace and using geotagging to control repair locations.
- 💡 The 'right to repair' movement is gaining traction with legislative victories, such as California passing the right to repair act in 2023.
- 🌍 The European Union is also pushing for legislation to benefit end users, including mandating USB-C charging ports for handheld devices.
- 🛠️ Despite some companies like Apple offering self-repair programs, the script argues that these are not genuine solutions and are more for show than practical use.
Q & A
What is the main issue discussed in the video script about consumer products?
-The main issue discussed is the loss of control and ownership by consumers over the products they purchase, particularly in terms of the ability to repair and maintain them due to intentional barriers set by manufacturers.
What is the 'right to repair' movement and what does it advocate for?
-The 'right to repair' movement advocates for consumers' ability to repair their own products without facing intentional roadblocks from manufacturers. It seeks a return to more durable and repair-friendly product designs.
Can you explain the concept of 'parts pairing' mentioned in the script?
-'Parts pairing' is a manufacturing practice where a device checks the serial number of a part to ensure it matches the original part installed. This prevents the use of even compatible third-party parts, forcing consumers to use only manufacturer-approved parts and services.
What is the significance of the iPhone 15 in the context of the script?
-The iPhone 15 is highlighted as an example of a highly software-locked device, where even swapping parts between identical models can disable features or render the part non-functional, demonstrating Apple's restrictive repair policies.
How does the script describe the impact of software updates on consumer products?
-The script describes software updates as potentially 'hostile', as they can remove or break features without the consumer's consent, effectively transferring control from the user to the tech giants.
What is the role of Adobe in the script's discussion on hostile software?
-Adobe is mentioned as an example of a company that has been criticized for its subscription practices, including hidden fees and a complex cancellation process, as well as for potentially using user-uploaded files to train their AI.
What legislative progress is mentioned in the script regarding the right to repair?
-The script mentions the passing of the right to repair act in California in October 2023, which requires manufacturers to provide tools for fixing electronic devices, and similar legislative efforts in other states and the European Union.
What is the significance of the LG G5 phone in the context of the script?
-The LG G5 phone is cited as an example of a product that was designed with easy repair in mind, contradicting manufacturers' claims that modern products can't be easily repaired without losing features like water resistance.
What does the script suggest about the economic strategy of companies like Apple?
-The script suggests that companies like Apple use restrictive repair policies as an economic strategy to encourage consumers to purchase new devices instead of repairing their existing ones, which contributes to their revenue.
How does the script relate the right to repair to broader consumer rights and environmental concerns?
-The script relates the right to repair to broader consumer rights by emphasizing the importance of consumer autonomy over the products they purchase. It also connects the issue to environmental concerns, as repair-friendly designs can reduce e-waste.
What is the role of the framework laptop in the script's discussion on repair-friendly design?
-The framework laptop is presented as an example of a product that embodies the principles of the right to repair movement, with every part being easily replaceable, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to product design.
Outlines
🤔 Loss of Ownership and the Right to Repair
The video discusses how consumers have gradually lost control and ownership over the products they purchase, particularly in the tech industry. It highlights the issue of companies actively blocking the right to repair, making it difficult for consumers to maintain, repair, or operate their devices. The script introduces the right to repair movement, which advocates for consumers' ability to repair their own products without facing intentional barriers from manufacturers. It also touches on the historical context, starting with Nintendo's use of the checking integrated circuit (CIC) in 1985 to prevent the use of unauthorized game cartridges, setting a precedent for the control manufacturers now exert over their products post-sale.
🛠️ The Challenges of Repairing Modern Devices
This paragraph delves into the tactics used by manufacturers to prevent consumers from repairing their own devices. It explains the concept of parts pairing, where components are uniquely identified to ensure they only work with the specific device they were originally paired with, as exemplified by Apple's practices. The script also covers other anti-repair strategies, such as soldering components to make replacements difficult, and the use of software locks that render devices inoperable if non-approved parts are used. It discusses the broader implications of these practices, including the environmental impact of electronic waste and the loss of consumer autonomy over the products they own.
📈 Manufacturers' Anti-Repair Strategies and Their Impact
The paragraph examines the motivations behind manufacturers' anti-repair strategies, focusing on the economic benefits for companies, such as increased sales of new products and control over repair services. It provides examples of companies like Apple, which has faced criticism for its restrictive repair policies, and John Deere, which required specialized software access for repairs, effectively controlling the repair process and costs. The script also touches on the broader implications of hostile software, where updates can remove features or make products unusable, and the challenges consumers face in maintaining control over the products they purchase.
🌟 Legislative Victories and the Future of Right to Repair
This section of the script discusses the progress made by the right to repair movement, including legislative victories such as California's passage of the right to repair act in 2023. It contrasts the movement's successes with the ongoing challenges, such as Apple's self-repair program, which requires significant upfront costs and data collection from consumers. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of the right to repair for consumers, the environment, and even health, citing examples of products that are designed with repairability in mind, like the LG G5 and Dell's XPS. It concludes with a call to action for consumers to demand better from manufacturers and to spread awareness about the right to repair.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Right to Repair
💡Parts Pairing
💡E-Waste
💡Hostile Software
💡Anti-Repair Tactics
💡Consumer Advocates
💡Repairability Report
💡Subscription Fees
💡Intellectual Property
💡Legislative Victories
💡Self-Repair Program
Highlights
The video discusses the loss of control and ownership over products we buy, particularly in the context of right to repair issues.
Companies are actively blocking consumers' right to repair their own products, such as Apple with its software restrictions.
The right to repair movement advocates for the ability to repair products without manufacturer-imposed barriers.
Nintendo's introduction of the checking integrated circuit (CIC) in 1985 was an early sign of manufacturers controlling their products post-sale.
Games like GT Sport have become heavily reliant on online services, rendering them unplayable if servers are shut down.
Hardware devices can become obsolete when companies stop supporting them, as seen with Spotify's car audio player.
Parts pairing is a method used by manufacturers like Apple to restrict repairs to only their own parts, even if compatible.
Apple's iPhone 15 introduced even stricter software locks, preventing part swaps even between identical models.
Other tactics like discouraging non-branded ink or filters, and blocking third-party accessories are used to control repairs.
Apple's anti-right to repair tactics include soldering SSDs to MacBooks and geotagging authorized repair shops.
John Deere's software restrictions on tractors forced farmers to seek unauthorized software to perform repairs.
Manufacturers' economic strategies, like Apple's, are designed to encourage new purchases over repairs.
Hostile software updates from big tech companies remove features and force subscriptions, taking control away from users.
Adobe is being sued for hidden fees and complex cancellation processes, violating consumer trust.
The right to repair movement is gaining legislative victories, with California passing an act in October 2023.
Apple's self-repair program is criticized for being more of a PR move than a genuine solution for consumers.
The video concludes that right to repair is beneficial for consumers, the environment, and health, and calls for more demand for repair-friendly products.
Examples of repair-friendly products like the LG G5, Dell XPS, and the Framework laptop are highlighted as positive steps towards repairability.
The video encourages viewers to spread the word about right to repair and to share the joy of solving tech problems independently.
Transcripts
this video was brought to you by
brilliant hi welcome to another episode
of Cold Fusion look at the phone or the
laptop that you're watching this video
on you think you own it right well you
kind of don't over the years you and I
have slowly lost control and ownership
of the products we buy maybe you've
noticed it maybe not or maybe it just
hasn't bothered you yet but the fact of
the matter is that we're being punished
for wanting to make decisions about how
we maintain repair use and operate our
devices and software from Cars to TVs
laptops and phones fixing things has
become a nightmare companies are
actively blocking our right to repair
the products that we own I'm looking at
you apple and more anti-reaction
think in putting together this episode a
secondary topic presented itself the
fact that we're slowly losing control of
everything that we own hostile software
is transferring the power from us the
consumer to the tech Giants we'll
explore that too and one final piece of
housekeeping I sat down with right to
repair Advocate LS Rossman to get his
thoughts on the subject I'll be using
bits of the interview throughout this
episode you are watching C Fusion TV
it's not a new phenomenon that
manufacturers want to control their
products even after they've been sold to
you back in 1985 Nintendo introduced the
checking integrated circuit or cic it
was a chip for the NES console that
stopped unauthorized Game cartridges
from being inserted and played
developers like Atari games were then
sued for releasing games without
Nintendo's approval this is innocuous by
today's standards but it was a sign of
things to come since then our games have
ringly become online arcade mode is the
only part of GT Sport that works offline
you can't do driving tests buy cars take
photos or even save progress unless
should connect it to the PSN so if a
game maker decides to shut down a server
a few years after you bought it you're
stuffed that game you paid for it's now
unplayable but it goes beyond games
entire Hardware devices can become
paperweight when a company decides to
stop supporting it spotify's Hardware
car audio player didn't sell well so
they're abandoning it leaving all of
those who bought it stranded with an
expensive paper weight these things are
all terrible enough but the most
egregious transgression of all is the
inability to fix our own devices
manufacturers will tell us that as
technology improves components naturally
get tougher to fix sure there is some
truth to that but the real kicker here
is that they're not just making Hardware
repairs more difficult they're also
designing software that practically puts
our devices on lockdown this has sparked
a movement of consumers Advocates
experts and politicians alike who say
enough easy enough enter the right to
repair
movement the right to repair movement is
essentially demanding a return to the
old school ways of Technology
development you know when products were
built to last but if something did break
you could just grab a manual some spare
parts and get it back up and running so
right to repair is you should have the
ability to repair your own product and
the manufacturer should end be putting
intentional roadblocks in your way of
doing so and there's this misconception
that right to repair means that I want
to have a a cell phone that's the side
of of what you know Gordon gecko was
using in the movie Wall Street and
that's not really what it's about rights
to repair is about manufacturers not
putting intentional barriers between you
and your ability to do your job the sad
truth is gradually over the years and
decades Corners have been increasingly
cut and Now Products just don't last as
long as they used to and consumers as a
whole just got used to throwing things
away in a 2024 survey nearly 50% of
people said that they replace products
and not repair them that's almost 50% of
broken products ending up in the trash
instead of being repaired now let's see
how manufacturers lock us out from
repairing things
ourselves there's a thing called Parts
pairing a decade ago if a phone
component broke you could just go to any
electronic store and get it replaced
with a compatible part try that now with
an iPhone and good luck it's not going
to work anymore because of Parts pairing
Parts pairing is a manufacturing Choice
Apple leads the pack here rigging its
system with software barriers so you're
forced to use only its parts tools and
services so the first is Parts pairing
where a part will have a serial number
and the the device will check the serial
number of that part and if it has
changed it'll say even if that is a
perfectly compatible part even if you
have taken that part out of another
device that you just purchased new for
$2000 something about that won't work
properly and that that's something
that's obviously bad for many people
this makes sure that they only work with
the specific device they came with in
September 2023 Apple up the ante and
launched its most software locked phone
yet the iPhone 15 with this model you
can't even swap out Parts between
iPhones of the same model if you need to
swap your iPhone 15 Pro Max camera or
screen with a phone of exactly the same
model features will be disabled or the
part just wouldn't work we have the red
motherboard with the blue phone
internals and we have the blue
motherboard with the red phone internals
we'll boot both of these phones on face
Bas ID issue detected we have the
important battery message important
display message through tone is still
disabled auto brightness also doesn't
work and the same goes for some MacBooks
while apple is the most restrictive the
trend has spread HP tried to discourage
non-hp printer ink with fake error
messages GE Fridge owners had to find
hacks to use offbrand water filters even
kig blocked third party K Cups a move
that was roasted by coffee lovers Parts
pairing is enough to get under anyone's
skin but that's just one piece of the
puzzle there are plenty of other tactics
some are pretty nefarious that
manifacturers use and keep getting away
with until
now 2009 marked the beginning of Apple's
anti-republican it only got worse from
2016 Apple would solder their solid
state drives to the MacBook logic ports
making Replacements and data recovery
nearly impossible many other
manufacturers would pull all sorts of
tricks to scare off wouldbe DIY
repairers in a 2022 repairability report
card Samsung and Google phones flunked
while Lenovo Microsoft and HP laptops
barely
passed so a part of the motivations for
the right to repair movement is to
counter the war on Independent repair
take Apple for example as you can tell
already they've earned a bad reputation
but not without reason until recently
Apple only allowed repairs at The Genius
bar or authorized third party repair
shops to give you an idea of just how
far they went these shops are geotagged
and repair parts are tracked by IP
addresses and this is so repairs can
only happen within an approved Zone when
I'm at the other shop I can do them
that's the shop that's off do so we have
to do them from that Geo as such oh I
see so Apple actually like tells you
where that repair can happen as well
yeah everything's coded when we order
the part they come direct to that store
and we can only use them within that
store because obviously Apple would know
by the IP what address where you doing
it wow there's a lot into it they're
very
clever Apple even sued a small business
owner in Norway for using refurbished
iPhone screens that were never
advertised as genuine parts and that's
the next phase of the issue
manufacturers actually blocking your
ability to repair your own stuff take
John Deere for instance until 2023 they
outfitted all their tractors with
software that only company authorized
representatives could access to repair
John Deere then set the price of repair
to around $170 per hour and then made
the farmers cover the representatives
travel expenses for Farmers living in
remote areas which is common this was a
huge pain especially since tractor
downtime means lost crops and income to
get around this and this is hilarious
some Farmers resorted to to searching
the dark web for John Deere software
from Ukrainian hackers in the words of
one such hacker quote we want Farmers to
be able to repair their stuff for when
things go wrong and now that means being
able to repair or make decisions about
the software and their tractors okay so
back to Apple in 2019 CEO Tim Cook
partly blamed cheaper batteries for bad
iPhone sales he put it to investors when
people can repair their own devices they
don't buy new ones of course it's a
smart economic strategy and it's paid
off about 2/3 of Apple's Revenue comes
from new iPhone sales we see this
everywhere like dishwashers you can buy
a new one for around $200 but if
something breaks the replacement parts
cost almost exactly the same as a brand
new dishwasher it's the nature of the
Beast consumers Chase Bargains and
corporations Chase
profits and next we have hostile
software nothing in big Tech's easy to
use anymore I'm sorry you Got You Don't
Own anything they make changes that you
have no control over every upgrade seems
like a downgrade um this is true of all
the companies and we were making things
that were intuitive where the human
would do something that seemed to make
sense and it would work and now you have
to search for it sometimes where did
they move it to Everything Changes you
have to subscribe you don't own you
don't own products anymore uh it's just
they'll make a change the next month on
you and you have to subscribe pay money
and set up names companies just love
updating our software and it's really
for benefit software updates are
becoming hostile removing and breaking
features at will and there's nothing you
can do about it and the market Trend
goes beyond Electronics we're losing
control of everything we buy remember
when BMW was trying to charge buyers of
their cars a subscription fee for heated
seats well thankfully they backed away
from that but it goes to show you the
thinking of these companies they want to
make a buck wherever they can and then
we have Adobe who's recently come under
Fire and is being sued by the US justice
department and FTC for hidden
cancellation fees and also making it
unnecessarily difficult to cancel
subscriptions let's get into why Adobe
is being jointly sued by the US
Department of Justice and the Federal
Trade Commission alleging that the
company imposed a hidden early
termination fee and complex and
challenging cancellation process upon
subscribers violating the restore online
Shoppers confidence act wow what a
catchy name which has been around since
2010 this isn't to mention the recent
controversy around their terms of
service critics claim that they can
access user files to train their AI
essentially you pay while they siphon
your hard work straight from your
computer case of adobe they outwardly
state that if you've uploaded something
to their database they use it to train
generative AI it's not even debatable if
they're doing this it's literally
written in their terms of service couple
weeks ago I was looking for stock photos
and I ended up on Adobe stock where I
noticed something strange kept scrolling
and found more again words spelled wrong
if they were even words at all in this
one the tape just kind of disappears
into the headlight of the car if I did
want to license any of these photos it
would cost me $80 $80 and that's just
the tip of the iceberg we all know about
Windows forcefully updating and
reactivating settings that you turned
off and then there's Facebook shoving AI
into search features no one asks for
looking at the broad picture consumer
riots are taking a beating
all right so this all sounds pretty bad
right how did we get here how did we get
to a point like this how did
manufacturers get away with such
anti-consumer behavior for so long well
let's put it into perspective these
massive companies lobbing against right
to repair are collectively worth about1
trillion this is a David versus Goliath
battle if I've ever seen one in 2019
Microsoft even offered to pay more taxes
to fund stem education in Washington if
right to repair never went to a floor
vote manufacturers love to parade their
list of excuses against right to repair
they argue that it threatens their
intellectual property puts consumers at
risk of injury and leads to botch parts
and repairs that damaged their
reputation back in 2017 an apple
lobbyist warned a Nebraska Senator that
passing right to repair laws would turn
the state into a mecca for cyber
criminals now imagine if a car
manufacturer said that you couldn't
replace your brakes alternator or
radiator anywhere but in their own
dealership to air quote discouraged
theft and if you dare to try that would
make your entire car unusable what do
you think do you think these arguments
passed the sniff test for
[Music]
you okay so there's got to be some
positives here fortunately there is
things are starting to turn around and
that's thanks to some recent legislative
victories in October of 2023 three
California passed the right to repair
act and this requires manufacturers to
provide the tools to fix electronic
devices over a dozen other states in the
US are toying with similar bills across
the pond the European Union has been
pushing forward legislation for the
benefit of end users remember when Apple
was forced to switch out their charging
port the lightning cable for USBC that
was thanks to the EU mandating that all
handheld devices must use USBC charging
ports by
2024 Apple has been a reluctant
participant in all of this but they've
shown that they can play nice in 2022
they rolled out a self-repair program
however Apple self-repair setup requires
a
$1,210 credit card hold 75 lb of gear
and when he tried it the iPhone screen
shattered immediately it seems like this
is lip service from Apple only fast
forward to April of 2024 an Apple has
made a surprising about face now some of
us can fix our devices with secondhand
genuine parts and most importantly their
devices will work as usual but Louis
Rossman says that these policy changes
still aren't a legitimate solution for
easy repair which is why it's also
frustrating to see all these press
releases this 24 page thing from Apple
where it talks about how we're making
repair available to all like that's a
core value it's like no it's not suck
like it's no no get theu out of here
it's it's not it's demonstrably not I
it's not a logistical thing where
they're doing the right thing but
there's one little hang up in this
particular area the supply chain but in
their program I have to collect all this
information on you that you I don't have
to collect if you're just my normal
customer feel free to be Anonymous you I
have to collect all this info on you
collect information on your device and
then I have to order the part now I have
to buy a part and wait a week or 2 to 4
days for it to show up who's going to
wait a few days for a battery on a
smartphone that's insane I would imagine
that this is just something that was
made up by a group of people that wanted
to be able to show legislators they're
trying to make us look stupid they're
trying to make us look Petty in my
opinion so in conclusion right to repair
is important it benefits us as consumers
and taking into account E-Waste it's
better for the environment and even our
own health manufacturers have proven
that they can design products that are
easier to fix it's time that more of us
demanded it these companies saying that
modern products can't be repaired easily
because they'll be too bulky or lose
water resistance is false the LG G5
phone did this all the way back in 2016
and furthermore Dell's XPS comes with an
easily swappable battery and SSD and
Microsoft tweaked its surface 3 laptops
to make repairs less of a headache and
then there's the extremes such as the
framework laptop where every part is
replaceable with a single screwdriver to
some degree this should be the way
forward this is the framework laptop 16
this is a DIY laptop this is so
anti-apple in like the best way possible
the screws are labeled that's right the
instructions for disassembling this
laptop are literally printed on it three
screws boom battery out and now to get
the main board out we just have this
connection here for the the fingerprint
sensor a pull tab for the speaker two
pull tabs for the display assembly and
our two antennas for the wireless card
and finally if we have right to repair
people like Kenny wouldn't have to wait
63 days for an authorized technician to
change his wheelchair battery quote no
one should ever have to fear death or
fear for their family because a company
decides a medical equipment customer
does not have the right to replace his
own batteries and that just about sums
it up we all need a right to repair TR
try to spread the word right to repair
by Saving somebody money or by getting
them to be excited even if they just do
something like make their thermostat
work again like there's going to be a
kick of dopamine when you solve a
problem that you didn't know how to
solve and you solve the puzzle and it
actually works there's always that
little gu and if you get people to
experience that then you've got people
on your side for Life try to spread the
word that way don't tell people you're
bad you bought this product you're bad
you didn't fix this thing and or you're
bad because you don't care about repair
you should care about this here's why
you should like try to not lecture
people on it get the share on your joy
if you want to see the full interview
with Lou Rossman I'll leave a link in
the description below not being able to
repair our own devices is frustrating
but have you thought of the fundamentals
of how your Tech works well fortunately
there's a fun and easy way to learn
about that with brilliant.org brilliant
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everything brilliant has to offer for
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anyway that's about it from me if you
did like this episode feel free to share
it to someone who' be interested and
also feel free to subscribe if you like
all right my name is toogo and youve
been watching cold fusion and I'll catch
you again soon for the next episode
cheers guys have a good
[Music]
one and you don't t no Coke all right
I'm going to on my
all right all right
[Music]
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