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Daily Authority: šØ Right to repair
š¬Good morning and welcome to Mondayās Daily Authority. The weekend flew by, and itās hard to believe itās Monday already. But Iām looking forward to seeing The Lost King at the movies tomorrow night. First though, the dayās top tech newsā¦
The right to repair
AAās Robert Triggs recently shared some insights into repairing a piece of modern tech when his Sony WH- 1000XM3 battery died and lost all Bluetooth and ANC functionality.
- Getting hold of replacement parts is difficult and repairability seems like an afterthought. As Rob says, āLithium batteries eventually stop working; thatās just the nature of battery technology. Their capacity slowly reduces, voltages fall, and eventually, they canāt be charged. In fact, the battery is almost certainly the reason a number of your portable gadgets eventually end up in the trash. Batteries typically only last three years or so, and replacing them can often lead to many more years of use from an old gadget.ā
- He continues, āSony doesnāt sell WH-1000XM3 battery replacements, and thereās no transparent pricing about out-of-warranty repairs from one of its trusted partners (guaranteed itāll be outrageously expensive). Instead, I had to source a third-party alternative.ā
- Sourcing third-party alternatives is not only more expensive than it should be, it also requires some knowledge of battery capacities and voltages to ensure youāre purchasing a suitable battery.
- Then thereās the actual task of replacing the battery: Though itās not massively complicated, it could prove too daunting for inexperienced DIY-ers. Youāll need a third-party guide to walk you through the steps, and itās all too easy to accidentally damage other parts during the repair.
- This could all be made easier if Sony stocked essential replacements.
Replaceable batteries should be mandatory
In an age where weāre all trying to minimize our impact on the planet, it seems counter-intuitive that weāre being forced to bin gadgets when they stop working and replace them with something new.
- Rob says, āReplacing basic parts should be a familiar and simple part of long-term ownership. The money saved, while certainly welcome, is just half of the picture. Had I thrown these headphones in the garbage, the plastics and circuitry would have pointlessly clogged up the local landfill. Furthermore, I would have bought another pair, unnecessarily consuming more of those very same precious metals and other resources Iād have just discarded.ā
- Thereās a clear argument for replaceable batteries, though thereās a cost factor, and it would likely mean sacrificing a few design aspects, plus possibly fast charging and water resistance.
- But if manufacturers built products to last ā and sold spare parts ā consumers would likely pay a bit more upfront, and fewer gadgets would end up in a landfill.
- Rob finishes, āAlthough this argument is compelling from a consumer standpoint, thereās still little profit or even social incentive for companies to provide long-term repairability support. Being seen to launch something new is still more important than being sustainable (unless youāre Nokia, it seems). Innovationās plateau, environmental concerns, and the sheer cost of the latest products have completely convinced me that the right-to-repair movementās push for accessible components, tools, and user manuals is more important than ever.ā
What do you think? Do you ever repair gadgets yourself? Vote in our poll and let us know.
Roundup
š± These Pixel 7 features are coming to older Pixels soon, though some features are restricted to Tensor-powered Pixels (Android Authority).
š Donāt expect a huge battery increase for base Galaxy S23, more of a slight increase (Android Authority).
š Amazonās Prime Early Access Sale kicks off tomorrow, running October 11-12, and hereās everything you need to know before the event starts (Mashable).
š Googleās VPN is free for Pixel 7 users, but would you trust Google to be your VPN? Vote in our poll (Android Authority).
š Googleās getting rid of its standalone Driving Mode dashboard, though donāt confuse this with Google Mapsā Driving Mode feature (The Verge).
š¢ The iPhone 14 keeps calling 911 on rollercoasters: The new Crash Detection feature can mistake the turns and hard braking for a real emergency (Android Authority).
š¢ Overwatch 2ās āauto-purchaseā bug has been fixed but Blizzard still wonāt issue refunds (Eurogamer).
š° Microsoft has offered a glimpse at how much Xbox Game Pass actually makesĀ (itās a lot) (Windows Central).
š± Gather around, pet owners: I found the purr-fect phone for you (Android Authority).
š§ Neuroscientists unravel the mystery of why you canāt tickle yourself (Ars Technica).
š āDo certain smells travel farther than others?ā (r/askscience).
Monday Meme
Courtesy of r/memes:
We canāt help you with your dark sense of humor, but we can help you get a better nightās sleep and reduce your stress levels, which research shows could reduce dementia risk.
- Check out our roundup of the best meditation apps to help you unwind after a stressful day.
- Or download a sleep tracker app for Android thatāll show you detailed stats on the quantity and quality of your sleep. Plus, we take a look at just how accurate sleep trackers really are.
Until tomorrow,
Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.