this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2024
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Right to Repair

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Whether it be electronics, automobiles or medical equipment, the manufacturers should not be able to horde “oem” parts, render your stuff useless if you repair it with aftermarket parts, or hide schematics of their products.

I Fix It Repair Manifesto

Summary article from I Fix It

Summary video by Marques Brownlee

Great channel covering and advocating right to repair, Lewis Rossman

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I have a Pixel 4a (with Calyx) for a few years already (start of 2021) and it's still going great. The battery is okay. Everything works nice. It's smooth. It runs everything perfectly fine.

This makes me glad to see that hardware wise this phone was really built to last, I can't even count how many times I dropped it so hard that I was scared to see the damage (which was always either nothing or a broken screen protector)

But software wise I'm screwed as security updates are already gone from Google and I only get the extended support from Calyx which will also end soon.

Now I'm forced to choose between having a phone that is insecure or buying a new one.

So thanks Google for the high quality hardware, but what's up with this software planned obsolescence??

I know this isn't exactly right to repair, but it also kind of is because if Google decided to ditch the 4a, they should be forced to open source the software so that the public can actually repair it.

I'm sure that some of their latest updates can be modified slightly to work for the 4a, but they don't care and for them this is a win-win since they don't have to maintian support and they get new customers who would otherwise be satisfied with an "old" phone.

What happened to the days when an old phone meant a phone that was already crumbling to pieces, and not a fully functional computer that is slightly older then a toddler?

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

GrapheneOS is an option. The Pixel 4a is not really supported any longer with the current branch but...it's GrapheneOS so it'll be secure(ish). https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices.

Do keep in mind GrapheneOS has some weird, deal-breaking issues, like RCS not working and other weird, random shit like that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

you do not want to have to depend on it for an EVA

[–] ma11en 2 points 4 months ago

Really Cool Shoes?

[–] ForgotAboutDre -1 points 4 months ago

Googles attempt at intercepting all text messages.

It’s supposed to be SMS 2.0 but only google took it serious and it’s only supported by Google. Most carriers that do support it are using Googles Jibe system, they’ve now pressured apple into using it as well. Likely tied to the many billions they pay apple every year.

Google doesn’t let anyone else make a RCS app except them and Samsung. So you can’t get a free and open messenger with it.