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I previously posted about how Beko kill-switched two of my washing machines to block me from using them -- to force me to throw them away. I happened to be on a site of an e-waste manager or something, and found this astonishing claim that Beko/Arçelik is:

“working together to build a sustainable cirular solution for the washing machines manufacturing industry”

If they want a sustainable circular economy, why not just publish their kill switch reset codes?

Sadly, the link ultimately just leads to a shitty youtube video (which I can’t access). But after wrestling with a dozen fully enshitified Youtube transcript sites, notegpt.io was at least willing to give me a fucking transcript. This is it, with my highlights:

00:01 have you ever wondered how your consumption of electronic Goods can be greener waste from Electrical Products also known as E-Waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world with almost 57 million tons generated in 2021 the same weight as 5700 Eiffel Towers it is predicted this will rise to 74 million tons by 2030 with less than one-fifth of this officially collected for recycling it is an issue that needs addressing not only so that more is recycled but so that E-Waste is prevented in the first place 00:39 sea surveys aims to make electrical products that are more easily repaired refurbished and recycled the project focuses on four types of devices washing machines printers sensors that monitor network connections and televisions as part of this it is designing new business models and digital Concepts that reflect the principles of the circular economy and can be easily adopted by other product manufacturers across the world this will increase the lifespan of these products and reduce the waste they 01:11 create archilic a household appliances manufacturer is the industry partner for the televisions archilic joined the Cesars project to support our transition to Circular business models such as leasing repairing and secondhand sales being part of the project has enabled us to focus closely on one of our models of Television looking at all the specs of it from design through manufacture to the way it is both used and disposed of the outcome is a product with a much lower environmental impact the design 01:49 phase of a TV has been critical to the work that archilic has undertaken at this very early stage the different circular elements have been considered and integrated during the project the bank cover of the television was produced using 30 recycled plastic and it is planned that this will be increased to at least 60 percent in the future the use of the QR Code system developed by project Partners secularize enables artelec to track recycled components from the supplier to the production stage and also allows the 02:22 customer to access warranties environmental data and other product details 3D printed parts are available for the feet of the television and are aimed at enabling refurbishment at sites throughout the world as it allows the part to be printed locally refurbishment options and training materials are also provided leasing of the televisions to businesses has been successfully tested during the project and has resulted in archelec making plans to introduce leasing options for private consumers as well 02:54 scissors has an opportunity for archilic to look deeper into our Clarity and throughout our volume chain we will now see this experience and knowledge and see how we can apply it to a wider range of products visit c-serviceproject.eu to find out more about everything the team has done to achieve its goal

Built-in batteries put a timebomb inside devices, with especially the calendar aging feature of Li-ion chemistries setting a hard limit on when you’ll have to toss the device or figure out a way to replace the battery somehow. Here the EU’s Battery Regulation policy with the 2027 implementation of the user-serviceable battery requirement provided a lot of hope. Now six new categories of exemptions are diminishing what could have been a bonanza of easy repairability.

Following a complaint filed by association HOP – Stop Planned Obsolescence, Steering Group member of the Right to Repair Europe Coalition in September 2017, the printer manufacturer Epson has been summoned before the criminal court on charges of planned obsolescence and misleading commercial practices.

#PlannedObsolescence #RightToRepair #France

"There is consumer pressure to back away from technology that is unnecessary to perform everyday tasks."

PC revival?

This was the issue:

@Endof10 Good morning everyone,I am following for work a project of reuse of hardware dated by the Italian public administration (office PC between 2010 and 2015 as the start of use year).as a distribution I focused on zorin OS for the ease of migration from windows, general stability of the system, look and feel very nice and pleasant. my biggest obstacle is the finding of cheap SSD disks also used to put in place of the current mechanical disks, otherwise the machines are too slow, and I fear the boomerang effect.the machines will be donated to voluntary associations that request it, but I fear that with a mechanical disk that makes the machine too slow for modern use in 2026, the average user perceives linux as a slow operating system, without understanding that the problem is the hardware. I am also a volunteer of one of the main Italian environmental associations, legambiente, so I gladly offer myself for installation parties, individual support to those who request it. I saw this page on your site but I did not understand how I should move, I ask if you can help me and guide me thanks.endof10.org/it/contribute/@zorinlynx @distrowatch.com @RepairCafeInternational @right2repair @righttorepair @eu_os @efoundation @gnome @restarterstorino

A bill in Colorado is a glimpse into the future of how corporations are working to limit the freedom people have to make their own fixes and upgrades.

Archived version: https://archive.is/20260402211432/https://www.wired.com/story/tech-companies-are-trying-to-neuter-colorados-landmark-right-to-repair-law/

Say goodbye to expensive battery replacement?

alternate title I saw on YouTube - “Invent and resolve”: How Cuba's survived six decades of US blockade

Feb. 25, 2026

In US-blockaded Cuba, ingenious mechanics and inventors revive old machines in order to survive during a time of scarcity.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba was plunged into crisis. Fuel, food and spare parts vanished almost overnight. This character-led documentary shows how common Cubans refused to give up – and instead built a new culture of radical repair. From Havana’s Malecon to small-town back yards, it follows mechanics, street vendors and a teacher-turned-inventor who live by one rule: “invent and resolve”.

A pristine US Plymouth Fury convertible of the 1950s hides a Soviet engine, Japanese gearbox and handmade parts; washing machines become coconut graters, solar dryers and tools for urban farms. Cuban historians and designer Ernesto Oroza reveal the philosophy behind this “technical disobedience”, treating every object as raw material to hack and extend. Far from nostalgia, the film offers a stark snapshot of a future in which resources are scarce and the power to repair may be our most important tool.

#news #politics