Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A “right to repair” movement tools up

economist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

291–300 of 321 posts

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#291

Post by throaway1234567 »

throwaway613834 wrote: post #138
gruturo wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your fingerprints are given in clear, from your fingertips to the sensor surface. You can add all the security in the world after the sensor, but you need to be able to trust it, because it has access to the raw data. Same for face ID - the very first piece of hardware capturing the data has to be trustworthy or the whole chain cannot be trusted.

What I'm trying to say is that you should be using software security rather than hardware security.

What I think they're trying to say is that using software security with no hardware security doesn't fix the issue of what happens when someone modifies your device to add hardware that is capable of skimming your software encryption keys.

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#292

Post by gjem97 »

GhostVII wrote: post #254
gjem97 wrote: post #233

I really get frustrated at how many small appliances I end up throwing out. It just doesn't make sense to repair a food processor that breaks. This stuff that's made with a plastic housing doesn't last more than 5 years in my house. Then I look over at my Kitchenaid mixer. You know the iconic one that would look right at home in the kitchen of the 1960s. It's constructed durably, it's repairable, and people go out of…

> Why can't all appliances be like my Kitchenaid mixer? Because people don't like to spend extra for quality products. For most appliances, there are brands that sell quality versions which will last for years, but lots of people just look for the lowest priced one with the features that they want, and buy it.

Then why do they pay for the Kithchenaid mixer.

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#293

Post by seanmcdirmid »

amichal wrote: post #285
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China is trying to shut this game down because it is bad for their own environment.

This is good. It also appears that a larger share of US e-waste is actually handled in the US then I remembered (its been trending up since the 1990s i think). I have no idea of the numbers but environmental regulations be equal (which they are not but we can one day they are) this seems more efficient to my brain.

Actually, that is more about rare earth elements being recovered, ever since the Chinese supply scare a few years ago (which is also related to the environment as rare earth processing is incredibly dirty if done cheaply). Anyways, there is a lot more effort to recycle and re-use these elements for economic reasons.

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#294

Post by gjem97 »

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #234
gjem97 wrote: post #233

I really get frustrated at how many small appliances I end up throwing out. It just doesn't make sense to repair a food processor that breaks. This stuff that's made with a plastic housing doesn't last more than 5 years in my house. Then I look over at my Kitchenaid mixer. You know the iconic one that would look right at home in the kitchen of the 1960s. It's constructed durably, it's repairable, and people go out of…

Because people would complain at spending Kitchenaid mixer prices for a toaster. But, that being said, I completely agree with you.

You could sell a Kitchenaid-mixer quality toaster for much less than a Kitchenaid mixer.

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#295

Post by throwaway613834 »

throaway1234567 wrote: post #291
throwaway613834 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I'm trying to say is that you should be using software security rather than hardware security.

What I think they're trying to say is that using software security with no hardware security doesn't fix the issue of what happens when someone modifies your device to add hardware that is capable of skimming your software encryption keys.

Isn't that an entirely different threat than the one we're worried about here?

The issue here is what happens when someone gets a hold of your phone and tries to get your data off it. This is NOT even remotely the same threat as someone secretly getting your phone, secretly opening it and installing a backdoor touchscreen reader, then sealing it back up perfectly and leaving it somewhere for you to find it with no trace without you realizing anything has gone wrong. The latter is far harder to pull off and far less likely to occur. Even CBP officers who take your phone wouldn't do this sort of thing. I don't really know of any evidence that this is the threat that Apple has been trying to mitigate, let alone that they have had any success in doing so. It's a non-argument as far as the discussions about Apple's existing security measures go.

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#296

Post by jogjayr »

logfromblammo wrote: post #274
thomastjeffery wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I burn much less carbon when I take the bus to work. I understand that. It's the obvious reasoning behind a gas tax. My entire point is that there are also other effects. If gas prices raise significantly, then the price of everything - groceries, medication, clothing, cleaning supplies, solar panels, everything - raises, meaning simple things that everyone relies on suddenly become unaffordable to low-wage workers…

I'm running some code through the profiler right now. I'm working on improving that function that is using 17% of CPU, rather than the dozens clocking in at less than 1%. If I can get that 17% function to run in 94% of the time, that is a greater gain from less effort than making any of those The same principle applies to air pollution. Focus on the container ships burning bunker oil and the power plants burning coal…

> that is not necessarily how it will be spent.

British Columbia has a revenue-neutral carbon tax [1]

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_carbon_tax

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#297

Post by jogjayr »

gjem97 wrote: post #233

I really get frustrated at how many small appliances I end up throwing out. It just doesn't make sense to repair a food processor that breaks. This stuff that's made with a plastic housing doesn't last more than 5 years in my house. Then I look over at my Kitchenaid mixer. You know the iconic one that would look right at home in the kitchen of the 1960s. It's constructed durably, it's repairable, and people go out of…

Try to find a Repair Cafe near you. https://repaircafe.org/en/visit/

They do repairs for free (voluntary donation appreciated) to keep items out of the landfill.

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#298

Post by thix0tr0pic »

AceyMan wrote: post #148

Anyone in this thread know or should know THE GUY who tackles these considerations from the orthogonal position — AvE ("Arduinio vs Evil"). He cracks gear open before he's ever turned it on to look for build quality and/or any janky crap, then reassembles and runs it after. (No, he's not batting 1.000, but he's good.) Classic teardown here of some sweet gear from the fourth smallest country (area) in Europe (0m37s, 1…

for the curious: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13909365

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#299

Post by api_or_ipa »

I will say I particularly enjoy the Jeep communities DIY or die attitude about fixing their vehicles. The dealership may not support them anymore, but plenty of great individuals pick up the slack and sell parts that often improve on original flaws.

Mr Blaine from Black Magic Brakes is a great example. http://www.blackmagicbrakes.com/

Re: A “right to repair” movement tools up

#300

Post by theyregreat »

As mentioned, Louis Rossmann and others has been out there campaigning for R2R. http://youtube.com/user/rossmanngroup

The bigger problem is it is unlikely to happen in the current political climate because of corrupting money of big corporations buying politicians. Campaign finance reform and kick out the billionaires’ lackeys: crooked politicians and their lobbyist pimps, is a necessary prerequisite to getting public commonwealth issues addressed with sensible policies. Only when DC is cleaner can actual legislation benefiting the people happen instead of subsidizing the very rich even more.

Post reply on HN