British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers • Hacker News Board

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#41

Post by Aeolun » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 3:55 PM UTC

Someone1234 wrote: post #38

emouryto wrote: post #16

Well, smartphones must be updated to include better spyware. And newer computers are also better locked down to allow better surveillance. So, the older ones can't break down fast enough! You don't want a repairable computer so creeps install, like, a Linux distro. You want disposable TPM machines with Windows 11 Home Edition and unstoppable "telemetry".

I feel like there's a large subset of people who don't understand what TPM does, so just assume the worst and hand wave about how it [somehow] causes [random bad thing]. In this case I guess TPM causes telemetry?

No, no, don’t mistake correlation with causation. They just always come together.

Note: I have no idea what TPM even is.

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#42

Post by apocalypstyx » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 3:56 PM UTC

kleiba wrote: post #30

ShaneMcGowan wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trying to find a good non smart tv is impossible now, I want dumb tv and dumb fridge

I don't own a smart TV, so this question is probably a bit naive - but what happens if you don't connect your smart TV to the internet?

Some brands/models can't even be setup without an internet connection and setting up accounts (and sometimes credit card information). Eventually, they'll probably have their own independent 5g connection.

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#43

Post by baybal2 » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 3:57 PM UTC

Can anyone research by whom, and in what reading was that exception added?

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#44

Post by lotsofpulp » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 3:57 PM UTC

axelthegerman wrote: post #33

kleiba wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't own a smart TV, so this question is probably a bit naive - but what happens if you don't connect your smart TV to the internet?

It still takes forever to turn on, has a bunch of menus nobody needs and probably keeps bugging you to connect it to the Internet :( Takes me a minute to turn on my stupid smart TV and switch it to HDMI in

I find Sony TVs to be pretty quick. I use it them in conjunction with Apple TV, and I never have to deal with the TV itself, and it is quick to turn itself off and on via HDMI CEC.

They are not the high end models either, I have a $630 one from 2016 and a $600 one from 2020.

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#45

Post by quietbritishjim » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 3:57 PM UTC

kleiba wrote: post #30

ShaneMcGowan wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trying to find a good non smart tv is impossible now, I want dumb tv and dumb fridge

I don't own a smart TV, so this question is probably a bit naive - but what happens if you don't connect your smart TV to the internet?

It depends strongly on the brand. LG is well known to be good in that situation. I bought one on the recommendation of HN comments and it seems to work great to me.

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#46

Post by bluGill » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 3:58 PM UTC

cunidev wrote: post #40

Not even mentioning the hardware bits, I have been collaborating with postmarketOS for a while now, and believe that the main thing we need to make those devices longer-lasting would be an unlockable bootloader by law. This sounds so logical (why cannot I run, by voiding the warranty, any code I want on my machine, whatever it is?), yet apparently so hard to make openly illegal, since the problem is barely acknowledg…

You can't do that because someone (probably not you) will then unlock the phone and [insert something evil here - perhaps involving the radio]

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#47

Post by nerdawson » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 4:00 PM UTC

ShaneMcGowan wrote: post #26

ivoras wrote: post #21

It's all fun and games until your fridge gets reclasiffied as a computer.

Trying to find a good non smart tv is impossible now, I want dumb tv and dumb fridge

TV manufacturers are responding, often clumsily and based on their self-interest (data collection), to what consumers want.

Trying to find a dumb TV is like trying to find a car without a built in radio. You're welcome to leave it switched off.

Smart TVs are dumb if they aren't connected to the internet. Some may be slow. Some may have a poor interface. I'd worry about solving for that rather than expecting manufacturers to cater to a very niche group.

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#48

Post by Hamuko » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 4:02 PM UTC

dodobirdlord wrote: post #31

kleiba wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't own a smart TV, so this question is probably a bit naive - but what happens if you don't connect your smart TV to the internet?

Sometimes they will seek out nearby open WiFi networks to join. There’s concern that in coming years with the spread of 5G availability that smart TVs may start packaging a 5G modem and connecting to cell networks, bypassing the need to be connected to a WiFi network.

I can't wait to figure out how to run rtorrent on my 5G-enabled TV.

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#49

Post by Proven » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 4:02 PM UTC

It should exclude everything, because the legislation is nonsense.

a) People have always had the right to do whatever they want with their property

b) They didn't have the right to perform unsupported repairs and use unauthorized parts if they wanted to keep the warranty. This was always known, or could be known, to all buyers at the time of purchase.

Now you get the fake "right" to screw up a product and then send it for free servicing or parts replacement because it's under warranty. What happens next?

Of course, the manufacturer will raise price or exit the hostile, centrally planned "market".

Where do political parties find all those idiots to vote for such destructive legislative acts?

Re: British right to repair law excludes smartphones and computers

#50

Post by jolmg » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 4:06 PM UTC

bluGill wrote: post #46

cunidev wrote: post #40

Not even mentioning the hardware bits, I have been collaborating with postmarketOS for a while now, and believe that the main thing we need to make those devices longer-lasting would be an unlockable bootloader by law. This sounds so logical (why cannot I run, by voiding the warranty, any code I want on my machine, whatever it is?), yet apparently so hard to make openly illegal, since the problem is barely acknowledg…

You can't do that because someone (probably not you) will then unlock the phone and [insert something evil here - perhaps involving the radio]

Are you missing an /s or are you saying that it shouldn't be done because it would enable e.g. use of radio hardware that goes against radio regulation?

If you're really expressing concern, what do you think of e.g. modem modules for regular computers or SDR hardware?