Ancestors

Written by Ika Makimaki on 2025-01-03 at 01:21

I'm sure there's an untapped market for "Dumb" tech. Bonus points for repairable, dumb tech.

No AI assistants, no Internet connection, no DRM or login needed.

Just a toaster that makes toast, a TV that plays only what you put in it, with repair kits, spare parts available, easy to reach guts and accessible schematics, diagrams and instructions.

I know I'd buy no other brands if just one offered that to me.

[#]repairability #RightToRepair #DumbTech

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Written by Kumar McMillan on 2025-01-03 at 10:23

@pezmico @patrickhadfield manufacturers stopped shipping repairable machines as of the 80s, at least in audio. As a surprise to no one, pre-80s machines are highly sought after. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyjvn658n6o

My favorite bit:

“With some of the audio equipment, you can even open the case and inside there’s a diagram [of circuitry], even with arrows pointing at the screw; they’re nicely designed.”

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Written by Kumar McMillan on 2025-01-03 at 10:35

@pezmico @patrickhadfield ironically, Russians contribute greatly to making modern appliances repairable. My “repair guy” in Chicago says he gets most schematics for newer audio gear from Russian language forums. He grew up in Soviet Chernobyl and is a very colorful character.

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Toot

Written by Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK on 2025-01-03 at 17:34

@kumarvibe @pezmico @patrickhadfield

Same with automotive. Was chatting to a Romanian work colleague about how one another fallout from the war is a whole network of Central and Eastern European hackers who previously worked together reverse engineering just about everything are now at each others throats, the lucky ones are building UAVs and bombs and the unlucky ones are getting killed..

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Descendants

Written by Kumar McMillan on 2025-01-03 at 18:12

@vfrmedia @pezmico @patrickhadfield oh man, how could I forget about automotive. When leaving the US we sold our 1999 Toyota Corolla but nothing was wrong with it — in fact it ran like a dream. It might even last another 20 years 🚀

As a bonus, it had some gnarly body damage which was a great theft deterrent in Chicago. Gutters are always lined with ghetto diamonds but our windows never got smashed, not even once.

When doing maintenance, the mechanics would always offer to buy it from us 😂

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