Hmm, there are some products that should have a defined "end of life". For instance, computer networking hardware which will eventually be outdated and no longer get security updates. The trick is, the EOL date should be clearly marked on the product at the point of sale so that the buyer can make an informed decision.

This is built-in obsolescence, but it's better than the current situation where Cisco will sell you a firewall at full price and then decide 6 months later that they aren't supporting that model anymore and you have to buy a new one.

In europe it is illegal. Guess what, it destroys everything nonetheless. Seems like laws apply only to workers...

This is what got me. I started a really well paying job so me and the wife decided to splurge on some better, name brand appliances. I've replaced every single one in less than 5 years. Fuck GE, fuck LG, and definitely fuck Samsung.

The boots theory is dead

My mom bought a 2024 Toyota Aygo X, and it will constantly beep at you if you go 2kph over the limit. You can turn it off by going into the menus but it'll just turn on again on the next start

Right to repair laws would help things so much. If you didn't like the firmware that came with the car, you could install alternative firmware. If the dealer sold a car that was known to have some terrible components, there would be a business opportunity for a car modder who would buy factory vehicles from the dealer and replace the most trouble-prone parts, then re-sell the car with a slight mark-up.

It used to be that when it came to high performance cars, there were groups like Alpine, AMG, Abarth, Shelby, Saleen, etc. They were often race teams, or associated with race teams. Sometimes they would buy stock cars and modify them for racing, or at least modify them for high performance. But, most of those have now been brought into the company most associated with them. Mercedes owns AMG, Alpine is part of Renault, etc. I would bet one reason that this is not as common anymore is that cars are heavily computerized, and the computers can use DRM to restrict anybody but the original manufacturer from modifying them.

WTF happened in 1971‽

That can't be accurate. The reality is way worse. The top 1% wouldn't even be visible on the chart at that scale. What am I missing?

Wow, no AI. It would be a pleasure to have such stupid device.

I know it as shrinkflation.