Daily Archives: 2021-11-17

Article note: Interesting, looks like an expansion of Dialog (who they acquired)'s line, in the same vein as their GreenPAK offerings.

Article note: This looks like a surprisingly friendly reversal, but I feel like there is a catch. Setting up a limited program to stall regulatory action? Obscenely overpriced parts?

Enlarge / The back of the iPhone 13. (credit: Samuel Axon)

Apple will begin selling repair kits to consumers who want to perform some essential repairs on their iPhones themselves. Titled Self Service Repair, the program will first be available in the United States starting early next year, with more regions gaining access throughout 2022.

At first, the program will apply exclusively to iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 devices, but it will "soon" apply to Macs with M1 chips as well. A news release from Apple about the program says that it's intended to allow "customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs" access to the parts and support they need, but that it believes going to an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), independent repair provider, or Apple Store will still be the best choice for most users.

But for those who do want to repair their phones or laptops themselves, Apple describes the process thusly:

Article note: I'd like to see some more bands put under a regulatory situation similar to the SRD rules some of the ISM Bands allow unlicensed use under (that's the familiar 902-928Mhz, 2.4-2.5Ghz, and 5.725-5.875 GHz bands and rules that basically all useful modern consumer RF devices work in). Especially some VHF/UHF bands (like the 13cm allocation just below the 2.4Ghz range used for WiFi/Bluetooth/Etc.) that would be give existing applications more legroom, but also some longer and shorter stuff to see what kind of fun things consumer devices can do with modern radios and encodings in those. I can hear Elmers and commercial operators (see:C-Band politicking during the 5G rollout over the last few years) and such shrieking in the distance already. Europe is trying some slightly-tighter-reg unlicensed use of 863-870 MHz band for LPWAN applications for the last several years that seem like a good model.

Article note: Oh please oh Please oh Please. Please don't be unenforced "illegal" like so many scams, but actually come after fuckers with meaningful fines for their roach-motel subscription systems.