Séimhe (sé / é)

Fair

I appreciate the reality check.

Has anyone used these or the previous model who can comment on their lifespan? Since there isn’t a typical operating system to become unmaintained I’d hope they could last many times longer than a smartphone.

I don’t know if we’re having the same conversation.

Media literacy is essential but not enough. Disinformation is effective because in sufficient volume it bypasses our cognitive mechanisms.

That’s like saying plastic pollution doesn’t matter because climate change is a bigger issue.

Yes, other indistries are seriously problematic. But we cannot dismiss the rapidly growing mountain of discarded products, wasted precious minerals and toxic pollution. That’s before we even get to the human rights abuses that go hand in glove with their production.

We are beyond a stage where 62 million tonnes of ewaste are produced each year, and only 22% of it recycled.

Tech manufacturers cannot be held to account for bad farming practise, but they can for this. Also, some of those industries you mentioned are driven by tech industry demand.

There are so many pragmatic possibilities that it shouldn’t be needed to present a false binary.

I’m not blaming Apple for what they cannot control, but what they can control. I wouldn’t let them hide their many product-lifespan failings behind that one issue.

Fair. And yes, it’s an unusual situation to be in where the Fairphone and iPhone seem to have similar support lifespans now.

I think we should organise to lobby our governments to force tech manufacturers to make obsolete devices unlocked and open spec in the way you mentioned (boot loaders and documented chips). Volunteers should have no barriers to maintain and support what would otherwise become landfill fodder.

The mini is the perfect size for me too. With a new battery and supported, secure software, it could easily have double the life span.

All people die eventually too, but it’s not an argument to lower our standards of living.

If your argument is that we need to reduce consumption, I agree completely. But consumers alone cannot fix/improve this problem.

Again, this is comparing technology to technology rather than comparing technology to environmental impact. We need to extract these tech bro soundbites from our craniums.

Apple is great on longevity

It really is not. These devices become ewaste in roughly 7-9 years. But in my drawer are Apple phones that are almost 20 years old. They would be fine if Apple hadn’t let them become abandoned and security compromised. Please stop defending their negligence and mediocrity.

That’s comparing tech with other tech, rather than comparing it with environmental impact. I think we need to decenter tech and focus on the environment as a matter of urgency.

My iPhone is six years old. But these devices will spend centuries in land fill. Apple’s recycling program is criticised for destroying phones that could have been repaired.

There is a long list of things not being done to extend the life of these devices, and the way they are repurposed later in life. All to the benefit of selling more devices.

This could be good news for then environment. Apple’s planned obsolescence means their phones are essentially life-long e-waste but with an initial few years of enrichment for some.

The devices are still destined to be ewaste, but the more years we can get out of them is still slightly better.

Not just Apple, I know.

I think I understand now. Good points, thanks for taking the effort to elaborate.

The article I posted explains why a previously floated estimate of €14,000 was a gross miscalculation and instead claims that the cost to open AI is closer to €4,000 (for a €200 account used to its full capacity).

Which figure(s) are you disagreeing with?

Even if demand is there, as long as a user paying €200 / mo is costing the business €4,000 / mo then it’s not financially sustainable. (Along with the even worse ways it’s not sustainable)

Edit: see second comment below from partydisc explaining why the even the lower figure wasn’t well calculated.

Yeah, I’m not seeing the exact link either as described in the article.

One of the wealthiest men in the world is now in the CSAM business, yet has faced no consequences.

First of all, you’re doing important work and I wish you well in your studies and career, for everyone’s sake.

Thanks for the insight. Definitely some positives there. When ICE have added an innocent person’s data to be absorbed into (eg) Palantir’s database, how confident can we be that it is actually removed again?