February 12, 2012

Walled Gardens, Gilded Cages, and Right to Repair

Consomers like living in a gilded cage

Things are getting awfully complicated, aren’t they? The custom parallel CPUs, proprietary communications networks, and encrypted data ports require extensive training, special tools, and a computerized reference library to comprehend, much less debug. And the manufacturers, who derive much of their money and differentiation from warranties and authorized repair centers, are loathe to see independent shops get a piece of the action.

Who Cares About Copyright? Not Gawker Media’s Jalopnik

Yeah, we live in bizarre world of copyrighted conflicts…  It seems like someone is always trying to exercise control over “their content” and using copyright as their bludgeon. First, let me clue you in to a secret.  I’m a car nut.  More precisely, I love the engineering of cars – and once delighted in documenting [...]