Opt out? Opt in? Opt Green!

50% of consumers buy new devices due to unsupported software, while the “tsunami of #eWaste” continues to rise.

#FreeSoftware #OpenSource can keep those devices in use and out of the landfill. Today!

Say hello to the new #KDEEco project “#OptGreen: #SustainableSoftware For Sustainable Hardware”.

https://eco.kde.org/blog/2024-05-29_introducing-ns4nh/

You don’t need new hardware for a secure, up-to-date device; you just need the right software!

@kde

#KDE #FOSS #RightToRepair #Sustainability

  • edison23@witter.cz
    11·
    7 months ago

    @be4foss @kde Computers are easy, but what about smart phones?

    I’d love to keep my Android phone for longer than 3 years but even if I find a compatible ROM to flash on it, I can’t use it for banking, payments, etc. → I have to buy a new phone :'(

    • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
      15·
      7 months ago

      Fairphone is offering a solution to this by designing devices that are repairable and have guaranteed software updates, though it requires some compromises.

      • because the phone is not sealed, its waterproof/dustproof rating is lower
      • the specs are lower than other phones in the same price range - this is probably due to the modular design and the need to assure the supply of replacement parts
      • the phone is only designed for the EU - it may not support the network bands used in other parts of the world
      • edison23@witter.cz
        3·
        7 months ago

        @NaibofTabr OK, this is awesome. If the company doesn’t go down and holds up to what they promise, the phones are actually not pricey at all - 5 years warranty? 8 years of SW updates? Replaceable parts? All my phones went away because of SW, battery, or display glass. All that can be replaced with Fairphone. I love the concept, thanks for the link! <3

        • jol@discuss.tchncs.de
          3·
          7 months ago

          They are not pricey but have the specs of a phone 1/3 the price. But I still find them worth the price.

          • where_am_i@sh.itjust.works
            2·
            7 months ago

            Because: 1) fairtrade, 2) less revenue from selling you a new device in two years once this one gets obsolete, 3) costs of long-term maintenance, 4) small volumes.

            You ever compared a price of fairtrade coffee vs normal one? Yeah, x2. Why? No slave labor, no burned forests, sustainable water usage. But ofc, why would you buy it? It’s double the price.

            • jol@discuss.tchncs.de
              33·
              7 months ago

              As I said: they are worth the price. Did you read half my comment and and jumped to mansplain my own phone to me?

        • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
          1·
          7 months ago

          Yeah, it’s a good concept and I’d like to see more options like it on the market, but it kind of runs against the current consumer electronics profit model and the way the electronics supply chain is structured.

          It does seem like consumer awareness is changing, and there’s more and more demand for sustainable and long-life products. Hopefully that continues. I think “vote with your wallet” applies to this sort of thing.

      • edison23@witter.cz
        1·
        7 months ago

        @be4foss @kde @fsfe Thanks for the link. The info there _is_ useful but I don’t think it addresses the main issue with flashing (and thus upcycling with free SW) Android phones - it’s very complicated, risky, and you forfeit the ability to use the phone for banking and such because the apps only support Android/iOS. And yes, I realize it’s not within the powers of the FOSS devs to solve this; I guess they’d have to be EU/US government lol :/