Raspberry Pi confirmed that its firmware locks boards to their factory-installed RAM capacity, preventing users from swapping in higher-capacity chips. Engineer and forum moderator PhilE said the restriction, rolled out in firmware updates since late 2024, exists to stop resellers from installing larger RAM chips of dubious quality and passing boards off as higher-spec devices. He told users attempting DIY RAM upgrades or repairs that the effort is futile because the firmware also checks other device attributes beyond chip size.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-22
iFixit tore down Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to examine the variable aperture camera, which uses six overlapping blades roughly as thin as a human hair. The team called the mechanism a precision engineering feat but warned it leaves almost no margin for error during repairs, likely requiring full module replacement if damaged.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-21
Stuck pixels on laptop screens can sometimes be repaired using software tools like JScreenFix or PixelHealer, or through manual techniques involving light pressure or gentle warmth applied to the affected spot. Simply powering off the device for a day may also reset the pixel before trying anything more involved.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-19
YouTuber Bits und Bolts repaired a 25-year-old Intel Celeron 1200 (Tualatin) chip that had a missing data pin and destroyed pad, which prevented any system from booting with it installed. By exposing underlying copper layers, applying solder mask, and grafting a donor pin from a separate broken Tualatin chip, the creator restored full function to the CPU. After the repair, the chip was successfully overclocked by 33%.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-19
Fairphone, known in Europe for building phones designed to be easily fixed rather than replaced, has finally brought a model to the U.S. market. The reviewer tested the device, which ships with its own screwdriver so users can swap parts like the battery and screen themselves, and spoke with the company's CTO about the design philosophy behind it.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
YouTuber and right-to-repair advocate Louis Rossmann is touring the US with his nonprofit Fulu, holding events that push to repeal Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which bans bypassing manufacturer-imposed digital locks on devices. The San Jose stop drew about 80 attendees and featured panels from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a university repair workshop, and Fisker vehicle owners fighting to keep their cars running. Fulu also pays bounties to people willing to break digital locks on hardware, even risking legal consequences.
wired.com
· 2026-09-17
Consumers are increasingly turning to AI chatbots to diagnose and fix malfunctioning appliances and electronics, from dishwashers to laptops, rather than calling manufacturer support or paying for professional repairs. These tools can walk users through troubleshooting steps and explain quirky device behaviors that once required a technician's visit.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-16
A WIRED reporter tested John Deere's Operations Center Pro Service software at the company's Santa Clara office, using it to diagnose and fix a disconnected water-in-fuel sensor on a 5130ML tractor in just a few minutes without a technician. The demonstration was led by John Deere's chief technology officer, Jahmy Hindman, who pitched the tool as evidence the company supports owner repairs.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-13
Screen defects that appear as small persistent dots generally fall into two categories: stuck pixels and dead pixels. Stuck pixels remain lit with a color that doesn't change, often appearing as red, green, or blue dots, while dead pixels stay completely dark because they receive no power at all. The two look similar but differ in cause and, crucially, in whether they can be repaired.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-13
WIRED tested John Deere's Operations Center Pro Service, a self-repair tool built into the company's connected machines, and successfully used it to fix a tractor with guidance from company staff. Despite the demonstration, many farmers remain skeptical that Deere has genuinely opened up repair access, given the digital locks that still require dealer approval for many fixes.
wired.com
· 2026-09-11
Rising memory chip prices driven by the AI boom are pushing up the cost of new smartphones, even as many flagship models already exceed $1,000. This is prompting consumers who damage their phones to weigh repair costs, often under a few hundred dollars, against the appeal of new features found only in devices like the Pixel 11 and iPhone 17.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-07
Right to Repair Europe examined 2,334 smartphone model records in the EU's Product Registry for Energy Labelling and found that only about 18 percent link to a working page with spare-parts prices or repair instructions, a year after the rules took effect. Roughly half the entries leave the required URL blank, and 19 percent point to unrelated pages, while some manufacturers still award themselves top repairability grades despite the missing information.
theregister.com
· 2026-09-07
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