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scarp · 4723 days ago · link · · parent · post: Self-healing electronics could work longer and reduce waste
I think more electronics should be designed in such a way that upgrading them is simple and easy. Instead of coming out with a new iPad every year, simply come out with upgraded component kits that pop in and out like SD cards or batteries.
I'm not an engineer so I don't know how viable that is for small electronics with packed insides, but I do remember a conceptual computer design from the early to middle 2000s that had easily swappable "modules" for parts like the motherboard, hard drive, etc., but obviously (and unfortunately) it didn't catch on. In any case, throwing out a whole device just because its insides were slightly modified is extremely wasteful. Nothing is built to last anymore because manufacturers know that consumers will likely upgrade to something better in a year or two.