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Sustainable Tech
cross-posted from: https://floss.social/users/be4foss/statuses/112332015705832479 > You don't need a new computer for up-to-date software ... just the right software! > > Come to [#Umweltfestival](https://floss.social/tags/Umweltfestival) 2024 in [#Berlin](https://floss.social/tags/Berlin) to learn about the role of independent [#FreeSoftware](https://floss.social/tags/FreeSoftware) in the sustainable use of hardware. > > 🗓️ Sunday 28 April, 11-19h > 📍 Straße des 17. Juni (Brandenburg Gate) > > [\#KDEEco](https://floss.social/tags/KDEEco) together with [#FSFE](https://floss.social/tags/FSFE) ([@fsfe](https://mastodon.social/@fsfe)) and Bits & Bäume ([@bitsundbaeume\_berlin](https://mastodon.bits-und-baeume.org/@bitsundbaeume_berlin)) will be there! Some in the [#GNOME](https://floss.social/tags/GNOME) and [#postmarketOS](https://floss.social/tags/postmarketOS) community may be joining as well :) > > [@kde](https://lemmy.kde.social/c/kde) > > [\#KDE](https://floss.social/tags/KDE) [#BMUV](https://floss.social/tags/BMUV) [#UBA](https://floss.social/tags/UBA) [#GermanEnvAgency](https://floss.social/tags/GermanEnvAgency) [#OpenSource](https://floss.social/tags/OpenSource)
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/3036509 > There is apparently a printer that can [use spent coffee or tea leaves to print](https://web.archive.org/web/20230605142440/https://sciencenotes.org/use-coffee-grounds-tea-leaves-green-printer-ink/). I love this idea but I would not buy a printer when so many are being thrown away. I pull them out of dumpsters with intent to repair them. So the question is, can they be hacked to work with coffee or tea? > > Canon actually [disclosed](https://techunwrapped.com/canon-explains-how-to-hack-their-ink-cartridges-because-they-have-no-chips/) how to hack their cartridges as a consequence of a semiconductor shortage due to coronavirus. So this suggests #Canon could be a candidate for this hack. Has anyone tried it? How precisely do we have to match the viscosity of homemade ink to the original ink?
americanaffairsjournal.org
cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/1958803 > The article argues that some federal government intervention earlier during WWII jump-started the tech innovations we saw from the 1950s to 1970s. > > It also talks about how the Internet seems to be the only really new game-changing innovation since the 80s and seeks to explain why this is the case. > > Among other things, of course, such as the nature of "tech clusters" such as Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas.
www.eco-libre.org
Happy 2024! The **Eco-Libre project [published our 2023 Annual Report](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/)** for last year. [](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/) Eco-Libre is a volunteer-run project that designs libre hardware for sustainable communities. > Eco-Libre's mission is to research, develop, document, teach, build, and distribute open-source hardware and software that sustainably enfranchises communities' human rights. > > - Eco-Libre's mission statement We aim to provide clear documentation to build low-cost machines, tools, and infrastructure for people all over the world who wish to live in sustainable communities with others. ## Executive Summary - Eco-Libre was founded June 24, 2023 - Begun searching for land in Ecuador - Four projects created on GitHub - Currently 2 active contributors - 2024 priority is finding land and R&D on Life-Line [Michael Altfield](https://michaelaltfield.net) registered the domain-name eco-libre.org on June 24th, 2023, a few weeks after arriving to Ecuador. Over the next 6 months, Eco-Libre committed research and designs to [our GitHub org](http://github.com/eco-libre) for [four projects](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#projects) (licensed CC BY-SA) which address some of the essential requirements for a new community's basic human needs: clean water, shelter, electricity, and ecological processing of waste. By releasing these designs under a libre license, it allows for other communities to build their own infrastructure with minimal effort, and it encourages collaboration on standardized design concepts. As Eco-Libre's projects mature, we will build experimental prototypes in our own community. To that end, Michael is currently traveling around Ecuador by bicycle in-search of land to found Eco-Libre's first physical site. In December, Eco-Libre was joined by Jack Nugent, who has since committed contributions to the [Eco-Libre Life-Line](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#life-line) project. The priority focus for Michael in 2024 is to determine the best region in Ecuador to buy land where Eco-Libre can physically iterate on projects. The priority focus for Jack in 2024 is to finish the research, design, and documentation of the Eco-Libre Life-Line project. ## Projects Eco-Libre was founded this year (in 2023). In our first 6 months, we've begun work on four libre hardware projects. All of them are currently in the early research stages. ### Eco-Libre Launch-Nest The [Eco-Libre Launch-Nest](https://github.com/Eco-Libre/launch-nest) was our first project. The concept is to build a small-footprint, high-occupancy structure for sustainable living of 30-people. | [](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#launch-nest) | |:--:| | Eco-Libre [Launch-Nest](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#launch-nest) 2023.09 | The rooftop has sufficient space for 72 solar panels (2 meter x 1 meter) and 3 parabolic solar concentrators (16 square meter). The structure is six-stories above-ground, which is the recommended maximum height of a confined masonry structure in an earthquake zone. It also has a basement. The building is designed with external, enclosed, firewalled staircases on either end. These are symmetrical and designed such that the building design can be rotated around a center courtyard to have four Eco-Libre Launch-Nest structures that share the same stairwells. Currently only basic, incomplete architectural design-work has been done in CAD. Before a structural analysis can be assessed (eg to determine the location of columns), further work needs to be done on finishing the placement of windows, doors, and dividing walls. ### Eco-Libre Life-Line The [Eco-Libre Life-Line](https://github.com/Eco-Libre/life-line) project is a series of components making up an infrastructure to deliver a clean water pipeline to a community. This includes: | [](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#life-line) | |:--:| | Eco-Libre [Life-Line](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#life-line) 2023.12 | 1. Collection of raw surface water (eg from a stream) 2. Removal of large organic debris & sediments 3. Removal of small particles 4. Removal of harmful bacteria & parasites 5. Clean water storage Michael started the Life-Line project after visiting a number of communities who had constant issues with their water systems breaking or failing to provide clean water. The goal is to design a low-cost, self-cleaning pipeline of systems that require minimal human intervention (max routine maintenance twice per year). This year we have half-finished the "intake" component in CAD, which consists of building a weir in a stream that funnels turbulent water onto a downward-sloped HDPE barrel with a fine-mesh screen atop it. This design exploits the energy in falling turbulent water to clean the intake screen, and it prevents the intake from being clogged by organic debris during heavy rainfall. Special thanks to Jack Nugent, who joined Eco-Libre in 2023 and has contributed to research, design, and documentation of the Eco-Libre Life-Line project. The goal in 2024 is to finish the "intake" component in CAD and also to design the "settling tank", "pre-filter", and "sand filter" components in CAD. ### Eco-Libre Genesis-Booth How do you sustainably begin to build a community on land without electricity and without any structures? The [Eco-Libre Genesis-Booth](https://github.com/Eco-Libre/genesis-booth) is a simple storage shed with >1 kW of PV solar panels on the roof. This is the first structure to be built when jumpstarting a new off-grid community. It provides the power, storage, and outdoor workshop space needed to build-out the community. | [](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#genesis-booth) | |:--:| | Eco-Libre [Genesis-Booth](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#genesis-booth) 2023.06 | This year we've made a simple footprint for the Genesis-Booth in CAD that's 4 meters x 2 meters -- just large enough to fit 4 solar panels (2 meters x 1 meter each). Further work is needed in CAD, but this year we also delved into making a framework for our documentation. The Eco-Libre documentation is written in reST, generated by Sphinx, and (currently) hosted by GitHub. This is an exceptionally flexible continuous documentation solution that allows for versioned documentation matching versioned releases, works well with git, can be exported to many different flexible formats, and can be extended with custom directives written in python. The highest priority for the Genesis-Booth is to finish this documentation as a template for other projects. Ideally this should be designed in such a way that information about Eco-Libre in general is seamlessly added to all project's documentations in a reusable way. ### Eco-LIbre Treasure Tower The [Eco-Libre Treasure-Tower](https://github.com/Eco-Libre/treasure-tower) project is a 7 meter x 6 meter structure for storing and processing a community's waste, most importantly their food & fecal compost. | [](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#treasure-tower) | |:--:| | Eco-Libre [Treasure-Tower](https://www.eco-libre.org/2023-annual-report/#treasure-tower) 2023.07 | This structure is 6-stories high and barrier-free, with a wrap-around ramp. All but the top-floor have three doors: 1. Access door for maintenance 2. Deposit Closet 3. Deposit Closet Each deposit closet contains facilities for the collection of human urine and feces and is slightly staggered in elevation so the user's deposits fall by gravity into their designated collection areas for processing. Separately from compost, this structure also serves as a storage area for recyclable waste materials, such as metal. This year a first-draft design of the structure has been designed in CAD, but it's very premature. Next, a second design prototype (where the two deposit closet entrances are on the same side) should be drafted in CAD and compared to the existing design. ### Contribute to Eco-Libre If you'd like to help Eco-Libre reach our mission to enfranchise sustainable communities' human rights with libre hardware, please [contact us](https://www.eco-libre.org/contact) to get involved :) **[Join Us](https://eco-libre.org/join)** [eco-libre.org/join](https://eco-libre.org/join) Cheers, The Eco-Libre Team https://www.eco-libre.org/
solar.lowtechmagazine.com
Low tech magazine
www.bbc.com
In a bid to reduce global electronic waste, Fairphone has created a smartphone that owners can repair themselves. What makes its technology so sustainable?
www.theverge.com
Apple stunned the world when it came out in support of California’s right-to-repair law. But software locks and other obstacles seem to signal that the fight is far from over.
www.treehugger.com
solar.lowtechmagazine.com
Using solar panels without backup infrastructure makes renewable energy production much more affordable, efficient and sustainable.
arstechnica.com
Turn your bike into an electric bike.
www.theverge.com
Fairphone shows it's possible for companies to support devices longer than three years. Now it trickles up.
Repost from OSnews. FWIW, I don't agree just because of the screen but it's still better than anything on the market today.
arstechnica.com
Lol. Just buy a Seiko.
www.theverge.com
A little bigger, eight years of support, ability to repair when things break. Still no headphone jack and the AMOLED display is a regression. Expensive but doesn't use slave labor so that's good. I'll stick with the FP4
www.wired.com
An open source, repairable blender.
arstechnica.com
An airpods pro case with a replaceable battery and USB-C charging.
www.techradar.com
The G42 continues Nokia’s quest to make at-home smartphone repairs simple, accessible and affordable
www.digitaltrends.com
It looks like Framework lit a fire at Lenovo. >Called Project Aurora, it remains in the concept phase, but is Lenovo exploring methods of execution. Nothing tangible for consumers yet, but for the past decade Lenovo has been on this march towards consumer-hostility. First with DRM on batteries; then with keyboards built into the topcase, followed by integrated batteries; and now with some series soldered memory, network cards, and only a USB-C option. As more traditional ThinkPad enthusiasts look at Framework and other brands, it looks like Lenovo is having second thoughts about their road towards planned obsolescence. Even if Lenovo can get back to where they were in 2011 with repairability, it would be great. Going a step further -- allowing us to upgrade parts and motherboards over the years, would be amazing but I wouldn't count on it.
The EU's Press Release on User-Replacable Batteries >Batteries are key to the decarbonisation process and the EU's shift towards zero-emission modes of transport. At the same time end-of-life batteries contain many valuable resources and we must be able to reuse those critical raw materials instead of relying on third countries for supplies. The new rules will promote the competitiveness of European industry and ensure new batteries are sustainable and contribute to the green transition. -Teresa Ribera
www.theverge.com
"“A portable battery should be considered to be removable by the end-user when it can be removed with the use of commercially available tools”" Additionally, the manufacturer should make batteries available for SEVEN years after release. A step in the right direction, IMO. Now mandate software support for that duration.
system76 has produced laptops for years that support Linux, but they have always been rebrands of Clevo. Now that they will be designing their own in-house laptop, Principal Engineer Jeremy Soller has announced that it will be completely open, and licensed under the GPLv3. Soller: >This will be the most open, modern x86 motherboard design I know of. [GitHub - system76/virgo](https://github.com/system76/virgo)
arstechnica.com
Today, Fairphone tweeted that it will be supporting the Fairphone 3, released in 2019, until 2026. That's seven years of updates on the stock OS, unheard of in the Android world. Fairphone 3+ is an upgrade for Fairphone 3 with a better camera module; it can still be purchased new from resellers, and refurbished directly from Fairphone in the EU. I'm on a Fairphone 4, but this is really neat. 5 years should be the minimum for a phone, and we should be striving towards 10 years of use total.
forum.turris.cz
The Turris Omnia continues to be an incredible return on investment. I bought this in 2015; plugged it in, and it stays up to date. In 2023, I purchased a Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) upgrade kit and updated the internal card myself thanks to the YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79H0FxW85qg Just an FYI. This router is probably going to be usable for another decade.
time.com
This 2019 article introduces the audience to the growing problem of electronic waste. 50 million tons of e-waste were generated in 2018.
www.laptopmag.com
The 16" Framework Laptop will include both Intel and AMD options, and will allow upgrading and replacing parts over time.
Announced February 2023. A lower-end phone, but maybe more viable than the FairPhone.
arstechnica.com
Today's announcement is that Fairphone will be officially sold in the US, complete with a warranty and deGoogled OS.
solar.lowtechmagazine.com
A classic article from the infamous solar powered LowTechMagazine; the author describes their journey and how they ended up on a laptop from 2006.