1 week Ago By Dan Robinson
Those well-meaning agitators at the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) are back, this time with an interactive "Electronic Waste Graveyard" cataloging a range of devices tossed aside after software support expires or cloud connections flatline. The US-based non-profit has campaigned against the growing tide of electronic waste for years, and its latest effort is an online "rogues' gallery" showcasing more than 100 tech products that no longer function properly or were effectively junked after manufacturers ended support. Most Reg readers will be aware of the situation with smartphones, which are typically backed by security updates and bug fixes for maybe 2 to 3 years after the release of the device – tough luck if you happen to buy one that has already been on the market for a while.
No, they won't suddenly stop working. However, once the vendor stops patching flaws, it will become increasingly risky to use any internet-connected product. The Electronic Waste Graveyard lists a whole bunch of devices, covering the gamut from laptops to smart watches, car accessories and kitchen gadgets.
It calculates the total weight of all the dead widgets, and allows users to sort the list by brand, category and the type of lost support. Perhaps one of the most egregious is the Amazon Halo Rise, a $140 smart alarm clock and sleep tracker, which according to PIRG lasted for less than a year before Amazon pulled the plug on the cloud service the device depended on. PIRG also returns to previous ground it has raked over before, like the claim that the impending end of life date for Windows 10 coming later this year will leave up to 400 million PCs unable to upgrade to the next version.
Again, the end of support means that your Windows 10 PC won't suddenly stop working, yet running Windows without the availability of security patches isn't considered wise. The interactive gallery also lists a number of Chromebook models that similarly lost software updates after a number of years, which PIRG previously highlighted in a report entitled "Chromebook Churn." This hit schools and students, who often buy the devices for their lower price tag.
PIRG successfully lobbied Google, the developer of the software platform, to extend the update period. However, only Chromebooks released from 2021 onward automatically get ten years of updates, as we previously reported. PIRG cites estimates that around 68 million tons of electronic waste are dumped globally each year.
"The steady stream of e-waste is becoming a flood," said Andre Delattre, senior vice president and chief operating officer for program at The Public Interest Network. "While this is frustrating for consumers, it's devastating for the planet. At the very least we need lifetime transparency for tech - we should know how long manufacturers guarantee the tech we buy will work before we buy it.
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