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We talk to technicians keeping old HomePods and Harmony remotes alive

We talk to technicians keeping old HomePods and Harmony remotes alive

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A gadget repair episode of The Vergecast.

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Various iFixit tools for repairing tech.
Illustration by Alex Parkin / The Verge

This week on The Vergecast, the flagship podcast of home theater remotes, we dedicate an episode to the right to repair the technology you own.

We live in a world where our most important gadgets are with us at all times. Because of this, we expect them to last as long as physically possible. Unfortunately, the reality of consumer tech today is that a lot of gadgets are not built with the intention of being easily fixable when they break. On today’s episode, we talk to people who are figuring out how to repair the tech we use every day so we can use it even longer, even after manufacturer support stops.

First, we chat with Nic Splattstoesser, a technician who is running his own business repairing Apple’s first-generation HomePods and sharing the results of his teardowns. Nic explains how he found a fix to the HomePod’s notorious “death farts” and the importance of giving the smart speaker a second life.

We also talk with Quin, who runs a family-owned and -operated repair service specializing in Logitech’s now-discontinued Harmony universal remotes. Quin shares what happened when he tried to contact Logitech about remote repairs and why he ended up having to buy a pallet of LCD screens from China.

Last but not least, we chat with Kyle Wiens, the CEO of DIY repair site iFixit. The people at iFixit have been tearing down computers and the like for decades now and have influenced a lot of DIY technicians by sharing repair manuals and tips for fixing anything from laptops and phones to cameras and toys. Hear Kyle discuss the evolution of repairing consumer tech and the fight for the right to repair.

Listen to the full show here, in your preferred podcast player, or on YouTube!

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