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Apple opposes a right-to-repair bill that would diminish its control over device repairs.

Apple claims to support the right-to-repair movement but testified against a new law in Oregon that would limit parts pairing.

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2 years ago

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Apple, despite supporting a right-to-repair bill in California, has been observed lobbying against a similar bill in Oregon that aims to prohibit the practice of parts pairing. Parts pairing is a strategy employed by companies like Apple to control the repair process fully. During a hearing on Oregon’s right-to-repair bill, cybersecurity expert Tarah Wheeler shared footage and testimony highlighting Apple’s resistance to relinquishing control over repairs. John Perry, Apple’s senior manager for the secure design team, argued that parts pairing is utilized to simplify repairs while maintaining device and data security.

The proposed bill in Oregon, SB 1596, mandates companies to provide documentation, tools, and parts necessary for customers and independent repair shops to fix faulty products. In contrast to California’s right-to-repair bill, the Oregon legislation also addresses parts pairing, a practice that restricts customers from repairing devices with aftermarket parts.

Right to Repair Testimony with Tarah Wheeler

SB 1596:

An original equipment manufacturer may not use parts pairing to:

(A) Prevent or inhibit an independent repair provider or owner from installing or enabling the function of a replacement part or component of consumer electronic equipment, including a replacement part or component that the original equipment manufacturer has not approved;

(B) Reduce the functionality or performance of consumer electronic equipment; or

(C) Cause consumer electronic equipment to display unnecessary or misleading alerts or warnings about unidentified parts, particularly if the alerts or warnings cannot be dismissed.

In certain instances, Apple mandates users to “pair” replacement parts such as batteries and screens with their device using Apple’s System Configuration tool. If the part is not authenticated as being from Apple, users may encounter bothersome notifications indicating that the installed part is not genuine, and features like Face ID may fail to function properly. An article from iFixit elaborates on how Apple, along with numerous other manufacturers, has expanded the utilization of parts pairing across various electronic devices. The article includes a graph illustrating the growth in the percentage of paired parts in iPhones over the years.

During the hearing, Perry asserted that the bill’s stance on parts pairing would compromise the security, safety, and privacy of Oregonians by compelling device manufacturers to permit the use of parts of unknown origin in consumer devices. He also noted that Apple has updated the parts pairing process, eliminating the need for customers to contact Apple support when installing a new part.

Perry emphasized that consumers should have the freedom to choose which parts they use for repair, as long as the device transparently records the repair history and the use of the part does not jeopardize consumer safety, security, or privacy.

After years of opposition to the right to repair movement, Apple announced a new initiative last October to provide customers with access to parts, tools, and documents. Additionally, the company introduced a Self Service Repair program, initially for a selection of iPhones and Macs, which it continues to expand.

Oregon-Senate-Bill-SB-1596

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Tech News

Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event: iPhone 17 Air and Everything to Expect This Tuesday

Apple’s biggest product launch in years is just 48 hours away, and the iPhone 17 Air could be the most radical iPhone redesign since the iPhone X. Here’s everything we know about Tuesday’s event.

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24 hours ago

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September 7, 2025

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Apple’s highly anticipated fall event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9 at 10 AM PT (10:30 PM IST), promising what could be the company’s biggest product refresh in years.

Concept render of iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air showing their rear designs and camera setups

The iPhone 17 Lineup:

  • iPhone 17 Air: Ultra-thin at just 5.5mm thick, 6.6-inch 120Hz display, A19 chip
  • iPhone 17 Pro: Starting at $1,099 (up $100), 256GB base storage
  • iPhone 17 Pro Max: Redesigned camera system
  • Standard iPhone 17: Expected pricing and specs
  • Major Software Updates:
  • Apple will announce the official release dates for its 2025 software lineup, all numbered with “26” to represent the September 2025-2026 season:
  • iOS 26: Features the new “Liquid Glass” user interface, redesigned Camera app, enhanced ChatGPT integration, improved Apple Intelligence capabilities
  • iPadOS 26: Introduces a completely new windowing system, Preview app for iPad, enhanced Files app with folder customization, Background Tasks for intensive operations
  • macOS Tahoe 26: New features and improvements for Mac users
  • watchOS 26: Updated features for Apple Watch
  • visionOS 26: Updates for Vision Pro headset
  • The iOS 26 public release is expected around September 15-16, with release candidates available immediately after the September 9 event.
watchOS 26
iPadOS 26
macOS 26
iOS 26

Other Expected Launches:

  • Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3
  • AirPods Pro 3 with health tracking
  • Possible Mac updates
iOS 26 Liquid Glass interface on iPhones showing translucent app icons and widgets
Apple Watch Series 11 render displaying time and fitness app with a floral background

Key Dates:

  • Event: September 9, 10 AM PT (10:30 PM IST)
  • Pre-orders: September 12, 5 AM PT
  • iOS 26 Release: September 15-16 (expected)
  • Hardware Release: September 19

The iPhone 17 Air represents Apple’s biggest design shift in years, prioritizing thinness over battery life with only a single rear camera.

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Red Sea Cable Cuts Cripple Microsoft Azure, Disrupt 17% of Global Internet Traffic

Multiple undersea fiber optic cables were cut in the Red Sea, disrupting Microsoft Azure services and slowing internet traffic across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe—affecting nearly 17% of global connectivity.

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1 day ago

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September 7, 2025

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Multiple undersea fiber optic cables in the Red Sea were damaged, causing significant disruptions to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and affecting internet connectivity across India, Pakistan, UAE, and other regions.

The impact:

  • Microsoft Azure users experiencing increased latency, especially for Asia-Europe traffic routes
  • Nearly 17% of global internet traffic flows through Red Sea cables
  • Key systems affected include SMW4, IMEWE, SEACOM/TGN-EA, AAE-1, and EIG cables
  • Failures occurred near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Microsoft’s response: “Undersea fiber cuts can take time to repair; as such, we will continuously monitor, rebalance, and optimize routing to reduce customer impact in the meantime.”

The broader concern: The Red Sea is one of the world’s most critical internet chokepoints. With ongoing regional conflicts, experts worry critical digital infrastructure could become deliberate targets.

Repair timeline: Subsea cable repairs typically take weeks due to the logistics of mobilizing cable repair ships and securing permits in politically sensitive waters.

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Tesla’s AI5 Chip Breakthrough: Musk Calls It “Epic,” Promises Life-Saving Technology

Elon Musk just announced Tesla completed design review for their AI5 chip and it’s going to be ‘epic’—while simultaneously recruiting engineers to join Tesla’s silicon team to work on ‘life-saving’ chips where ‘milliseconds matter.

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1 day ago

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September 7, 2025

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Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced a major breakthrough today with the company’s AI5 chip design, calling it “epic” and predicting the upcoming AI6 could be “the best AI chip by far”.

In a social media post, Musk revealed: “Just had a great design review today with the Tesla AI5 chip design team! This is going to be an epic chip. And AI6 to follow has a shot at being the best AI chip by far.”

What makes this significant:

  • Tesla is consolidating from two chip architectures to one, focusing all silicon talent on a single incredible chip
  • Musk believes AI5 will be “the best inference chip for models with fewer than 250 billion parameters”
  • The chip offers “the lowest silicon cost and highest performance-to-power ratio”
  • AI6 is expected to advance these capabilities even further

The job recruitment angle: Musk is actively recruiting engineers, emphasizing they’d be working on chips that “save lives” where “milliseconds matter”—clearly referencing Tesla’s autonomous driving ambitions.

This comes after Tesla shut down its Dojo supercomputer project last month, with the company deciding to focus resources on a single chip architecture rather than splitting development.

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