Similar software also limits the use of cellphones, cameras, electric tools, cars and other products. It’s digital rights management gone mad, applied to products far beyond the original targets of protection, such as the content on CDs and DVDs. Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), equipment owners are often prohibited from making repairs to devices with copyrighted software, forced instead to take their equipment to an authorized dealer. Bypassing built-in security voids most warranties and violates the DMCA, which could result in penalties of up to $500,000 in fines and five years in prison.

Both consumers and corporations should be concerned by the repair restrictions placed on digitally controlled products. Consumers, particularly those in the growing maker movement, like to modify equipment and use it in novel ways. But manufacturers have no incentive to accommodate that. In the name of protecting the integrity of their brands, they limit repair options to authorized dealers. That drives independent repair companies out of business, resulting in higher repair costs. For example, Apple charges $70 to install a new iPhone 4 battery although a new battery with DIY instructions is available for $20 on the Web.

Support proposed "right to repair” laws. The fight to repair cell phones, tablets, gaming consoles and other digital equipment is ongoing. The Digital Right to Repair Coalition is working on legislation in Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York that would give consumers and organizations the right to repair devices that they own. In addition, it would ensure that service information, replacement parts and security updates are available to owners and independent repair organizations.

Equipment manufacturers will resist the proposed laws. John Deere recently told the Copyright Office that, because computer code is used throughout modern tractors, farmers don’t really own the tractors they buy. Rather they get "an implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle.” If this attitude prevails, it will change the definition of a purchase and limit an owner’s ability to resell products that contain computer code.

This is not the first such fight. As automobiles incorporated more electronics, manufacturers attempted to limit the ability of enthusiasts to work on their own cars — a stance that rankled the enthusiasts, independent garages and chains like Jiffy Lube considerably. That coalition eventually prevailed. In 2014, automakers agreed to standardize on Massachusetts law and share the same repair information with independent shops that they make available to dealers.

Buy products that were designed to be maintained. In 2010, a team of students from Stanford and Aalto University in Finland designed the Bloom, an easy-to-maintain, green laptop. It can be disassembled in 10 steps without tools, using only graphical instructions. By contrast, in a test by the students, it took 45 minutes for a team of three engineers, using three tools, to disassemble a MacBook.
Although the Bloom has never been built commercially, its easy-disassembly design provides three benefits. First, repair costs are lowered, since it is easy to diagnose problems. Second, the Bloom’s lifetime is longer than the normal laptop, because individual components can be upgraded easily. Finally, the laptop was designed to be recycled. The all-aluminum case needs no intermediate processing. Internal components are color-coded as plastic, metal and circuitry for easy separation and recycling.

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Don't bother with Microsoft Windows 10 until you read this
Push manufacturers to make equipment manuals available. Dell, Lenovo, Fairphone and other companies make their repair manuals available online. By contrast, Apple, Samsung, Toshiba and some other suppliers allow only authorized technicians to acquire repair manuals, tools and replacement parts. These manufacturers make it as difficult as possible for customers or independent repair organizations to repair their own equipment. Nikon, Toshiba and other companies have even threatened lawsuits against websites that post products manuals.
Over the last few years, a number of organizations dedicated to helping owners repair their own equipment have emerged. These organizations share product manuals, arrange information forums, and host events to share information about digital products. Examples include:

The rugged individual who solves problems is part of the American ethos. Owners of malfunctioning products should not be forced to rely on lengthy manufacturer repairs, at prices so inflated that many consumers will simply buy a replacement. DIY repairs, and those done by independently owned businesses, help lengthen the life of electronically controlled products and ultimately reduce electronic waste. It is time to update the DMCA and allow product owners to select the repair mode that best meets their needs.

In my capacity as a writer, whether it’s my blog, my job or my third unfinished novel, I very rarely push anything besides my computer’s battery life and my capacity to stare at the screen to the limit.

It might be the result of all the moments my laptop has taken me by surprise with a low-battery warning, but when I was asked to test-drive the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, I decided to work my magic and drive until every single one of its lithium ions were completely tapped.

Now this isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially with this Next Generation Volt. It not only has a super-smart computer that conserves every ounce of energy possible, but it also has what Chevrolet calls REGEN ON-DEMAND, which is the ability to regenerate power when you are using the car. A driver activates this feature simply by pushing a button on the steering column; it uses the electric motors to slow down the vehicle and puts power back into the battery pack at the same time. Seriously? Come on! That’s like a special power reserved for the best bosses in really classic video games!

I picked up the car and made sure it was absolutely, completely charged. I unplugged it from the dealer’s 240-volt plug and was at once serenaded with an overture of blue-green silent beauty on start-up. I noted that the battery was full and ready to go to work.

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On my way home — the long way home — I got a little concerned with how the heck I was going to charge the Volt. I don’t have a 240-volt, professionally installed charging station outside of my house. And neither do you, I assume. Nobody I know has this, except maybe those "super hip" friends who live in fancy new condos. But Chevrolet has this covered; my Volt came with a regular — though it might sound cooler if I called it "vintage" or "classic" — 120-volt plug. Either way, I left it unplugged for the night.

I had planned to spend my Sunday moving my child car seat from our "regular" car into the Volt. I expected this would take all day; it didn’t. I got it secured in the Volt on the first try. Maybe it’s because Chevrolet makes it easy to install child car seats, but I like to chalk it up to my awesomeness as a father (parenting is about the little wins).

With my Sunday free, we took the Volt out to my parents' farm. The drive was great: My wife relaxed in the seat next to me while our three-year-old son, Lincoln, sat in the back, DJ-ing his way through the trip on my iPad, which I synced to the Volt easily using the standard OnStar 4G LTE with in-car WiFi hotspot.

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