cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43790601

alternate title I saw on YouTube - “Invent and resolve”: How Cuba's survived six decades of US blockade

Feb. 25, 2026

In US-blockaded Cuba, ingenious mechanics and inventors revive old machines in order to survive during a time of scarcity.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba was plunged into crisis. Fuel, food and spare parts vanished almost overnight. This character-led documentary shows how common Cubans refused to give up – and instead built a new culture of radical repair. From Havana’s Malecon to small-town back yards, it follows mechanics, street vendors and a teacher-turned-inventor who live by one rule: “invent and resolve”.

A pristine US Plymouth Fury convertible of the 1950s hides a Soviet engine, Japanese gearbox and handmade parts; washing machines become coconut graters, solar dryers and tools for urban farms. Cuban historians and designer Ernesto Oroza reveal the philosophy behind this “technical disobedience”, treating every object as raw material to hack and extend. Far from nostalgia, the film offers a stark snapshot of a future in which resources are scarce and the power to repair may be our most important tool.

#news #politics

Hi all, I'm trying to replace this battery for my wireless keyboard, but I'm having trouble finding something with similar properties. Does anyone know a good place to find a replacement online? Thanks!

My experience with Lenovo's support has been terrible. I'm looking for parts for my laptop, which is a Lenovo S540-15IWL (w/ MX 250).

So far, I was able to procure a battery, thankful. But it looks like as if the previous technician did a really botched job with the repair, and now I'm going to have to change not just the bent metal bottom case (he did that, fucking donut), but also the palm-rest (brass screw holder plastic destroyed), keyboard (missing numpad key) and mouse (bottom screw holder destroyed, I think, that is why it is popping out).

My speakers have also blown up, which was again the technician's fault - because it was working fine before. My matte LCD screen also has tints of red over the edge, thanks to the shitty technician, but I think it is probably a ribbon cable issue, and I can probably fix it by cleaning the ends of the ribbon? I don't know.

Now, I am not able to find the mouse and the screw pack (yep, there's screws missing from the official Lenovo repair technician). Now, what do I do in this circumstances? There's also no "duplicate" parts available, in my country, by the way.

Crossposted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/9698836

This setup allows Arduino to read temperature, control relay based on setpoints, display info on OLED screen, and manage date/time settings with user input through buttons. Adjust based on specific hardware/project requirements.

Designed to replace the faulty electronic control of a blue heat radiator.

Code and simulation at Wokwi

Licensed under GNU GPLv3.

Specifically, need OEM parts (where possible) and located in the USA.

Following heavy criticism regarding anti-repair practices on the iPhone 13 lineup, Apple has just announced its Self Service Repair program. The company shared earlier that it wouldn’t be disabling Face ID after third-party screen repairs, after online outrage. The Cupertino giant is now taking an unexpected step further and making repairs easily accessible to individuals.

In a newsroom post, Apple has stated that iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 users will be able to order genuine spare parts and tools to repair their own iPhones. The move is unprecedented by Apple, but it’s most definitely a welcome one that will help dodge anti-trust lawsuits.

Clearly, without lawsuits and pressure groups, this would never have changed. Whilst I really love some of what Apple does (very long software update cycles, the best health smartwatch, etc) there is also a lot I really dislike (a crippled Shortcuts app, iCloud web apps that lack features, Photos is dismal compared to Google Photos, etc). So this is yet another incremental improvement (like widgets, 3rd party keyboards and browsers, copy-and-paste, etc that eventually arrived).

See https://www.xda-developers.com/apple-now-lets-you-repair-your-own-iphone/

#technology #righttorepair #iphone #DIY