When Apple admitted that it uses software updates to save battery life by degrading the performance of older phones it triggered quite a bit of outrage. Planned obsolescence, or the intentional shortening of a product’s lifespan, sounds a lot like the company is telling you, “We could make this product better, but we’re choosing to make it worse because we want to get your money again in a few years.” That’s not an unfair interpretation – many companies have used planned obsolescence purely as a profit mechanism – but it’s also not the whole story, especially when it comes to tech. Indeed, one could argue… Read more