The Secret Tech Plot That Breaks All Your Stuff + Recipe: Tomato Tarte Tatin
Issue No. 73
Another busy week means another late newsletter. You’ll forgive us once you try Jackie’s tarte tatin! In today’s issue, Matt explores the world of planned obsolescence and why nothing is built to last. And that ain’t good for the environment 🚮
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I finally destroyed my iPhone a week ago. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m an irrepressible klutz. Even with a case and a screen protector, I still fumble it while snapping selfies, or just flat out miss my pocket while trying to put the phone away.
After dropping my iPhone 6s on the porch, the device froze completely. The phone came out in 2015, so most folks wouldn’t think twice about upgrading to a newer model. But what about the option to repair, not replace? In the world of electronics, that’s a toughy. While they are fragile (especially for klutzes), smartphones are also difficult to repair by design. There is a term for this built-in breakability: Planned Obsolescence.
One of the more insidious aspects of capitalism is that if a business is going to be successful, then their products cannot last forever — else people will not keep on buying them. That’s why so many products can break or shatter, without any easy solutions for fixing them. Major companies from Apple and Samsung to John Deere do not print service materials, making it nearly impossible for third-party companies to fix broken products for cheap. Then, a corporation like Apple rolls out a new iPhone every year or so, encouraging customers to get rid of that busted old device anyway.
What happens to the old phones and electronics? They still last forever, but in landfills. This cycle of buy and break and buy again is terrible for the environment and our pocketbooks.
💡A LIGHT BULB MOMENT💡
Planned obsolescence dates back a century when a cartel had the bright idea to undermine the humble light bulb. NPR’s Throughline highlights this history:
“Prior to 1924, the average lifespan of a light bulb was around 2,500 hours. But in December 1924, a global organization known as the Phoebus Cartel hatched a secret plan to increase sales by bringing the average bulb's down to just 1,000 hours. This began one of the first known examples of planned obsolescence.”
The tale of the Phoebus Cartel sounds like the world’s most uncool conspiracy theory. But there are still working light bulbs from the early 1900s. The so-called Centennial Light in a fire station in Livermore, Calif. has been burning, while only rarely switched off, since 1901. (You can watch it still shining brightly on a webcam)
Like light bulbs, a better world is possible for other electronics too. There are more mobile phones than people in the world, and that’s a poor milestone for sustainability. But I’d feel less urgency to replace my devices with the latest technology if major corporations didn’t work so hard to make them obsolete after a few years. In the recent NY Times article “Your Smartphone Should be Built to Last”, Damon Beres writes:.
“As you eye that upgraded tablet, consider that Apple shipped so many new iPads last year that if they were all laid flat and stacked, they would be about as tall as 862 Empire State Buildings. Then think about whatever old iPad of yours is languishing now in some unknown place.”
The tons of waste, from old TVs to kitchen appliances, create environmental problems when “toxic substances like mercury leach into soil and groundwater and disperse in the air.” But some governments have started to fight back, spurred by the right-to-repair movement.
🤜FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO FIX IT🤛
France passed a law that requires a repairability score on electronics’ product pages. These ratings allow customers to select the longest lasting options. Apple products like iPhones and MacBooks never scored higher than a 7 (out of 10). Bad scores for Samsung devices compelled the company to increase access to service manuals and hard-to-find parts. Apple products get sold with glued in batteries or even “proprietary screws.” Those factors will sink a repairability score.
The movement is on the rise in the U.S. too. Despite facing a $1 trillion lobby against those laws, states like Massachusetts and Nebraska have passed right-to-repair bills. Related bills are pending in other states. There’s a growing number of repair cafes popping up, where visitors can work with specialists fix broken products DIY style
The pandemic has boosted the right-to-repair. Between economies struggling, disease spreading in public places, and electronic shortages, more people want to fix broken items on their own instead of replacing them. Kyle Wiens, CEO of repair store iFixit, told Marketplace that his stores have seen traffic skyrocket during the pandemic.
Over the past year, I’ve felt a similar urge to repair-not-replace my damaged belongings, whether high-tech products or clothing. Twice in the last 18 months, I found leatherworkers to mend the one belt I own when parts of it snapped off. It was easy and cheap.
There’s no right to repair in Florida, but I took my busted iPhone to a third-party store in hope of a miracle. The shop clerk spent an hour with it, replaced the screen and it worked like new. I wouldn’t need to replace my iPhone 6s for a more costly model or buy those stupidly expensive wireless earbuds.
If only all the must-need fancy items heaped upon us from advertisements could be fixed with so little fuss. In a world where everything is disposable, I want my right to repair.
Peace,
Matt
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🍺💩The Beer of the Future Tastes Like Ass | Gizmodo
The celebrated brewery New Brewery, the manufacturer behind the brand Fat Tire, forged a brew for Earth Day designed to taste like the beer from the future.
But there’s an Earth Day-appropriate twist here, the ale is called Torched Earth and is made without the ingredients most likely to die out or dwindle as a result of climate change. According to Gizmodo, “Instead of malted barley, Torched Earth is made with more drought-tolerant grains like buckwheat and millet. Astringent dandelions are tossed in for added flavor. And smoked malt is used to mimic the effect of wildfire-smoked water.”
I don’t know if the beer is intentionally designed to taste like dirt to prove a point, but the reviewer Brian Kahn and his two fellow tasters detested the taste of Torched Earth. Through smell and taste, the beer conveys “what could lie ahead” in a warming world.
✨🍄✨Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science | Science Vs.
Mushrooms are experiencing a renaissance. The shroom boom sees mushrooms pitched as meat alternatives to jerky and burger patties or peddled by influencers in teas or elixirs. Even Fungi Magazine’s editor-in-chief says the publication has seen a dramatic uptick in subscribers during the pandemic as more folks try foraging. And some people are ingesting mushrooms to take a different type of trip while stuck in quarantine.
Spurred by residents voting to decriminalize psychedelics in states like Oregon and journalist Michael Pollan’s 2018 bestselling book “How to Change Your Mind”, mushrooms are reaching more mainstream acceptance in therapy. The excellent podcast Science Vs. investigated the research around psychedelic mushrooms — and it’s honestly quite cool (cool glasses). The theories abound as to why it’s successful, but it appears that mushrooms really can help depression and anxiety.
Results show promise, with trials showing most participants feeling significantly better after undergoing a trip. Some experts argue the psilocybin in mushrooms is more effective than pharmaceutical drugs. Since they remain an illegal Schedule 1 drug, according to the U.S. government, it’s not easy to get this type of therapy session. Nevertheless, an anecdote from the show — about a patient who had extreme anxiety and suicidal thoughts about work — demonstrates their promise:
“They became a dragon. They described flying to their job – very much a source of anxiety for them and fear – and as this dragon, they showed up and immediately started eating all of the people at work, and lighting everything on fire, and destroying everything. And so, flash forward a little bit to after the session day, y’know they’re kind of back at work, they’re starting to engage in their life again… And what was fascinating was they came in and said y’know I went to work the other day and I had zero anxiety,’ and we asked, ‘Well how is this possible? What was work like?’ They said, ‘I went to work, and it occurred to me... how can I be afraid or anxious of people that you can eat?’”
🍦They Hacked McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines—and Started a Cold War | Wired
Planned obsolescence isn’t just sabotaging Matt’s iPhone...it’s also keeping you from eating all the McFlurrys your heart desires. For a company whose reputation is built around reliable efficiency, the enigma of the oft-broken McDonald’s soft serve machine is way off brand. It’s 2021 and we can fly to Mars. Shouldn’t McDonald’s be able to keep their soft serve machines in operation? Yet the reputation of the broke down ice cream machine is so commonplace it’s a popular meme. Andy Greenberg digs into the mystery, telling the story of the underdog tech heroes trying to solve this tragedy, only to be thwarted by a cabal of greedy corporate overlords.
The story goes like this: McDonald’s ice cream machines are manufactured and serviced by a company called Taylor. Taylor’s machines appear to be built to fail — notoriously difficult to maintain and impossible to fix by anyone other than...you guessed it! Taylor.
When two young entrepreneurs created a digital patch that allowed machine owners and operators to hack into the system in order to diagnose any malfunctions, franchise owners got on board. They were thrilled to save thousands of dollars a year in maintenance fees, and make thousands more in ice cream sales. But Taylor and McDonald’s fought back hard, getting actual spies involved and stealing intellectual property. Why would McDonald’s go so far to keep this small tool — a boon by all accounts — out of the hands of its franchisees? Read this fascinating corporate espionage caper to find out the truth of why that damn ice cream machine never works!
Tomato Tarte Tatin
A tarte tatin is like the cool older cousin of an upside-down cake. You cook the fruits or veggies on the bottom and then flip the whole thing over for a lovely, rustic presentation. Traditionally, the fruits or veggies are caramelized by coating the bottom of the pan in sugar or honey. I’m doing a no sugar May, so I wanted to make a version highlighting the natural sweetness of two all-star veggies — tomatoes and onions. Feel free to drizzle a bit of honey on the bottom of the pan, and play around with different veggies. This would be beautiful with roasted peppers, finely sliced zucchini, or wedges of roasted butternut.
I made my own simple puff pastry using the rough puff recipe by Levee Baking Co., found in the wonderful new cookbook Southern Ground (which also features some of my recipes). But if you’re short on time, store bought puff pastry will be delicious!
Serves 4
ingredients and special materials
about 1000 g puff pastry (or one sheet of store bought)
2 really ripe and delicious tomatoes
1 red onion
2 tablespoons herbs of choice, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
optional: 1 tablespoon honey
salt
1 9-inch round springform pan (or 9x9 square pan)
step by step
Caramelize onions: Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in large pan over medium heat. Slice onions. Add to pan, sprinkle with salt, and stir to coat in melted butter. Cook the onions on medium for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn down to medium-low heat and continue cooking until onions are brown and sweet, about 25 more minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F
Slice tomatoes into 1/2 inch rounds, slices, or wedges.
Coat bottom of pan in olive oil, and honey if using.
Sprinkle herbs in pan.
Arrange onions and tomatoes in pan so the bottom is tightly covered in veggies. I did one and a half layers.
Drizzle veggies with balsamic.
Roll out and cut the puff pastry so it is the size and shape of the pan.
Place puff pastry on top of veggies.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, allow to cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then place serving plate on top and confidently (!!) flip the whole thing over!
From the recipe archives:
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Sauerkraut + Kimchi Workshop with Jackie | May 12 at 6 p.m. | Stuart, Fla. | $45
Pizza Party with Jackie | May 21 at 6 p.m. | Stuart, Fla. | $55
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Sunshine + Microbes team
Jackie Vitale is a cook and kitchen educator based in Stuart, Fla . She runs Otto’s Bread Club and is co-founder of the Florida Ferment Fest. Her newsletter explores the intersection of food, culture, environment and community.
Matt Levin is a communications strategist at the ACLU of Texas. He edits Sunshine + Microbes and contributes other scraps to each issue.