Posts
The Great Hardware Markup: Why Your RAM Costs 60% More (And Why Right-to-Repair Legislation Matters)
SSDs and RAM are up 60% year-over-year. That's not inflation—that's margin extraction. Here's what's actually happening, and why Colorado and New York's right-to-repair laws are the only pressure valve stopping this from getting worse.
Elias VanceFebruary 25, 2026Garmin's Connect Plus Paywall Is a Masterclass in Eroding User Trust
Garmin just moved advanced analytics behind a $6.99/month paywall. Here's why breaking the trust of premium hardware users is a masterclass in strategic failure—and why you should buy the 2020 model instead.
Elias VanceFebruary 24, 2026
The USB-C "Universal" Charging Scam: Why Your One Charger Doesn't Actually Work
USB-C charging was supposed to be the "one cable to rule them all." In 2026, it's a fragmented mess of proprietary protocols, firmware warnings, and deliberate lock-in. Here's the real-world audit of which laptops actually honor the universal standard.
Elias VanceFebruary 23, 2026The M4 MacBook Air Teardown Is Out—and Apple Still Doesn't Get It
iFixit's M4 MacBook Air teardown is out: 5/10 repairability, same adhesive nightmares, software locks blocking screen repairs. Plus: Samsung's S26 Ultra launches with "no strong selling point." The flagship market is running on fumes.
Elias VanceFebruary 23, 2026
The Galaxy S26 Is Days Away—But Samsung's Secret Weapon Isn't The Camera
The Galaxy S26 drops February 25 with incremental specs—but its real upgrade is repairability. With Right to Repair laws now in effect, Samsung's finally building phones you can actually fix. Here's why that matters more than AI features.
Elias VanceFebruary 22, 2026
The 2022 Flagship Test: Why Last Year's Phone Is The Smarter Buy in 2024
The 2024 flagship phones are fine. But the 2022 models are 90% as capable for 50% of the price. Here's the data that proves your wallet deserves better.
Elias VanceFebruary 22, 2026