Brian DubeDec 13, 2022
Marmoset

From @pluralistic:

"Earlier this year, many people with Argus optical implants – which allow blind people to see – lost their vision when the manufacturer, Second Sight, went bust.

"Nano Precision Medical, the company's new owners, aren't interested in maintaining the implants, so that's the end of the road for everyone with one of Argus's 'bionic' eyes. The $150,000 per eye that those people paid is gone, and they have failing hardware permanently wired into their nervous systems.

"Having a bricked eye implant doesn't just rob you of your sight – many Argus users experience crippling vertigo and other side effects of nonfunctional implants. The company has promised to 'do our best to provide virtual support' to people whose Argus implants fail – but no more parts and no more patches."

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/12/unsafe-at-any-speed/#this-is-literally-your-brain-on-capitalism

Pluralistic: Orphaned neurological implants (12 Dec 2022) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Dec 12, 2022 at 10:12pmWeb
Show threadFuck Elon Dec 12, 2022

@Marmoset @pluralistic

Now imagine what will happen with neuralink...

Show threadMarmosetDec 12, 2022
@FuckElon @pluralistic Come now, are you suggesting that Mr. Musk is anything but perfectly stable and competent? I can't imagine a better steward to guide our fragile human brains into the shining future
Show threadCamiel HirschbergDec 13, 2022
@FuckElon @Marmoset @pluralistic You critique him, suddenly your implant gets remotely disabled.
Show threadLiam in FenlandDec 13, 2022
@iwamoto @FuckElon @Marmoset @pluralistic You critique him and your bowel control gets remotely disabled.
Show threadCamiel HirschbergDec 13, 2022
@LiamOR @FuckElon @Marmoset @pluralistic you have a prosthetic leg and called him out on his BS? better have the wheelchair ready...
Show threadfrigginGlorious ✅Dec 12, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic Woah the future is way more cyberpunk than I thought it was gonna be.
Show threadCian Verati Dec 12, 2022
@frigginglorious @Marmoset @pluralistic And a good reminder why cyberpunk futures are horrifying, actually.
Show threadjoncamfieldDec 13, 2022
@frigginglorious @Marmoset @pluralistic to be honest, most cyberpunk was way more user serviceable than this future.
Show threadfrigginGlorious ✅Dec 13, 2022

@joncamfield @Marmoset @pluralistic not in doctorows sci Fi ;)

Or I guess it not sci Fi. It's speculative fiction?

Show threadGodefroy_BDec 12, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic Horrid! At least Deckard’s eye implants were somewhat repairable/hackable in Blade Runner!
Show threadGayle J. Greenlea 🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Dec 12, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic Appalling. Chipping away at government regulation and oversight benefits big business at the expense of consumers.
Show threadJoe MansfieldDec 12, 2022

Back in the day a couple of these med-tech startups tried to recruit my daughter into signing up for one of their experimental implants.

‘Miracle cure’ was a common claim.

Luckily she realised early that no one sells, or even wants to sell, a real cure. They want to sell lock-in.

These stories are the terrible reality of tech-bros getting into med-tech.
@Marmoset @pluralistic

Show threadTwice DailyDec 12, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic This is horrifying!
Show threadValentina KD BellDec 12, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic it's Robots The Movie, but wetter
Show threadChairman MehDec 12, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic a powerful reminder that all human implants should use fully open source ieee spec hardware and interfaces, 3rd party eyes would be fine but I should be able to walk into the library and rent a basic ball or build my own
Show threadGregory Wild-SmithDec 13, 2022
@chairman_meh @Marmoset @pluralistic build your own might be a bit much, practically speaking, but in principle you should be able to I suppose
Show threadScotchfairyDec 12, 2022

@Marmoset @pluralistic And the next company you'll likely hear about is MediTech. They make a variety of implants, including cardiac ones meant to help people survive the transplant waiting list. The FDA just recalled that one last weak for safety issues.

Proprietary software is a heinous problem with medical equipment, where devices were often made by tiny specialist companies who don't have enough expert programmers to push out software ir firmware upgrades for hardware that *must* work.

Show threadTin Bee 🥫🐝Dec 12, 2022

@scotchfairy

"Have you tried turning it off and on again...?"

@Marmoset @pluralistic

Show threadCory DoctorowDec 13, 2022

@scotchfairy @Marmoset Do you mean Medtronic? They're pretty terrible. I've been writing about them for years:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/medtronic/

medtronic – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Show threadScotchfairyDec 13, 2022
@pluralistic @Marmoset yeah. I should know better than to try & post when my hand & brain are fried.
Show threadJinsheiDec 13, 2022
@pluralistic @scotchfairy @Marmoset they also make deep brain stimulation devices.
Show thread  Dec 13, 2022
@pluralistic
My wife tried out their insulin pump for a couple of months. She hated it so much that when they told her the insurance doesn't allow replacing it with a different model, she chose to have no pump at all until the warranty on the thing expires, which takes four years. We're still waiting.
@scotchfairy @Marmoset
Show threadKaraOhkiJan 7, 2023
@pluralistic @scotchfairy @Marmoset Oh my. I had no idea. I stopped using my mini med when I lost my insurance. When I was properly insured again, I was shown several pumps at my endo’s office, and ended up with a Tandem. It took years for Medtronic to stop calling me. No, I am not going back.
Show threadBrandtDec 14, 2022
@scotchfairy @Marmoset @pluralistic I think that what's needed is that firmware for lifesupport, medico and similar devices must be either open source or that the most recent unlocked, unencrypted version at all times is kept by the relevant authorities eg FDA or what they may be in other countries. This will help small companies to remain and attract investors so we do not risk having to rely on 'big corp' or public funded companies only
Show threadBrandtDec 14, 2022
@scotchfairy @Marmoset @pluralistic oops..by public funded companies I obviously mean government funded..... :-)
Show threadBrandtDec 16, 2022
@scotchfairy @Marmoset @pluralistic i've been thinking about this. There's a dark horse in the room. When we talk about keeping firmware available we also need to discuss hardware. Is it viable to accept proprietary hardware or 'hobbyist' types? It my be worth noting that I work as an Automation Engineer with pharma as main focus. In this environment FDA is a major factor, which is good, but even when using SIemens or AB hardware we run in to issues with obsoletion
Show threadScotchfairyDec 16, 2022
@brandt_ @Marmoset @pluralistic Hurray. My husband briefly worked as a contractor for Amgen maintaining their adverse reaction reporting system software. And that was simple compared to the software for compounding and administering drugs. Infusion/mixing pumps for newer antibiotics and anesthesia drugs are expensive for hospitals to keep up to date.
And DNA synthesizers have had hacked back doors for botnets & crypto mining.
#medical #devices #InternetOfShit
Show threadBrandtDec 16, 2022
@scotchfairy @Marmoset @pluralistic yup. And then we've not even begun talking about fake/hacked PLCs bought on ebay because of delivery shortness
Show threadFrench TexPatDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic this is absolutely heinous.
Show threadMegNelsonArtDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic Wow!
Show threadjoncamfieldDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic It's bullshit like this that inspired my "cyberpunk standards" post a few years ago (https://www.joncamfield.com/blog/2019.02/cyberpunk-standards.html , https://github.com/joncamfield/cyberpunkstandards/ ) - implants should either be fully open source from the hardware up, or have baked-in openness at the first whiff of support drying up. Honestly, WTAF.
Cyberpunk Standards

The future of technology requires a dramatic shift from the present to place ownership and control back in the hands of consumers

Jon Camfield Dot Com
Show threadJoel WebberDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic Holy hell, this is terrifying. And yet not surprising. I hope it at least serves as a useful example of why we need "right to repair" laws that cover the general case. Realizing, though, that this is insufficient if the technical information you need is sold on to a bottom feeding acquirer.
Show threadKevin PorterDec 13, 2022
@j15r @Marmoset @pluralistic This gruesomely illustrates how the concept of intellectual property in general is incredibly problematic.
Show threadSydneyDec 13, 2022

@kevinporter @j15r @Marmoset @pluralistic

Problematic really is the right word. There is a lot of good that can be done with the judicious application of intellectual property standards, but it so desperately needs to be reined in.

Show threadJoel WebberDec 13, 2022
@sydneybrokeit @kevinporter @Marmoset @pluralistic Agreed -- it certainly has utility, and I've benefited from IP protections myself. But we run into serious problems when we start treating it as a fundamental, inviolable right, rather than the social trade-off it actually is.
Show threadKevin PorterDec 13, 2022
@j15r @sydneybrokeit @Marmoset @pluralistic My somewhat controversial opinion is that it benefits the most powerful in society way more than it benefits most private individuals. We need to come up with a social framework that flips that balance. As it stands, we have people developing life saving technology for companies that withhold that IP from the very same people who developed it. It’s absurd.
Show threadSydneyDec 14, 2022
@kevinporter @j15r @Marmoset @pluralistic Don't almost all protection-oriented laws?
Show threadEric LeeDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic Education, healthcare, and corrections are fields that should never be held hostage to capitalism.
Show threadRichardDec 13, 2022
@saintgimp @Marmoset @pluralistic All these fields are open veins of profit for megaCorps. They will be hard-won away from those grasping clutches.
Show threadAndrewDec 13, 2022
@saintgimp @Marmoset @pluralistic Yes, this was my takeaway too!
"This amazing device that can give sight and freedom back to people, just didn't turn out to be profitable".
Why on earth should it need to?!
Show threadRuffersDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic OhMyGod, we’re living in crazy times, but this is the most bat-poop-crazy, frightening, dystopian thing that I have ever read. My heart goes out to the people suffering from the fallout 😱❤️‍🩹
Show threadtobieDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic That is horrifying. These vulture capitalists enjoy being cruel.
Show threadRichardDec 13, 2022
@tobie @Marmoset @pluralistic I don't think they feel one way or the other. It may be our lives, but it's just bidness to them.
Show threadFletchDec 13, 2022

@Marmoset @pluralistic

Good grief. This is the definition of both "Market Failure", as well as the serious problems with society's over-dependence on proprietary technologies that people have no control of themselves!

Show threadKevin Karhan Dec 13, 2022

@fletch31337 @Marmoset @pluralistic this is #PlannedObsolesence and I hope the people affected can #ClassAction the new owner into #FLOSS'ing the tech...

This is worse than #DeusExHumanRevolution and #RepoMen together, isn't it?

Cc: @stman

Show threadKevin Karhan Dec 13, 2022

@fletch31337 @Marmoset @pluralistic @stman @Edthedev

Seriously, how is that even legal
https://mastodon.sdf.org/@Edthedev/109504137416597486

Edthedev (@[email protected])

@[email protected] @[email protected] Excellent write up. Worth highlighting: "There's no ethical case for permanently attaching computers to people's nervous systems without giving them the absolute, irrevocable right to nominate who maintains those computers and how."

Mastodon @ SDF
Show threadKevin Karhan Dec 13, 2022

@fletch31337 @Marmoset @pluralistic @stman @Edthedev

Seriously: worse than #RepoMen, cuz the people paid...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl9Nvg4yuus

'Repo Men' Trailer HD

YouTube
Show threadEdDec 13, 2022

@Marmoset @pluralistic

Excellent write up.

Worth highlighting:

"There's no ethical case for permanently attaching computers to people's nervous systems without giving them the absolute, irrevocable right to nominate who maintains those computers and how."

Show threadPhillip Hallam-BakerDec 13, 2022
@Edthedev @Marmoset @pluralistic
Not just being able to choose. Being able to change your mind at any time without penalty.
Show threadFeralRobotsDec 13, 2022
@Edthedev @Marmoset @pluralistic OTOH the prevailing ethos seems to be trending toward:
1. Coercion short of literal death does not exist;
2. ... Therefore any choice by any person to enslave themselves is Fine, Actually.
Show threadEdDec 13, 2022

@Marmoset @pluralistic Another highlight that bears repeating:

"Data breaches are permanent. Filling a startup's sandcastle with your important data is a high-risk bet that the company will attain liftoff before it breaches."

Show threadClown GuyDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic We live in a dystopia, people need to wake up.
Show threadGezDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic this a whole new level for the #InternetOfShit!
Show threadmyownpetard blue checkmarkDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic this is some @GreatDismal level ish
Show threadChris StevensonDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic I hadn’t read the linked ieee article the first time through and I read it as speculative fiction. Holy fuck
Show threadJohn PriceDec 13, 2022
@Marmoset @pluralistic I think the problem is a hard one that cannot be solved just by making IP public. These are not software companies, and it is not true that their physical assets are only “used ergonomic chairs and laptops”. If I give you drawings for a jet engine can you start making them, testing them, and maintaining them? Nope. It takes a lot of cash, expertise, and physical resources. Rearranging bits on a disk is only part of what these companies do.
Show threadGirtBySeaDec 13, 2022

@Marmoset

That Is so f___ed

@pluralistic @anathema_device