this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2023
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It had been in the works for a while, but now it has formally been adopted. From the article:

The regulation provides that by 2027 portable batteries incorporated into appliances should be removable and replaceable by the end-user, leaving sufficient time for operators to adapt the design of their products to this requirement.

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[–] [email protected] 132 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Honestly, the EU's where it's at.

  • Universal standards like USB-C instead of proprietary ports that cause waste
  • Removable batteries
  • GDPR
  • Universal healthcare
  • Right to repair

Invest in your people, and you'll go far.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Just a small note, universal healthcare isn't an EU thing and not really adopted properly across the EU's constituent countries

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I do have a card in my wallet issued by the EU that gives me the right to receive healthcare in any EU member state I visit, and I struggle to think of a EU member state that does not have universal healthcare in one form or another.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you mean the European Health Insurance Card, it's not the same as Universal Heathcare. If you travel to another contry that accepts it, you cannot go with any problem to the doctor, only ones that cannot wait until you return to the contry where you're insured. Still useful to not have to have travel insurance within the EU, just might be useful to know.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You are correct, and it is indeed good to make this clear. I meant to argue that it is a bit of an exaggeration to say the the EU has nothing to do with universal healthcare. Arguably, I have more rights to health care as a EU citizen visiting another member state than a US citizen who can't afford health insurance. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a state without socialized healthcare such as the US would be able to join the EU without reforming its public health policies.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Ireland joined the EU without it.

Even now Ireland's system public system is still very limited access for most people.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I received an update of similar card this week. "European Health Insurance Card".

Feels better having this while traveling :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The EHIC doesn't cover things like a mountain rescue or being flown back to the your home country i.e. the most expensive and potentially life-ruining things, so travel insurance is still a good idea.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Barely anyone has this card. I never heard about it before

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

You should get it when travelling in the EU though.

Some countries make it a real hassle though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In Italy your national social security card acts as a European health card as well.

In France, where I've lived for 10 years, it doesn't. But the European one is just a few clicks away on your personal online account, you just request it in a timely manner and it gets delivered at your address free of charge.

Dunno about other EU countries but I guess it's pretty much the same.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

German insurance cards are also EU cards, I have no idea why any country which has cards wouldn't include the necessary EU stuff on it.

The UK were a reasonable exception as they don't have insurance cards, you just walk into the doctor's office they don't care as long as you're a human you're getting treated. And because they didn't record anything they never got reimbursed when non-UK EU citizens went to the NHS, and then they complained that it's unfair that they have to reimburse when UK folks get treatment in other countries. You know, complaining about issues they themselves created, typical Brit stuff.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What you mean with properly? I would understand if you said equally or not everywhere but that wording confused me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

In Austria, in theory there would be health insurance, but in practice most doctors are private, meaning that you have to pay cash. The reason is that being in-circuit (to use the US term) comes with a lot of requirements and can be stopped by nearby competitors, so most doctors just don’t bother.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I love clicking to accept cookies so I can see the bottom portion of a website

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The issue is that they required websites to implement the banner, instead of just implementing a standard (like this one) and letting browsers handle the UI. Imagine just telling your browser once what kind of cookies you are okay with and all websites adhere...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Good example of good intentions with a bad or suboptimal outcome. I really hope we can get a standard like that eventually.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That’s such a great idea, can’t believe I never heard of it! Thanks for sharing!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Decline all. Ghostery extension will do it for you.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

lol I saw someone else last year complaining about GDPR because they thought clicking cookie banners was annoying. But it's like... don't be mad at GDPR for making you click banners that warn you about invasive practices, be mad at the fact that the invasive practices are allowed in the first place.

I actually run a directory of companies and products that don't use invasive tracking cookies called CookieSlayers in an effort to make people aware of better alternatives, and ultimately build a better web. Feel free to contribute to it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cookies are not invasive, you need them to log in to websites

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

First-party cookies, yes, third-party cookies, no. There are good cookies and there are bad cookies. CookieSlayers is a directory focused on good cookies.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have all third party cookies blocked at the browser level, GDPR or no GDPR

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's good, although it shouldn't have to fall to you (the consumer) to do that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It shouldn't fall on me to click cookie banners either

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I don't disagree. It's a legislative failure.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Throwing some bones while preserving the proprietary nature of the USB standard, patent and IP laws, all kinds of certification required to produce stuff, etc.

They are just making the current state of things convenient, very slowly. Not addressing the root of the problem.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's fair. Standardize everything. For the moment, it's the best of what we got. These changes happen over slowly, over decades. I'm all for addressing root causes and not symptoms.