Let's Make Electronics Makers Open Source Their Apps

I just bought some new headphones. They sound great, the battery can be replaced¹, and feel built well enough to last me, someone who looks after things, forever.

Except for one thing: To access most of the settings you need to use an app. And I JUST CAN'T WAIT for Sennheiser to drop support for these headphones in a couple of years.

It happens time and again. Hardware tied to software. Forced obsolescence by dropping support in the software. Or the app is terrible, or some combination of both. It doesn't have to be this way. We should force manufacturers to open source their apps.

Bose has shown the way forward. When a product reaches EOL, then the least the company can do is open source the software, so owners can continue to keep devices running. Most companies though would benefit from opening their apps from the start. Let the community drive the development, and the product will end up being so much better.

My Sennheiser CX300 earbuds I bought in like 2008 are still going strong and still sound fine. Unless they get caught in a vacuum cleaner they'll probably last forever.

If it needs an app, and the app isn't open source, then you're buying landfill.

(1) The new Momentum 5s have an easy user-replaceable batteries. The Momentum 4 needs tools, but doesn't look too tricky.