Turns out Spotify can’t open-source Car Thing because it’s a potato
The device is basically open-source, but not open for much.
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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
- Spotify has been facing criticism for deciding to brick its Car Thing devices by the end of the year, rendering them useless.
- Tech journalist Josh Hendrickson revealed that the Car Thing runs on Linux and is actually open source.
- The device’s extremely weak specs make it impractical for running anything beyond its intended web-based media player.
Spotify recently made headlines with its decision to deactivate all Car Thing devices by the end of this year. The streaming giant ceased sales of the ill-fated gadget a couple of years ago. However, the announcement to completely deactivate functional devices sparked a significant backlash among users.
Many wondered why the company couldn’t simply open-source the hardware, which would have allowed users to repurpose the devices instead of adding to the growing problem of electronic waste. Turns out, the Car Thing is already open for flashing new software. This revelation comes from Josh Hendrickson (@Anoraker on YouTube), who recently shared his findings on X/Twitter.
