HP’s long-running use of firmware updates that block third-party ink and toner cartridges is drawing scrutiny again – this time under a new global sustainability standard that explicitly forbids the practice.
The International Imaging Technology Council (Int’l ITC), a trade group for cartridge remanufacturers, says HP’s latest printer firmware rollout conflicts with the requirements of the General Electronics Council’s (GEC) updated Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT 2.0.
It was what their mailer offers. One for me one for a friend. That or an equivalent microSD card. I got 128 gigs friend got 32. Either or more than enough for a quick print job. Both have a clear plastic shell which is probably cheap but it looks neat. Its “free” but the register rings it up as a penny. Not like I could bang out 128GB storage from the copper in one penny. I had already ordered a trackball mouse I just went over there to look at what they had while I could still change my mind. Walked out with an energy drink and the flash drive. Really broke the bank.
If it’s one of the Inland Microcenter branded ones, I believe I’ve seen tests run on those and they have really short lifespans, just a handful of years. So just use it for file transfers and not for any long term storage.