It sure is great that Elon founded the Boring company (https://www.boringcompany.com/)….other wise we would not have this capability.

Just like Zuckerberg founded / created Facebook in his dorm room his sophomore year.

A U.S. Air Force Tunnel Boring Machine, at Little Skull Mountain, in the State of Nevada, U.S.A. It is tangible proof that the U.S. military has tunnel boring machines. There are many rumors of secret military tunnel systems in the western states, and elsewhere. If the stories are true, machines such as this one would be used to make them. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, photo number MX-027-30, 14 December 1982.

In pictures: UK’s largest tunnel-boring machine gets green light

15 Dec 2021 By David Price

FTC Settlement Requires Deere to Expand Diagnostic and Repair Access

AGDAILY Reporters

Thu, July 9, 2026 at 11:23 AM MDT

John Deere says farmers and ranchers will have greater access to the diagnostic software and repair tools needed to maintain and repair their equipment under a new agreement that resolves the company's long-running antitrust case with the Federal Trade Commission and five states.

Announced July 8, the settlement formalizes access for farmers and independent repair providers to the same repair resources already available to its authorized dealer network. The agreement closes the FTC lawsuit filed in early 2025 while placing Deere under regulatory oversight for the next 10 years.

The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, had accused Deere of using its proprietary software tools and dealer network to monopolize the repair markets for its large tractors and combines.

According to the plaintiffs — including attorneys general in Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin — Deere's practices have forced farmers to rely exclusively on its authorized dealers for critical repairs, limiting competition and driving up costs. At the center of the lawsuit was Deere's Service ADVISOR, a software tool available only to authorized Deere dealers. The plaintiffs argued that this tool is essential for diagnosing and repairing electronic issues in modern Deere equipment and that a stripped-down version made available to customers and independent repair providers, known as Customer Service ADVISOR, lacked critical functionality.

The settlement "is good news for our customers and for the future of how Deere equipment is supported," said Denver Caldwell, vice president of aftermarket and customer support for John Deere. "Producers and equipment operators demand flexible and world class capabilities enabling the maintenance and repair of their machines; we are and will continue to deliver on that expectation."

Under the settlement, Deere must make available to farmers and independent repair providers software capabilities that allow them to read and reset fault codes, reprogram electronic components, restart equipment following emissions-related shutdowns, and access technical manuals and troubleshooting information. The agreement also requires Deere to make future repair tools available as they are introduced across its dealer network and prohibits retaliation against customers or independent repair shops that use those resources.

more:

https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/ftc-settlement-requires-deere-expand-172353537.html?