The European Commission is seeking to improve phone and tablet battery life and spare parts availability. In draft proposals published this week, European regulators are planning to force phone manufacturers to supply at least 15 different parts to professional repairers for five years after a device first goes on sale. Consumers will also get guaranteed… Continue reading The EU wants to enforce better phone battery life and spare parts
Author: The Verge Online News
Roomster sued by the FTC and six state AGs for fake listings and fake app store reviews
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with six states, filed a lawsuit against John Shriber and Roman Zaks, owners of the room renting and roommate finder platform Roomster, for allegedly defrauding consumers, accusing them of paying people for fake reviews and listings on their site. The agency says that the “deceptive tactics” violated the FTC… Continue reading Roomster sued by the FTC and six state AGs for fake listings and fake app store reviews
The shift to electric vehicles is about to overwhelm meager US mining operations
Electric vehicles are very helpful for fighting climate change. But EVs need batteries, and batteries need minerals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium. The US has some of these minerals underground, and it wants to dig them up, expeditiously, so that it doesn’t have to rely as much on other countries, including China. But this is… Continue reading The shift to electric vehicles is about to overwhelm meager US mining operations
T-Mobile will let you try its network free for three months
T-Mobile is pushing some new app features focused on getting prospective customers to switch with as little friction as possible, all thanks to eSIM technology. There’s a new version of the existing Test Drive program called Network Pass, which allows people to try out T-Mobile’s network with unlimited data for three months. Another new feature… Continue reading T-Mobile will let you try its network free for three months
Get ready for a rare ‘triple-dip’ La Niña
We’re about to see the first “triple-dip” La Niña of the century, spanning three consecutive Northern hemisphere winters, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts. The organization issued a forecast today warning of the unusual turn of events: the current La Niña, a weather pattern that can drive severe weather, will likely persist over the next… Continue reading Get ready for a rare ‘triple-dip’ La Niña
The Humiliating History of the TSA
People cry at airports all the time. So when Jai Cooper heard sobbing from the back of the security line, it didn’t really faze her. As an officer of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), she had gotten used to the strange behavior of passengers. Her job was to check people’s travel documents, not their emotional… Continue reading The Humiliating History of the TSA
The Disaster Consultants
The small city of Mexico Beach, Florida, always had a certain charm. It had been lucky. Even though it sits on the Gulf of Mexico, which gets rocked by hurricanes each year, it had never been affected by a major storm. The cinder block buildings and the cottage-style houses still had the same look and… Continue reading The Disaster Consultants
The open elevator door button puts kindness at our fingertips
Elevator buttons can sometimes be fickle things — confusing labels or tricky security systems can start a trip up or down a building off on a slightly sour note. But on the control panel, there’s one button that stands out for its ability to make someone’s day instead of ruining it: the open door button.… Continue reading The open elevator door button puts kindness at our fingertips
Cox is getting into the mobile industry — again
Cox announced on Monday that it is launching a pilot for Cox Mobile that will be available to Cox’s internet customers. This will be the company’s second major attempt to get into the mobile industry, after its effort launched in 2010 shut down after less than two years, citing an inability to offer “iconic phones”… Continue reading Cox is getting into the mobile industry — again
Tesla slapped with class action lawsuit over phantom braking problem
A Tesla owner from San Francisco filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the electric vehicle company over a phantom braking problem that he claims has turned “a safety feature into a frightening and dangerous nightmare.” The lawsuit was first reported by Reuters. The lawsuit was filed by San Francisco resident Jose Alvarez Toledo in… Continue reading Tesla slapped with class action lawsuit over phantom braking problem