This year could have been a huge one for right-to-repair activism — and it still could be, too. Lawmakers in 20 states have introduced bills that would force manufacturers to share their manuals and diagnostic tools with electronics owners. If passed, these laws would mean that do-it-yourself dabblers and independent fix-it shops could get the […]
Enlarge / A Foxconn facility. Ken Marshall / Flickr Apple and Foxconn violated a Chinese labor rule by using too many temporary staff at a major factory that makes iPhones. As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the two companies confirmed the allegation. Chinese labor law allows facilities like Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant to operate with no […]
There is growing pressure for more details about the use of facial recognition in London’s King’s Cross to be disclosed after a watchdog described the deployment as “alarming”. Developer Argent has confirmed it uses the technology to “ensure public safety” but did not reveal any details. It raises the issue of how private land used […]
Enlarge / Manufacturers would prefer it if iFixit guides (like the one pictured on a Motorola Xoom from 2011) didn’t exist. iFixit Kelsea Weber is apologetic for being hard to get ahold of. “We were all busy tearing down the iPhone XS,” she says. A few minutes’ conversation with Kelsea is enough to convince you […]
A new report issued by British lawmakers argues Facebook “intentionally and knowingly” violated the United Kingdom’s data privacy and competition laws. The report, published by the U.K. Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Monday, said Facebook’s “handling of personal data, and its use for political campaigns, are prime and legitimate areas for inspection by […]