Following the news that Google’s new Home Mini connected-home hubs were recording users thousands of times per day because the device refused to stay asleep, Google has permanently disabled the touch-sensitive panel on the top of the Home Mini. [More]
on second thought
Google Permanently Disables Home Mini’s Top Touch Panel After Device Recorded When It Shouldn’t Have
By 10.12.17
Verizon Says Some Cut-Off Rural Customers Can Stay, But They Must Ditch Unlimited Data Plans
By 9.22.17
Verizon recently notified around 8,500 rural wireless customers — accounting for nearly 20,000 phone numbers — that their service was going to be cut off for good on Oct. 17 because they spent too much time roaming off the Verizon network. Following the negative public reaction to this news, Verizon has decided to give these customers more time to find another wireless carrier or switch over to a Verizon plan with data caps. [More]
Justice Dept. Decides It No Longer Wants Info On 1.3 Million Visitors To Anti-Trump Site
By 8.23.17
The U.S. Department of Justice recently tried to compel a website hosting company to turn over all the information the company has on the approximately 1.3 million internet users who visited a site created to organize a protest during President Trump’s inauguration. Now the DOJ is rethinking that plan, withdrawing its demand for this mountain of data. [More]
Report: Uber Getting Out Of The Car Leasing Business After Losing $9K Per Car
By 8.8.17
A few years back, Uber had an idea for how to attract more drivers to the ride-hailing service: Lease cars to people who either don’t have cars or whose personal vehicles don’t meet Uber’s standards. But not only has the program been criticized by some drivers who say the monthly payments are too high, it’s also apparently been a big money-loser for Uber, which is now reportedly looking to get out of the leasing business in the U.S. [More]
GOP Might Not Include $172 Billion Tax Cut In Obamacare Repeal Plan
By 6.29.17
Though Senate leadership recently decided to delay a vote on its plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the GOP is still hoping to get the details of that bill ironed out before the holiday. One possible change involves a controversial tax on the wealthy that has long been a target of repeal advocates. [More]
Netflix Changes Its Mind, Decides Maybe It Does Care About Net Neutrality Again
By 6.15.17
Netflix, once a loudmouthed supporter of net neutrality — the concept that your internet service provider should no say in what you do or where you go online — but Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently shrugged off the need for neutrality as something that was important to the company a decade ago, but which it not longer really needs. Either not everyone at Netflix is as flippant as their CEO or Hastings has had a change of heart. [More]
MacBook Pro Battery Life Wildly Inconsistent, Consumer Reports Finds
By 12.22.16 — Updated: 1.12.17
Expecting some holiday money? Thinking of rushing out to spend it on a shiny new MacBook Pro? After months of testing, our colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports say, maybe don’t do that just yet. [More]
Evernote Backtracks On Privacy Policy Changes After User Outcry
By 12.16.16
Popular note-taking and general reminder app Evernote had big plans for 2017. In January, it was going to start feeding all your personal content to an algorithm in order to improve internal machine learning. But those plans allowed for human employees to peek over the robot’s shoulder to see your stuff, which users objected to loudly enough that now those plans are on hold. [More]
Amid Fake Account Fiasco, Wells Fargo Must Now Get Permission to Hire Or Fire Executives
By 11.21.16
Two months after federal regulators imposed a $185 million fine and other sanctions against Wells Fargo for its fake account fiasco, one of those agencies — the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency — has rolled back some of the terms of its deal, signaling it will require more oversight of the company. [More]
DNC Chair Walks Back Her Opposition To Payday Lending Reform
By 6.3.16
Only three months ago, Florida Congresswoman and chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was actively lobbying her fellow lawmakers in opposition to pending reforms for the payday loan industry, finding nothing wrong with lenders who charge interest rates in the range of 300% to people in dire need of cash. Now that the actual rules have been announced, the legislator has had a sudden change of heart. [More]
Sysco Drops Bid To Buy U.S. Foods, Plan To Create Foodservice Supply Voltron
By 6.29.15
After months of battling with federal regulators – including contentious meetings, a lawsuit and a federal injunction – food distributor Sysco has dropped its plan to merge with rival U.S. Foods. [More]
Netflix Changes Tune About Seeking Data Cap Exemptions For Service
By 4.16.15
In recent years, Netflix has been a vocal proponent of net neutrality and an outspoken critic of ISP business models that would allow certain deep-pocketed companies to gain a competitive edge over smaller players in the streaming video market. Thus the company was heavily criticized in March when it made deals with Australian ISPs that would exempt Netflix from users’ monthly data caps. This morning, the company announced that it regrets this decision and will no longer seek exemptions going forward. [More]
RadioShack Revises Thanksgiving Plan, Will Give Workers Five Hour Break To Spend With Families
By 11.12.14
Yesterday, RadioShack announced that it would be opening at the early hour of 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, causing employees to complain about losing their holiday and many shoppers to ask why anyone would ever want to go to RadioShack at 8 a.m. ever. Now the Shack is changing its mind on that plan, but rather than simply opening later, the retailer will be closing for a few hours during the afternoon. [More]
Asiana Airlines Decides Not To Sue Punked TV Station Over Bogus Pilot Names
By 7.17.13
By now you’ve heard about the on-air gaffe at Oakland’s KTVU-TV, in which a news anchor read a list of obviously fake names of the four pilots on Asiana Flight 214 that crash-landed at SFO on July 6. The South Korean airline recently said it intended to sue the TV station over the incident, but has now decided against taking any legal action. [More]
