This Week in Tech – 12/31/2017
Apple Execs Face Jail in France After Lawsuit Over Slowing Down iPhones
A French activist group has launched a criminal lawsuit against Apple over its policy of slowing down older iPhones in a case that could see the tech giant ‘s executives jailed and cost it five percent of its income if convicted of the crime of “planned obsolescence”…
In Wake of Net Neutrality Decision, Should Cities Build Internet Networks?
The fallout from the FCC’s decision to repeal net neutrality—the principle that all internet traffic and data must be treated the same without favoritism—is still taking shape. But some see the policy shift as a potential boost to the movement for more municipal broadband networks…
Apple Apologizes for iPhone Slowdown Drama, Will Offer $29 Battery Replacements for a Year
Apple just published a letter to customers apologizing for the “misunderstanding” around older iPhones being slowed down, following its recent admission that it was, in fact, slowing down older phones in order to compensate for degrading batteries. “We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,” says the company. “We apologize.”…
With Net Neutrality Dead, Proposed Bill Promises Internet “Fast Lanes”
It’s only been a week since the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality protections and Republican lawmakers are already trying to set legislation into motion to cement the controversial ruling…
Trump’s Website Is Coded With a Broken Server Error Message That Blames Obama
If you’re a fan of Easter eggs hidden in source code, this is a pretty good one. Apparently, as Washington Post data reporter Christopher Ingraham observed on Twitter, some Trump administration and GOP websites have a portion of code with a joke that throws shade at Obama’s golf habits, the irony nowhere to be found…
Comcast Accused (Again) of Billing Fraud
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the state is expanding its $100 million lawsuit against Comcast, first announced back in August of 2016. That lawsuit had already accused Comcast of numerous, rampant deceptive business practices, including misrepresenting the scope of its Service Protection Plans, charging customers improper service call fees, and engaging in improper credit screening practices…
Iran Cuts Off Internet Access in Several Cities as Mass Protests Continue
Several reports indicate that telecoms providers in Iran have begun blocking internet access across several cities in the country as mass protests erupted for the third day in a row. Among the telecoms company was Hamrahe Aval, the primary Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran (MTCI or MCI) as social media continues to play a pivotal role in documenting mass protests and subsequent brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in the country…