Good morning and happy hump day. Let’s get you updated on the world of tech.
1. Fitbit fined in Australia
Fitbit has copped an $11 million fine in Australia, after the Federal court found that the company had told 40 customers that they were not entitled to a replacement product because their warranty period had expired. The case was brought to court by the ACCC, and in some cases cited by the commission, consumers were told that their replacement devices would not be eligible for a warranty. “In this case, consumers may have incurred additional expense and inconvenience paying for repairs or replacement products because they were told false and misleading information about their consumer guarantee rights,” Acting ACCC Chair Catriona Lowe said.
2. Epic beats Google
Epic Games has beaten Google in a San Francisco antitrust trial, where it was found that Google had been operating an illegal monopoly with its app store. The news comes a year after Epic lost a similar trial to Apple, and could have serious implications for the mobile app world. “Today’s verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world,” Epic Games said in a blog post Monday. “It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition, and reduce innovation.” The repercussions of the case are still unknown.
3. Apple to give rivals tap-and-go access
As reported by iTNews, Apple has offered to give its rivals access to its proprietary ‘tap and go’ mobile wallet payments systems in the EU, in a move that could bring antitrust charges against the iPhone maker to an end. The company was charged in 2022 for curbing the access of app developers to its NFC and wallet technology. Whether or not this olive branch from Apple will thwart a fine, we’ll have to wait and see.
4. Speaking of Apple
As reported by Macrumors, the latest iOS beta for iPhones adds a unique anti-theft feature that prevents users from accessing critical information with just the passcode alone. With the new ‘Stolen Device Protection’ feature enabled, users will need their Face ID to erase content, undertake certain Apple Cash and Wallet actions, use payment methods in Safari, and other features where the owner’s data may be compromised – all without a reliance on a PIN code. It’s still a beta feature, and it’s likely to get some tweaks before it releases officially.
5. E3 is officially dead
Pour one out, folks. On Tuesday, the Entertainment Software Association announced that E3, once the biggest video game showcase on the planet, is officially dead. E3’s website contains that announcement followed by GGWP, gamer-speak for “Good Game, Well Played” to the community it served for over 20 years. Following pandemic delays, the ESA cancelled the Electronic Entertainment Expo for the last two years after major companies like Nintendo and Sony began reducing their presence there or pulled out entirely. Many video game publishers realised they could put on their own conferences in a hyper-controlled setting they stage themselves. After a rocky couple of years, E3 has officially come to a close. RIP.
BONUS ITEM: Thank you, CSIRO.
All I want for Christmas is less waste (and bad science jokes). 🎁
— CSIRO (@CSIRO) December 12, 2023
The amount of waste produced at Christmas is 30 per cent higher than the rest of the year.
Here are our tips to help you reduce waste during the festive season: https://t.co/iWKs2PoQan pic.twitter.com/9hX08eiFsN
Have a wonderful day.