News
Brazil penalizes Apple for not including a charger with iPhone 12 series
The fine is peanuts for Apple though
The Brazilian consumer watchdog has fined Apple US$ 2 million for not including a charger in the latest iPhone 12 series. The fine may seem like a measly amount since Apple earns billions everyday, but it does set a precedent against its move to remove the charger in the first place.
Procon-SP, Brazil’s consumer protection agency, fined Apple “misleading advertising, selling a device without the charger and unfair terms.” It pointed out that Apple did not respond when asked whether the company had slashed the price of the iPhone 12 series after removing the charger.
This isn’t the first time the watchdog has questioned Apple. In November 2020, it asked the Cupertino-based phone maker to show how removing the charging brick will have any environmental gain. The agency noted that Apple didn’t have a satisfying answer.
The watchdog said Apple is giving “misleading advertising as iPhone 11 Pro consumers reported that Apple didn’t repair their phones after problems with water.”
Apart from the charger bundle issue, the agency also stated some other issues with the company. On the iOS updates, “it said some users reported ‘problems with some functions’ on their iPhones after updating them, which Apple didn’t help.”
In issuing the fine, Procon-SP executive director, Fernando Capez told Apple it needed to respect Brazilian law. Apple introduced the iPhone 12 series in October and announced that it would only have a charging cable inside the box. The lavish days of getting a charging brick and earphones along with a new phone are gone.
Apple justified the omission by saying that users already have spare charging bricks, and it’ll be able to save the environment by reducing shipment weight, manufacturing, and overconsumption.
Critics, however, say Apple’s decision to skip the charger bundle will have minimal impact on the environment. They also alleged that the move was primarily aimed at reducing shipping costs.
Computers
3D printing made accessible: Bambu Lab enters Philippine market
Empowering consumers to create tangible objects
China-based brand Bambu Lab has officially entered the Philippine market in a bid to reshape how consumers perceive and use 3D printing technology.
Established in Shenzhen, China in 2020, Bambu Lab aims to make 3D printing more accessible, practical, and relevant to daily life through printers and other supplies.
The goal is to support practical home use, creative hobbies, product design, and even specialized tools, while putting emphasis on ease of use.
With such optics, Bambu Lab is trying to make consumers feel that there is less deep technical knowledge required and that they can actually create physical objects with 3D printing.
One of their products is the entry-level Bambu Lab A1 mini, which is compact enough to fit on a small desk.
The brand also has more advanced models which are capable of printing multiple colors and materials on a single run.
To complement the hardware ecosystem, Bambu Lab’s open platform MakerWorld lets users browse, select, and print from an extensive library of shared 3D designs directly from their own desktops.
The platform features a wide variety of objects across multiple categories. There’s household items, DIY tools, children’s toys, props, and educational materials.
In the Philippines, Bambu Lab will open its first concept store at One Ayala, Makati City. The concept corner will give mallgoers the opportunity to see the range of 3D printers and consumables firsthand.
News
Samsung teases anti-shoulder surfing privacy feature
A “new layer of privacy” coming to Galaxy phones soon
Samsung has teased a “new layer of privacy” to shield users’ phones primarily from shoulder surfing.
Although there haven’t been any specifics yet, this “new layer” could be quite literal, as in an added display technology on Samsung devices.
Samsung says users can customize it to raise their guard with specific apps, or when entering access details for more private areas of their phones.
Moreover, there are multiple settings for adjusting visibility. This way, users can limit what others can see based on the level of privacy protection they need.
They can likewise choose to protect specific parts of the experience, such as notification pop-ups. In a way, it’s a tailored approach that lets users fine-tune or switch off entirely, rather than a blanket one.
It also eliminates the need to go through apps one by one and adjust settings, as in the case of notifications.
Samsung adds that the process took five years of engineering, testing, and refining, hence the careful and deliberate roll-out instead of a sudden one.
This process included studying how individuals use their phones, what they consider private, and how security should feel in everyday life.
The result, Samsung says, is a fusion of hardware and software expertly calibrated to protect users while on their phones.
This latest development is part of a series of Galaxy innovations to keep users safe. Samsung has been introducing topnotch mobile protection with Knox Vault, Knox Matrix, and more features.
News
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold reveals US$ 2,899 price tag
It’s still cheaper than the Huawei Mate XT.
Late last year, Samsung finally revealed the Galaxy Z TriFold, its official entry into the three-paneled market. Even only from its initial announcement, the Galaxy Z TriFold already looks mighty good, more so than its Android-less counterpart from Huawei. But, as with everything, it still depends on the price. How much will Samsung’s trifold phone cost? Now, we have an idea.
Today in the United States, Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Z TriFold will already be available in the country starting this week. From January 30, users can start trying out the phone for themselves in Samsung Experience Stores. They can also grab the device through Samsung.com.
Because the phone is already available, the price tag is out as well. In the United States, the Galaxy Z TriFold will set you back by at least US$ 2,899.
Despite how eye-watering that price is, it’s still a step below the Huawei Mate XT when that launched last year. (For reference, the Android-less Mate XT launched for a miserable EUR 3,499.)
Still, spending almost three thousand dollars on a phone might not be the most appealing decision for a lot of people. This price is also almost a full thousand dollars more than the Galaxy Z Fold7, which starts at US$ 1,999. On the bright side, the Galaxy Z TriFold is taking a big step in “democratizing” the trifold market before it takes over the industry.
If you’re interested in adding this to your cart, the Galaxy Z TriFold has a huge 10-inch screen, a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It also has a 200-megapixel main camera and a 5600mAh battery.
All that in mind, is US$ 2,899 a justifiable price for the Galaxy Z TriFold?
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