Apple Dicks Hardware Repairs

[grarpamp]

Apple Dicks Hardware Repairs

https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/17/02/14/2349219/apple-will-fight-right-to-repair-legislation

Apple is planning to fight proposed electronics "Right to Repair"
legislation being considered by the Nebraska state legislature,
according to a source within the legislature who is familiar with the
bill's path through the statehouse. The legislation would require
Apple and other electronics manufacturers to sell repair parts to
consumers and independent repair shops, and would require
manufacturers to make diagnostic and service manuals available to the
public. Nebraska is one of eight states that are considering right to
repair bills; last month, Nebraska, Minnesota, New York,
Massachusetts, Kansas, and Wyoming introduced legislation. Last week,
lawmakers in Illinois and Tennessee officially introduced similar
bills. According to the source, an Apple representative, staffer, or
lobbyist will testify against the bill at a hearing in Lincoln on
March 9. ATT will also argue against the bill, the source said. The
source told me that at least one of the companies plans to say that
consumers who repair their own phones could cause lithium batteries to
catch fire. So far, Nebraska is the only state to schedule a hearing
for its legislation.


Corp Bosses Angling For Upskirt Efficiency

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-14/new-office-sensors-know-when-you-leave-your-desk
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/11/daily-telegraph-to-withdraw-devices-monitoring-time-at-desk-after-criticism

About a year ago, in a widely reported story, journalists at British
newspaper the Telegraph found little black boxes installed under their
desks. The devices, which had "OccupEye" emblazoned on them, detected
if employees were at their workstations. Not shockingly, writers and
editors were suspicious, worried that bosses were monitoring their
moves, even their bathroom breaks. The National Union of Journalists
complained to management about Big Brother-style surveillance. The
company insisted the boxes were intended to reduce energy costs,
ensuring that empty cubicles weren't overheated or
over-air-conditioned, but the damage was done, and the devices were
removed. Sensors that keep tabs on more than temperature are already
all over offices -- they're just less conspicuous and don't have names
that suggest Bond villains. "Most people, when they walk into
buildings, don't even notice them," says Joe Costello, chief executive
officer of Enlighted, whose sensors, he says, are collecting data at
more than 350 companies, including 15 percent of the Fortune 500.
They're hidden in lights, ID badges, and elsewhere, tracking things
such as conference room usage, employee whereabouts, and "latency" --
how long someone goes without speaking to another co-worker.
Proponents claim the goal is efficiency: Some sensors generate heat
maps that show how people move through an office, to help maximize
space; others, such as OccupEye, tap into HVAC systems.