New York Times App Removed From App Store in China

Following a request from Chinese authorities, Apple in late December removed all apps from The New York Times from the App Store in China, The New York Times shared today.

According to Apple, the company was forced to remove both the English-language and Chinese-language news apps after being informed they were in “violation of local regulations.”

“We have been informed that the app is in violation of local regulations,” Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said of the Times apps. “As a result, the app must be taken down off the China App Store. When this situation changes, the App Store will once again offer the New York Times app for download in China.”

News apps from other publications such as The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal remain in the Chinese App Store. The New York Times app was likely removed due to a long-standing ban in China – the site has been blocked since 2012.

Apple has not provided specific information on the local regulations the apps violated, and The New York Times has asked Apple to reconsider its decision.

“The request by the Chinese authorities to remove our apps is part of their wider attempt to prevent readers in China from accessing independent news coverage by The New York Times of that country, coverage which is no different from the journalism we do about every other country in the world,” Ms. Murphy said in a statement.

The New York Times believes the request may have been made under Provisions on the Administration of Internet Application Informations Services regulations introduced in June of 2016. Those regulations prevent apps from publishing prohibited information and “endangering national security, disrupting social order and violating the legitimate rights and interests of others.”

Apple has faced censoring in China multiple times in the past, most notably being forced to shut down iTunes Movies and the iBooks Store following the release of controversial independent movie Ten Years.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Discuss this article in our forums

CES 2017: Griffin Unveils New ‘Home’ Collection With Smart Coffee Maker, Mirror, Toaster, and More

Griffin today debuted its latest line of products at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, introducing a new set of smart home products that include a Connected Toaster, Connected Coffee Maker, Connected Mirror, PowerBlock Beacon, and PowerJolt Beacon.

The Connected Coffeemaker, priced at $99.99, is the first product in the new Griffin Home collection. It is a Bluetooth-enabled smart coffee maker that works with a companion smartphone app to create a brewed-to-order cup of coffee on demand. Available during Q2 2017, the Connected Coffee Maker makes up to 12 cups and has a timer and other smart features.

The Coffee Maker will be accompanied by the Connected Toaster, also priced at $99.99 and set to launch during the second quarter of 2017. The Connected Toaster is a two-slot toaster with digital temperature adjustment settings for bread type and darkness, with an app that remembers individual user preferences.

Griffin’s most ambitious product in the Home collection appears to be the Connected Mirror, which will be available in late 2017 for $999.99. The Connected Mirror includes time, weather, and status messages from other Griffin Home products. Information is displayed at the sides of the mirror and can be customized with the companion app.

The PowerBlock Beacon and the PowerJolt Beacon, the final two products in the collection, are smart chargers designed to remind users to plug in and charge before they run out of power. Each charger features Bluetooth that connects to a smartphone or tablet and keeps track of power level. When a certain user-defined power threshold is reached, the charger will remind customers to plug in and charge their devices.

The PowerBlock Beacon, priced at $39.99, and the PowerJolt Beacon, priced at $29.99, will be available during the second quarter of 2017.

Griffin is also introducing a few new products for iOS devices, including a new Survivor Extreme for iPad mini 4 ($69.99), Survivor Journey Folios for the iPad ($39.99 for mini, $49.99 for Pro), and a Survivor Glass screen protector for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus ($39.99).

All of Griffin’s new iPhone and iPad products will be available during the first quarter of 2017, with the exception of the Journey Folio, which is available now from the Griffin website.

Tags: Griffin, CES 2017
Discuss this article in our forums

CES 2017: Griffin Announces 100W Hi-Power Breakaway MagSafe-Style Cable for MacBook Pro

Griffin today announced several new additions to its line of BreakSafe products, adding to the original BreakSafe magnetic USB-C cable that it introduced in January of 2016.

The new 100-watt BreakSafe Hi-Power Magnetic USB-C Breakaway Cable, the BreakSafe USB Breakaway Adapter, the BreakSafe Car Charger, and the BreakSafe Wall Charger all include a patented MagSafe-style quick-release magnetic connectors.

“Last year at CES 2016, our acclaimed BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable stole the show with its innovation and Type-C support,” said Rick Kennedy, Category Manager of Cables at Griffin. “We’re proud to continue that legacy by extending the BreakSafe experience to more audiences beyond USB-C. Now, whether users are at their laptops or on the go, they get the safety that comes from a magnetic breakaway cable on any device.”

Griffin’s new 100-watt BreakSafe Hi-Power Breakaway cable, coming in the second quarter of 2017 for $39.99, is designed for use with the new MacBook Pro. Like the original BreakSafe cable, it’s designed to safely disconnected when accidentally pulled away from the MacBook.

The BreakSafe Magnetic USB Breakaway Adapter ($19.99), which features standard USB power and data speeds of up to 480Mb/s, adds BreakSafe capabilities to any standard USB-A device and will be coming during the first quarter of 2017.

The BreakSafe Car Charger and the BreakSafe Wall Charger are both designed for USB devices like tablets and smartphones, with the ability to deliver up to 15 watts of power to accessories. Each accessory is priced at $39.99 and will be available in Q2 2017.

A popular Kickstarter project, the MagNeo, has been receiving a lot of attention lately and is similar to the new Griffin MacBook Pro Hi-Power cable but promises to offer more than just power. The MagNeo, priced at $35 for Kickstarter backers, promises to combine MagSafe-style connectivity with a USB-C Adapter that offers 100W charging, data, and video capabilities, but it remains to be seen if the product will be able to offer all of that functionality.

The MagNeo lists an estimated delivery date of January 2017, but potential backers should be aware that Kickstarter estimates are often off by months as new designers tend to underestimate the time required for manufacturing and ramping up from a testing phase to mass production.

Tags: Griffin, CES 2017
Discuss this article in our forums

LG Debuts ‘Hub Robot’ to Compete With Google Home and Amazon Echo

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, LG today unveiled the Hub Robot, an adorable Amazon Echo and Google Home competitor. The Hub Robot, which LG has created with a “friendly, anthropomorphic design,” interfaces with smart home products and interacts with people in multiple ways.

Powered by Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition technology, the Hub Robot can respond to commands to do things like turn on the air conditioner or the lights. It features an interactive display that can offer up information and images, and with a built-in speaker, it can play music, set alarms, provide weather updates, and more.

The Hub Robot is more interactive than competing products from Amazon and Google, with the ability to move, swivel in place, and express a range of emotions by displaying a face on its built-in screen.

It is able to respond to customers using body language, such as nodding its head when it is asked a question, and it keeps track of in-home activity, monitoring when family members come and go. With facial recognition capabilities, it recognizes each member of a family and provides customized greetings and information.

LG says the Hub Robot is designed to be put in a place where the family gathers, such as a kitchen or a living room, and additional mini robots will be introduced alongside the Hub Robot that can go in other rooms of the house.

LG has not announced a ship date for the Hub Robot, nor is pricing available, but it will likely be competitive with the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, which are priced at $180 and $129, respectively.

As in-home hub solutions grow in popularity, rumors suggest Apple is working on its own connected smart home device that’s similar to the Amazon Echo. It’s said to be powered by Siri and equipped with a speaker and a microphone. The hub will work with HomeKit, and there’s a possibility it could be combined with another product, such as the AirPort or Apple TV.

The hub has supposedly been in development for two years and is in the prototype testing phase, but it’s not clear if and when it will see an official release.

Tags: LG, CES 2017
Discuss this article in our forums