Got the Nintendo Switch dead pixel issue? Here are your consumer rights

There’s no denying that the Nintendo Switch has been a success so far; it is the fastest-selling console in Nintendo’s history, has one of, if not the best launch game in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and both are getting critical acclaim more each day.

However, it is not without its issues. Nintendo itself admits to a wireless connectivity problem with the left Joy-Con that could drop out if confronted with rivalling signals. And now there are numerous reports of dead pixels on users’ screens.

As with every handheld console that sports an LCD screen, the launch has been met with complaints on Reddit and Twitter that some Switch consoles have deal pixels. The bad news is that Nintendo itself says on its support site that these are a “characteristic of LCD screens” and not “considered a defect”, so not a cause for replacement.

• Nintendo Switch: Price, specs and everything you need to know
• All the Nintendo Switch games: Launch titles and every game for 2017 revealed
• Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: What’s the difference?

You might have some rights for a refund though. If you do have a dead pixel issue, here are the things you can do.

Nintendo Switch problems: What are dead pixels?

@kythlyn (Twitter)

A dead pixel occurs on an LCD screen where the pixel itself fails and therefore appears as a tiny white or black dot on a screen (whether it allows the backlight to shine through or not). Sometimes these appear in clusters and form a larger, defective area.

It is not possible to fix a dead pixel and they are invariably a fault in the manufacture of the LCD panel. They can also occur sometime later in a product’s lifespan. Mobile phones, TVs and other devices that use LCD displays have reportedly also suffered from dead pixels.

Nintendo Switch problems: Nintendo support

Nintendo support for the issue suggests that you cannot get a replacement Switch console if you are suffering from dead pixels:

“Small numbers of stuck or dead pixels are a characteristic of LCD screens. These are normal and should not be considered a defect,” it states on the official Nintendo support pages.

It also classifies dead pixels as “dark or light patches on the screen”.

Nintendo Switch problems: Your UK consumer rights

Unfortunately, if you bought the Switch in a UK high street store, you might face problems returning it. UK shops do not legally have to give you a replacement or refund unless a product is faulty, and as Nintendo does not deem the issue to be a defect, many shops are likely to take the same stand. Some might though, so it’s worth asking.

If you bought your Nintendo Switch online you actually have a better chance. According to Which?, the Consumer Contracts Regulations have further protection for purchases made online, giving you up to 14 days to return the product for a full refund.

It essentially protects online purchases because sellers need to provide a full description of the goods, and if the description did not include the possibility of dead pixels on the screen, you have a decent chance of getting a refund.

Nintendo Switch problems: Will Nintendo change its mind?

This has happened with a Nintendo product before. There were reported cases of Nintendo DS consoles having dead pixels from the box and the company took a similar stance on replacements. However, it eventually changed its mind and stance on dead pixels and replaced newly classified defective devices.

Circle with Disney launches Alexa and rewards apps integration

Circle with Disney, a device that gives you control over your kids’ internet activities by connecting to your WiFi network, now has a “smart family” platform. It’s called Circle Connection, and it gives you a way to connect the device’s accompanying application with various apps you can use to reward your kids. Some of those apps, for instance, give your kids more time to use their gadgets, depending on the chores they finish or the activity their Misfit logged for the day. It also connects the device with Amazon’s Alexa, so you can ask the voice assistant about your kids’ screen time usage. At the same time, your kids can ask Alexa how much time they have left to use their gadgets.

The platform also enables the device to connect with RAKKOON, a service that can monitor content in apps like Facebook, Twitter and Messages. It links smart home apps and devices to Circle through IFTTT, as well. Finally, you’ll be able to restrict access to distracting applications if a phone or a tablet determines that it’s inside a moving vehicle through an app called Automatic. It’ll likely be hard convincing a teen of driving age to use a closely monitored device, though. You might just end up using it to prevent a fellow adult from being distracted by work calls and emails while on their way.

Source: Circle

Check out Hyperloop One’s first full-scale test track in the Nevada desert

Why it matters to you

With this latest unveiling, Hyperloop One wants everyone to know it’s as determined as ever to realize its dream of creating an ultra-fast, ground-based transportation system.

Hyperloop One’s plan for an ultra-fast transportation system capable of speeds of up to 760 mph have moved off the drawing board and into the Nevada desert.

The tech company this week posted images of its first-ever full-scale test track that could one day form the basis of the final design that sends regular folks hurtling between cities through low-pressure tubes just a few meters off the ground.

Hyperloop One’s test track, called DevLoop, is 500 meters long and 3.3 meters in diameter. While a photo of a long tube may be hard to get excited about, the work at least gives fans hope that the ambitious project is moving forward and now approaching a crucial stage of development.

The company says it aims to perform a public trial using the tube in the next four months.

“Our team of more than 150 engineers, technicians and fabricators have been transforming what was, just over five months ago, a barren stretch of desert, into a hive of activity and now home to the world’s first full-scale hyperloop test site,” Josh Giegel, Hyperloop One co-founder and president of engineering, said at a recent event touting the project. “We have come so far in such a short space of time, and our team of over 240 employees are working tirelessly to eliminate the barriers of distance and time and reinvent transportation.”

LA-based Hyperloop One showed off its proposed propulsion technology for the super-fast transportation system at a special event last summer, sending a sled zooming along an open-air track in front of a crowd of invited journalists. You can check out DT’s experience of the event here.

While many nations have expressed an interest in the hyperloop technology, Dubai in the UAE seems especially keen and has already had talks with Hyperloop One about building what could become the first operational system. The company has already signed an agreement with DP World – the third-largest port and terminals operator in the world – aimed at constructing a hyperloop track for Dubai’s enormous Jebel Ali port, using it to transport freight from the port to destinations inland. It’s hoped the system could be up and running within the next four years.

More: Pod racers — SpaceX’s hyperloop competition pits concepts head-to-head

Hyperloop One is competing with another U.S. firm, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, to build the first fully functioning system. And don’t forget Brogan BamBrogan. He co-founded Hyperloop One – or Hyperloop Technologies as it was called then – in 2014, before leaving under a cloud last year. The flamboyant BamBrogan recently launched his own rival project, with at least 80 engineers expected to be working on competing technology by the end of 2017.

‘Voodoo Vince Remastered’ brings the bayou to Xbox April 18th

Cult classic Voodoo Vince is getting a second chance at life (death?) next month. Come April 18th, the quirky platformer from Microsoft’s first game console will launch as a Play Anywhere title on Windows 10 and Xbox One in the form of Voodoo Vince Remastered. As a post on Xbox Wire tells it, the game will run you $14.99. Want to meet with its developer, Clayton Kauzlaric? If you’re in Boston this weekend for PAX East you can talk to him at the show and get your hands on Xbox chief Phil Spencer’s favorite game before anyone else.

Source: Xbox Wire

Unity sponsors 50 developers affected by Trump’s travel ban

On top of all the other obstacles they face, many game developers from nations like Iran, Iraq and Syria couldn’t make it to GDC in San Francisco because of the Trump administration’s immigration order. Unity is trying to make it up to them in a small way with a new program called Unity Without Borders. It’s inviting 50 developers from the restricted countries (Iraq is now off that list) to its Unite 2017 conference in Amsterdam.

The company will help them through Europe’s Schengen visa process and pay for a round-trip ticket to Amsterdam, four nights of hotel accommodation, a per idem for meals and expenses and a ticket to the conference. The purpose of the events, held throughout the year in Asia, Europe, Australia and the US, is to help participants learn more about the Unity engine, brainstorm with experts and developers and see future Unity features.

Game developers like Insomniac and iNK Stories strongly criticized the first “Muslim ban,” which forced developers like Navid Khonsari, creator of 1979 Revolution: Black Friday to put their travel plans on hold. “The impact is not one of strength, it’s one of breaking down the possibilities of what we can achieve as a cohesive group collaborating together,” he told Engadget last month.

The aim of the Unity Without Borders program is counteract that by including developers from Trump’s banned countries. “Unity believes in democratizing game development, solving hard problems, and enabling success no matter where you’re from,” the company said. If you’re a developer that’s affected by the travel ban or know someone who is, you can apply to attend the Unite conference in Amsterdam here.

Supplier Ibiden Commits to 100 Percent Renewable Energy For Apple Manufacturing

Apple has announced that component supplier Ibiden has become the first company in Japan to guarantee all of its Apple manufacturing will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.

Ibiden is planning to invest in more than 20 new renewable energy facilities, including one of the largest floating solar photovoltaic systems in the country.

“We’re proud to partner with suppliers like Ibiden who recognize that renewable energy investments are good for the environment and good for business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “As we continue our push to power our global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, it is more important than ever that we help our manufacturing partners make the same transition to cleaner sources, and set an example for other companies to follow.”

The renewable energy projects set up by Ibiden, which manufactures printed circuit boards and integrated circuit packaging used in Apple devices, will reportedly produce over 12 MW of solar power and support Japan’s efforts to limit its carbon emissions.

Apple and its suppliers are aiming to generate over 2.5 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean energy for the manufacturing of Apple products by the end of 2018, which Apple claims is equal to taking over 400,000 cars off the road for a year.

More than 93 percent of Apple’s worldwide operations are said to be powered by renewable energy. In August last year, Apple announced that Chinese supplier Lens Technology had committed to power all of its glass production for Apple with 100 percent renewable energy by 2018.

Outside of manufacturing, Apple’s new headquarters in California will be powered by one of the largest onsite corporate solar energy installations in the world. All of the company’s data centers are similarly powered by 100 percent renewable energy, as are 145 of its U.S. retail stores, and the large majority of its corporate facilities.

Tags: Japan, Apple environment
Discuss this article in our forums

Nougat makes massive gains in February on back of Galaxy S7 updates

The release of Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S7 series helped Nougat make its biggest-ever month-over-month gains in February.

There are millions of Android devices sold every month, and millions more updated. The composite tells a story of cycles and company strategies played out in the same way year over year.

This year, it’s the story of the Galaxy S7. The single most popular Android phone of 2016 (well, two most popular phones) began receiving its Nougat update in the U.S. and many other countries in February, which helped the latest Android version, 7.x, gain 1.6% in the shortest month of the year. The total now stands at 2.8%, still a tiny margin when compared to Marshmallow at 31.3% and Lollipop at 32.5%, but it did boast the single biggest gain in the month, and that’s something we can get behind.

Android 4.4 KitKat lost the most share in the month, down 1.1% to 20.8%, and all three branches of Jelly Bean — 4.1 to 4.3 — lost a little bit, too, bringing their total down to a cumulative 10.6%.

Overall, the market didn’t move that much in February, but it’s nice to see Nougat gaining some much-needed traction. It’s possible we’ll see the introduction of an early version of Android O this month, as it’s almost a year to the day that the first developer preview of Android N was released.

Does your phone have Nougat yet? Let us know in the comments!

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion

Even the Galaxy S7 Active is getting Nougat before the unlocked GS7

The rugged Galaxy S7 Active is getting Nougat.

Another day, another carrier device getting Nougat. Heck, Nougat is up to nearly 3% of total Android devices, and we can now add the AT&T-exclusive Galaxy S7 Active to the list.

The phone is getting the same version of Android 7.0 Nougat with the February 2017 security patch as its less rugged counterparts, which includes, according to AT&T, “Samsung Cloud, Samsung Pass, and App Select enabled in Setup and Transfer”. The build, NRD90M.G891AUCU2BQB2, also does away with the carrier’s heinous Address Book software.

Now that it’s out, you can count the AT&T Galaxy S7 Active as yet another phone to get Nougat before the unlocked versions of the core Galaxy S7 versions sold in the U.S. Not that we’re keeping score or anything…

Latest AT&T DirecTV Now promotion gives subscribers free HBO for a year

Existing HBO subscribers will get a $5 bill credit for 12 months.

AT&T has rolled out a “loyalty reward” to existing DirecTV Now subscribers. Starting today, all subscribers on “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” plans will receive a year’s worth of HBO access for free, and those that have already subscribed to HBO will receive a $5 bill credit for 12 months.

Those on “Live a Little” and “Just Right” plans will receive a $5 bill credit for six months. AT&T has mentioned that all current subscribers as of March 6 will be eligible for the promotion, and the carrier has started sending out emails to customers:

You’re getting HBO included with your existing package through March 7, 2018. You literally don’t need to do a single thing other than enjoy all of HBO with unlimited access to the most entertaining movies, addictive series, family favorites and more.

Simply put, we want to thank you for being one of our most valuable customers and coming on this unprecedented journey with us. We’re dedicated to making DIRECTV NOW the best streaming entertainment product in the industry, and because of you, we’re on our way. So go on, keep enjoying the huge library of the best entertainment with unlimited access to all of HBO—anytime, anywhere.

If you’re a DirecTV Now subscriber and don’t see HBO yet in the channel guide, fret not, as it looks like the addition may take up to 24 hours.

The launch of DirecTV Now was plagued with performance issues, but AT&T has committed to improving the overall quality to make the streaming service a viable contender to the likes of PlayStation Vue and Sling TV. Free access to HBO for a year is one way to incentivize customers to stick with the streaming service. With YouTube TV also on the horizon, the live TV streaming segment is getting crowded, and AT&T is doing all it can to convince customers to continue paying for its service.

Thanks Doug Fitton!

Google helps libraries encourage kids to code

Google has added a new project to its list of library programs, which include WiFi hotspot lending. The tech titan has teamed up with the American Library Association (ALA) to launch “Libraries Ready to Code,” an initiative that aims to help equip librarians with the right skills and tools to encourage kids to code. It won’t turn every librarian into a coding expect, but it will train them to be able to provide an introduction to computer science.

The program will give them the knowledge necessary to be able to conjure up and implement the right (fun!) CS programs for their communities. It will also help Library and Information Science schools redesign their tech and media courses for fledgling librarians by adding various CS activities.

Google and ALA are hoping the project can turn libraries into a place where kids from all backgrounds can start exploring the world of computer sciences. As Crystle Martin, Secretary of the Young Adult Library Services Association, said:

“Libraries and library staff can create opportunities for youth to gain basic exposure and a basic interest in coding. From there, with support and mentorship from librarians and staff, they can develop long term engagement and possibly computer science as an envisioned future.”

Source: The Keyword, ALA