Huawei’s notch-infused P20 phone lineup leaks out

If there was any doubt that Huawei was about to embrace iPhone X-style notches in a big way, Evan Blass just removed it. The veteran leaker has posted press images of the entire P20 lineup (Lite, regular and Pro), and all three have that distinctive cutout for the front camera. The pictures also illustrate some of the differences between models, most notably the Pro (above) — it’ll undoubtedly be the stand-out model.

The leak corroborates earlier reports that the Pro would have a third rear camera where its siblings would ‘only’ have two. Huawei has been teasing the P20’s March 27th launch event with promises of seeing “mooore with AI,” so there’s a good chance the third camera is being used for object recognition. Also, it’s notable that the P20 Lite is the only one of the bunch with its fingerprint reader on the back, though it’s not yet clear why. It shouldn’t be a slouch — the Lite will reportedly carry a 5.8-inch screen, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage.

While there are still some details up in the air (such as availability and price in key areas), the leak illustrates Huawei’s strategy: like ASUS, it’s gunning after Apple with all-screen phones in a wider price range. It’s just a question of whether or not the P20 series has enough to offer besides eye-catching displays.

Huawei P20, P20 Lite, and P20 Pro (top to bottom) pic.twitter.com/FK8iyxyQND

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 7, 2018

Source: Evan Blass (Twitter)

California lawmaker introduces ‘right to repair’ bill

The Right to Repair Act is heading to the biggest tech corporations’ home state. Lawmaker Susan Talamantes Eggman is introducing the bill in California, which is now 18th state in the country to look into making devices easier to repair. These days, you can either bring your broken phone, tablet or computer to their manufacturers’/retailers’ repair facilities and wait a long time for them to be fixed or to an unauthorized kiosk that can fix your devices more quickly but don’t have (legal) access to official parts.

The Act would require tech titans to release repair guides and make official repair parts available to consumers and third-party repair professionals. It would also put diagnostic info and tools into your hands or to the hands of independents repair shops. Doing so has quite a few benefits, including the reduction of e-waste. By giving people more repair options to choose from, after all, they’re all less inclined to just throw out a broken device and buy a new model when the old one can still be salvaged. Also, it encourages people to be more adventurous when it comes fixing their own devices, which could give rise to new innovators and inventors.

Kit Walsh, Senior Staff Attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement:

“The bill is critical to protect independent repair shops and a competitive market for repair, which means better service and lower prices. It also helps preserve the right of individual device owners to understand and fix their own property. We should encourage people to take things apart and learn from them. After all, that’s how many of today’s most successful innovators got started.”

When Right to Repair was introduced in Nebraska, Apple told lawmakers that it would turn the state into a “mecca for hackers.” Suffice it to say, tech titans won’t be happy now that the Act has reached their backyard.

Source: Susan Eggman

California to Introduce ‘Right to Repair’ Bill Requiring Smartphone Manufacturers to Offer Repair Info and Parts

California is preparing to join several other states with a new Right to Repair bill, which will require smartphone manufacturers to provide repair information, replacement parts, and diagnostic tools to product owners and independent repair shops.

California Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman this afternoon announced plans to introduce the new California Right to Repair Act. Eggman says the bill will provide consumers with the freedom to choose a repair shop of their choice.

iPhone X image via iFixit

“The Right to Repair Act will provide consumers with the freedom to have their electronic products and appliances fixed by a repair shop or service provider of their choice, a practice that was taken for granted a generation ago but is now becoming increasingly rare in a world of planned obsolescence,” Eggman said.

Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against Waste said smartphone manufacturers and home appliance makers are “profiting at the expense of our environment and our pocketbooks” while Kit Walsh, Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the new bill is “critical to protect independent repair shops and a competitive market for repair,” which will lead to “better service and lower prices.”

In addition to California, 17 other states have already introduced similar Right to Repair legislation, including Washington, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Several states began introducing Right to Repair legislation early last year, and the Right to Repair movement has continued on since then, spurred by Apple’s iPhone throttling controversy.

Since last year, Apple has been lobbying against Right to Repair bills in various states, as have several other technology companies. In Nebraska, for example, Apple said approving Right to Repair would turn the state into a “mecca for bad actors” making it “easy for hackers to relocate to Nebraska.” Other arguments from tech companies and appliance manufacturers have suggested Right to Repair bills would compromise device security and safety.

Right to Repair bills are heavily endorsed by repair outlets like iFixit, independent repair shops, and consumer advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In California specifically, the Right to Repair bill is particularly interesting because as Motherboard points out, there are strong repairability laws already in place. California Civil Code Section 1793.03 states that companies must offer parts for repair for at least seven years after a product is released, which is why on Apple’s vintage and obsolete products list, it lists California as the sole state where consumers can continue to get repairs on vintage products.

Apple currently requires customers who have Apple products in need of repair to visit an Apple retail store, mail a product to an Apple repair facility, or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to receive support for their devices. Repairs from third-party repair shops that are not Apple Authorized Service Providers can void a device’s warranty.

Apple’s current flagship iPhone, the iPhone X, earned a repairability score of 6 from repair site iFixit. Repairs on the device require a special Apple-specific screw driver, delicate cables are often in the way and are difficult to replace, and Apple’s waterproofing makes repairs complicated. Other Apple products, like MacBooks, have much lower repairability scores.

Tag: Right to Repair
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Apple Releases 2018 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report

Apple today released its 2018 Supplier Responsibility Report, which provides a look into Code of Conduct violations in the Apple supply chain and outlines progress made with new programs promoting health and education awareness.

Apple provides supplier responsibility progress reports on an annual basis in an effort to be transparent about the steps it takes to improve the lives of the employees who manufacture the wide range of Apple products available to consumers.

Apple conducted 756 audits across 30 countries in 2017 (up from 705 last year), and it says that its efforts to raise standards are having a “dramatic impact.” The number of low-performing facilities (judged on a point system based on compliance with Apple’s Code of Conduct) decreased to one percent during the year, and Apple saw a 35 percent increase in the number of high performers. Overall, Apple suppliers earned an average Labor and Human rights score of 86 out of 100.

Apple did, however, uncover 44 core violations at its supplier facilities, including three bonded-labor violations, 38 working hours falsifications violations, one access restriction violation, and two cases of underage labor. In one incident, Apple says 700 workers in the Philippines paid out a total of $1 million in recruitment fees for factory jobs, which Apple made the supplier pay back. These violations have increased from last year, and Apple says this is because it brought on several new suppliers during the year.

Last year, Apple launched a health awareness program for women at supplier facilities in India and China, which offers access to services and education on self-examination for early cancer detection, nutrition, personal care, and maternal health. Apple says that this program, along with others promoting education and worker rights, has been highly successful.

“We believe that everyone making Apple products deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and we’re proud that almost 15 million people understand their workplace rights as a result of the work we’ve done over the years. We’re going further with health education programs and new opportunities for advancement at our suppliers,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s COO. “A new preventive health care curriculum is encouraging women to focus on their personal health, and hopefully share that knowledge with their families and communities. Our goal is to reach 1 million women by 2020. We know our work is never done and we’re committed to raising the bar every year across our supply chain.”

Apple also worked with Beijing Normal University and some of its larger suppliers to introduce a Factory Line Leader Program that offers practical vocational skills, guaranteed internships, and long-term full-time employment opportunities to workers in an effort to recruit more factory line leaders.

Apple says that over the course of the last 10 years, more than 2.5 million supplier employees have taken education classes under its Supplier Employee Education and Development program, and over 12,000 have enrolled for a degree.

As of 2017, all of Apple’s final assembly sites around the world have been certified as zero waste to landfill, and suppliers working with Apple introduced energy efficiency improvements that reduced more than on 320,000 annualized metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during the year.

Additional details about Apple’s supply chain and environmental efforts can be read in the full 2018 Supplier Responsibility Report.

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.
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This is what the Huawei P20, P20 Lite, and P20 Pro will look like

There’s that third camera!

A little over a week ago, we were able to lay our eyes on leaked hands-on images for the Huawei P20 and P20 Lite. These early images gave us a decent idea of what to expect, but now that renders of the entire P20 series has leaked, there’s hardly anything that’s left to the imagination.

These renders come courtesy of Evan Blass, and without further ado, here’s what we’re working with.

Huawei P20

Huawei will release three phones in its P20 series, and the one that’s placed in the middle is the regular Huawei P20. The phone will come equipped with dual cameras on the back, a glass back with a metal frame, and – of course – a notch on the front of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and a couple sensors.

There is a decently-sized chin at the bottom of the screen, but unlike some phones we saw at MWC 2018, Huawei makes use of this chin by adding a front-facing fingerprint sensor to it.

Huawei P20 Lite

The P20 Lite looks very similar to the P20, but there are a couple key differences to point out. We still have a glass back with dual rear cameras, but the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back.

Moving to the front of the phone, we have a slightly larger notch and Huawei branding on the chin. It’s not as elegant-looking as the P20, but considering the P20 Lite should have a much more affordable price-tag, there’s not too much to complain about here.

Huawei P20 Pro

Leading the charge for the P20 series is the Huawei P20 Pro (originally referred to as the P20+). Like the P20 and P20 Lite, the P20 Pro has a glass back, metal frame, and a notch at the top of its screen. The fingerprint sensor is in the same location as the P20, but unlike either of the two phones we’ve already mentioned, the P20 Pro will come equipped with three cameras on the back.

It’s unclear how all three of these sensors will be used as this is the first time we’ve seen a phone with more than two rear cameras, but it’s exciting nonetheless.

What do you think?

Huawei is holding an event in Paris on March 27 to officially announce all of the above phones, but in the meantime, what do you think of these renders? Are you excited for the P20 series? Let me know in those comments down below!

Huawei P20: Rumors, specs, availability, and more!

The Senate has its own insincere net neutrality bill

Now that the House of Representatives has floated a superficial net neutrality bill, it’s the Senate’s turn. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy has introduced a companion version of the Open Internet Preservation Act that effectively replicates the House measure put forward by Tennessee Representative Marsha Blackburn. As before, it supports net neutrality only on a basic level — and there are provisions that would make it difficult to combat other abuses.

The legislation would technically forbid internet providers from blocking and throttling content, but it wouldn’t bar paid prioritization. Theoretically, ISPs could create de facto “slow lanes” for competing services by offering mediocre speeds unless they pay for faster connections. The bill would also curb the FCC’s ability to deal with other violations, and would prevent states from passing their own net neutrality laws. In short, the bill is much more about limiting regulation than protecting open access and competition.

Kennedy’s bill isn’t expected to go far in the Senate, just as Blackburn’s hasn’t done much in the House. However, his proposal comes mere days after senators put forward a Congressional Review Act that would undo the FCC’s decision to kill net neutrality. Kennedy had claimed he was considering support for the CRA, but his proposal contradicts that — why push a heavily watered-down bill if you were willing to revert to the stronger legislation? It’s not a completely surprising move and is largely symbolic, but it’s disappointing for those who hoped there would be truly bipartisan support for a return to net neutrality.

Source: Sen. John Kennedy

Ford proposes remote drone-tracking system for the FAA

This week’s FAA drone symposium had an unlikely panelist: Ford. The automaker has been working with the agency to figure out how to track UAVs since last year, but unlike dronemaker DJI’s proposal to force airborne craft to broadcast their ID and location over radio, the car company’s solution is more Lo-Fi. Ford wants drones to use their anti-collision lights to flash their ID number in code that would be readable by, of course, a proprietary app.

That would enable bystanders to use their smartphones to report misbehaving UAVs, Ford stated in a blog post, noting that they used this method to reliably identify drones up to 80 feet away during testing. While that’s not far at all for surveillance drones, it might be close enough for drones endangering airports or driving paths — though it’s unclear how quickly the app could identify fast-moving aircraft. That range could be extended by up to 20 times using commonly-available DSLR lenses, Ford pointed out in the proposal’s white paper (PDF).

Light-based identification has its own problems, but at least it would be easier to implement than broadcasting by radio, an approach that could require industry standardization. It’s a potentially cheap, efficient solution using equipment people already have (like smartphones), and given that consumers once again have to register their drones with the FAA, those 10-digit ID numbers will be more available. But more interesting is that an automaker is butting in to the drone game, and It’s a good bet that Ford has more to offer in the space.

Source: Ford (Medium)

Quick Takes: Jurassic World Gets New Game, UnitedHealthcare Offers Apple Watch to Members, and More

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Wednesday, March 7

– Apple Watch soon available through UnitedHealthcare Motion: Apple Watch will be integrated into the wellness program, which provides participants with an eligible plan access to activity trackers that can enable them to earn up to $1,000 in incentives per year by meeting certain daily walking goals.

Select program participants will have access to an Apple Watch starting in July, with full availability later this year. The cost of shipping and taxes on the Apple Watch is due upfront, and then participants can apply their earnings towards paying off the cost of the device in as little as six months.

UnitedHealthcare Motion is available to employers with self-funded and fully insured health plans nationwide. The program enables employees to earn up to $4 per day in financial incentives based on achieving F.I.T. goals:

Frequency: complete 500 steps within seven minutes six times per day, at least an hour apart;
Intensity: complete 3,000 steps within 30 minutes; and
Tenacity: complete 10,000 total steps each day.

Commentary: UnitedHealthcare should benefit from offering this program in the long-run by encouraging its customers to live more active lifestyles, ideally resulting in fewer health insurance claims being filed. Similar programs are offered by life and health insurance providers John Hancock and Vitality.

– Universal announces Jurassic World Alive: The augmented reality game enables players to collect a variety of dinosaurs while exploring their own neighborhoods and cities around the world. Players discover dinosaurs by locating them on a map and deploying an in-game drone to collect DNA samples.

Commentary: Jurassic World Alive sounds a whole lot like Pokémon GO. The game is intended to promote the film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which debuts in theaters across North America on June 22. Pre-register here.

– Ireland chooses Bank of New York Mellon to manage Apple’s escrow fund: The European Commission ruled in August 2016 that Apple received illegal state aid from Ireland, and ordered the country to collect 15 billion euros (currently $18.6 billion) in back taxes from the iPhone maker.

Commentary: The Bank of New York Mellon will hold the funds while Apple and Ireland both appeal the decision before the European General Court. Apple expects the amount will be reported as restricted cash on its balance sheet.

– Macintosh Portrait Display released on this day in 1989: The 15-inch display was released for $1,099 alongside the Macintosh IIcx. The grayscale monitor featured a vertical orientation designed to show full pages on a single screen, making it useful for desktop publishing.

Commentary: Apple discontinued the Macintosh Portrait Display in late 1992, but tech specs are still available on its website for those who want to take a trip down memory lane. Nowadays, we wait for Apple to deliver on its promise of a new pro display to succeed the nearly seven year old Thunderbolt Display.

For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Tag: Quick Takes
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Apple-Owned Workflow App Updated With New ‘Mask Image’ Action

Workflow, the automation app that Apple acquired back in March of 2017, was today updated to version 1.7.8, introducing a new Mask Image action, and a long list of other bug fixes and improvements.

As MacStories points out, the Mask Image action added in today’s update is a feature Workflow users have been wanting for several years. The new action, which applies a mask to an image and cuts it into any desired shape, is designed to make it easier to simplify image editing workflows that require image masking features.

By default, the masking feature offers rounded rectangle, ellipse, and icon masking options, but custom masks can also be used.

The new Workflow update also introduces new fields for the Add Things To-Do action, it makes items reorderable in the dictionary action, and it adds support for opening workflows to the URL scheme. Extracting text from PDFs has also been improved, as has drag and drop handling. Multiple bug fixes are included, as outlined before:

• Workflow names are now case-insensitive
• Fixed a crash when running the Edit Image action
• Fixed Todoist and Slack authentication when using a Google account
• Fixed an issue where icons from Search App Store and Get My Workflows were saved as JPEG, not PNG
• Fixed an issue where the Encode Media action may not delete temporary files properly when encoding to MP3
• Fixed an issue where the Custom X-Success URL parameter of the Open X-Callback-URL action did not work
• Fixed an issue where variables could not be added to arrays in the Dictionary action
• Fixed an issue where booleans could not be added to dictionaries inside dictionaries in the Dictionary action
• Fixed an issue where a duplicate workflow could appear after searching for a workflow
• Fixed an issue where Workflow could crash when deleting many workflows at once
• Fixed an issue where double-tapping a variable button cleared the variable
• Fixed an issue where the Tweet and Post on Facebook actions did not work from the Today Widget or Apple Watch
• Fixed an issue where passing the output of Scan QR Code to Open URL did not work properly
• Fixed an issue where workflows could not be edited after being opened via 3D Touch
• Performance improvements to workflow running
• VoiceOver improvements
• Other bug fixes and minor additions

Since purchasing Workflow in March of 2017, Apple has continued to provide regular updates to the Workflow app, allaying fears that it would be discontinued and abandoned.

The last update to the app, introduced a long list of bug fixes for third-party app actions, was released in November of 2017.

Workflow can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Workflow
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Tidal’s next exclusive concert pairs Deadmau5 with a symphony

Electronic musician Joel “Deadmau5” Zimmerman is stripping down his sound and adding string instruments to his army of synths for a Tidal-sponsored “Where’s the drop?” concert next month. Tidal subscribers can jump in on today’s pre-sale, while the general public will be able to buy tickets starting tomorrow. The concert takes place April 1st (no foolin’) at Los Angeles’ historic Wiltern Theater. In case you forgot, Zimmerman is a one of the service’s artist-owners, along with Jay Z, Jack White and Daft Punk.

Can’t make it to LA on Easter? The show will be streamed through Tidal that day as well. On the Friday prior (March 30th), Deadmau5 will release a Tidal-exclusive studio album by the same name featuring 17 orchestral reimaginings of his songs. The concept originated during one of the producer’s Twitch streams, where Zimmerman met Hollywood composer Gregory Reveret who’s handling orchestration duties for the show and album.

Considering how much the producer leans on high-tech production for his stage shows and recording — like mixing his most recent album for Dolby Atmos — it’ll be interesting to see and hear how this differs from the typical Deadmau5 experience. Here’s to hoping it’s less like Metallica’s S&M album and more along the lines of… well, we’ll get back to you on that.

As an added bonus for new subscribers, something Tidal desperately needs to stay afloat, if you’re signing up for the service today just to score pre-sale tickets, you’ll get 90 days of streaming for free. With how the streaming service is lagging behind competitors, it’ll be interesting to see if stunts like this can attract enough customers to keep the lights on.

Source: Tidal (1), (2)