The week of endless notch takes no one cares about

It might shock you to read this, but our collective thoughts on notches hasn’t really moved the needle.

There’s been a lot of chatter about notches this week, which lives in a month and a year full of takes on display cut-outs. The people who aren’t a fan of this display trend are plenty vocal, and as we’ve seen with the Pixel 3 XL leaks the size of the notch is directly related to just how vocal some of us can be. There’s even talk of a grand conspiracy, that this notch couldn’t possibly be real and Google’s going to shock us all in New York next month.

All of this conversation is fascinating, but perhaps more interesting than the vocal rejection of this display design is how little said negativity has impacted adoption. I see notches everywhere these days, from just about every manufacturer. When I wander into a carrier store and listen to people selling phones, the notch almost never gets brought up. It’s simply a thing that exists.

Having a giant phone is was worse than having a phone with a notch.

Some additional anecdotal evidence to throw your way, when I ask friends who buy phones without talking to me why they made this decision, the answer is almost always the same. The notch didn’t matter, because the screen was bigger without making the phone bigger. There’s no need to buy the phone you have to use with two hands when the display extends to the whole body of the phone. For these people in particular, having a giant phone is was worse than having a phone with a notch.

Folks who remember the last Pixel launch will remember the conversation surrounding bezels. The Pixel 2 XL seemed more popular in our comments and forums because the top and bottom bezels were dramatically reduced. Even with the early display problems found with the 2 XL, the larger size and resolution were things that seemed to be the things that mattered. This year, it seems like hardcore fans of Pixel phones are mixed. We’ve got the “no notch” folks much happier with the reduced bezels in the Pixel 3 renders, while throwing shade at the massive cut out on the Pixel 3 XL.

It’s unlikely this conversation is going away anytime soon, and in my opinion that’s a good thing. Samsung seems pretty happy to stick with its unique curved edge to edge display without a notch, while leaks seem to suggest Apple is about to go all in on its notch. OnePlus seems to be ready to distract from the notch with an in-display fingerprint scanner, while LG gives you the ability to hide the notch in software. There’s no single approach to this experience, and no single cut-out design everyone can agree on. It’s a small, and perhaps largely symbolic, thing which makes a lot of different phones in an otherwise homogenous landscape appear unique, and I like that.

Meanwhile, we here at Android Central have a fun week coming up!

• Qualcomm is finally moving the rest of the smartwatch industry forward. I’m going to go ahead and guess out loud that planning its event right before Apple most likely refreshes its watch is no accident. But remember, it’ll probably be a while before anything with this new processor is shipping.
• Speaking of Apple, I’m honestly not sure what to expect. This is an “s” year for Apple, which historically has meant a fairly iterative update. But with the iPhone X, the rules as we knew them kind of got thrown out the window. Should be fun, and of course our friends at iMore are already on the ground.
• Those of you who are fans of our PlayStation 4 content are going to have a lot to read this week. SO many games are launching this month and next, it’s going to be a lot of fun to see everyone’s thoughts on all of this new stuff.
• My very public loathing for the way Epic Games is handling Fortnite on Android has not stopped it from earning 15 Million downloads since launch, which speaks volumes to how insanely popular this game is around the world.
• I get why this exists, but Fortnite Monopoly? Seriously?
• The new season of Iron Fist is way better than the first.

That’s all from me this week. Have a good one!

The best Google Pixel 2 cases

Whether you love the Google Pixel 2 design and want to enhance it, or you’re simply looking for drop protection for your new phone, there’s a case that’s perfect for you. Google partners with a number of accessory makers for its “Made for Google” certification program featured in the Google Store, but you can also find a ton of quality third-party cases to fit your needs. Here are the absolute best cases you can get your Google Pixel 2 — from Google and from Amazon.

AC Choice Award-winner

Spigen Neo Hybrid Case

The Spigen Neo Hybrid’s Herringbone-textured back is smooth but grippy in the hand, and the sculpted curves of the polycarbonate hardshell look stylish and sturdy in equal measure. The port cutouts keep well clear of boxy USB-C cables and OTG adapters, and while it’s easy to get the phone in and out of the case, trust me, you won’t want to take it off ever again.

$15 at Amazon

Custom case creativity

Google Live Cases

Google Live Cases give you the option of customizing the back of your Pixel 2 with a personal photo or a wide range of styles curated by Google — or using your own photo from Google Photos. Choose a gorgeous satellite photo from Google Earth or an Artworks Live Case to add some personal, art-pop flair.

$40 at Google Store

You gotta feel this

Google Fabric Cases

Similar to Samsung’s Alcantara cases, these crafty cases look — and most importantly feel — like the luxurious fabric on the Google Home Mini and Daydream View. Designed in-house by Google, you can be sure of the build quality and fit. These cases offer a premium microfiber liner to ensure your device stays scuff-free.

$40 at Google Store

Leather luxury

Bellroy Leather Case

Made using premium leather and a soft microfiber lining, this is a lightweight case that will keep your phone well protected and age beautifully over time. It’s also backed by a 3-year warranty from Bellroy, meaning that this case should still be standing when the Pixel 2 reaches end-of-life in October 2020.

$45 at Google Store

A truly thin case

Totallee Case

While it looks too thin to do much of anything, you really can rest easy with the Totallee case. You don’t have to worry about smudges, scuffs, scrapes, or chipping the coating Google adds to the Pixel 2. Totallee made this case so you can get a basic safeguard against regular wear-and-tear while also giving your phone a new splash of color without adding any bulk.

$18 at Amazon

Carry a clear look

Ringke Fusion Case

Made with a rugged panel of polycarbonate on the back panel and an easy-grip TPU bumper, Ringke’s crystal clear Fusion case will keep your new device protected while also letting the Pixel 2’s design shine through. It also features an easy-carry strap so you can keep your Pixel at arm’s length at all times.

$11 at Amazon

Klutz-tested, real life-approved

Spigen Rugged Armor

This lightweight case features carbon fiber detailing along the top and bottom and raised edges around the screen and camera protect against scratches and scuffs. I’ve been using the Rugged Armor case on my Pixel 2 XL and it’s held up against all of my klutziness, which is on full display in our review.

$13 at Amazon

Take your case to the max

Maxboost Folio Style Wallet Case

Maxboost’s wallet case sports three card slots on the inside flap, a hidden side pocket for some cash, and a magnetic strap that holds down this lithe wallet and keeps everything secure. Clean port and earpiece cutouts ensure that this case doesn’t interfere with using the phone and let you talk on the phone without leaving your wallet open for all to see.

$13 at Amazon

Carve out your style

Carved wooden cases

Carved has a bunch of great case options available for phones like the Pixel 2, including 52 stylish pre-made option featuring a mix of cool prints and fancy cut wood designs, and if those don’t suit you, create your own custom case using an online case designer. With the right eye for design, you could design a case that perfectly speaks to your style and sophistication.

$29 at Carved

What do you think of the Google Pixel 2’s design? Too cool to cover with a case? Do you love the Spigen Neo Hybrid as much as we do? Which cases are you interested in? Let us know in the comments.

Updated September 2018: We’ve checked it again, and yep, these are still the best cases for your Pixel 2 as it gets ready for its first birthday.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Samsung’s Evo Select microSD cards are down to all new low prices today

Perfect way to keep the cameras rolling!

We have seen the Samsung Evo Select microSD cards drop a couple times in last month or so, but they have never dropped to the prices we’re seeing today. The 64GB version is down to $15.99. It usually sells between $20 and $23 and previous drops only saw it go as low as $18. The 128GB card is down to $28.99 from a regular price around $41. Even the 256GB card is on sale today for $72.99 when it sells closer to $110 regularly.

Samsung’s Evo Select microSD cards are extremely popular cards, and there’s a good reason for that. This Class 10 UHS 3 card has read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s. It works great for recording video (even 4K), as well as playing mobile games, taking pictures, and more. The card comes with a full-sized SD card adapter as well so you can put it into devices that accept SD cards instead of microSD cards.

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Take a look at some of the best suit powers in Spider-Man

Need a little combat boost? Enhance your playstyle with some of the very best Spidey-suit powers.

Nearly every Spider-Man suit comes with its own unique power that offers an offensive or defensive enhancement. Insomniac, being the fun-loving developer that they are, ensured that players could have the best of both worlds by not locking these powers to specific suits. Meaning if you want to use the Spider-Bro power that unlocks with the Stark Suit while wearing the Vintage Comic Book Suit, you can do that.

Here are the best powers that you can equip.

• Bullet Proof
• Titanium Alloy Plates
• Defense Shield
• Spider-Bro
• Battle Focus
• Resupply

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Bullet Proof

Unlocked with the Spider Armor MK-II

Magnetically polarized armor plating makes suit temporarily bullet-proof against all enemies, even snipers.

Spider-Man’s enemies have a whole arsenal of weapons at their disposal, whether they’re common thugs or more threatening supervillains. Thanks to Peter’s Spidey-sense, you will be given warning when an enemy has you down their sights as a trajectory line of the bullet will appear on-screen before they shoot, giving you time to dodge. However, when a rain of bullets is coming in from all angles, it’s good to just take a moment to breathe and figure out a plan. That’s where the Spider Armor MK-II comes in.

With its Bullet Proof power, you won’t need to worry about dodging every single attack and can focus on landing one more punch to finish off a fight.

Titanium Alloy Plates

Unlocked with the Spider Armor MK-III

Dynamic semi-liquid smart metal crystallizes to reflects all bullet, except for sniper rounds, back at shooters.

Even better than the Spider Armor MK-II is the MK-III. As you can guess, this one ramps up the bulletproof ability to 11. Not only will you be invulnerable to bullets for a short time, bullets will actually reflect back at their shooters — save for sniper rounds. You can take out your opponents without even lifting a finger.

Defense Shield

Unlocked with the Spider Armor MK-IV

Experimental magnetic weave generates an energy shield that temporarily absorbs all damage.

The last of the Spider Armor line of suits is the MK-IV. In addition to absorbing damage from incoming bullets, it absorbs melee damage, making you temporarily invulnerable to nearly every attack thrown your way. It won’t deflect bullets like the MK-III, but it’s by far one of the best defensive powers available.

Spider-Bro

Unlocked with the Stark Suit

Captain America: Civil War gave us our first look at Peter’s new Spidey-suit developed by Tony Stark, and we further delved into what it’s capable of in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Insomniac’s Spider-Man features this as an unlockable costume in the game, and of course, Stark’s tech means that we get to see some amazing enhancements.

The Spider-Bro power, unlocked with Stark’s suit, is just that: a spider bro. When using this power, a small drone appears in the fight to take some of the heat off of you. It’s the perfect method of crowd control if you’re feeling overwhelmed. The Spider-Bro won’t take out all of the bad guys for you, but it can stun enough of them with taser webs so you can get your bearings again and turn the tide in a fight.

Battle Focus

Unlocked with Advanced Suit

Hybrid biomembrane rapidly generates focus for a short time.

This suit will refill Spider-Man’s Focus Meter, allowing you to heal yourself frequently and perform finishers more quickly. Since this is one of the first suits you’ll unlock in the game, it’s crucial in the early hours as you get a feel for Spider-Man’s combat system.

Resupply

Unlocked with the spoiler suit.

Distributed nano-mesh continuously refills current gadget’s shots.

This suit unlocks once you complete the story, and because its name is considered a spoiler, we’ve removed the name from the image and chosen not to write it in this article.

Resupply will replenish Spider-Man’s gadgets as long as the suit power is active, meaning you won’t run out of web bombs or other tools anytime soon. We’ve all been playing games where we find ourselves out of supplies when we desperately need just one more.

Now if you’re interested in how to unlock all of these suits and their various powers, we’ll have a guide up for that shortly to help you out.

• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Tips and tricks
• Spider-Man beginner’s guide

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PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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Fitbit has several fitness trackers on sale including the Alta for just $80

Get fit bit-by-bit.

The Fitbit Alta large black fitness tracker is down to $79.95 on Amazon. This is the first time in more than a year this tracker has dropped below $100, and it more regularly sells as high as $130. You can also get it at this price in Teal and Purple.

The small versions are down to $80 in Black and Purple as well.

This deal on the Alta is part of a larger sale from Fitbit that also includes a $50 price drop on the Ionic. The sale also includes the Fitbit Ace, which is an $80 fitness tracker for kids.

The Alta can track steps, calories burned, and minutes active. It uses an OLED display that’s easy to read and has a battery life that lasts up to five days. It will also track your sleep for you automatically with data on how long and well you slept. You can also use it to set a silent, vibrating alarm. The tracker can sync with your phone to provide you with call, text, and calendar notifications, too. It has 3.8 stars based on more than 11,000 reviews.

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Alleged China Mobile Leak Names ‘iPhone XC’ and ‘iPhone XS Plus’ in Apple’s 2018 iPhone Lineup

A photo of an alleged slide from an internal Chinese mobile carrier presentation appeared on Weibo today that potentially reveals the naming convention for Apple’s imminent iPhone lineup as well as possible pricing details.

Alleged slide from China Mobile internal company meeting
First spotted by Japanese tech blog MacOtakara, the China Mobile slide refers to the larger 6.5-inch OLED iPhone as “iPhone XS Plus”, casting doubt on earlier claims that the larger OLED iPhone will take the moniker “iPhone XS Max”. Meanwhile, the lower-spec 6.1-inch LCD iPhone is referred to as “iPhone XC”.

The last time Apple used “C” nomenclature in its smartphones was for 2013’s iPhone 5c, which was priced below the flagship iPhone 5 series and featured a plastic rear case available in blue, green, yellow, white, and pink colors.

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the 6.1-inch iPhone to be available in red, blue, orange, gray, and white, while the 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhone models will be available in just three colors – presumably silver, space gray, and gold.

As for the slide’s pricing, which includes 17 percent Chinese sales tax, the “iPhone XS” is 7388 yuan ($1079), the “iPhone XS Plus” is 8388 yuan ($1225), and the lower-spec “iPhone XC” is 5888 yuan ($860). Minus tax, the “iPhone XS”, “iPhone XS Plus”, and “iPhone XC” prices approximately convert to $900, $1015, and $700, respectively.

Those figures roughly line up with Kuo’s expectation that the 6.5-inch OLED device will be priced at $900 to $1,000, while the 5.8-inch OLED second-generation iPhone X will be $800 to $900, and the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will be $600 to $700.

Lastly, the slide mentions that a dual-sim version of the “iPhone XS” and “iPhone XS Plus” will be available, but at a later date than the standard models.

Similar leaks allegedly sourced from China Mobile have been accurate in the past, but at present it’s impossible to verify that this one is legitimate. Suffice to say we’ll know for sure on Wednesday, September 12, when Apple’s “Gather Round” media event takes place. Aside from new iPhones, redesigned iPad Pro and Apple Watch models are also expected to be announced. Stay tuned to MacRumors for all the coverage.

Related Roundup: iPhone XsTag: macotakara.jp
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Companies want to sell you conflict-free phones, but certification isn’t foolproof

At 2,344,858 square miles, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the 12th largest country in the world. Much of that acreage is covered by tropical and subtropical forests. Though the country’s biodiversity is under threat, it’s still a place where you can hear the bubbly croak of an African toad and one of the only areas where endangered mountain gorillas still live.

It’s a country marked by colonialism, wars, and corruption. In 1909, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called Belgium’s exploitation of the Congo “the greatest crime ever committed in the history of the world.” It began with slave labor for harvesting rubber and obtaining ivory, and by the 1910s the Congo’s first industrial mines were in place in the Katanga province. After World War I, there were gold mines in Kilo-Moto, copper mines in Katanga, and tin mining in Manono. Kinshasa, the country’s capital, is over 1,500 miles away from many of the mining sites, which are found in the eastern provinces such as North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika, and Maniema. After independence from Belgium, in the in 1960, the country had a thriving mining industry, only to see it fall apart due to subsequent wars.

The minerals are highly valuable. Tin is found in the eponymous cans, solder (an alloy used to join pieces of metal), and circuit boards. Tantalum is used in the automotive industry, for jet engines, and in insulin pumps. Tungsten shows up in tools and golf clubs. Beyond its use in the jewelry industry, gold is also utilized by the electronics sector. All four minerals have been used by cell phone manufacturers, while cobalt is used in electric car batteries. The DRC is also an important source for copper and diamond.

Minerals are commonly mined using heavy machinery designed for industrial operations, and mining is a major part of the DRC’s economy. But it also involves human labor: men, women, and sometimes children use shovels, picks, and pans to mine for minerals in artisanal mines. Much of this secondary mining occur in areas of conflict — in the eastern Congolese provinces — and help fund armed groups that control the area. Hence, why they are referred to as conflict resources.

The miners do not work for any company, in a sector of the industry that’s difficult to regulate. Per Section 1502 of the United States’ 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, companies listed on the stock exchange are required to disclose their use of conflict minerals — tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold (3TG) that “financed or benefited armed groups.” (Cobalt is not listed, but CNN and CBS News found child labor being used to mine for the mineral.)

If a company is adhering to the guidelines, it still might not be able to call its products “conflict-free.”

Despite efforts by the Obama administration and pledges from companies to curb the use of conflict minerals, progress has been slow, and is now even being hampered. In February 2017, The Guardian published a draft of a proposed Trump administration executive order calling for a two-year suspension of Section 1502. Later that year, the Securities and Exchange Commission indicated it wouldn’t enforce the rule the required companies to indicate if they were using conflict minerals. The number of companies that filed a conflict minerals disclosure in 2018 (1,098 filings) dropped by 5.1 percent, which is higher than the average decrease of 4.5 percent per year since 2013 (1,320 filings), according to Development International.

Submitting a filing does not necessarily mean a company’s products are conflict-free. Development International found that 132 of 2016 filers earned between 75 and 100 percent for the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) guidelines, considered the international standard for due diligence.

“Due diligence, as developed by the OECD, is not a tick-box, one-time compliance action,” Sophia Pickles, a supply-chain investigator for human rights group Global Witness, told Digital Trends. “It’s something that should be embedded within the business behavior of a company, so it’s a continual behavior.” If a company is adhering to the guidelines, it still might not be able to call its products “conflict-free,” but it should have mechanisms in place to deal with issues as they arise. “This isn’t about calling a particular mineral a conflict mineral or a conflict-free mineral,” she said. “This is about looking at how your mineral supply is working in constant flux.”

Global Witness

“Dodd-Frank was in an earthquake in the sector,” said Ken Matthysen, a researcher at the International Peace Information Service, who maps artisanal mines in the DRC. Companies had to start looking at their long, complex supply chains to see where minerals were sourced from before they were smelted and poured into products. At the time, some worried this would create a de facto ban, which would be devastating to the miners who rely on the industry to make a living. Some companies did stop sourcing the DRC, but others invested time and money into the process.

Dodd-Frank was instrumental in getting companies to act, said Joanne Lebert, executive director of Impact, but “the kind of approach, which is black-and-white, conflict-free or not, is maladapted to what really needs to happen, which is progressive improvement.” She agrees that companies need to proactive about identifying risks in their supply chains and then publishing how they responsibly handled them.

The major complaint is that there are no benchmarks for progress and no data to support them even if they existed.

When minerals start at an artisanal mine, they might go through several hands — including consolidators, exporters, and traders — before reaching the smelter or refiner (SOR). Once they leave the smelter or refiner, the minerals have likely been mixed and point of origin is essentially impossible to trace. Organizations such as the Responsible Business Alliance’s Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) thus focus on SORs, saying it verifies they “have systems in place to responsibly source minerals in conformance” with global standards. Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon are all members. “That helps us have shared best practices, shared processes, shared assessment of new issues that are coming up,” Suzanne Fallender, Intel’s director of corporate responsibility, told Digital Trends of the company’s membership in RMI. “I would say that the fundamental feature of both the RBA and the minerals initiative is collective knowledge and tools that can can then be leveraged,” said Leah Butler, vice president of RMI.

After the law passed, companies realized they needed dedicated staff and software to trace their supply chains. “It’s totally burdensome, it’s expensive for companies to manage these programs,” said Chris Bayer, principal investigator for Development International, which tracks SEC filings. “A lot of third-party suppliers have popped up and made a lot of money off this.” It’s one way of reducing cost and labor. Companies outsource to these third-parties such as Assent Compliance and iPoint, which then conduct supplier surveys and attempt to follow up with those who didn’t respond, and also provide training and support materials, according to SEC filings.

After speaking to a number of experts, there were several problems with certifying minerals as conflict free that we heard over and over again: Problems on the ground with tracing minerals, paper-based systems that bog down the process, reliance on smelter certifications that aren’t completely reliable, and a seeming lack of willingness to follow up on risks and gaps when they appear. The major complaint, though, is that there are no benchmarks for progress and no data to support them even if they existed.

On the ground

Estimating the number at around 3,000 artisanal mines in the eastern DRC, Matthysen said, “It’s impossible to control all of those mines.” One program that’s attempting to do so is International Tin Association’s ITRI Tin Supply Chain Initiative (iTSCi). Starting with a pilot mine in 2010, the industry program has grown to monitor more than 400 DRC sites in 2016. The traceability system includes the “bagging and tagging” of minerals, weighing the bags and making sure nothing is added or removed along the supply chain. It’s meant to ensure tantalum from a non-certified mine doesn’t get mixed in with a batch from one that’s been designated as “conflict free.” It’s a designation companies are willing to pay for. “They become something like a clearing house,” Bayer said of ITA. “They’re like an exchange now, that’s how big they are.”

Global Witness

“Everybody has to adhere to it and all the buyers adhere to it,” Lebert agreed. “They have quite a lot of control and say over both supply and demand.” While ITA does track the number of incidents — including things like missing bags of minerals and mining accidents and deaths — it’s hard to measure the program’s actual impact. The number of incidents is up from 50 in 2011 to 593 in 2016, but it added 296 mines in that time period, so an increase in incidents makes sense.

The iTSCi program isn’t foolproof. The tags themselves became a commodity, with sellers targeting those who wanted to make their minerals appear conflict-free. When IPIS researchers show up at a certain mine that’s supposed to be producing a certain quantity and find few workers there, “it shows that a lot of minerals from other mining sites are transferred to the mine to be tagged as minerals from that particular mining site,” Matthysen said. “So there’s a lot contamination.” It’s an issue ITA says it’s addressing by having other groups in the chain monitor how many tags its agents receive.

“This is characteristic of a war economy or a fragile economy because people are desperate for goods.”

Even if there aren’t a lot of hard and fast numbers to point to, almost everyone we spoke to agreed that there are signs of improvement for tin, tantalum, and tungsten. “Gold is a whole other trick, because gold is smuggled so easily,” said Bayer. Matthysen estimated that 80 percent of miners work in the gold industry. “It’s not like a 90 kilogram bag of ore for 3T,” Lebert said. “The value is not in the gold; the value in what they do with that gold.” Traders will take gold to a large city, get cash, then buy a bunch of necessities — like palm oil for cooking — then take those goods back to the remote communities, where such items are hard to come by. The traders make their money selling their wares at a markup. “This is characteristic of a war economy or a fragile economy because people are desperate for goods; they’re desperate for stability,” Lebert said. “They need this stuff, and gold plays a particular role in bringing those things to those communities.”

As these commodities make their 12-to-24-hour journeys from city to the mining sites, over rutted roads and across muddy rivers, they may encounter an informal roadblock. “At those roadblocks, it’s not just minerals that finance the armed groups or armed actors that are present, but it’s any commodity, anything of value that passes by that roadblock,” Matthysen said. That includes agricultural products that incur a “tax” or bus passengers that pay a “toll.”  During IPIS’s visits, he said, researchers have found that it’s not necessarily rebel groups who are involved. It’s criminal units within the FARDC, the Congolese army. These elements are interfering both at roadblocks and the mines themselves, he said.

Paper chase

With a system such as iTSCi, the paperwork begins right at the mine. It’s where bag weights and tag numbers are first recorded. At each step along the way, agents add new information, rerecording the weight of the bag, for instance. Often, this is a pen-and-paper process, but even when there is software, it’s not exactly elegant. “The actual flow of information is based on archaic [software] — literally mailing of Excel files,” Bayer said, who’s studied smelters’ and refiners’ record-keeping methods. There seems to be little automation in the iTSCi system, but ITA says one of its priorities is implementing “more rapid digital data collection in appropriate locations.”

Minerals are tagged, barcoded and scanned in order to prevent bags from vanishing or being meddled with between destinations. Better Sourcing

While iTSCi is the dominant program in the DRC, it’s not the only one. The Better Sourcing Program, along with USAID, sets up systems to certify mines as conflict-free and trace minerals to the point of export. “We start the traceability right at the pits,” said Ferdinand Maubrey, acting managing director of BSP. From the ground, the minerals go into a bag, which is sealed with a barcoded tag that can be broken once. The bag is weighed, and an agent scans the tag and uploads the information into to digital platform: The system records agent, the time, the location, and the weight. “All that information is then digitally linked to that barcode,” Maubrey said, and follows the bag to the warehouse, for example, where it’s weighed and scanned again before being opened, so the minerals can be washed or processed. The system creates a digital trail for the minerals, with crucial information that authorized people in the chain can easily access. The on-site agents are also trained to monitor for issues, such as child labor. ”They’re equipped with a bespoke smartphone application on which they register incidents, abnormalities, risks, and things that may be non-compliant,” he said.

With a blockchained system, when information from a scanned tag is uploaded, for example, it’s entered into an un-editable “chain”.

Right now BSP is operating at 35 sites in the DRC and Rwanda, a small sliver of the artisanal mines in those areas. Without automated updating, peering into the supply chain means companies look to the smelters and refiners for records about their suppliers.  “The retrospective survey method is just the worst,” said Bayer. “It’s middle-age technology in light of something like blockchain.” With a blockchained system, when information from a scanned tag is uploaded, for example, it’s entered into an un-editable “chain,” so the next person to scan the tag couldn’t go back and change the bag’s weight from checkpoint A. There are a couple problems implementing such a system when it comes to conflict minerals, Bayer admits. The data being entered into the system needs to be accurate in the first place — a problem if the agent is corrupt — and it’s not something those gaming the system want. “If I become blockchained and I’m selling to one set or a limited set of of buyers, I’m limiting my options,” he said.

Stopping at the smelter

Several people we spoke to said they felt like, for companies, due diligence begins and ends with these smelter certification programs. But because their supply chains are so complex and suppliers aren’t always responsive, there are often gaps in companies’ reporting. “We always want to improve a quality of reporting, the quality and completeness,” RMI’s Butler said. “In terms of information availability and accuracy, though we have these tools in place, we’re still constantly working on the challenge of, How can we help companies get more complete and more accurate data?”

Without that complete data, it’s difficult for companies to know exactly what’s happening on the ground with mines they’re sourcing from. In Development International’s review of 3TG+C smelter and refiner disclosure conformance, it found only 11 percent of all SORs “disclosed the actual or potential risks identified,” and only 17 percent “described the steps taken to manage risks, which is the ultimate purpose of due diligence.”

“We found that there’s very large gaps in the reporting requirements under these voluntary standards, so essentially these smelters and refiners are getting validated, are getting certified, that aren’t fully complying with their own industry standards,” Brayer said.

While a company like Apple — which is considered a leader when it comes to conflict minerals initiatives — may disclose its list of refiners and smelters, “they’re not actually then disclosing what they’re assessing,” said Seema Joshi, head of business and human rights at Amnesty International. “How are they assessing, for example adults working in hazardous conditions or child labor?… That stuff, which for us is pretty much the point of all of the due diligence these companies should be doing, is not being disclosed.” While Apple declined to comment for this story, it did point us to its supplier responsibility website.

For Intel, right now success is measured through the smelters and refiners. “We now are at 99 percent of the smelters and refiners that we trace through our chain are either participating in an independent third-party assurance program or we’ve done our own diligence through, we’ve concluded that their products are conflict free,” Fallender said. “We also do a survey of our suppliers and 98 percent of those only use smelters and refiners whose products come from conflict-free sources.”

“Essentially these smelters and refiners are getting validated, are getting certified, that aren’t fully complying with their own industry standards.”

In 2016, the OECD assessed whether the standards and implementations of programs such as RMI, iTSCi, and the London Bullion Market Association aligned with its guidance. None were fully aligned. When it checked back this year, the OECD found most standards were fully aligned, but it won’t have a full assessment in terms of implementation until next year or the year after. Some of the problems identified in the report were smelters and refiners disengaging with suppliers when risks were found instead of helping to mitigate those risks, due diligence reports that lacked in-depth descriptions, and a reliance on auditing to identify risks rather than ongoing monitoring. “The companies what they’ve done is they outsourced now their human rights due diligence to these industry bodies,” Joshi said. Global Witness’s Pickles agreed: “Such a scheme can support an individual company’s due diligence, but it can’t replace it.”

“Essentially the companies have to change the way they do business,” Impact’s Lebert said. “If they want to know what’s happening in the supply chain, they have to invest in that. And investing in that costs money. But it is, I would say, the the new way of doing business because it’s not just for 3Ts and Gs. It’s for every commodity.”

Dealing in data

One aspect Lebert would like to see companies invest in is data. “There’s been a real dearth of social and analytical research, in the sense that we haven’t had solid baseline information that’s been robust and we haven’t been monitoring on an ongoing basis how things have improved or not and making direct and indirect linkages to to efforts,” she said. It’s one of Impact’s projects, though. “For our gold work, we collect 750 data points,” she said. “So we have a baseline about livelihood, environment, women’s empowerment, mortality rate, health, other things like that. And you collect and you re-survey every six months, so you know whether or not you’re having a positive impact or not.”

Chris DeGraw/Digital Trends

The DRC is such a large, diverse country, it makes it difficult to compare what data exists. IPIS does yearly evaluations of mines, for example, but it might not go to the same province for several years in a row, and it may not necessarily visit the same mines both times. Almost everyone we spoke to mentioned how different the gold issues was from other minerals, so having more concrete details could help companies come up with more targeted solutions.

“I would say that’s probably right now one of the major challenges we’re grappling with, is understanding what makes sense in terms of metrics and indicators and what would a baseline look like and how would you measure against that,” said Butler. “For a company that’s set all this up, for you not to know whether you’re having even a smidge of impact is frustrating,” said Bayer. “You want to know that what you’re doing isn’t just to protect your image.”

“For you not to know whether you’re having even a smidge of impact is frustrating.”

That frustration worries Joshi, who said the types of conversations she’s had with companies has changed. Early on, they were focused on identifying sexual violence and other human rights violations that were happening at mine sites. Now, she said, “these types of discussions have completely disappeared.” Lebert agrees but thinks data, which she stresses should be gender-disaggregated to ensure women’s issues don’t get lost in the numbers, can turn things around. “I think it’s really critical to bring people back into the conversation,” she said.

For Pickles, it’s important that companies keep this in perspective: “Their sourcing decisions do have direct impacts on the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of individuals, not just in DRC,” she said. “The point of the responsible sourcing framework is for the ultimate beneficiaries of these supply chains to be the miners and the mineral-producing communities, rather than they being the groups that bear the brunt of sourcing decisions that fund conflict and human rights abuses within their communities.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Garbage to gold: How Yahoo unethically sells your spam email
• Asteroid mining is almost reality. What to know about the gold rush in space
• The browser-based Monero miner Coinhive generates around $250,000 each month
• Apple just banned apps from cryptocurrency mining on iOS devices
• Want a future-proof degree? Head to Colorado for asteroid mining

XL Rubber Duckie[#acpodcast]

Andrew Martonik, Russell Holly, and Jerry Hildenbrand talk about Google’s Pixel 3 event, which is officially set for October 9th. We have good idea of what to expect from the phones, but will there be additional product announcements during the presentation?

They also dig into the Galaxy Watch review along with comparisons to Samsung Gear Sport.

Plus, special shoutout to new dad, Daniel Bader, as he begins a journey of diaper changing and sleepless nights. Congratulations, Daniel!

Listen now

• Subscribe in iTunes: Audio
• Subscribe in RSS: Audio
• Download directly: Audio

Show Notes and Links:

• Google hardware event set for October 9, Pixel 3 XL (and more) expected
• Everything we know about the Google Pixel 3
• No, Google won’t be releasing a Pixel Watch this year
• Samsung Galaxy Watch review
• Samsung Galaxy Watch vs. Samsung Gear Sport

Sponsors:

• Casper Get $50 toward select mattresses by visiting Casper.com/AC and using offer code “AC” at checkout — Terms and conditions apply.

First responders to qualify for discounts under new AT&T policy

AT&T has announced that it will now be offering first responders discounts on a wide range of its services. The offer includes discounts on cell plans, home internet, and television.

In terms of phone plans, the company is offering qualified first responders 25 percent off its Unlimited and More plans. These plans do offer uses unlimited data, but they can be slowed down when the networks are congested. However, it is important to point out that these aren’t plans that are being offered to first responder organizations. Instead, the company is offering individual first responders a discount on their consumer plans. In addition to unlimited data, these plans offer users access to a range of entertainment features such as Amazon Prime, HBO, and more. The company’s Unlimited Premium and More plan will cost $60 a month after the discount for a single line. Family members can add their phones to the plan as well, at a discounted rate.

In addition to its various cell phone plans, AT&T is also offering discounts on DirectTV and home internet service. First responders will save $15 a month on DirectTV and AT&T’s home internet services.

In order to qualify for these discounts, customers will need to prove that they work for a qualifying organization. Customers can bring their badge, a recent pay stub, last year’s tax return or a signed affidavit from their appropriate organization.

While AT&T is offering discounts on its consumer plans, the company does have a separate plan set up for first responders to use while responding to emergencies. Developed as part of a contract with the federal government, FirstNet offers first responders unlimited high-speed data with no throttling. These plans range in price depending on whether they are for smartphones or data-only devices.

As previously noted, FirstNet was developed as part of a contract with the federal government in order to facilitate communication during emergencies. As of last year, the plan has been supported by all fifty states and several territories. The plan is meant for use by organizations; however, AT&T’s website does have options for qualified individuals to purchase their own plans on FirstNet though these plans are not discounted.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Switching to the ‘Un-carrier?’ Here’s a breakdown of T-Mobile’s plans
• Switching to AT&T? We break down the carrier’s new unlimited and prepaid plans
• How much is Spotify Premium, and how can you get it at a discount?
• Shopping for plans on Sprint? We break down the carrier’s options
• Here’s how much Amazon Prime costs and how you can get it for cheaper

Grab the Exynos version Galaxy Note 9 for over $100 off

If you don’t mind the International version — or wanted Midnight Black or Metallic Copper — you can get over 10% off that thousand-dollar price tag.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is easily the best Note phone Samsung has ever made, and for once it’s actually better than the latest Galaxy S phone in every way. The battery has jumped up to 4000mAh, which gives you effortless all-day battery life, the all-new S Pen is more powerful than ever before, and the cameras are shaping up to be the best we’ve seen from Samsung to-date. It’s a great, big phone with a great big price tag, but if you’re willing to take the Exynos-powered International version, you can snag a Note 9 for $867 on eBay.

The Exynos version doesn’t have every LTE band for AT&T or T-Mobile — Sprint and Verizon customers will have to look elsewhere — and the International version might not play well Samsung Pay or other country-specific features, but it’s still got that gorgeous 6/4″ display, 6 GB RAM, 128 GB of storage, that swanky new powered S-Pen, and four color options instead of the two offered stateside right now. If you wanted a Midnight Black or Metallic Copper Note 9, it’s your lucky day!

See at eBay

If you want the Snapdragon-powered Note 9 — or need a Note 9 that works on all US carriers — there are other deals to be had. Over on Amazon, you can buy a US Galaxy Note 9 for the standard $999 retail price and get a free Wireless Charger Duo ($119 value) and a free DeX Pad ($69 value) if you select the bundle option.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

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