U.K. consumer rights group ‘Which?’ is filing a legal claim against Apple under competition law on behalf of some 40 million users of iCloud, its cloud storage service.The collective proceeding lawsuit, which is seeking £3 billion in compensation damages (around $3.8 billion at current exchange rates), alleges that Apple has broken competition rules by giving its own cloud storage service preferential treatment and effectively locking people into paying for iCloud at “rip-off” prices. “iOS has a monopoly a ...

In Brief Amazon has shut down a four-year-old secret program working on a fertility monitoring device and accompanying smartphone app, CNBC reported.The project, which was known by the codename “Encore,” evolved out of Amazon’s 2020 purchase of a startup called bluDiagnostics, which was developing a device that measured the levels of estradiol and progesterone — two of the hormones responsible for fertility in women — from saliva samples. Amazon planned to release the product this year, but the team of app ...

AMD has confirmed that it’s laying off 4% of its workforce to focus on “large growth opportunities.” It’s unclear how many workers have been impacted by the reduction — and which divisions. AMD had roughly 26,000 employees as of last year, according to the company’s annual 10-K filing. Four percent would translate to approximately 1,000. “As a part of aligning our resources with our largest growth opportunities, we are taking a number of targeted steps,” an AMD spokesperson told CRN. “We are committed to ...

Amazon has rolled out its answer to the discounted, low-cost storefronts of Temu and Shein. The Amazon Haul store, currently available on the mobile app or mobile web browser exclusively, offers similar mass-produced, discounted items, most of which ship from China. It’s a departure from Amazon’s long-established reputation as a powerhouse of rapid delivery times since even Amazon can’t reduce the time it takes to get these overseas goods.The landing page for Amazon Haul is reminiscent of Shein and Temu eve ...

In Brief Tesla’s Cybertruck is facing its sixth recall since its launch a year ago. The recall affects 2,431 units, including certain 2024 Cybertrucks built between November 6, 2023 and July 30, 2024. A report from Tesla found that those trucks are or were equipped with a faulty drive inverter.  “If the inverter stops producing torque, the driver loses the ability to apply torque to the vehicle using the accelerator pedal resulting in a loss of propulsion, which may increase the risk of a collision,” reads ...

Group 1 - Apple is expanding its smart home presence by developing an IP camera expected to ship in 2026 [1] - The camera is anticipated to achieve sales of tens of millions of units annually [1] - Goertek, a Chinese component maker, will assemble the new IP camera [1] Group 2 - Goertek is also rumored to manufacture upcoming AirPod models [2] - The new AirPods are expected to focus more on health features, building on the hearing aid capabilities introduced in AirPods Pro 2 [2]

Waymo has opened its robotaxi service to everyone in Los Angeles, sunsetting a waitlist that had grown to 300,000 people. The Alphabet-backed company said starting Tuesday anyone can download the Waymo One app to hail a ride in its service area, which is now about 80-square miles in Los Angeles County. Waymo has had a presence in Los Angeles since 2019, periodically coming in to map neighborhoods, including downtown, Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Westwood and West Hollywood. In 2022, the company an ...

There’s an AI chip battle brewing among the major cloud vendors. Google’s Trillium, a custom chip for training and running AI models, recently entered preview, and Microsoft’s Maia is expected to follow in short order. Not to be outdone, Amazon Web Services has AI chips, too: Trainium, Inferentia, and Graviton. In an effort to draw attention to Trainium in particular, the company is launching a new grant program for AI research. Called Build on Trainium, the new program will award $110 million total to ins ...

Core Points - Apple is facing regulatory scrutiny in the European Union for allegedly discriminating against consumers through geo-blocking practices that restrict access to its media services across different EU member states [1][2] - The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network have raised concerns about several potentially prohibited geo-blocking practices, which could lead to enforcement actions under EU consumer protection laws [2][4] - Apple has been given one month to respond to the CPC Network's findings and propose commitments to address the identified issues [4][5] Summary by Category Regulatory Concerns - The investigation involves consumer protection authorities from Belgium, Germany, and Ireland focusing on Apple's geo-blocking measures affecting services like Apple Music, iTunes Store, and App Store [1][3] - The EU has established rules to promote the free movement of services and prohibit unjustified geo-blocking, which discriminates against consumers based on their location [3][4] Specific Issues Identified - Different interfaces for Apple media services in various EU/EEA countries that cannot be altered by users, locking them to the interface of the country where their device was registered [3] - Restrictions on payment methods, where users can only use cards issued in the country of their Apple account registration [3] - Limitations on App Store downloads, preventing users from accessing local App Stores while traveling or temporarily residing in other member states [3] Potential Outcomes - If Apple adequately addresses the CPC Network's concerns, it could lead to a resolution of the case, potentially removing the geo-blocks [5] - Failure to respond appropriately may result in enforcement actions at the national level by consumer protection authorities [5]

Core Points - Amazon confirmed that employee data was compromised due to a security event at a third-party vendor [1][2] - The breach involved employee work contact information, such as work email addresses and desk phone numbers, but did not include sensitive data like Social Security numbers or financial information [2][3] - The third-party vendor has addressed the security vulnerability that led to the breach [3] Incident Details - A threat actor claimed to have published data stolen from Amazon on a hacking site, asserting possession of over 2.8 million lines of data from 25 major organizations [4] - The threat actor, known as "Nam3L3ss," indicated that the data released so far represents less than 0.001% of the total data they possess [5] - The MOVEit Transfer breach, which exploited a zero-day vulnerability, was noted as the largest hack of 2023, affecting over 1,000 organizations [5][6] Impact on Organizations - The MOVEit breach resulted in significant data theft from various organizations, including 3.5 million records from the Oregon Department of Transportation, 4 million from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and 11 million from Maximus [6]