smartphones News

Why the ‘New Normal’ of 24/7 Technology Dependence Is Not Normal or Healthy

Want to book plane tickets? Order a pizza for dinner? Check available university courses? Write a note to Aunt Sally? Chances are you’re going to need a smartphone (or laptop or desktop or smartwatch or Amazon Echo personal assistant…) for …

Lebanon Spy Agency Turns Smartphones into Spycams in 21 Countries: Researchers

Lebanon’s intelligence service may have turned the smartphones of thousands of targeted individuals into cyber-spying machines in one of the first known examples of large-scale state hacking of phones rather than computers, researchers say. Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security …

Uber Tells U.S. Appeals Court in New York Customers Must Arbitrate Disputes

A U.S. appeals court in New York on Friday weighed arguments over whether Uber Technologies Inc. customers gave up their right to sue the company when they registered for its popular taxi hailing service. The case could have wider implications …

Technology Being Blamed for Driving Up Massachusetts Car Insurance Rates

Auto insurance rates in Massachusetts are on the rise and technology is to blame. Industry experts tell The Boston Globe that drivers distracted by smartphones are crashing more often and those cars are now more expensive to repair because they’re …

Samsung Details Causes for Galaxy 7 Fires; Clyde & Co. Comments

It was the battery, after all. In a presentation and news conference on Monday that lasted more than two hours, Samsung Electronics Co. detailed the results of its investigation into Note 7 smartphones that overheated and burst into flames last …

Update: Samsung Ends Production of Galaxy Note 7 After New Battery Fires

Samsung Electronics Co. is ending production of its problematic Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, taking the drastic step of killing off a smartphone that became a major headache for the South Korean electronics maker. After halting sales of the new versions …

Samsung Halts Note 7 Production Following Reports of New Battery Fires

Samsung Electronics Co. halted production of its Note 7 smartphones after customers reported problems with new devices, the latest blow in a six-week crisis over exploding phone batteries. Samsung temporarily suspended production of its most expensive phone, a person with …

Australia Airlines Ban Use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Phones After Battery Fires

Three Australian airlines have banned passengers from using or charging Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7 smartphones during flights due to concerns over the phone’s fire-prone batteries. Qantas, its budget unit Jetstar and Virgin Australia said they had not been directed …

Samsung Recalls Its Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones on Faulty Batteries

Samsung Electronics Co. recalled its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones because of a faulty battery and announced a global replacement program, days before archrival Apple Inc. is set to unveil its newest iPhones. Sales of the large-screen device will be halted …

Motor Insurers Need to Adapt to Ward Off Competition from Car Manufacturers

As internet-connected and, eventually, driverless vehicles roll off production lines, traditional motor insurers need to adapt to ward off competition from car manufacturers. Insurers have struggled for years to make a profit from motor insurance due to intense competition and …