Uber has received its largest fine to date, with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) issuing a €290 million ($324 million) penalty to the rideshare company. The regulatory body announced it had issued the fine in response to Uber transferring the personal data of European taxi drivers into the United States without properly safeguarding the information. The complaint came from France, but the case was moved to Holland, where Uber's EU headquarters are located.
The Dutch DPA found that Uber took account details, taxi licenses, location data, photos, payment details, identity documents and more from European drivers and transferred them to servers at their US headquarters for over two years. During this period, Uber didn't use any transfer tools, a decision the Dutch DPA has deemed caused insufficient protection. "In Europe, the GDPR protects the fundamental rights of people, by requiring businesses and governments to handle personal data with due care," Dutch DPA chairman Aleid Wolfsen said in a statement. "Uber did not meet the requirements of the GDPR to ensure the level of protection to the data with regard to transfers to the US. That is very serious."
The Dutch DPA has fined Uber twice before, first imposing a €600,000 ($670,000) fine in 2018 after the company failed to report a data breach that occurred two years earlier within a 72-hour timeframe. In 2023, the Dutch DPA fined Uber €10 million ($11.2 million) for not fully detailing its data retention periods (regarding information about European drivers) or the non-European countries where it shares data. Uber objected to the latter fine and has made its intentions clear to fight the €290 million.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uber-gets-slapped-with-%E2%82%AC290-million-fine-123039726.html?src=rss
Since it started offering subscribers access to mobile games in 2021, Netflix has built up one of the best gaming libraries around. With a balanced mix of titles built for the service and exclusive rights to the mobile versions of several popular indies (and a few blockbusters), Netflix has something for everyone in its lineup.
Sure, you could download and try every game available through the service. But to save you some time, we’ve rounded up some of the best Netflix games you can try on iOS or Android right now.
To find and play these games, open the Netflix app on your phone or tablet and search for the name. You’ll be taken to the App Store or Google Play to download the app. You might then need to log in with your Netflix credentials before you can dive in.
If you took some time off work during the summer to spend time with your kids and family, then you’re probably gearing up now to get back to the office. Summer is bidding farewell, and it is time to get your minds and souls prepared for a streamlined work routine and peak productivity. Putting together a collection of clever and functional products that will help me with my work goals always gets me excited for a workday. Not only will this improve your work routine and productivity, but it will also help you maintain a clearer and more streamlined mindset. And, I’ve discovered that adding limited, quality, and innovative products to my desk setup can help me in achieving these goals! From a quick-access organizer for all your essentials to a letter cutter that doubles up as a paperweight – these nifty accessories are the perfect additions to your workdesk.
1. AirTag Carabiners
Dubbed the AirTag Carabiners, these minimal and aesthetically pleasing designs are intended to be a new and novel version of the conventional metal carabiners. The carabiners are precision-made, with a neat and compact form, so you’re never gonna lose your keys again. They’re easy to carry, with a functional and portable form.
The AirTag Carabiners are handcrafted, resulting in durable and sturdy products. Each carabiner is unlike any other since manufacturing circumstances can affect the final design, resulting in unique pieces.
What we like
Handcrafted using premium-quality metal
Features a lightweight and easy-to-carry design
What we dislike
Attaching and detaching the AirTag can be tedious, and isn’t very user-friendly
2. The Monument
This is the Monument – a concrete iPhone MagSafe stand designed to add a mesmerizing touch of brutalism to your work desk. The stand is inspired by the cold architecture of brutalist Germany/UK, and Soviet-era Russia – with a hint of Arrakis from Dune. It is a monolithic stand that will dock and support your iPhone’s MagSafe charger.
Why is it noteworthy?
The stand is essentially a single sturdy block with no parts, fasteners, or glue. It has a monolithic and brutalist appeal to it, with a clean design. You can position it anywhere on your desk, and pass your MagSafe Wireless Charger right through it, hiding any wires within the Monument’s hollow body. It also includes a micro-suction pad which keeps the charger in place.
What we like
Stable design, so you don’t need to worry about your phone falling over
What we dislike
We wish it had more functionalities with the charger.
3. Personal Whiteboard
Taking down notes is an integral part of our work routine, or else there is nothing to stop us from forgetting the important tasks we need to tend to. If you need a little tool to help note down your important thoughts and details, then you can get your hands on this Personal Whiteboard. This whiteboard is an innovative one, amped with an eraser, allowing you to easily write on it, erase, and write again.
This Personal Whiteboard has a compact and personal size, making it smaller than A-4 paper, but easy-to-carry and quite portable. You can write on the board with ease, take a photo to save, and send it to the cloud. It is a fast, efficient, and easy-to-use product that doesn’t need preparation to use or handle.
What we like
Features a Mag Force System, which combines rubber bands and agent to form a handle that is also a pen holder
Portable design that you can carry anywhere with you
What we dislike
It only works with dry-erase or whiteboard pens, not permanent markers, so you have to ensure you carry one
4. Deskspace Sun Mood Lamp
Say hello to DeskSpace – a handcrafted solar sun mood light/desk accessory. This handcrafted golden calcite gemstone features a captivating texture and clarity and is designed to recreate the beauty of the Sun. The Sun Mood Lamp is made using Golden Calcite, which allows light to spread within the sphere and softly radiate into the room.
Why is it noteworthy?
Each Deskspace Sun Mood Lamp is made individually, making each lamp unique and unlike any other. Each set is handcrafted, and polished to prefecture. With this little accessory, you can bring the sun to your desk, capturing a small power of that majestic power.
What we like
Features a room-enhancing glow that gives a sense of relaxation
What we dislike
Seems fragile, and must be handled with care
5. Effortless Standing Letter Cutter
Named the Effortless Standing Letter Cutter, this handy desk accessory is essential for when you’re heading back to the office. It is a classy yet simple tool that transforms letter opening into a fun and whimsical act. The letter cutter also serves as a paperweight, so it keeps your desk pretty organized as well.
The Effortless Standing Letter Cutter completely transforms an ordinary and standard office tool. You can cut through paper efficiently and effectively, while also functioning as a paperweight. It is an excellent solution for boosting productivity!
What we like
Opens letters precisely, leaving nothing behind
Also serves as a paperweight, ensuring a tidy desk
What we dislike
You cannot use it to cut open intricate mail or bulky packages
6. LUMISO
Say hello to LUMISO – a minimal planter and table lamp for your desk. LUMISO sits prettily on your desk, serving as a table lamp that also mimics the natural solar spectrum. It functions as a flower pot and a lamp, with a button in the base, which can be utilized to switch on the grow light. The lamp is equipped with replaceable bulbs as well.
Why is it noteworthy?
With LUMISO you can grow culinary herbs as well as little plants on your work desk. Besides helping you grow greens, LUMISO also offers additional light on your desk, serving as a versatile and multi-functional product.
What we like
Provides an exclusive light spectrum, offering your plants the correct amount of solar and ultraviolet rays
What we dislike
Will occupy substantial real estate on your desk, not well-suited for smaller desks
7. The Modular Bottle
Named TMB or the Modular Bottle, this unique bottle is designed to hydrate you and meet your water-drinking requirements as you work through the day. Whether you’re working, or even driving to work, this innovative bottle will cater to your different drinking requirements, ensuring you don’t ignore hydration as you work.
Why is it noteworthy?
The interior of TMB is built using durable borosilicate glass, which offers drinks with the perfect taste, no matter how many times the bottle is used. This also makes the bottle quite easy to clean. The mid-section of the bottle is translucent so you can easily make out how much liquid is left inside.
What we like
Equipped with an Infusion Module Add-On for tea and fruits
Fitted with a secret compartment for snacks
What we dislike
It is a glass bottle, making it easily breakable and it must be handled with care
8. Nemonic Gen 2
Say hello to the Nemonic Gen 2 – an inkless, thermal, and wireless printer that lets you print your notes and images on Ultra Sticky Notes! The notes are super sticky, and hence they don’t fall off, letting you capture important details and thoughts with complete ease and efficiency.
Why is it noteworthy?
The printer can be connected to your desktop and mobile device, letting you print out notes you have written, drawn, or typed out. You can pair up the printer with the Microsoft Office apps, Slack, and Zapier, supporting heightened productivity.
What we like
Notes can be printed directly, and it includes a de-curl feature too
What we dislike
Refills aren’t sold individually, which can be an issue if you run out of notes
9. ECLIPSE
Designed by Native Union, ECLIPSE is designed to eliminate messy cables and slow charging once and for all. It is a new and neat way to charge your precious devices. Native Union invested in new construction of ultra-strong charging cables, and they’re available in various colors to match the ECLIPSE you choose – Taupe, Marine, and Zebra with Micro-USB, USB-C to USB-C, and MFi Certified Lightning connectors.
Why is it noteworthy?
ECLIPSE features a round and compact design, and an aesthetically pleasing appeal – making it the only USB charging hub you don’t need to hide away. You can proudly place it on your nightstand, desk, and wall using the included wall mount.
What we like
You can easily access your cables and unwind them with ease using ECLIPSE
Extends each of your charging cables by an extra 4 feet
What we dislike
The USB ports seem to be very flimsy compared to the rest of the product
10. Fidget Cube
Named the Fidget Cube, this little high-quality desk toy is designed for those who easily get stressed or distracted. The addictive toy is intended to help users focus. It is equipped with six sides, and each side has something different for you to fidget with, helping you calm your mind down, and focus on the tasks laying ahead of you.
Why is it noteworthy?
he cube is amped with six versatile sides, and the different sides have something different for you to do. There is – Click, Glide, Flip, Breathe, Roll, and Spin. The Click side lets the clicker in your mom out, as she doesn’t need to click on any pens anymore. With the glide action, you can enjoy the gliding action of this joystick, and let your overworked mind relax.
What we like
Available in ten different color schemes
Helps in focusing and streamlining thoughts
What we dislike
Not everyone considers fidgeting a positive or productive activity, so it may not be preferred by some people
Convicted felon and ex-pharmacy profiteer Martin Shkreli has been ordered to surrender all his copies of a one-off Wu-Tang Clan album he used to own, ArtNet reported. The preliminary injunction, issued by federal judge Pamela Chen, was made on behalf of an NFT collective called PleasrDAO, the current owner of the record.
As part of the ruling, the court ordered Shkreli to turn over all copies to his attorney within a week, along with an affidavit confirming he'd done so (under penalty of perjury). He must provide an inventory of all copies of the album, a list of anyone who may have received it and any money made from distribution.
The judgement could prove a challenge for Shkreli. In a May 2024 podcast, he reportedly said he copied the album and "sent it to like, 50 different chicks," while also boasting that "thousands of people have listened to it," according to PleasrDAO's original complaint.
Shkreli — who became infamous for buying and jacking up the price of life-saving AIDS medication Daraprim — purchased the only copy of the Wu-Tang album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin back in 2015 for a reported $2 million at auction. Following his securities fraud conviction, the album was seized along with other assets to satisfy a forfeiture judgement. The government then sold the album in 2021 to PleasrDAO for $4.75 million.
However, that group sued Shkreli in June 2024, accusing him of streaming the music as part of a "Wu-Tang Official Listening Party" on social media. To promote that, he reportedly boasted in a now-deleted video that he made copies "hidden in safes around the world." In June, Judge Chen issued restraining order requiring Shkreli to stop distributing the album and to appear in court to explain why he should be allowed to keep his copies.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-ordered-to-surrender-copies-of-one-off-wu-tang-clan-album-120013576.html?src=rss
iPhones have become an integral part of our daily lives and with millions of iPhone apps available on the App Store, it can be overwhelming to find the ones that truly enhance your mobile experience. To help you navigate through the sea of options, we’ve curated a list of ten must-download iPhone apps that offer […]
The dream of the modular smartphone proposed by the likes of Project Ara and the LG G5 might have failed to become lasting reality, but there is more than one way to actually implement a modular design. Unveiled just last month, the CMF Phone 1 by Nothing tackled the problem from a different angle, one that didn’t change the smartphone design formula too much while still kicking the doors wide open for modular accessories. It’s not surprising that there was a sudden burst of creativity trying to take advantage of this new platform, and thanks to 3D printing, we can behold some of the rather curious ideas creators have when pushing the possibilities of this modular system to the extreme.
To be clear, the CMF Phone 1 itself isn’t modular, but its removable back cover invites all kinds of modular accessories and attachments. As long as you can screw it on the back of the phone and retain its usability, everything is fair game. Those accessories can range from simple loops and stands to bottle openers and miniature Nerf guns. As long as you can 3D print it, anything’s possible.
The Modular Sliding System, for example, has a creative design that integrates three sliding modules that can be a pen, an SD card holder, and even a comb. The top and bottom sliding modules unfortunately have to be curved to take into account the position of the screws on the CMF Phone 1’s back. Switching out modules is quite simple, and there’s plenty of room for other tools that you might want to always have in your pocket all the time.
The Brick Case is a bit less ambitious but even more creative, and yes, it practically turns the CMF Phone 1 into one large LEGO-like brick. At first glance, it might seem like a cosmetic design only, putting a LEGO scene on the back of your phone when that can only be appreciated or used if the phone is placed face down on a table. With some imagination and design work, however, it might be possible to 3D print functional modules as well, like one that puts a pad of sticky notes on the back of your phone.
Coming completely out of the left field, the Foam Dart Launcher turns the CMF Phone 1 into a toy. It’s pretty much a one-shot mini Nerf gun, used to surprise friends or colleagues. It obviously has no practical benefit, but it does demonstrate the wide range of possibilities offered by the simple yet ingenious modular design of the CMF Phone 1.
Monday is National Dog Day, and Lyft seized the opportunity to catch up on a feature equivalent to one Uber has had for about five years. When heading somewhere with a furry companion, Lyft’s new Pet Mode lets you designate that you’ll bring them along, ensuring you’ll get a driver to accommodate your dog or cat.
Like Uber Pet, Lyft’s Pet Mode adds a surcharge — in this case, $4 plus tax. The company says the fee goes directly to the driver.
The new Pet Mode could’ve come in handy a year ago during the saga of Tux the Cat, who was being taken to the vet by her owner Palash Pandey. A Lyft driver in Austin, TX, was accused of speeding off with Tux (inside a carrier) still in the car’s backseat, ignoring Pandey’s pleas as he banged on the window. The driver responded to Pandey’s in-app messages, claiming not to have the feline.
Days passed as Pandey made desperate calls to the Austin Police Department and viral postings on Reddit and X (Twitter). Eventually, media outlets picked up the story, and Lyft’s PR team went into crisis mode. CEO David Risher even got involved.
Tux was finally located under a stairwell about a mile from the drop-off point. It was a momentarily viral fiasco with a feel-good ending, but a feature that ensured passengers got matched with pet-friendly drivers would have likely prevented it. “[The driver] told me that if he’d known I’d had a cat, he wouldn’t have picked me up,” The Washington Postreported Pandey as saying. “He said he was allergic to cats and would have canceled the ride. My drop-off location was a pet hospital, and I was holding a pet carrier, so it’s hard to figure that one out.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyfts-belated-pet-mode-matches-drivers-to-those-traveling-with-their-furry-friends-100021294.html?src=rss
Several Volkswagen EVs and other models will soon have access to a range of casual multiplayer games that you can play using your phone as the controller. VW teamed up with AirConsole to bring its gaming platform to the ID.7, ID.5, ID.4 and ID.3 product lines, as well as the new Passat, Tiguan, Golf and Golf Estate. VW expects to roll AirConsole out to vehicles in some European markets by mid-September ahead of a broader expansion with more games and territories.
After firing up the AirConsole app on the VW Active Info Display, you'll just need to scan a QR code to connect a smartphone. Passengers in the rear will be able to join the multiplayer games too. Bear in mind that AirConsole will only work when the vehicle is in park, so it's primarily intended as a way to help everyone pass the time while waiting at an EV charging station or otherwise idling.
VW isn't the first automaker to incorporate AirConsole into its vehicles as BMW started doing so last year. The platform is also available on a desktop web browser as well as Android TV, Google TV and Amazon Fire TV.
Offering games in cars has become a bit of a trend over the last few years, with Tesla even offering access to Steam in some models (at least until it ended support for that earlier this year). Personally, I'm more interested in installing a PS5 in an ID.Buzz, Pimp My Ride-style.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/vw-is-bringing-casual-multiplayer-games-to-evs-and-other-cars-090034594.html?src=rss
The Apple TV 4K is more than just a streaming device; it’s a powerful entertainment hub packed with advanced features designed to elevate your viewing experience. From protecting your remote to setting up parental controls and troubleshooting common issues, the video below from Half Man Half TEch will help you make the most of your […]
Signing documents on your iPhone is a straightforward process that can be accomplished using either native Apple tools or third-party apps. Whether you need to sign a contract, agreement, or any other type of document, your iPhone provides convenient options to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Thie video from Daniel About Tech will […]
