As part of its “Year in Review” series, the EFF shares their dramatic behind-the-scenes details about 2020’s fight over the future of .org domains. It begins when the Internet Society (ISOC) announced plans to sell the Public Interest Registry — which manages the .org top-level domain (TLD) — to private equity firm Ethos Capital. “If you come at the nonprofit sector,…
Tag: Consumer Reports
‘We Need a Broadband Internet Pricing Equivalent of Nutrition Labels’
An anonymous reader shares an article that’s part of the Future Agenda, a series from Slate in which experts suggest specific, forward-looking actions the new Biden administration should implement. Here’s an excerpt: Consumers in the U.S. face an infuriating lack of transparency when it comes to purchasing broadband services. Bills are convoluted, featuring complex pricing schemes. Roughly 7 in 10 U.S….
New Electric Cars Have Problems In Latest Consumer Reports Survey
schwit1 shares a report from Autoblog, adding: “And CR decides to predict poor reliability on EVs it hasn’t even evaluated yet.” From the report: The latest auto survey from Consumer Reports shows several newer electric cars to be beset with problems, contradicting the conventional wisdom that EVs with their simpler powertrains should have fewer issues than gasoline- or diesel-powered cars. The…
YouTube TV Jacks Up Pricing To Become Most Expensive Cable TV Alternative
On Tuesday, Google’s YouTube TV announced a monthly $15 price hike, bringing its streaming package of channels to $64.99 monthly, from $49.99. “YouTube TV is now the most expensive of the cable TV streaming alternative services,” notes USA Today. “When YouTube TV launched in 2017, it was $35.” From the report: In a company blog post, YouTube defended its decision by…
Ask Slashdot: Should the Internet Be A Public Utility?
The pandemic has “proven conclusively that the internet should be a public utility,” argues Quartz. “It’s a basic necessity in the 21st century, like running water, gas, and electricity. Indeed, the United Nations in 2016 declared that internet access is a human right.”
Sure, you could theoretically survive without it, just as you might light your home with candles or warm it…
Tesla Model 3 Makes Consumer Reports ‘Top Picks’ List For 2020
In Consumer Reports’ “Top Picks” of the year list, Tesla’s Model 3 ranks among the top 10 choices for car buyers in 2020. TechCrunch reports: The Model 3 was chosen as one of three vehicles in the $45K-$55K category, alongside the Lexus RX and the Toyota Supra. CR lauded its “thrilling driving experience,” including “impressive handling and quick precise steering [that]…
Internet Pioneers Fight For Control of .Org Registry By Forming a Nonprofit Alternative
Reuters reports that a group of “prominent internet pioneers” now has a plan to block the $1.1 billion sale of the .org internet domain registry to Ethos Capital. The group has created their own nonprofit cooperative to offer an alternative: “There needs to be a place on the internet that represents the public interest, where educational sites, humanitarian sites, and organizations…
New Law Finally Bans Bullshit Cable TV Fees
After a longstanding campaign by Consumer Reports, The Television Viewer Protection Act of 2019 passed the House and the Senate last week buried inside a giant appropriations bill that now awaits President Trump’s signature. Techdirt reports: The bill bans ISPs from charging you extra to rent hardware you already own (something ISPs like Frontier have been doing without penalty for a…
America’s FCC Votes Unanimously To Divide ‘Safety Spectrum’ Into Wifi and Auto Applications
“The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to push a plan forward that would take away several channels of airwaves from automakers and local governments that have been planning to build out a communication network for cars and surrounding smart infrastructure,” writes Consumer Reports, in an article shared by McGruber. “The 5-0 commission vote indicated how much ground the auto industry…
Consumer Reports Restores ‘Recommended’ Ratings to Both Tesla’s Model 3 and Model S
“Consumer Reports has restored its coveted ‘recommended’ rating to the Tesla Model S and Model 3, because Tesla has made its cars more reliable,” reports CNN: “The Tesla Model 3 struggled last year as the company made frequent design changes and ramped up production to meet demand,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at CR. “But as the production…