Do you have it yet? Exchanged the old iPhone battery for a new one? Probably not, because it’s hard and frustrating and expensive to do. But that will soon change.
A recent decision by the European Parliament seeks to impose stricter rules on how the batteries inside devices such as phones, tablets, and other mobile electronics are manufactured and disposed of. Bottom line: This requires manufacturers to make batteries removable and replaceable by users.
The ruling must first be approved by the European Council to become a formal law. However, the decision only affects devices sold in the European Union. But these regulations tend to cross the regulatory pond, so to speak. Other rulings, such as EU legislation requiring companies to make their devices repairable to consumers, have inspired similar legislation in the US and led companies such as Apple and Samsung to implemented their own recovery programs. Another EU decision could be responsible for Apple selling iPhones with USB-C ports.
This battery decision, if it pans out, is likely to be a sharp stick in the eye for Apple in particular. The company has a history of making its batteries difficult to replace and has gotten flak for hitting users with suspicious battery service alerts when trying to repair their own batteries.
The ruling will also require companies to be more diligent in managing battery waste and using recycled components to make new batteries. Under the new decision, manufacturers of EV batteries must label the cells with their carbon footprint, which shows how many resources are used to make the battery.
Micro Blizzard
Microsoft’s acquisition of video game giant Activision Blizzard has had a rocky ride. The deal, announced by the companies in January 2022, has been blocked by regulatory bodies since then. It overcame a UK government block earlier this year. But now the Federal Communications Commission of the United States has stepped up its attempt to stop the agreement, and the parties are officially entering legal proceedings.
The idea of Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard has antitrust activists worried because of the giant’s size. devil and Be careful the developer is in the industry. Microsoft eats up other game companies like ZeniMax (which owns Bethesda, the developer of games like Skyrim and Starfield). Activision Blizzard has had its own troubles with executive harassment and overtime, resulting in high-profile executive shakeups and employee unions.
There is a clock element to the companies’ ambitions, as they aim to complete the acquisition before the July 18 deadline that will force them to revise the terms of the deal. The FCC’s preliminary injunction, if successful, would prevent the merger from happening long enough to exceed that deadline.
Buy ‘Tok
TikTok is experimenting with different shopping features on its platform. The company is currently testing a feature called Trendy Beat, which lets you buy the cool stuff you see in people’s TitkTok videos. Any products that enjoy a certain level of popularity on the platform can be promoted within a special section of the app that allows users to shop for them.
If you spend any time on TikTok, you’ll know that all kinds of things can go viral, from mini waffle makers to sandals and beauty products. According to TechCrunch, the feature is only being tested in the UK but may come to the US at some point.
Just Take My Money
In the battle for retail supremacy in the US, Amazon and Walmart are vying for the title of biggest business behemoth. These commercial leviathans have been duking it out for the past two decades, with Amazon catching on with its aggressive online offerings. Then just when it looked like brick-and-mortar stores—aka Walmart’s core business model—were about to be replaced by the convenience of online ordering, the pandemic hit and boosted our shopping, both online and in person. As Amazon struggles with increased demand and longer delivery times, Walmart finds an opportunity to use its many physical stores to make its products more accessible than Amazon’s.
This week at WIRED’s Gadget Lab podcast, journalist and author Jason Del Rey joined the show to discuss his new book, The Winner Sells It All: Amazon, Walmart, and the War for Our Wallets.
