Apple might need to include chargers with iPhone sales in Brazil, Nokia is set to introduce telecom legislation that might shun China’s networks, and 5G truthers are putting Faraday cages around their routers, because why not.
It’s all the tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Tuesday, December 8, and I’m your host Baneet Braich.
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Apple Could Be Forced to Include a Charger with Every iPhone Sold in Brazil from technology
Reddit is buzzing about the fact that Apple could be forced to include a charger with every iPhone sold in Brazil. Although Apple says it stopped providing them due to environmental concerns, Brazil’s state’s consumer protection agency says that a power adapter was an “essential part” for the use of the product. They say selling the iPhone without it is against the Brazilian Consumer Defense Code. The agency also says that Apple did not sufficiently demonstrate evidence of the environmental benefits of removing the charger from the box, and failed to make it clear in marketing materials that chargers are no longer included. Apple’s conduct will now be reviewed and it may even result in a fine.
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Nokia is set to introduce a telecom law that may be used to exclude China’s Huawei and ZTE from its networks. Finland’s parliament recently approved the bill to protect its networks against cyber threats and espionage, Bloomberg reports. Although the legislation names no specific companies or countries, it bans equipment “within the network’s key assets if there are strong grounds to suspect the use of such equipment would endanger national security or defence.” It is a mixed situation for Nokia. On the one hand, there are profits to be made from networks where Chinese rivals are excluded. But Nokia also risks being distanced from China, which is a huge market for 5G gear. [Twitter thread]
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5G Truthers Bought Faraday Cages to Protect Their Routers. They’re Mad They Worked. from technology
And finally, let’s switch gears to 5G cage buyers. That’s right – some companies are easily getting 5G conspiracy theorists to buy fake Faraday cages they say will block harmful radiation and 5G, all while keeping the home WiFi signal intact. In reality, however, these are basically just overpriced metal cages because real Faraday cages would block the internet too. In case you forgot, 5G truthers believe false claims that 5G causes cancer or spreads COVID-19. This year also saw several examples of these people burn 5G towers in an effort to stop the spread.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. I’m Baneet Braich, thanks for listening.
