Tech companies weigh in on White House immigration restrictions
As the travel restrictions recently implemented by the White House begin to see court challenges, over 90 tech firms have banded together to file an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to “emphasizes the importance of immigrants in the economy and society,” according to Bloomberg News. Participating companies include Apple, Google, Facebook, AirBNB, Intel, Netflix, Uber, Snap and many more.
The filing took place Sunday as the ban, which affects seven Muslim-majority countries, is in limbo as the Trump administration argues to re-implement the restrictions following a ruling by a U.S District judge that, for the moment, lifted the restrictions that had blocked thousands of people from entering the U.S.
Signatories to the brief said they recognized the need for security when it comes to immigration, but also said that the ban “will affect many visa holders who work hard here in the United States and contribute to our country’s success.”
Is fitness unfit for business?
Jawbone is the latest company to announce they are exiting the fitness band market as the niche for the exercise tech continues to shrink.
According to Tech Crunch, Jawbone is working to change their business model to focus on the highly profitable professional health care field instead of making low-margin consumer goods, such as fitness bands.
However, making that switch will require a lot of up-front investment, and Tech Crunch says Jawbone has burned through nearly a billion dollars in venture capital funds. Will they be able to pull it off? Word is they are trying to raise even more money, so stay tuned.
More regulatory wattage to secure all that voltage
Following the disaster that was the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, South Korea has announced that there will be new guidelines for battery manufacturing and safety in order to head off a possible repeat of the exploding phone fiasco. A statement from the ministries of Trade, Industry and Technology said there will be greater oversight and more regular inspections of batteries and manufacturing facilities.
Other changes include broader reporting of battery problems even if there is no recall, and changes to battery design and testing protocols to make sure the power packs are safe.
