#chineseevs — Public Fediverse posts

Weekly output: Waze updates, Google Images turns 25, Samsung turns to more titanium, Frontier Airlines + Starlink, bill to ban Chinese cars

This week may have featured an unwanted import of smoky, hazy air from Canadian wildfires, but at least that miasma did not descend on the District until Friday–the day after I got to the one Fort Reno concert I’m likely to be able to see this summer.

Patreon readers got a bonus post assessing when I’m likely to need to replace my three oldest computers–and explaining why the oldest machine is not at the front of that list.

7/13/2026: Waze Gets AI, Personalization Options—Including One to Make It Less Chatty, PCMag

I have to admit that I had not used Waze in quite some time, so I downloaded a copy to refresh my memory. I’m glad I did, as this exercise reminded that Waze has yet to match Google’s ability to show which routing will be most efficient.

7/14/2026: Google Images Marks Its 25 Birthday by Adding AI Image Generation, PCMag

This was another Google item from an embargoed announcement. It was going to be an unusually short post, but then I realized that Google’s anniversary post didn’t mention the date the company launched Google Images. Some quick Googling surfaced a New York Times story apparently written on that day, July 12, 2001.

7/14/2026: Samsung Teases New Screen Substrate for Its Next Foldable: Titanium, PCMag

One of my editors asked if I could pick up this announcement; since I try to be the guy who solves problems for my editors and since I rarely get to cover metallurgical topics, I said I would.

7/15/2026: Frontier Airlines Is Adding Starlink, But You Might Have to Pay for It, PCMag

I was going to write this Tuesday but had to set it aside for the Samsung news. But that delay gave me some extra time to send a further round of questions to Frontier’s PR office about their weird unwillingness to say what the service will cost (if an ultra-low-cost carrier that literally has “ULCC” as its stock ticker doesn’t say upfront that a service is free, it’s not going to be free) and whether they would finally add power outlets (apparently not).

7/18/2026: Bill Would Ban Chinese Connected Cars in the US—From Sale and on the Streets, PCMag

I could have written this post in fewer words if I hadn’t gotten into how Congress has done nothing to address people’s privacy concerns about non-Chinese connected cars, but I wasn’t going to do that. I will not stop reminding readers about how Congress keeps failing to pass any sort of comprehensive privacy legislation.

Weekly output: Consumer Cellular’s SpeakEasy brand, Uber’s take rate, Google Play Store fees, Pixel 9 Pro screen replacement, Qualcomm’s data-center ambitions, Meta scrapping “Off-Meta Activity” privacy setting, Feds poleaxe Polestar

It’s been a while–years, I think–since I had four stories published on one day by one client. But I only wrote two of Friday’s total on Friday, so don’t draw too many conclusions about my potential productivity.

Patreon readers got an extra post this week in which I unpacked an unfortunately botched bit of business development.

6/22/2026: Consumer Cellular Adds SpeakEasy Mobile Sub-Brand For the 75-and-Up Set, PCMag

The interesting part of this announcement was the two simplified phones that Consumer Cellular’s new brand is bringing to the market.

6/23/2026: Uber driver pay is falling as the company’s take rate rises, new research finds, Fast Company

I didn’t have this report about Uber driver pay on my to-do list as I made my way to Web Summit Rio three weeks ago. But once I got there, a notice about a press conference featuring study author Len Sherman of Columbia University’s business school got my attention, and I’m glad that it did.

6/25/2026: Google Details Reduced Play Store Fees That Trim Its Take to 10% in Many Cases, PCMag

Almost six years after Epic Games’ lawsuit challenged Google’s Android app-store rules, the tech giant finally broke down the changes forced by that litigation. I needed much less time to get this post written and filed Thursday morning; it feels good when that happens.

6/26/2026: I Needed to Replace My Pixel 9 Pro’s Screen. It Was Easy, With One Big Caveat, PCMag

I waited a couple of weeks after this successful screen repair to make sure that my phone wouldn’t fall apart in my pocket–and then worried after publication that I would then choose that moment to drop it onto a sidewalk.

6/26/2026: Qualcomm Darts Into the Data Center Business With Dragonfly, PCMag

I had assumed that somebody on staff would cover Qualcomm’s investor day Wednesday in New York but watched it remotely anyway, and then one of my editors asked if I could do a writeup of that event. Of course I said yes.

6/26/2026: Meta to Scrap ‘Off-Facebook Activity’ Feature That Curbed Web Tracking, PCMag

I could have written this post weeks ago, but getting an e-mail from Meta Thursday morning to the account I use for Facebook that reminded me of this impending privacy downgrade was the nudge I needed. Electronic Frontier Foundation staff technologist Lena Cohen’s comments were then the excuse I needed to remind readers of how this privacy problem is made worse by continued Congressional inaction on privacy.

6/26/2026: Feds Poleaxe Polestar, Banning Future US Sales of Its EVs, PCMag

I wasn’t originally going to jump on this, but once that headline popped into my head I had to write the post. Then I made sure to include three essential bits of context: how the connected-car rule that Polestar ran afoul of dates to the closing days of the Biden administration, how few cars Polestar has sold, and what a mess connected-car privacy remains even if you look only at American manufacturers–thanks in large part to continued Congressional inaction on privacy.

Well, this will get interesting I think

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article314625757.html

Canada’s tariff wall on Chinese electric vehicles is deepening dependence on the U.S.
#Canada #China #Trump #USA #ChineseEVs #BYD #EV #TradePolicy #CanadaUSTrade #Tariffs #TradeWar #ClimateGoals #AutoIndustry #CleanEnergy #Business #ConsumerChoice #Economy
https://the-14.com/canadas-tariff-wall-on-chinese-electric-vehicles-is-deepening-dependence-on-the-u-s/

Germany’s Habeck floats compromise to waver CO2 targets fines on car makers https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/germanys-habeck-floats-compromise-to-waver-co2-targets-fines-on-car-makers/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #AdolfoUrso #carindustry #China #chineseevs #CO2standardsforcars

‘EV shock’ splitting Europe into two camps, IMF chief economist warns https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/ev-shock-splitting-europe-into-two-camps-imf-chief-economist-warns/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #AutomotiveIndustry #chineseevs #CzechRepublic #electriccars

Chinese carmakers hold technological edge over European competitors, EU trade commissioner says https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/chinese-carmakers-hold-technological-edge-over-european-competitors-eu-trade-commissioner-says/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #chineseevs #electricbatteries #electriccars #EUtrade #EUChina

EU member states should endorse tariffs on Chinese EVs or risk undermining European interests and agency https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/opinion/eu-member-states-should-endorse-tariffs-on-chinese-evs-or-risk-undermining-european-interests-and-agency/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #automotive #carindustry #chineseevs #electriccars #EUChina

China’s electric vehicles: Is the US overreacting, or the EU underreacting? https://www.euractiv.com/section/electric-cars/opinion/chinas-electric-vehicles-is-the-us-overreacting-or-the-eu-underreacting/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #autonomousvehicles #cartariffs #China #chineseevs #EUUSA

China’s electric vehicles: Is the US overreacting, or the EU underreacting? https://www.euractiv.com/section/electric-cars/opinion/chinas-electric-vehicles-is-the-us-overreacting-or-the-eu-underreacting/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #autonomousvehicles #cartariffs #China #chineseevs #EUUSA

China tells WTO that US EV subsidies are unfair trade barriers - Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)

The ongoing dispute between the... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=2037076 #worldtradeorganization #chineseevs #tariffs #cars

One day before application, German car lobby urges EU to drop tariffs against China https://www.euractiv.com/section/electric-cars/news/one-day-before-application-german-car-lobby-urges-eu-to-drop-tariffs-against-china/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #carindustry #chineseevs #Countervailingduties #electriccars

One day before application, German car lobby urges EU to drop tariffs against China https://www.euractiv.com/section/electric-cars/news/one-day-before-application-german-car-lobby-urges-eu-to-drop-tariffs-against-china/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #carindustry #chineseevs #Countervailingduties #electriccars

Germany’s Scholz, Habeck pin their hopes on EU-China talks to avoid trade war https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/germanys-scholz-habeck-pin-their-hopes-on-eu-china-talks-to-avoid-trade-war/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #ChancellorOlafScholz #China #chineseevs #EUChina #EUChinatrade

Germany’s Scholz, Habeck pin their hopes on EU-China talks to avoid trade war https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/germanys-scholz-habeck-pin-their-hopes-on-eu-china-talks-to-avoid-trade-war/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #ChancellorOlafScholz #China #chineseevs #EUChina #EUChinatrade

Germany’s Scholz, Habeck pin their hopes on EU-China talks to avoid trade war https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/germanys-scholz-habeck-pin-their-hopes-on-eu-china-talks-to-avoid-trade-war/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #ChancellorOlafScholz #China #chineseevs #EUChina #EUChinatrade

Biden set to levy 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs this week - Enlarge / New energy vehicles are being loaded into containers for expo... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=2023796 #bidenadministration #chineseevs #tariffs #cars

“Ban Chinese electric vehicles now,” demands US senator - Enlarge / BYD electric cars stand at a BYD dealership on April 05, 2024... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=2016899 #chineseevs #cars #byd

Chinese manufacturers unveil sodium-ion EVs - A new chapter in the electric vehicle (EV) sector has begun, as two Chinese car ma... - https://readwrite.com/chinese-manufacturers-unveil-sodium-ion-evs/ #sodium-ionevbattery #industrial #chineseevs #chinaevs #energy #news