consumer-technology
Latest stories covering consumer-technology, with summaries and links to related coverage.
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New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
opinion
1 min read
A Withings community member says new Withings accounts created after October 13, 2026 must subscribe to Withings+ at $99.99 per year to export data to Apple Health. The member says Withings customer support described Apple Health synchronization as a standard feature that does not require a subscription, while also stating that accounts created after that date would be asked to subscribe to Withings+ to export data. According to the customer, support cited new privacy measures and an AI connector as reasons for the subscription requirement. The customer argues that writing data to Apple Health through Apple’s HealthKit occurs locally on a phone and does not require cloud-computing resources or an AI connector. They note that users can still manually export CSV files, but contend that manual exports are not an adequate substitute for automatic synchronization. The customer characterizes the change as an anti-consumer paywall on access to users’ health data and calls on Withings to reverse it.
I Fired Google
opinion
5 min read
Companies are increasingly replacing simple, functional designs with complex systems that require ongoing support and subscriptions. BMW has implemented a subscription model for features like heated seats, which are installed in the car but can only be accessed after paying a fee.
Hold on to Your Hardware
opinion
19 min read
Rising prices and diminishing consumer choice threaten personal computer ownership as control shifts toward data centers. The era of affordable hardware, characterized by cheaper memory and faster upgrades, is coming to an end.