New legislation and bigger fines were mentioned in a presidential memorandum Tuesday aimed at stopping imports of counterfeit goods through e-commerce platforms. Customs and Border Protection should seize counterfeit goods imported into the U.S. and impose the “maximum fines and civil penalties permitted by law on any e-commerce platform that directs, assists with, or is in any way concerned in the importation into the United States of counterfeit goods,” wrote President Donald Trump. He sought “legislation that would clarify and strengthen the executive branch’s authority and increase its resources to deter and address counterfeit trafficking on e-commerce platforms.” The Department of Homeland Security and attorney general are directed to “develop a legislative proposal to promote the policy objectives” within 120 days. EBay didn't comment Wednesday. Amazon didn't comment on the record.
Amazon’s seller fees and commissions are “very competitive when compared” with other options, a spokesperson emailed Friday in response to remarks on the House Antitrust Subcommittee’s Big Tech investigation (see 2010090053): “Sellers have many choices regarding how and where to sell their products, including physical stores, online marketplaces, and selling direct through their own storefronts.”
Aqara bowed a camera hub with Apple HomeKit Secure Video support. The G2H hub streams footage via Apple’s Home app in 1080p resolution and stores 10 days of recordings on supported iCloud accounts with no extra fees, with end-to-end encryption. Customers can be notified if humans, animals or moving objects are detected, it said Friday. The hub is available on Amazon for $69.
Over-ear headphones are the preferred form factor for listening at home, emailed Futuresource Friday. It forecasts over-ear headphones will grow at a 5% compound annual rate, generating $10 billion by 2024. Their average selling price grew from $80 in 2018 to $130, led by advanced features such as active noise canceling (ANC). Apple powered the true wireless earphone market, with 20% of shipments and 42% of value in the first half, Futuresource said. Features of the next AirPods, expected to be announced Tuesday, will likely include ANC and the spatial audio algorithm used in the AirPods Pro, said analyst Luke Pierce.
Samsung Electronics in South Korea filed Oct. 5 in the U.S. and Sept. 25 in the EU to trademark a wordless logo that depicts an old console TV on legs, its Patent and Trademark Office application shows. Samsung describes the logo as a “rectangle shape in the style of a television with a leg on both sides.” It wants to possibly use it for a broad swath of consumer tech goods, said the application. Console TVs went out of favor by the early 2000s after the transition began from CRT to flat-panel sets in large screen sizes. Samsung didn’t respond to questions Friday.
An e-waste incident reported by the Basel Action Network “appears to have been the result of human error” at a Goodwill location in Washington, D.C., where Dell displays were donated, emailed a Dell spokesperson Friday. BAN said four of six LCD monitors exported as e-waste to Guatemala were in “likely violation” of the country’s import laws and Dell’s corporate policy (see 2010070066). The other two monitors went to disposal companies in Maryland. “These six displays were incorrectly sorted and sent to another partner and never entered the Dell Reconnect program,” the Dell spokesperson said. “This Goodwill location has committed to immediate actions to ensure errors of this type do not occur again, and to use this as a training opportunity for all program participants. Dell will also support Goodwill Industries International to ensure participating Reconnect partners are aware of the processes in place.”
Amazon announced the first of its fleet of custom electric delivery vehicles from its partnership with Rivian (see 2009170047). It’s part of the company’s pledge to be net zero carbon by 2040, including having 10,000 Amazon electric delivery vehicles by 2022, 100,000 by 2030. The vans combine Rivian’s technology with Amazon’s delivery logistics and Alexa integration, said Ross Rachey, director-Amazon Global Fleet and Products, Thursday. The vehicles have sensor detection, highway and traffic assist technology and exterior cameras linked to an interior display for 360-degree coverage. Amazon is working on supporting technology for the vans, including charging infrastructure, Rachey said.
Virtuix launched a Regulation A funding campaign for a consumer version of its Omni treadmill, which allows users to walk or run through video games and other virtual environments using a supplied virtual reality headset. For $1,000, consumers can sign up to reserve shares in the crowdfunded campaign and get a discount of up to 40%, worth $800, when they buy a unit, said the company Wednesday. The omnidirectional treadmill gives users “unrestricted freedom of movement," including crouching, squatting, backing up and jumping, said CEO Jan Goetgeluk. Omni One can be folded up for storing. At launch, an Omni One game store will have 30 titles developed by Virtuix, plus licensed third-party titles, it said. The company projects availability in the second half of 2021.
Don't require stations moving to ATSC 3.0 to HD simulcast or take up proposals from public interest groups to subsidize consumer compatible equipment purchases from broadcasters' ancillary service fees, said NAB in a call Thursday with FCC Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey. “Rules regarding derogation of service have not proven controversial or unworkable in any way, and there is no compelling reason for the Commission to adjust those,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 20-145. Don’t “inject” retransmission consent matters here, NAB asked. “There is simply no reason for the Commission to consider, let alone adopt, regulations to prevent a harm that has not yet materialized associated with services that are not yet being offered.”
August semiconductor revenue reached $36.2 billion globally, up 4.9% from a year earlier and 3.6% higher than July, reported the Semiconductor Industry Association Monday. It was the seventh straight monthly year-over-year increase, “demonstrating the global market so far has remained largely insulated from ongoing global macroeconomic headwinds,” said SIA CEO John Neuffer. He cautioned there’s “still substantial uncertainty for the months ahead.” August sales into the Americas “stood out,” he said, rising 23.6% from August 2019.