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Businesses

Brazil Sues Samsung Over Worker Conditions 110

First time accepted submitter konohitowa writes "The Financial Times is reporting that the Brazilian government has filed a lawsuit against Samsung for working conditions that put workers' health at risk (both through repetitive motion injuries as well as excessive consecutive work days). Samsung has 'promised to conduct a thorough review and fully co-operate with the Brazilian authorities once it receives details of the complaint.'"
Communications

Door-To-Door Mail Delivery To End Under New Plan 867

First time accepted submitter Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Reuters reports that under a cost-saving plan by the US Postal Service, millions of Americans accustomed to getting their mail delivered to their doors will have to trek to the curb and residents of new homes will use neighborhood mailbox clusters. 'Converting delivery away from door delivery to either curb line or centralized delivery would enable the Postal Service to provide service to more customers in less time,' says Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan. More than 30 million American homes get door-to-door delivery and another 50 million get their mail dropped at their curbside mailboxes. But the Post Service, which is buckling under massive financial losses, sees savings in centralized mail delivery. Door-to-door delivery costs the Postal Service about $353 per address each year while curbside delivery costs $224, and cluster boxes cost $160 per address. But unions say it's a bad idea to end delivery to doorsteps and will be disruptive for the elderly and disabled. 'It's madness,' says Jim Sauber, chief of staff for the National Association of Letter Carriers. 'The idea that somebody is going to walk down to their mailbox in Buffalo, New York, in the winter snow to get their mail is just crazy.'"

Comment Re:Good at light browsing and video- WTF? (Score 1) 224

I bought a Nook HD+ (9in) 2 weeks ago and it is a great value. For a consumption device it is a hacker's dream at that price. Custom ROMs really make it a great device. But it is not a desktop or notebook PC. And only a fool or a media consumption only user would feel they are equivalent.

Comment Know what you eat (Score 4, Insightful) 391

I'm not a tinfoil hat type who won't touch GMO because of any silly number of silly new age concerns or paranoid fantasies. But, that doesn't mean people don't have aright to know what they eat. Sure labeling won't solve problems like in TFA, but anything additional that informs consumers is a good thing. And knowing the potential pitfalls of different food choices should be a right. The current inability of shoppers in the US to know what foods are GMO means consumers have no choice. It also leads to suspicion and support to the luddite part of the anti-GMO crowd.

Labeling is the first step to educating the public on GMOs and what they provides as well as potential impacts worldwide from GMO such as increased yield (with less chemicals) on one hand, and things like genetic diversity concerns and the role of seed/pesticide suppliers and patents on the other. The reason labeling here is so opposed by the industry isn't because of some conspiracy or concern that customers will decide to stop eating their product, or radically change their diet. Americans have known what we eat and its volume are deadly and McDonalds hasn't been shut down.

Instead the reason behind non-labeling is to keep the status quo, labels on food mean questions, questions lead to competing information and the rise of the conspiracy theorist. Not having to label is just the path of least resistance. But keeping a few loud mouth idiots quiet isn't a good reason to not engage honestly with the public about a very profound change in the way we produce food, and quality to support a growing population.

Comment Re:I detect spin... (Score 3, Insightful) 268

To be fair, I don't believe there is a jailbreak for iOS6 or any of the new iDevices. So I imagine that number must have gone down. Of course the general gist of what you say is accurate. If WP8 gains any relevance at all I expect them to be in the same boat Apple and Google are in.

Comment Steve Ballmer is gonna be pissed (Score 4, Insightful) 268

I really hope Nokia realized that when they sold their soul to MS they don't get to say what they want anymore. They are tied to a much stronger company, who literally controls their only chance at having any relevance in smartphones. When they had options, and in-house OS production they might have been able to say what they wanted, and risk souring one of many relationships. Now it's all the eggs in one place, with a company not known for treating even perfect partners with an ounce of respect.

Comment Re:Post Steve Jobs? (Score 1) 98

Very true about GMaps being awkward vs native app. But did you ever use the older YouTube app? It was fucking horrible, featureless, HD-challanged, slow as all hell. The new Google provided one is so much better, and even the web interface was miles ahead for literally years. The other benefit for iOS users is one less uninstallable app. But Apple should have let people do that from the start.
The Almighty Buck

Ask Slashdot: What Would It Take For Developers To Start Their Own Union? 761

juicegg writes "TechCrunch contributor Klint Finley writes that developers have shunned unions because traditional workplace demands like higher pay are not important to us while traditional unions are incapable of advocating for what developers care about most while at work: autonomy and self-management. Is this how most developers feel? What about overtime, benefits, conditions for contractors and outsourcing concerns? Are there any issues big enough to get developers and techies to make collective demands or is it not worth the risk? Do existing unions offer advantages or is it better to start from scratch?"

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