Banned

Electric bicycle ridership grew to never-before-seen levels in 2023. But despite the increased ridership, or perhaps even because of it, this year has seen an increase in the number of limits and bans placed on electric bicycles and e-scooters. Here’s a look back at some of the most infamous bans and what led to them. NYC wants e-bikes stopped at the border Earlier this year, NYC announced an upcoming ban on the sale of electric bikes that don’t have UL-compliant batteries. Companies were given…

Joe Maring / Digital Trends Apple halted the sales of two Apple Watch models earlier this month following a court ruling that the company violated patent laws. Apple’s last hope was the White House, which could offer the company a respite from a sales and import ban with a veto order. However, Apple didn’t get any such relief from the Biden Administration on the sales ban covering the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. In an executive release issued by President Biden’s office, the White House has…

Rite Aid is banned for five years from using artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition to try to curb shoplifting, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Tuesday. In a press release, the agency said that the drugstore company is being banned from using the technology “for surveillance purposes” for the length of five years to settle charges by the FTC. The FTC charges “that the retailer failed to implement reasonable procedures and prevent harm to consumers in its use of facial recognition technology in…

Californians—including minors—are still able to buy flavored electronic cigarettes online, even after the state’s much-publicized ban went into effect. That’s the key finding of my team’s new study, published in JAMA Network Open.On Dec. 21, 2022, California enacted Senate Bill 793, which prohibited the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to people of all ages. Hookahs, premium cigars, and loose-leaf tobacco were exempted from the legislation.The ban was motivated, in large part, by a desire to…

After a surprising announcement that Apple would need to stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 due to a legal battle, the Cupertino firm has removed these smartwatches from its online store.At the moment of this writing, the only Apple Watch available in the Apple Store Online is the Apple Watch SE 2. The reason behind this is that the SE doesn’t feature the blood oxygen monitor, which, according to the US International Trade Commission, is why these watches have halted sales. ITC…

Going to the gym can be super stressful, especially when you’re just starting out. It feels like you’re messing up every exercise, you don’t know how to mount the machines properly, everyone’s looking at you… It’s horrible, I know.The truth is, people in the gym seldom care about what you’re doing. Besides the rare bad apples that Noah Bermudez collects and exposes to his followers, like these two girls making fun of a guy’s totally valid exercises by pointing at him, copying what he’s doing and laughing. You know, just…

DENVER —  The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday declared former President Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot, setting up a likely showdown in the nation’s highest court to decide whether the favorite for the Republican nomination can remain in the race.The decision, from a court whose justices were all appointed by Democratic governors, marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has…

Masimo, a leading medical technology company, and tech giant Apple have been entangled in a series of legal disputes for several years, primarily revolving around allegations that Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensor technology infringes on multiple Masimo patents. Image Credit: Firstpost | Mehul Reuben Das…

Snoops says, “buy me now.”Photo: Florence Ion / GizmodoSanta’s elves better hurry up and ship those new Apple Watches. Starting Dec. 21, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will no longer be available for sale. Christmas Eve is the last day to buy one at the brick-and-mortar Apple retail store.Hands-On With Meta Quest 3What’s going on? Like all significant patent disputes, they come to a head around a major holiday. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is halting sales of its smartwatches because of a patent disagreement with a…

Greta Gerwig's Barbie emerged as a record-breaking standout this year, earning a top spot on my list of the best comedies of 2023. However, its billion-dollar box office triumph wasn't always a certainty. According to the director, investors were apprehensive about the film's prospects due to concerns surrounding a banned Barbie-adjacent short film crafted by Todd Haynes over three decades ago.In a candid conversation, directors of some of this year's standout films, including Blitz Bazawule (The Color Purple), Bradley…