Technology - Google News

Apple MacBook keyboard issue prompts lawsuit

Posted: 12 May 2018 12:41 PM PDT

On its website, Apple talks up the butterfly mechanism.

Screenshot by CNET

If you're having problems with your MacBook keyboard, you're not alone. And now the issue may be heading to court.

A class-action complaint filed Friday says people who bought a MacBook or MacBook Pro equipped with Apple's "butterfly" keyboard "face a constant threat of nonresponsive keys and accompanying keyboard failure" and accuses Apple of failing to alert consumers about the issue.

Apple didn't respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit, filed in Northern California's US District Court, follows blog posts, tweets, support-forum comments, a Change.org petition, and even a satirical song and video about the allegedly janky keyboards.

Apple introduced its "butterfly" switch in 2015, on the 12-inch MacBook. The bit of hardware replaced the traditional "scissor" mechanism below each key and was meant to be more stable, responsive and comfortable (as Apple says on its site). For some users, though, things apparently haven't worked out that way.

People have complained about having to go a week or more without their computer while Apple replaced not just the unresponsive key, but a substantial part of their MacBook. And that was if their laptop was still under warranty. Others, less fortunate, have said the out-of-warranty fix can set you back $700.

Critics say Apple has been less-than-responsive about the problem. In June, the company's customer-support team posted a webpage outlining how to clean the keyboard using a can of compressed air (some folks say that doesn't always work, or that the problem recurs). In March, reports surfaced about Apple filing a patent for a crumb-resistant MacBook keyboard.

The keyboard lawsuit, posted by Apple Insider, which reported on it earlier, calls out MacBooks from 2015 or later and MacBook Pros from 2016 or later, and it says thousands of consumers have run into the defect.

The suit seeks class-action status and, among other things, asks that Apple be compelled to "provide adequate disclosure of the defective nature of the MacBooks" and "return to Plaintiffs and Class members all costs attributable to remedying or replacing defective MacBook laptops, including but not limited to economic losses from the purchase of replacement laptops."

Girard Gibbs Ltd., the legal firm representing the plaintiffs, has a webpage about the "butterfly" keyboard issue. The firm didn't return a call seeking additional comment.

Does the Mac still matter? Apple execs explain why the MacBook Pro was over four years in the making, and why we should care.

'Hello, humans': Google's Duplex could make Assistant the most lifelike AI yet.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

How to Try Out Google Assistant's New Voices Now

Posted: 13 May 2018 03:47 AM PDT

Last week Google announced that it will be adding six new voices for Google Assistant, as well as one that sounds like John Legend.

While you won’t be able to get Legend’s voice until later this year, several of the voices are already live in the Google Assistant app and ready to be taken for a test drive.

To get the new voices, launch the Google Assistant or Google Home app on your phone and then tap the blue box on the top righthand side of the screen. From there, tap the three dots in the top-right side and then select Settings from the drop-down menu. If you’re using Google Home you’ll skip the blue box step and instead select “More settings” from the drop-down menu.

Afterward, select Preferences from the menu followed by Assistant Voice. You should see six options for voices. Tap on each one to hear a preview of what it sounds like, and then leave the one you like best selected before exiting the menu.

There should be a total of eight voices available for users of both iOS and Android now. If you don’t see the new options, make sure you’ve downloaded the latest version of the app.

Let's block ads! (Why?)