Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the privacy-conscious company of using its virtual assistant Siri to listen in on people using its iPhone and other trendy devices.

The proposed settlement, filed Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, would resolve a five-year-old lawsuit involving allegations that Apple secretly enabled Siri to record conversations on iPhones and other devices which have been equipped with the virtual assistant for greater than a decade.

The alleged recordings occurred even when people didn't attempt to activate the virtual assistant with the trigger words “Hey, Siri.” Some of the recorded conversations were then shared with advertisers to sell their products to consumers who were more more likely to be keen on the products and services, the lawsuit says.

The claims of a snooping Siri contradicted Apple's longstanding commitment protect privacy of its customers — a crusade that CEO Tim Cook has often portrayed as a fight to preserve “a basic human right.”

Apple doesn’t admit any wrongdoing within the settlement, which still must be approved by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. Attorneys working within the case have suggested scheduling a Feb. 14 court hearing in Oakland to review the conditions.

If the settlement is approved, tens of tens of millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from Sept. 17, 2014 through the top of last yr could file claims. Each consumer could receive as much as $20 for every Siri-equipped device covered by the agreement, although the payment could possibly be reduced or increased depending on the scope of the claim. Estimates from court documents indicate that only 3% to five% of eligible consumers are expected to file claims.

Eligible consumers may only request compensation for a maximum of 5 devices.

The settlement represents a fraction of the $705 billion in profits Apple has made since September 2014. It's also a fraction of the roughly $1.5 billion that consumer lawyers had estimated Apple would must pay if it was found to have committed wiretapping violations and other privacy laws had taken the case to court.

According to court documents, the attorneys who filed the lawsuit can seek as much as $29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their fees and other costs.

Originally published: January 3, 2025 at 5:17 am PST

“Within the NBA”

Consolation prize

Local news

The city of Cambridge spent $1.4 million in 2020 to settle a sexual harassment case involving a high-ranking member of the police department who created a hostile work environment, city officials confirmed Monday.

Cambridge spokesman Jeremy Warnick confirmed to Boston.com that three police department employees received $1.4 million in compensation following allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by Sergeant James Crowley.

Warnick said her investigation “corroborated some of the allegations” related to a case reported to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination in 2018.

Crowley was disciplined for the misconduct within the hostile work environment, which Warnick described as sexually oriented comments, jokes, innuendo “and other offensive statements.”

originally reported On Monday, it was reported that the settlement would go to a few female officers within the department. Their attorney, Ellen Zucker, confirmed the report back to Boston.com, which also included inappropriate text messages Crowley allegedly sent to his colleagues.

According to the, Crowley denies sending an image of his crotch to a bunch chat alluding to a craving for snacks and wrote “Gotcha Covered,” an alleged incident the newspaper learned about through a public records request.

Crowley confirmed one other text by which he told a police officer they need to “not ignore the moment” they shared when he helped her off a fence after a foot chase, the report said. He then said he “saved [her] from the certain destruction of the landing gear and the subsequent birth of babies.”

Crowley “strongly” denied the harassment allegations and called them “false” and “outrageous.”

Crowley is still a member of the department. He was already in the public spotlight in 2009 when he arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his home. Former President Barack Obama said the police “acted foolishly by arresting someone when there was already evidence that the person was in his own residence,” but invited both men to a “beer summit” at the White House.

Cambridge police did not respond to a request for comment.

Cambridge City Council receives few details of sexual harassment settlement

The reported that Cambridge kept the settlement secret for years. City councilors were asked in 2020 to approve the $1.4 million payment without many details, but only two voted against approving the settlement, the said.

“That's $1.4 million of taxpayer money that would have been spent on many things,” said City Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, who voted against the payment. told the newspaper“The public must have known what was achieved, however the council didn't know the main points. The public didn't know the main points. And I still don't understand why.”

Yi-An Huang, Cambridge's city manager who was appointed in 2022, said in a statement that the city is committed to ensuring the council “has enough information to make good decisions and exercise appropriate oversight.”

“There are undoubtedly tensions in cases like this and beyond around protecting complainants, ensuring due process, public transparency, accountability, legal obligations and the deeper work of fixing the culture,” Huang said.

Since the settlement, Cambridge has hired Christine Elow, the police department's first female police commissioner.

“I actually have spoken with Commissioner Christine Elow and her leadership team about how we encourage feedback, protect against retaliation, follow due process, ensure accountability, and construct a protected and inclusive culture,” Huang said. “I actually have full confidence in her leadership and work and know this has been a priority over the past several years.”

Want to begin an argument? Just ask any member of the family where you would like to spend your next vacation. In particular, must you play it protected by returning to the identical place – or try somewhere latest?

But it's an argument value making now. Here's why: The top travel destinations for summer 2024 are incredibly well-known. Orlando, London and Cancun, in keeping with the most recent Survey by Allianz Partners. All the far-flung revenge travel destinations from the post-pandemic era are gone. People want something protected and familiar.

But is that a superb thing?

Why everyone seems to be arguing about repeating holidays

According to experts, there’s a reason for the heated debate.

“When people return to the same place over and over again, they usually want predictability,” says Thomas Plante, psychology professor on the Santa Clara University. “They know exactly what they're getting and how it will work for them. That's the difference from those who want the unexpected by going to a new place every vacation.”

I even have to confess my bias: I belong to the second group. I even have no fixed address and, as a travel author, I get restless after I stay in a single place for greater than every week. So I needed to ask an authority to clarify our penchant for monotony.

“When a traveler finds a place they like, it's risky to go somewhere else,” says Jeff Galak, who teaches marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. Tepper School of Business“We've all had bad holidays. When we find one that's just right, it's hard to leave it behind.”

I'm about to pass the mic to each side of this argument. But first, let me inform you who's right: Yes, you may return to the identical place – but not in the way in which you’re thinking that.

That's why repeat holidays are great

Travelers have their reasons for returning to the identical place repeatedly. Shirleigh Brannon, a retired librarian from Marin County, travels to Anaheim twice a yr to go to Disneyland.

Her love of Disney vacations spans three many years, from the primary time she took her son to the Magic Kingdom. Experiencing the Jungle Cruise or Alice in Wonderland through the eyes of a four-year-old was something special.

“Many beautiful memories,” she says.

Even though she now knows every inch of the park, it’s these special memories that keep her coming back.

Another reason to go to again is that your folks and family will likely be there. Janet Ruth Heller returns to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, every summer along with her clan.

“We have fond memories,” says Heller, a retired college professor. “Elkhart Lake offers many activities for families and is conveniently located for our relatives.”

There's also a certain comfort. Bernard Nash, a medical professor from New York, likes to explore the world. But he also has a timeshare property in Aruba that he returns to yearly. He loves hanging out by the pool, taking long walks on the white sand beaches, and dining at his favorite restaurants. And sometimes, he meets people he knows who’re also vacationing there.

“It’s the perfect place to just relax,” he says.

Comfort, family and friends, and special memories are all good reasons to repeat your vacation.

But I need to warn you: you’re missing out.

Why you must get out and experience something latest

Other travelers would never repeat a visit. Marcy Schackne is one among them.

“When it comes to traveling,” she says, “it’s a once-in-a-lifetime endeavor.”

Schackne, marketing director at a healthcare company in South Florida, has traveled to all seven continents and is a component of the exclusive century club that has already visited greater than 120 countries.

“There is too much to see in the world to go back and experience Groundhog Day,” says Schackne, who’s traveling to Greenland in July.

“Going to the same place every year would be boring,” says Kathleen Panek, owner of a Bed and breakfast in Shinnston, W. Va. “There is so much to see and do.”

Panek's parents taught her to read a map as soon as she could recognize numbers. And she's been traveling continually ever since – totally on road trips within the U.S. and the occasional adventure in Europe. Her only regret is that she hasn't traveled more.

There is one more reason to get out and travel: it changes your perspective. And in a highly polarizing election yr, getting out of your comfort zone could make an actual difference. Research suggests that travel Change your viewpointalthough there is no such thing as a evidence that it’ll make you more liberal or conservative – only that it’ll change the way in which you view the world.

So, to sum up, trying a brand new travel destination broadens your horizons and makes your life more exciting – and possibly much more interesting.

However, it might be improper to say that you might have to spend every holiday in a brand new place.

How to seek out a brand new place to go to this summer

Here are some ways to try a brand new destination this summer.

Ask a friend. A word-of-mouth suggestion is all the time the perfect technique to discover a latest place to go to since it comes from someone who knows you. Ask a friend or member of the family a few latest place to go to. The answer might surprise you.

Try the Random Rides button. Almost every online travel site has a feature that means that you can select a random location to go to. For example: Google Flights has a “travel suggestions” function that recommends inexpensive tour destinations.

Consult an authority. A certified travel consultant can enable you to discover a latest place to go to. If you don't have a travel agent, you could find one through the American Association of Travel Consultants.

Where must you travel this summer?

Should you go to the identical place this summer or try something latest?

“We know how to get around, where to go, what to do, how to behave in bad weather and where to shop,” she says. “You don't need maps for that.”

But Barton also loves exploring, and this summer she's traveling to Iceland and Rome to create latest memories.

Kristiana Capati-Choquet, luxury travel consultant at Embark on a journey of discoveryalso sees this duality in her clients.

“Seeing the same people in the same places feeds into the basic human need to belong,” she says. “On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who can't stand repeating vacations and have a real adventurer side.”

It's OK to have a favourite place to go to this summer. I even have many. I like Paris in July and Seattle in August. Utah is my favorite place in September – possibly one among the Mighty Five National Parks.

But for heaven's sake, try something latest. You don't know what you're missing.

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SAN JOSE – The San Jose City Council has approved a $350,000 settlement for a girl who was brutally kicked and dragged by a police officer during a automobile stop 4 years ago. The encounter gained notoriety after an eyewitness video went viral on social media.

The payment was approved Tuesday to settle an excessive-force lawsuit filed in federal court by Guadalupe Marin. As the video shows, Marin passively resisted Officer Matthew Rodriguez before he kicked her within the stomach, handcuffed her after which dragged her across a McDonald's parking zone near the corner of East Santa Clara and twenty fourth Streets on July 22, 2020.

Marin and her attorney, Sarah Marinho, declined to comment on the settlement, under which town and San Jose police admitted no wrongdoing. A memo from City Attorney Nora Frimann described the payment as “a negotiated agreement between the parties to avoid the risks associated with litigation,” which is common in such agreements.

This is the second six-figure settlement town has paid in as a few years for Rodriguez's on-duty conduct. He, together with not less than three other officers, was sued by Anthony Cho for excessive use of force. Cho claimed he was hit with batons, punched and kicked during a traffic stop on July 18, 2020 – 4 days before the incident with Marin – where he was suspected of driving a stolen vehicle. His subsequent charge of resisting arrest was dropped, and in March 2023, town agreed to pay him $200,000 to settle his lawsuit.

Rodriguez is currently facing charges of assault under the guise of authority. He is on leave from the police until the criminal case is resolved.

Both the lawsuit and a police report accompanying Rodriguez's criminal criticism show that even before the viral video, a police supervisor had noticed discrepancies between Rodriguez's bodycam footage and his original report that the 39-year-old woman was not cooperating. The report and lawsuit suggest a communication gap when the driving force thought she was complying with the officer's command to get on the bottom by crouching down, while Rodriguez wanted her to get on the bottom and crawl toward him.

A moment later, Rodriguez was heard screaming, “I'm going to kick you in the (expletive) face!”, after which, in response to the prosecution, he “kicked Marin in the stomach with full force until the air went out of her lungs” before dragging her across the sidewalk.

Rodriguez and one other officer were also accused within the indictment of falsely claiming of their police reports that Marin resisted them; the one-minute eyewitness video showed Marin sitting passively next to a silver BMW while Rodriguez stood a couple of feet away.

The second officer, Tyler Moran, was a co-defendant within the lawsuit for allegedly failing to intervene and stop Rodriguez. Moran, who has since left the SJPD, was also a co-defendant in Cho's lawsuit.

Police said officers stopped the BMW since the vehicle had evaded two traffic stops up to now 4 days. However, the criticism states that considered one of the officers on the scene quickly realized that Marin was not the driving force within the previous cases and that Marin's sister, who was a passenger that day, had recently purchased the automobile from a neighborhood mechanic.

The lawsuit also stressed that Marin was clearly “unarmed, as he could see that she was holding nothing in her hands and was wearing form-fitting shorts and a tank top,” and that together with her 5'1″ height and soft voice, she objectively posed no threat to officers in any way.”

Three minor misdemeanor charges brought against Marin arising from her arrest that day were later dropped.

By Joe Sutton and Elizabeth Wolfe | CNN

Local authorities in Colorado have reached an $8.5 million settlement with a girl who was hospitalized in 2022 after handcuffed in a police SUV that was then hit by a train.

The city of Fort Lupton and the town of Platteville, Colorado, have reached a settlement with the victim, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, in keeping with a news release from Fort Lupton police. The settlement amount shall be split equally between the town and the township and paid by their insurers, in keeping with attorney Eric M. Ziporin, whose office is representing the town.

Rios, who was considered a suspect in a road rage case, survived the September 2022 collision but suffered nine broken ribs, a broken arm and other injuries.

“This voluntary settlement is to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, recognizes the seriousness of this matter and allows all parties to move forward,” Fort Lupton police said.

Fort Lupton police officer Jordan Steinke, who put Rios within the vehicle, was found guilty He was charged last 12 months with reckless endangerment and third-degree assault in reference to the accident and sentenced to 30 months probation and 100 hours of community service.

On the day of the accident, Steinke was present at a traffic stop during which officers stopped Rios, who authorities said was suspected of pointing a gun at one other driver earlier that evening. Steinke put Rios in Platteville police officer Pablo Vasquez's patrol automobile, which was parked in the course of a railroad crossing.

Steinke argued during her trial that she didn’t notice the route of the railroad tracks despite several warning signs, including one next to where she parked her automobile.

The officer said she was not fully aware of her surroundings because she was afraid of approaching a suspect who may need a weapon. “You can only divide your attention to a certain extent,” Steinke testified.

CNN has reached out to the town of Platteville and an attorney for Rios for comment on the settlement.

Fort Lupton is positioned about 30 miles north of Denver.

The-CNN-Wire
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