Lowe’s, one of the early retailers to test the smart home market, emailed customers it’s shutting down its Iris smart home and security platform March 31, after the company’s announced exit late last year. Lowe’s had announced its decision to exit the Iris business in its Q3 release as part of a “strategic reassessment" that also included closing 20 U.S. stores, some 30 stores in Canada and withdrawing its retail operations in Mexico. It took a $14 million charge in Q3 for its exit of the Iris and Alacrity Renovation Services businesses. A Lowe’s spokesperson emailed Friday the decision was made after it evaluated options and “determined that none of the alternatives would allow Iris to continue to deliver the experience our customers have come to expect from us.” Lowe’s created an online redemption process that will allow Iris customers with eligible, connected Iris devices to receive a prepaid Visa card "to help them migrate to another smart home platform,” she said. Many devices used with Iris are compatible with other smart home platforms, she said. She mentioned SmartThings as a “comparable” platform and said a SmartThings support team is available to help with the migration process. The company will provide a full refund for eligible Iris devices not supported on a comparable platform. Responding to our question on how consumers should view Lowe’s take on the smart home opportunity, she said: “Lowe’s remains committed to carrying the breadth and depth of smart home products and brands to meet our customers’ needs now and in the future.” The smart home section on Lowe's website Friday appeared jumbled. The landing page under the smart home and security tab featured a Google family of products, including a thermostat, camera and smartphone app. When we clicked on “Shop All,” more than 30 smart lighting products from Q-See, also sold at competitor Home Depot, showed on screen. A Whirlpool washing machine appeared next to a Q-LED wired security camera kit and didn’t appear to be a smart model. In the row below, two Samsung ventless stackable dryers were sandwiched by a hangable shop light and a Samsung “smart home white home automation item tracker.” Lowe’s entered the market with Iris in 2012.

Lowe’s, one of the early retailers to test the smart home market, emailed customers it’s shutting down its Iris smart home and security platform March 31, after the company’s announced exit late last year. Lowe’s had announced its decision to exit the Iris business in its Q3 release as part of a “strategic reassessment" that also included closing 20 U.S. stores, some 30 stores in Canada and withdrawing its retail operations in Mexico. It took a $14 million charge in Q3 for its exit of the Iris and Alacrity Renovation Services businesses. A Lowe’s spokesperson emailed Friday the decision was made after it evaluated options and “determined that none of the alternatives would allow Iris to continue to deliver the experience our customers have come to expect from us.” Lowe’s created an online redemption process that will allow Iris customers with eligible, connected Iris devices to receive a prepaid Visa card "to help them migrate to another smart home platform,” she said. Many devices used with Iris are compatible with other smart home platforms, she said. She mentioned SmartThings as a “comparable” platform and said a SmartThings support team is available to help with the migration process. The company will provide a full refund for eligible Iris devices not supported on a comparable platform. Responding to our question on how consumers should view Lowe’s take on the smart home opportunity, she said: “Lowe’s remains committed to carrying the breadth and depth of smart home products and brands to meet our customers’ needs now and in the future.” The smart home section on Lowe's website Friday appeared jumbled. The landing page under the smart home and security tab featured a Google family of products, including a thermostat, camera and smartphone app. When we clicked on “Shop All,” more than 30 smart lighting products from Q-See, also sold at competitor Home Depot, showed on screen. A Whirlpool washing machine appeared next to a Q-LED wired security camera kit and didn’t appear to be a smart model. In the row below, two Samsung ventless stackable dryers were sandwiched by a hangable shop light and a Samsung “smart home white home automation item tracker.” Lowe’s entered the market with Iris in 2012.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected FCC tribal Lifeline support limits and procedures Friday. The 2017 order was vacated and remanded for a new rulemaking in a potential win for wireless resellers like TracFone (see 1902010017). It's a clean win for the order's opponents and the biggest loss for Chairman Ajit Pai so far in court, lawyers said Friday. Others said the FCC likely won’t try a do-over on the order or pursue removal non-facilities-based providers in general from the program.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected FCC tribal Lifeline support limits and procedures Friday. The 2017 order was vacated and remanded for a new rulemaking in a potential win for wireless resellers like TracFone (see 1902010017). It's a clean win for the order's opponents and the biggest loss for Chairman Ajit Pai so far in court, lawyers said Friday. Others said the FCC likely won’t try a do-over on the order or pursue removal non-facilities-based providers in general from the program.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit handed the FCC a loss Friday, rejecting tribal Lifeline support limits and procedures. The FCC's 2017 tribal order was vacated and remanded for a new rulemaking.

The general data protection regulation must be defended but also needs honest evaluation, a Wednesday Computers, Privacy & Data Protection conference heard, livestreamed from Brussels. GDPR has been in effect for eight months, and the European Commission is monitoring what countries are doing and how well people understand their rights, said Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Commissioner Vera Jourova. "We have to start differentiating between consumers and citizens" to ensure personal data isn't used in the political process for targeting people and spreading fake news, she said. The EC plans a conference in June to assess GDPR costs and benefits. There have been improvements in awareness and data processing, but more cooperation is needed among data protection authorities, said Marit Hansen, data protection commissioner of Land Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. The regulation is "slowly developing its potential" and its "teething problems" will be solved sooner rather than later, she said. GDPR faces two big threats -- avoidance and denial -- but it must be defended because of its link with democracy, said Gloria Gonzalez Fuster, of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Six EU governments haven't implemented it, and some like Poland lack money and resources to do so, said Member of the European Parliament Michal Boni, of the European People's Party and Poland. European Digital Rights is concerned about rule "flexibilities," said Anna Fielder, senior policy adviser with the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, speaking for EDRi. This includes language that lets political parties process personal data without explicit consent, which is happening in the U.K., Spain and Romania, she said. The EC is creating a European culture of privacy out of different national rules and processes, said Renate Nikolay, Jourova's head of cabinet. Europe is the "first mover" in privacy and will lead the global standard if it can make the law work uniformly, she said. Some aspects have worked, said Google Public Policy Manager Lanah Kammourieh Donnelly: It has led many businesses to boost processes and products, with Google having 500-plus people, many in Europe, working on privacy. But the harmonization the regulation aimed for hasn't happened, and more work is needed on standards, she said.

The general data protection regulation must be defended but also needs honest evaluation, a Wednesday Computers, Privacy & Data Protection conference heard, livestreamed from Brussels. GDPR has been in effect for eight months, and the European Commission is monitoring what countries are doing and how well people understand their rights, said Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Commissioner Vera Jourova. "We have to start differentiating between consumers and citizens" to ensure personal data isn't used in the political process for targeting people and spreading fake news, she said. The EC plans a conference in June to assess GDPR costs and benefits. There have been improvements in awareness and data processing, but more cooperation is needed among data protection authorities, said Marit Hansen, data protection commissioner of Land Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. The regulation is "slowly developing its potential" and its "teething problems" will be solved sooner rather than later, she said. GDPR faces two big threats -- avoidance and denial -- but it must be defended because of its link with democracy, said Gloria Gonzalez Fuster, of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Six EU governments haven't implemented it, and some like Poland lack money and resources to do so, said Member of the European Parliament Michal Boni, of the European People's Party and Poland. European Digital Rights is concerned about rule "flexibilities," said Anna Fielder, senior policy adviser with the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, speaking for EDRi. This includes language that lets political parties process personal data without explicit consent, which is happening in the U.K., Spain and Romania, she said. The EC is creating a European culture of privacy out of different national rules and processes, said Renate Nikolay, Jourova's head of cabinet. Europe is the "first mover" in privacy and will lead the global standard if it can make the law work uniformly, she said. Some aspects have worked, said Google Public Policy Manager Lanah Kammourieh Donnelly: It has led many businesses to boost processes and products, with Google having 500-plus people, many in Europe, working on privacy. But the harmonization the regulation aimed for hasn't happened, and more work is needed on standards, she said.

“Ongoing discussions” about Foxconn plans for new manufacturing capacity in Wisconsin (see 1806280053) reflect the company's “continued commitment to the state," said Mark Hogan, CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC). "Foxconn will not qualify for tax credits until, at the earliest, 2020, and then only if the company meets its annual job creation and capital investment requirements.” WEDC's contract specified the company would earn maximum cash incentives only if it hired 13,000 employees averaging more than $53,000 in annual salary. Executives say high costs of manufacturing U.S. advanced large screens could force it to scale back any $10 billion plant there or abandon it. The company didn't comment. Landing the factory was the brainchild of then-Gov. Scott Walker (R), who lost his bid for a third term in November. President Donald Trump at a July 2017 ceremony said the project, under his watch, would mean the return of electronics manufacturing jobs. Display Supply Chain Consultants “heard from equipment companies over the past couple of months to remove this project from our fab schedules,” emailed CEO Ross Young Tuesday of the curtailment.

“Ongoing discussions” about Foxconn plans for new manufacturing capacity in Wisconsin (see 1806280053) reflect the company's “continued commitment to the state," said Mark Hogan, CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC). "Foxconn will not qualify for tax credits until, at the earliest, 2020, and then only if the company meets its annual job creation and capital investment requirements.” WEDC's contract specified the company would earn maximum cash incentives only if it hired 13,000 employees averaging more than $53,000 in annual salary. Executives say high costs of manufacturing U.S. advanced large screens could force it to scale back any $10 billion plant there or abandon it. The company didn't comment. Landing the factory was the brainchild of then-Gov. Scott Walker (R), who lost his bid for a third term in November. President Donald Trump at a July 2017 ceremony said the project, under his watch, would mean the return of electronics manufacturing jobs. Display Supply Chain Consultants “heard from equipment companies over the past couple of months to remove this project from our fab schedules,” emailed CEO Ross Young Tuesday of the curtailment.

“Ongoing discussions” with Foxconn officials reflect the company’s “continued commitment to the state of Wisconsin,” said Mark Hogan, CEO of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), reacting to reports Foxconn executives say high costs of manufacturing large-screen advanced TV displays in the U.S. could force them to sharply scale back plans to build a $10 billion LCD fab there or to abandon the project.