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A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

MACBOOK KEYBOARD REPAIRS

APPLE was pretty gung-ho about the introduction of a new kind of keyboard with its line of MacBook laptops back in 2015.

It was so keen on the “butterfly” mechanism it created to replace the traditional mechanism that it also added it to its MacBook Pro line of laptops in 2016.

But now it seems there was a problem. Some people disliked the keyboards from the off – one of the features was the new keys were 40% thinner than on earlier keyboards, and had considerably less distance to travel to strike.

For many, the feel was off and it actually made typing harder, not easier. But now we find out they were also more prone to sticking if dust got in there, and this left the keyboard unusable.

Of course, the problem was covered by the warranty – the only trouble was, it often didn’t surface until after the warranty had expired.

Apple has now decided that this isn’t good enough and will repair keyboards that go wonky on the 12in MacBook from 2015 onwards, and 13in and 15in MacBooks from 2016 onwards. Cover lasts for four years from purchase.

UBER SAYS IT’S CHANGED

UBER was back in court this week, appealing against Transport for London’s decision to refuse the taxi-firm-in-an-app a licence to operate in the capital.

Uber had still been on the go there, of course, but it has has now won a 15-month probationary licence to carry on operating in London.

The reason for the original denial was that TfL thought Uber had shown a “lack of corporate responsibility” for the safety of its passengers – not enough checks were in place to make sure drivers were fit for the job, and they were too slow to report serious complaints against their drivers to the police.

Uber is not denying that wasn’t true back then, but its lawyers have managed to convince the court it has changed its ways.

This could well have a bearing on what happens in the other 40 towns and cities in the UK in which the service currently operates.