Amazon Home COVID Kit Under $40; Creepy New Facial Recognition; FTC Drafting Right to Repair Rules; Samsung-Big Profit Surge Next Quarter

Amazon has launched an at-home COVID-19 test kit for U.S. customers. Geekwire.com reports that customers get the nasal-swab kit by Amazon Prime delivery, at no extra cost, and send it— pre-paid next-day delivery to Amazon’s diagnostic laboratory in Kentucky, with results expected within 24 hours.The test is based on PCR, the same approach used by the city of Seattle and other public health efforts nationwide that detects viral nucleic acids. The test is distinct from an antibody-based test, which detects viral proteins and picks up fewer early-stage infections.

Kids in China…and maybe elsewhere…are gonna hate this! Tech giant Tencent has launched a time-sensitive facial recognition system that prevents minors from binging on video games after dark. According to thenextweb.com, the platform, called “Midnight Patrol,” arrives amid a moral panic over gaming addiction among children in China. Under-18s are now banned from gaming between 10PM and 8AM, and must register for games using their real names and government ID numbers. Big Brother really IS Watching! Tencent‘s system uses a facial verification system connected to a public identity database to detect minors posing as adults during the curfew. “Anyone who refuses or fails the face verification will be treated as a minor, and as outlined in the anti-addiction supervision of Tencent’s game health system, and kicked offline.” Tencent is automating the enforcement of China‘s strict gaming rules. Some have speculated the kids there will just turn to sex, drugs, and rock and roll to pass those late hours!

Are you listening, Apple? President Biden plans to direct the Federal Trade Commission to draft new rules aimed at bolstering consumers’ ability to repair their own devices. Bloomberg says the presidential directive is expected to mention smartphones like the iPhone. Currently, state-level right to repair bills are being considered by nearly half the states and House lawmakers introduced a piece of repair legislation that could implement national rules guaranteeing the right for consumers and third-party shops to repair electronic devices.

Samsung expects its operating profit to surge in the second-quarter, likely fueled by higher chip prices and continued consumer demand for electronics during the pandemic. Cnet.com reports that the company also said it benefited from a one-time gain. Samung projects its operating profit for the three-month period ended June 30 would come in around 12.5 trillion won ($11 billion), an increase of 53% compared with the year-ago period. It also said it expects its revenue to increase by nearly 19% to 63 trillion won ($55.4 billion).