Spotify May Get HiFi Audio- for $$$; Apple Expands Self-Service Repair Program; Tesla Stock Up on Supercharger Deals With Other EV Makers; FCC Investigating Broadband Data Caps

A new Spotify subscription tier is planned for later this year, but it now looks like it will be available outside the US first. Gizmodo.com reports that Individual Premium subscribers who already pay $9.99 a month for ad-free music and unlimited song and podcast downloads will be dinged for even more if they want what is being called the Superpremium tier. Bloomberg says that name probably isn’t the final name of the new hi-fi tier. In addition to hi-fi, the top tier could also give expanded access to audiobooks…which kind of negates the need for hi-fi when you are just listening to a person speak. Both Apple and Amazon have goosed their prices up to $10.99. Apple’s best audio stream sounds pretty amazing…it’s super clean and open sounding. 

Apple has now expanded their self-service repair program to cover the iPhone 14 line and a number of MacBook Pros and the 13 inch MacBook Air. According to macrumors.com, the Air with the M2 chip, and 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and Max chips will be included starting tomorrow. First launched in April 2022, Apple’s program provides customers with access to parts, manuals, and tools to repair select devices. Apple says the program is designed for anyone with “experience repairing electronic devices,” but says the “vast majority” of customers are better off visiting an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. Pro tip: having replaced batteries and memory in a couple Mac laptops…unless you are pretty savvy and skilled at this, take your rig to a shop! It’s still a good deal that Apple is doing this, as those parts, manuals, and tools will now be accessible to more local shops that will charge notably less than Apple. 

Tesla stock has been climbing nicely the last few weeks, but took a 4% jump today, as EV makers continue to want access to the company’s Supercharger network. Electrek.co says that with both Ford and GM inking deals with Tesla to start using their chargers and charging plug, things are picking up. Tesla stock is up 50% in the last month. Morgan Stanley recently estimated that the charging network could be worth more than $100 billion by 2030. Tesla currently has about 2,000 stations in North America. The bipartisan law passed last summer includes money to build thousands of charging stations, but so far is off to a slow start seeing actual construction of them. 

The FCC is looking at investigating broadband providers over their use of data caps on consumers. Cnet.com reports that the Commission is asking the public  to come forward with their own accounts of how data caps have affected them, via a consumer complaint form. https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/16136257875348-Data-Caps-Experience-Form. As the FCC Chair noted, “internet access is no longer nice-to-have, but need-to-have for everyone, everywhere. As we emerge from the pandemic, there are many lessons to learn about what worked and what didn’t work, especially around what it takes to keep us all connected.” Multiple internet service providers continue to impose data caps, even when smaller competing providers say that such caps aren’t necessary. Comcast Xfinity, Cox, AT&T and others continue to impose data caps with added charges for going over set limits. Other providers like Google Fiber, CenturyLink and Spectrum don’t have data caps. Interestingly, AT&T Fiber is unlimited.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.