Ring, the smart doorbell maker owned by Amazon, ended its partnership with Flock Safety, a police surveillance technology company, following public backlash. The decision, announced after a Super Bowl ad featuring a lost dog found through a network of cameras, sparked fears of a dystopian surveillance society, according to Fortune. While the ad did not directly involve Flock, the partnership aimed to allow Ring camera owners to share footage with law enforcement through a feature called Community Requests.
The announcement of the partnership termination came after a comprehensive review, according to Ring and Flock. The initial plan, announced last year, was to give Ring camera owners the option to share their video footage in response to law enforcement requests. The Super Bowl ad, which featured the "Search Party" feature, was not cited as a reason for the cancellation.
In other news, an Islamist party has become Bangladesh's main opposition for the first time in the country's history, as reported by NPR Politics. Jamaat-e-Islami's 11-party alliance won 77 of 300 seats in last week's polls, challenging the old dynastic political system. This shift comes despite concerns about the party's policies on women.
Meanwhile, primary care practices in the U.S. are facing challenges. Doctors are banding together to increase their market power, according to NPR News. Valley Medical Group in western Massachusetts, for example, joined an Independent Physician Association (IPA) to avoid selling to a hospital system. The area is a difficult place to find a primary care doctor, according to the report.
In Canada, the Winter Games have been marked by controversy. Canadian curlers have been involved in disputes, including an incident where skip Marc Kennedy was accused of illegally touching a curling stone, according to Time. "You can fck off," Kennedy told Sweden's Oskar Eriksson. Visual evidence showed Kennedy's finger likely nicked the stone. Rachel Homan, another Canadian curler, was also ruled to have touched a stone. "I have no idea what the umpire saw," Homan said.
Finally, rising coffee prices are impacting consumer habits. According to Fortune, coffee prices in the U.S. were up 18.3% in January from a year ago. Some consumers are ditching their daily coffee runs. "I did that daily for years. I loved it. That was just my routine," said Chandra Donelson, who gave up her daily coffee habit.
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