Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.
In a recent TV interview on State of the Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union President Jim Hoffa claimed Apple is unpatriotic for outsourcing manufacturing overseas.
“Look at Apple, they have $76 billion dollars in their checking account, and they’re not spending it… instead of investing here, everything they do is in China, or in Asia somewhere… There’s something wrong with that.”
Hoffa, in the video embedded below, urged President Obama to “challenge the patriotism” of American companies for investing outside the U.S. in his upcoming jobs speech and also proposes a tax initiative to “start spending some of that money here in America and put Americans back to work”. Expand Expanding Close
According to a report from Taiwan Economic News (viaBGR), Apple’s yet to be announced iPad 3 will feature a battery pack that is “thinner and lighter” with a longer service life, slated to enter mass production in quarter one of next year.
Supplying the battery packs, which will apparently cost between 20% and 30% more than iPad 2 packs, will be Simplo Technology Co. and Dynapack International Technology Corp. The price increase is reportedly due to the new battery modules requiring “advanced technologies” in order to meet “CTIA IEEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability”.
The report notes that initial deliveries of the packs will begin in the fourth quarter, which will provide the two suppliers with “record new highs in revenues for the quarter”.
The image on the left (above) is the logo of Sichuan China-based food company Sichuan Fangguo Food Co., Ltd. It’s also the logo that Apple claims infringes on trademarks related to it’s own iconic Apple logo, according to a report from go chengdoo. (We cant help but feel that it looks more like an Apple logo merged with elements of LG’s logo)
CEO of Fangguo, Zhao Yi’s intial response:
“There’s a leaf so you can tell it’s an apple, but it also contains two Chinese characters. … The orientation is also different, and ours is a totally different shape … .” Besides, he added, “When I started Fangguo, I had never even heard of Apple.”
The company claims to have received a letter on July 19 from Beijing Zhucheng Law on behalf of Apple that gave the company until August 6th to respond to complaints regarding the resemblance of their logo to Apple’s. This was two days before Fangguo’s logo registration application was to be extended. The trademark registration license currently extends to August 19, 2017. Expand Expanding Close
Digitimes claimed back in May that Largan Precision could become the main supplier of eight-megapixel lens modules for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5. Now a report today from Taiwan Economic News claims that not only Largan Precision Co., Ltd., but also Genius Electronic Optical Co., Ltd will both be supplying Apple for their next-gen iPhone with orders expected to be placed soon.
“The two companies are reported to continue supplying lenses for Apple’s newest iPhone 5 with an 8-megapixel camera. With relatively higher production yield, Largan, commanding nearly 20% of the global market, will reportedly garner a big order from Apple.”
Update: SFWeekly is now reporting that SFPD did in fact assist Apple in the search of the Bernal Heights man’s home.
A Bernal Heights man claims six men claiming to be San Francisco Police searched his home in July alleging they had traced a prototype next-gen iPhone to the location, this according to a report from SFWeekly. This comes after a report from CNET yesterday detailing the story but claiming police and Apple employees were actually involved. San Francisco police later denied the incident.
SFWeekly reports:
“Calderón said that at about 6 p.m. six people — four men and two women — wearing badges of some kind showed up at his door. “They said, ‘Hey, Sergio, we’re from the San Francisco Police Department.'” He said they asked him whether he had been at Cava 22 over the weekend (he had) and told him that they had traced a lost iPhone to his home using GPS”
After an extended search of the man’s property turned up nothing, the intruders allegedly offered $300 for the device’s safe return and also left a phone number. SFWeekly says they’ve called that number and claim it was answered by Apple Senior Investigator and former San Jose Police sergeant Anthony Colon who declined to comment. 9to5Mac discovered that Colon has just deleted his LinkedIn profile, which confirmed his status as an Apple employee (saved image of that profile embedded below the fold).
While there is no proof that the men involved were associated with Apple in any way, Caldeorn reports, “They made it seem like they were on the phone with the owner of the phone, and they said, ‘The person’s not pressing charges, they just want it back, and they’ll give you $300”. There have been allegations that the original story posted by CNET was a publicity stunt, possibly orchestrated by Apple. However, we cant’t help but feel like Caldeorn’s description of the men doesn’t sound very Apple-employee like.
A report from MacRumors claims the iPhone prototype codenamed “N94” has gained FCC ID “BCG-E2430A”, thanks to a file that has been added in the latest iOS 5 Beta 7 release. This provides yet more proof that Apple is moving closer towards the unveiling of this rumoured iPhone 4 variant. The actual FCC filing is yet to show up in the equipment authorization database, but the discovery comes from a file named “RegulatoryInfo-N94AP@2x~iphone.png” as related to the General > About > Regulatory section of the device’s Settings app. 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman dug up the image (above).
This newly discovered FCC ID compares to the GSM iPhone 4’s “BCG-E2380A” identifier and the CDMA iPhone 4’s “BCG-E2422A” ID. MacRumors notes that Apple products typically don’t show up in the data FCC’s database until the same day the products are unveiled.
This follows our report that we found references to the “N94″ in the iOS 5.0 SDK earlier this year, and leaked images of the mystery device’s back cover discovered by MacPost. Whether this is an next-gen iPhone 5 or the much rumored iPhone 4S, we’ll most likely have to wait till the fall to find out.
The Makayama Movie Mount is essentially a case for your iPad 2 that allows you to “radically improve video capture” by attaching a number of professional photography related peripherals. Some of the possibilities include third-party wide angle and tele-lenses, microphones and lights, and a standard tripod (not included) for “stable shots, pan & tilt camera movements”.
Simply clip the iPad 2 into the case and attach your third-party accessories to one of the two standard hot shoes or screw fittings. Wide angle lens conversion up to 0.5x and zoom-angle up to 2x comes courtesy of a 37mm screw fitting that allows you to attach conversion lenses and even switch between the attached lens and the iPad’s lens on the fly.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2mKeAmEwOM&feature=player_embedded] Expand Expanding Close
While Apple’s London Covent Garden and Regent Street stores have given the company a prominent presence in the city centre, a proposed development at 100 Cheapside in London’s uber-rich financial district may be threatened by neighbours claiming rights to sunlight.
ifoAppleStore got their hands on a rendering of the proposed development which would cover 87,000 square-feet of office space, and 13,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. A report from Reutersnotes that Apple is currently interested in moving in. Judging by the mock up above, an Apple retail space would fit nicely in that large windowed, street-level storefront.
However, it looks like if Apple is really interested in making it happen they might have to throw some of those billions to appease neighbours and get the job done. Reuters reports: Expand Expanding Close
Not to be confused with yesterday’s story of an iPhone 5 prototype potentially being lost in the wild, today CNET reports that two men involved in last year’s high profile case of the lost iPhone 4 prototype purchased by Gizmodo have pled not guilty.
This comes after the court decided to not file charges against Gizmodo and instead file misdemeanours against the two men, Brian Hogan (pictured above) and Robert Sage Wallower, suspected of finding and selling the device.
Hogan, the man who allegedly obtained the prototype iPhone in a bar last year has plead not guiltily, along with Robert Sage Wallower, who is charged with possessing stolen property in the case, in front of Judge Jonathan Karesh this morning. Pretrial is slated for October 11. Expand Expanding Close
A new patent application published by the US Patent & Trademark Office (via Patently Apple) today reveals Apple’s possible plans to radically change the implementation of antennas in future iPhones and other small form factor devices.
The majority of the patent describes a new composite material made up of a “foam substrate formed of a plurality of foam cells”. However, possible uses for the composite, as detailed in the patent, include a possible new antenna window on mobile devices. This would mark a huge departure from the antenna design in the currently shipping iPhone 4, which still relies on the antenna baked into the stainless steel frame. The same antenna that caused so much controversy regarding reception issues.
Patently Apple explains the potential benefits of the composite: Expand Expanding Close
It looks like Apple has just started offering refurbished iPad 2s via the Apple online store, as noted by Dealnews and MacRumors. We aren’t going to jump to any upcoming iPad 3 conclusions just yet, but the discount is definitely a welcomed entry price point for new iPad owners in the midst of tablet makers looking to go after the low-end tablet market.
The only iPad 2s currently available include the 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi+3G models going for $679 and $779, and the 64GB Wi-Fi only model going for $649. It looks like both black and white models are currently available as well as all four carrier options for the 3G models. If you can get your hands on one before they’re gone, it’s listed as shipping in 1-3 business days. Expand Expanding Close
Sprintfeed is reporting sources have confirmed Sprint intends on increasing the early termination fee for smartphone, tablet, and notebook users to $350, up from the current $200. The proof comes from the leaked internal document above. This follows evidencethe carrier will get Apple’s next iPhone at launch and a story claiming Sprint employees have been told not to discuss the upcoming device.
The change probably wont affect current Sprint users hoping to upgrade to a possible new iPhone, as the new fee will only take effect for contracts signed after September 9th. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Expand Expanding Close
A report released on Wednesday from five independent environmental organizations in China (viaFinancial Times) accuses Apple of knowingly inking deals with known polluters and taking“advantage of the loopholes in developing countries’ environmental management systems”.
The report even goes as far as claiming air pollution from two factories (Kaedar Electronics and Unimicron Electronics) have forced villagers, who say they’ve noticed increased cancer rates since the factories popped up, to send their children out of town for school.
The groups involved in the report claim to have worked with 29 large technology companies over the past year to reduce the amount in which their supply chain contributes to pollution in the country. Apple was allegedly unresponsive, encouraging director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs Ma Jun and others in the group to release today’s report.
In an interesting twist, Apple apparently contacted Jun and the group questioning his allegations before the report was published. According to FT, Apple told Jun that many of the suppliers listed weren’t associated with the company, without providing specifics. It’s important to note that factories listed in the report were gathered through court documents and other public sources. Apple doesn’t publicly make the names of most of its suppliers available (with exceptions). Expand Expanding Close
The Financial Times has officially been removed from the App Store after failing to comply with Apple’s in-app subscription model that requires payments to be processed through iTunes (giving Apple a 30% cut in the process).
The publication used to have an iPhone and iPad app, which appear to have been removed from the App Store today. Fortunately for FT (not so much for Apple), they also have an HTML5 web app alternative that they’re urging iOS users to use instead.
We told you a couple weeks ago about the possibility Apple was testing 3G MacBook Pro designs back in 2007 after a prototype popped up on Ebay recently. After reaching nearly $70,000 in bids, it looks like Apple is stepping in and requesting the device be returned.
A report from CNET today sheds a little more light on the current situation of the seller, who was allegedly contacted by Apple to return the machine to local Apple employees after the company had the eBay listing removed citing copyright, trademark, and IP infringement.
A little more back story surrounding the device and it’s eBay auction also emerged in the report… Expand Expanding Close
A report from Reuters suggests Palo Alto-based Flipboard is considering taking on Netflix, Hulu, Apple, and others by attempting to land deals that would allow them to offer TV shows.
Flipboard is currently only available as an iPad app and as it stands provides limited content (albeit in a stylish manner) in magazine format from a number of publications including Economist and Oprah.com. It also takes a unique approach of integrating social updates from Twitter and Facebook into the layout. The report claims Flipboard is currently in talks with studios in order to land the deals necessary for rights to add TV shows as well.
It’s unclear exactly who the company has approached and how far along talks are, but the report says Chief Executive Mike McCue wants to start on the project “at the end of the year”. He also has plans to sign up book publishers and release an iPhone version in the near future. This comes on the heels of competitor Zite being snatched up by CNN, and a number of other high profile alternatives getting deals with studios in place. Expand Expanding Close
comScore has just released their ‘U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share’ report for the three month period ending in July. The report once again sees Apple’s market share increasing, this time up 1 percentage point to capture 27% of the market. This is in comparison to Google, who came in at an impressive 15% increase to top the chart at 41.8% market share. They are of course followed by the usual suspects, RIM in third at 21.7% (down 5%), and Microsoft at 5.7% (down 1%).
Apple’s market share among mobile OEMs is also on the increase, growing 1.2% to capture 9.5% of the market. Of course, Samsung (who also increased 1%), still dominates among OEMs with 25.5% of the market. LG comes in at second with 20.9%, followed by Motorola, and Apple. Expand Expanding Close
UPDATE [Monday, September 12, 2011 at 3:30pm ET]: Dolphin Browser HD for iPad just went live on the App Store.
Most Android users are quite familiar with the third-party Dolphin Browser app, which has been downloaded over 9 million times and according to TechCrunch just raised $10 million from Sequoia Capital. It appears some of that investment will go towards the company’s efforts on iOS devices as well, as an official iOS version of the browser has just popped up in the App Store.
The iOS version brings over the majority of features that have made Dolphin so popular among Android users. Among them is highly customizable gestures, built-in translations, dock-like sidebar for accessing bookmarks, speed dial, tabbed browsing, and more. Don’t be fooled, however, Dolphin is still based on Apple’s own WebKit, much the same as the default Safari app, all other third-party browsers on the App Store, and the majority of browsers in the smartphone industry. It does have some competitors such as Opera and a handful of smaller players like SkyFire who are starting to gain traction and steadily improving their iOS offerings. Expand Expanding Close
Ever wished you could run your favorite iOS app on your Mac? What about your Windows machine or Android device? If creators of new Kickstarter project iEmu reach their funding goals, it may be possible sooner than you think.
iEmu is a new project based on the open-source QEMU emulator, currently accepting donations through Kickstarter, that aims to emulate the S5L8930 chipset used in iPhone 4 and first-gen iPads. It will support a number of platforms including “Linux, Windows, Mac, mobile platforms such as Android, and even on iOS itself”.
The goals of iEmu? Well the end goal is an emulator capable of running “most iPad/iPhone apps” that even supports peripherals like the compass, accelerometer, and GPS. It would also “be extended with plugins for custom iOS exploration” and able to be reflashed in iTunes. Expand Expanding Close
We told you last week that Nicholas Allegra (better known as Comex), founder of JailbreakMe and popular member of the jailbreaking community, would be joining Apple for an internship this week. This left many wondering whether or not he would still be contributing to future exploits.
The answer? No. He has, however, done a quick Q&A (below) to answer some of our questions and give us insight into his views on Apple and jailbreaking.
Not only will he not contribute to future jailbreaks, it looks like he won’t be sticking around at Apple long either, as he notes plans to return to college will prevent him from taking up a permanent role. Also factoring into that decision is the fact he’s “never had a job before”, which may be because he’s received over $55,000 in donations from his jailbreaking efforts. He also thinks Apple will continue to “beat the pants off its competitors”.
When asked about Apple stealing ideas from jailbroken apps and tweaks, Comex explains: Expand Expanding Close
RIM has filed an ‘opposition action’ (viaPatently Apple) in Canada against Apple’s trademark application for ‘WebKit’, the rendering platform based on KHTML that Apple help create before making open-source. The move grants RIM more time to build their case before a November 22, 2011 deadline.
Apple originally filed the trademark application in May of 2010 which, while getting a little bit of media attention, kind of flew under the radar of most. After all, WebKit has been made open-source.. so trademark or no trademark this shouldn’t affect Google, RIM, and all other platforms currently relying on WebKit in their browsers. Right?
If Apple were granted the trademark, it would mean other companies wouldn’t be able to associate the “WebKit” name with their products. Something that could potentially become more valuable if the WebKit name was marketed more prominently as a feature of future devices. Perhaps if Apple branded “WebKit” as a feature or technology in future products, other companies inability to do so would give Apple an advantage. Apple’s trademark application asserts the company’s rights to the name based on a “screenshot of Applicant’s website [WebKit Nightly Builds page] showing use of mark in connection with download of Applicant’s software”. Expand Expanding Close
According to the New York Post (viaBGR), Amazon is getting ready to launch their rumored Android-powered tablets with a price tag “hundreds less” than Apple’s current $499 base model iPad 2. “Hundreds less” sounds a lot like $299.
The devices, expected to launch sometime in October, will more than likely be the result of the entry-level tablet codenamed “Coyote” and it’s pro-model counterpart the NVIDIA T30 Kal-El powered “Hollywood”. We told you about these devices back in May, which will most likely be powered by a highly customized Amazon version of Android (bringing with it Amazon services like the Appstore, Kindle eBook store, Amazon Videos, music and possibly brought together by the Cloud Drive).
Amazon is clearly prepping a huge move into the tablet market. We reported this week that the company signed up a third touch panel supplier, and that was after recently becoming the second largest buyer of tablet-related parts – without yet having released a tablet. Expand Expanding Close
We just posted images that allegedly show the ‘iPhone 4S’ body, an entry-level iPhone that Apple is rumored to release alongside the iPhone 5. Now, MacPost (viaMacRumors) has published images of what they describe as the “iPhone 5 EVT prototype (N94) back cover”.
The report notes that we found references to the “N94” in the iOS 5.0 SDK earlier this year, which we suspect could be an A5-powered next-gen iPhone (whether it’s the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 is still unclear). While it’s obvious this is an “early development prototype” thanks to the “’07-June-2011” markings, we can’t help but notice it bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone 4 variant that BGR reported was being tested for T-Mobile.
The leaked images today back up rumors of an A5 processor, antenna redesign, and more than likely support for T-mobile. There is still no way of telling whether we’re looking at an upgraded iPhone 4 that will act as an entry-level model, or perhaps an iPhone 4S variant that will become the iPhone 5. However, the prototype in the image, at least, doesn’t seem to support mocks ups based on evidence from leaked case designs pointing to a more streamlined design for the next-gen iPhone. Expand Expanding Close
If you don’t know by now, former Apple COO Tim Cook will officially be taking over the reins as Apple CEO following Steve Jobs emotional resignation yesterday. While this left some to wonder whether or not the Apple culture Jobs help create would remain, Cook has now addressed the Apple team as CEO (posted below) ensuring the company and devoted followers that the core principles of Apple will indeed stay the same. (viaArsTechnica):
Cook has considerable experience at Apple and in the technology industry as a whole. Having joined the company in 1998 (after working at IBM for 12+ years) as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Cook’s work ethic and dedication eventually leaked over to the Macintosh division in 2004, and ultimately landed him in a role as COO where he has been since 2007. Cook is also said to have filled in for many of the key, day-to-day tasks that Jobs (who was recently on medical leave) would have otherwise performed, giving him not only experience at Apple, but also over a years combined experience as CEO.
Tim Cook’s full address to Apple employees as CEO:
Team:
I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve’s optimism for Apple’s bright future.
Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve’s ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.
I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that—it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.
I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is.
RIM has filed an ‘opposition action’ (
