The news keeps on getting worse for Apple in the wake of the Chengdu Foxconn explosion. Besides the ghastly loss of three lives and the dozens of wounded Foxconn employees, the explosion could cost Apple half a million iPad 2s. Given existing supply problems, that’s a number of lost iPads Apple can ill afford to lose.
The tragic explosion at a iPad 2 polishing plant in Chengdu has already killed three and wounded dozens, and the closing of that facility could affect iPad 2 supply by up to 30%.
In the short term, iPad 2 supply is likely to get even worse, as Foxconn has just closed all of its polishing plants across China for investigation.
They say that no one but Apple can make a decent sub-$500 tablet, but Amazon not only thinks they can undercut the iPad in price once… they think they can do it with two tablet at once.
Interested in seeing the full letter Apple is sending indie iOS devs threatened by patent troll Lodsys over the use of Apple’s in-app purchasing mechanism? We’ve got it, and whether you’re versed in legalese or not, you’ll want to read this: Apple means business.
Apple has finally responded to Lodsys’ patent troll attempts to extort indie iOS devs for using iOS’s In-App Purchasing Mechanism: developers don’t owe Lodsys anything for offering in-app purchases, and if Lodsys cares to press the issue, Apple will be more than happy to step in on behalf of their devs… and wipe the floor with Lodsys.
With the iPhone unlikely to get NFC capabilities this year according to reports, waving your iPhone in front of a cash register to pay for your morning coffee will have to wait until 2012 at the earliest. Or will it?
Square has just unveiled their next-generation mobile platform, Square Card Case, and it’s not just an interesting precursor to the promise of NFC, but NFC’s first truly viable alternative in the mobile payments arena… at least when it comes to local merchants.
The Chronic Dev Team are a wonderful and ingenious bunch of guys, but they aren’t exactly the most punctual of hackers. It’s common for it to take months for the latest version of iOS or the newest iDevice to be cracked. So when Chronic Dev Team member p0sixninja recently said that we were “weeks” away from an iPad 2 jailbreak, we were skeptical we’d actually see it anytime soon.
On the contrary, says the Chronic Dev Team. You can consider that a promise.
The next iPhone is widely rumored to debut in September, but according to an AT&T rep, it’s going to slip even later, and won’t be seen until October.
If Apple Computers had been founded over a hundred years ago, not by Steve Jobs, but by Sir Digby Chicken Caesar, iTunes might very well have looked like this: the theatrophone, an 1890s invention that allowed you to “download” music into your living room, just fifty centimes per song.
The unexpected explosion that rocked Foxconn’s Chengdu facility on Friday killing three has been blamed upon a build up of combustible dust at the iPad 2 polishing plant. As a two-week old report on factory worker conditions makes clear, though, the dangers of allowing such dust to build-up has been brought to the attention of Foxconn and Apple before.
Apple’s resident master of the tap, the pinch and the zoom, Scott Forstall, has just come in second on Fast Company’s Most Creative People In Business Awards. But how did Apple’s VP of iPhone Software get an award that Steve Jobs and Jonny Ive weren’t up for?
Are your ears strained close to cochlear ejection trying to hear your iPad’s muffled sound? A new $20 accessory currently pushing itself through Kickstarter will help you boost sound by redirecting the speaker towards the front.
Beware that next email from Apple, advising you of the imminent availability of the iPhone 5GS. If the transparent display and the fact that “5G” isn’t even a real thing yet didn’t tip you off, these emails are part of a new wave of phishing scams.
Hate patent trolls who try to extort money from small indie devs on the iOS Store? Wish Apple would clobber them? The Electronic Frontier Foundation does too, and they’re loudly and publicly hoping that Apple smashes Lodsys into a fine, gelatin paste.
Cupertino now has three out of the four big music labels signed, but even so, could Apple’s iCloud music locker and streaming service be delayed even later than its rumored WWDC launch? The music business is a tricky one, and although Apple’s got most of the labels signed, the negotiations with publishers are still in their early stages.
Forget Kitten vs. Powerbook. Now it’s Kitten vs. iPad, thanks to a new collection of iPad games ames by Friskies.
In a recent motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Apple to stop Amazon from using its “App Store” trademark, Amazon argued that the term “App Store” was as generic as “book store” or “music store”…. and quoted several remarks by Steve Jobs referring to his competitors’ offerings as “app stores” as proof.
Now Apple’s filed a rebuttal: NUH UH! App Store isn’t generic at all.
Got an old iPhone laying around collecting dust? You can now trade it in for a discount on anything Amazon.com sells, including a new iPhone or iPad.
A few hours ago, an explosion rocked Foxconn’s Chengdu manufacturing facility, which is one of the main producers of iPad 2s within China…. and it’s looking increasingly likely that the explosion might have occurred on the iPad 2 production line.
Do you need antivirus or antimalware software on your Mac? Although Apple’s sales staff are quick to hype up the relative security of a Mac compared to a Windows PC, internally, they aren’t so confident. According to an Apple Store Genius speaking to Ars Technica, “Mac Defender has changed everything.”
Intel was quick to clarify reports yesterday that Apple had secretly filed for the Thunderbolt trademark in Jamaica a year before the chipmaker unveiled their next-gen technology, and in doing so, have put some fears to ease: Thunderbolt is not another FireWire.
At this point, you probably know all about the Mac Defender thats doing the rounds. According to AppleCare Support reps, it’s exploding on Macs all across the country… but if you call Apple, they won’t lift a finger to help you remove it.
So how can you tell if you’re infected by MacDefender? Luckily, it’s pretty easy to spot it on your system… and even easier to remove it, if you know how.
Your iPad case isn’t a boring accessory. It’s modern day armor, and it says as much about you as the breastplate strapped to the sinewy torso of any medieval warrior ever did. The sturdiness and thoroughness of its construction reveal your wisdom; its extravagant flourishes of design reveal your spirit and pomp. In the gouges, cracks and dents, you can trace the rigors of an entire life. Picking an iPad case is as much as to tell the world what kind of warrior you are.
So what kind of warrior is the person who picks the BlackBox Bamboo Case for iPad 2? He’s a samurai.
An LTE-capable iPhone isn’t likely to be unveiled until 2012, but when it does, you may want to sign your contract with AT&T, as early test speed results show that Ma Bell’s LTE network might be up to six times faster than Verizon’s.
Verizon’s Chief Financial Officer has confirmed that whenever the next iPhone debuts, it’ll be a true world phone, capable of operating on both CDMA and GSM networks with the same hardware. One handset to rule them all.