iLike Apple PT - All About Apple

President Obama Mentions Apple Building Macs in America During State of the Union Address

2013-02-13T11:49:00.002+00:00

President Barack Obama tonight mentioned Apple during his State of the Union speech to Congress, mentioning the fact that Apple will again be building Macs in the United States in 2013. CEO Tim Cook disclosed that plan back in December.

Though he didn't mention which line of computers would be made in the U.S., rumors said Apple would begin manufacturing of the Mac mini there, bringing some 200 jobs to the country.

From President Obama's yearly State of the Union speech:

Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing.

After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again.

Tim Cook attended the State of the Union, sitting in the First Lady's box -- a frequent location for guests who are mentioned in the President's speech. He sat behind and to the side of the First Lady, just behind the Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden.

Source: Macrumors

By Jordan Golson

Apple has Team of 100 Product Designers Working on a Smart Watch

2013-02-13T11:46:00.002+00:00

After the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal took their turns this weekend relaying little tidbits about the Apple watch program, it is now Bloomberg’s turn. In a story this evening, the financial news site posted that Apple had 100 product designers working on the iWatch program and it is growing.

Apple Inc. has a team of about 100 product designers working on a wristwatch-like device that may perform some of the computing tasks now handled by the iPhone and iPad, two people familiar with the company’s plans said.
The team, which has grown in the past year, includes managers, members of the marketing group and software and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plans are private. The team’s size suggests Apple is beyond the experimentation phase in its development, said the people.

There is lots of both real and speculative information about Apple’s iWatch project floating around at the moment. So much so that it sounds like we’re ramping up to a launch in the coming year or so.

Bloomberg dropped two names of managers on the watch team: James Foster and Achim Pantfoerder. Interestingly, we understand that Foster reports to Bob Mansfield (head of chips and wireless), and not to Dan Riccio (head of hardware), which lines up with earlier claims that Mansfield is very interested in wearable technologies.

Source: 9to5mac

By Seth Weintraub

Chinese Source Claims iPhone 5S and 5-Inch iPhone 6 to Launch in 2013

2013-02-08T11:25:00.001+00:00

Brightwire translates a report from the Chinese media which claims that Apple will be launching both an iPhone 5S and a 5" iPhone 6 this year:

A source told Chinese mobile phone information site Laoyaoba.com that he has seen the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 at Apple's suppliers. Both models may be released in 2013, according to the website's microblog on Thursday evening.

The source noted that the iPhone 5S resembles the iPhone 5, and the five-inch iPhone 6 is lighter and thinner.

This rumor adds to a chorus of reports that Apple is seriously considering a larger form-factor iPhone in the near future. While early reports had suggested that such a model wouldn't see the light of day in 2013, later reports continue to point to a 4.8"-5.0" device coming soon from Apple.

All these rumors have generated a significant amount of speculation on how such a larger model might make sense in Apple's iPhone lineup, especially when comparing it to Samsung's current offerings.

Due to Apple's use of Chinese manufacturers and the need to prototype their designs, it's possible that all of these sightings could be true, yet Apple may still not launch such a device in 2013. If Apple does begin ramping up production for 2013, we expect we'll see parts of this larger device to also begin to leak out of China.

Source: Macrumors

By Arnold Kim

Apple responds to Greenlight lawsuit

2013-02-08T11:21:00.004+00:00

The statement made by Apple comes in response to a high-profile lawsuit filed earlier in the day by Greenlight and the fund's manager, David Einhorn. That complaint accused Apple of having a "problem" of hoarding cash in a manner that is a disservice to investors.

For its part, Apple said it welcomes Greenlight's views, though it disagrees with the fund's take on "Proposal 2," an item up for vote at the company's annual shareholder meeting later this month.

"Contrary to Greenlight's statements, the adoption of Proposal #2 would not prevent the issuance of preferred stock," Apple's statement reads. "Currently, Apple's articles of incorporation provide for the issuance of 'blank check' preferred stock by the Board of Directors without Shareholder approval."

Apple contends that the passage of Proposal 2 would give shareholders the right to approve the issuance of preferred stock.

Earlier Thursday, Greenlight and Einhorn said they believe Apple should give away perpetual preferred stock with a 4 percent yield. Einhorn advised investors to vote against Proposal 2, which Apple is recommending, because he believes it would eliminate preferred stock from Apple's charter.

But Apple's statement made on Thursday refutes the claims by Einhorn, suggesting that his idea of preferred stock could still be on the table. Einhorn believes that by distributing preferred stock, Apple could tap into new value for shareholders while leaving its massive cash hoard largely untouched.

Apple was questioned about its cash and reserves during the company's quarterly earnings report last month, and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer responded by saying Apple "continuously" assesses opportunities for its growing cash, which totaled $137 billion as of the conclusion of the December quarter.

"Combined with our dividend, we returned about $4.5 billion of cash this quarter, and we started the buyback program and expect to return about $45 billion over three years to our shareholders," Oppenheimer said. "We do consider increasing these programs and we'll do what we think is in the best interest of our shareholders."

Reed full Statement by Apple here

Source: AppleInsider
By AppleInsider Staff

Size Comparison of iPad 4, iPad Mini, iPhone 5 and Upcoming iPad 5

2013-02-08T11:17:00.000+00:00

With rumors of the fifth-generation iPad taking on a design similar to that of the iPad mini, Macrumors once again commissioned CiccareseDesign to create some fresh renderings offering a very good idea of what the updated iPad will look like.

These images are based on the leaked iPad 5 enclosure, which we have reason to believe is indeed real.

The new iPad shell was shown alongside an iPad mini enclosure, providing CiccareseDesign a frame of reference from which to take measurements and produce these mockups. We believe the relative sizes shown in the following images offer an accurate view of how the upcoming iPad 5 will compare in size.

As has been described in rumors and calculated from the rear shell photos, the fifth-generation iPad appears to be notably smaller than the current model, adopting significantly thinner side bezels in portrait orientation and slightly smaller top and bottom bezels.

In fact, our extrapolated dimensions appear to be almost identical to a December claim from Macotakara, which specified that the fifth-generation iPad would be 4 mm shorter and 17 mm narrower than the existing design. That report also claimed that the next iPad will be 2 mm thinner than the current model, making it nearly identical in thickness to the iPad mini.

While some early rumors had suggested that Apple might be looking to update the iPad and iPad mini as soon as March, sources with rather reliable track records are now pointing to a later release in the September-October timeframe, and Apple's just-launched 128 GB iPad models support that notion.

The fifth-generation iPad is said to adopt nearly identical styling to the iPad mini, with photos showing a similarly anodized rear shell and reports claiming that it will include the same chamfered edges as on its smaller sibling. The comparison photo above shows the smaller size of the iPad 5 and how it has taken on the design cues of the iPad mini.

The smaller body of the fifth-generation iPad suggests that Apple is making major changes to the device's internals as well. Apple has been rumored to be adopting new display technology that will allow for a thinner display and perhaps a smaller battery, and other components such as the main system-on-a-chip are also likely to see upgrades and rearrangements as part of the significant revamp of its full-size iPad.

Source: Macrumors
By Eric Slivka

iTunes Store Sets New Record with 25 Billion Songs Sold

2013-02-06T16:38:00.002+00:00

Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 25 billion songs from the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com), the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store.

The 25 billionth song, “Monkey Drums” (Goksel Vancin Remix) by Chase Buch, was purchased by Phillip Lüpke from Germany. As the downloader of the 25 billionth song, Phillip will receive a €10,000 iTunes® Gift Card.

“We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “Averaging over 15,000 songs downloaded per minute, the iTunes Store connects music fans with their favorite artists, including global sensations like Adele and Coldplay and new artists like The Lumineers, on a scale we never imagined possible.”

The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular music store with a catalog of over 26 million songs and over 25 billion songs downloaded, and is available in 119 countries.

The iTunes Store is the best way for iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. All music on the iTunes Store comes in iTunes Plus, Apple’s DRM-free format with high-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings.

iTunes in the Cloud lets you download your previously purchased iTunes music to your devices at no additional cost, and new music purchases can be downloaded automatically to your iOS devices.

Read Apple’s full press release.

Apple reportedly tells French reseller that a new Mac Pro is coming in the spring

2013-02-06T16:03:00.003+00:00

Following the news that Apple is to discontinue its Mac Pro line in Europe due to new regulatory standards, Apple is reportedly prepping a new Mac Pro product for spring 2013.

The news comes from Apple reseller France Systemes (via Mac4Ever & Macg.co), an Apple Authorized Reseller and Certified Education Center in France with 17 years in the business, which claimed in a recent newsletter to customers that Apple has confirmed the discontinuation of Mac Pros in the country would only be temporary.

Apple would officially stop selling the Mac Pro in Europe on March 1 due to a new standard set to kick in on that date known as “Amendment 1 of regulation IEC 60950-1, Second Edition.” If Apple were to release a new Mac Pro in the spring, it could be an all-new model (something that is definitely a long time coming).

If it isn’t Apple’s first major refresh of its Mac Pro line since 2010, Apple could potentially update components of the Mac Pro to meet the new standards and continue selling to the professional market in the European Union.

Source: 9to5mac

By Jordan Kahn

Evasi0n Jailbreak Installed on 1.7 Million Devices Since Monday Release

2013-02-06T16:00:00.000+00:00

In a discussion with Forbes, Cydia appstore administrator Jay Freeman revealed that the evasi0n jailbreak had been installed 800,000 times within six hours of its Monday release.

By Tuesday, Cydia had been installed 1.7 million times, and according to a chart tweeted by Freeman, Cydia was receiving 14,000 hits per minute at peak download times.

The demand for the jailbreak resulted in site wide traffic problems, causing Freeman's server to go offline several times. To put it in perspective, that's approximately 1,200 Cydia downloads per minute.

Evasi0n is the first significant jailbreak since the widely used Redsn0w iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak. Hacking Apple devices is a detailed process, which is why jailbreaks are few and far between.

The evasi0n jailbreak is the first untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 5 and for devices running iOS 6.x. Evasi0n is available for OS X, Windows, and Linux on the evasi0n website.

Source: MacRumors

By Juli Clover

New 128GB iPad now available for online order

2013-02-05T10:40:00.002+00:00

As promised, Apple’s new 128GB iPad has become available today. While in-store availability is still unknown, the tablet can be ordered online with an estimated shipping time of 1-3 business days.

The new 128GB iPad is available in both black and white, and in either Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi + Cellular versions. The Wi-Fi model costs $799 and the + Cellular (LTE for many) model’s a hefty $929.

Although Apple doesn’t provide specific country availability, the 128GB option has been in every web store we’ve looked at. And all show similar ship times: 1-3 days for Wi-Fi, 3-5 days for +Cellular.

Apple caught a lot of people off guard with this off-cycle tablet release, especially since there’s nothing new about it outside of its increased storage. A redesigned iPad 5 is expected to land in October.

Source: idownloadblog

By Cody Lee

Apple overtakes Nokia in global mobile web usage for first time

2013-02-05T10:09:00.002+00:00

The findings come from Web analytics firm StatCounter, which saw Apple dethrone Nokia in January for the first time ever as the once-dominant vendor's marketshare dropped over 15 percent year-over-year. It should be noted that tablet computers like the iPad were not counted in the study, though Apple's iPod touch and other portable devices were included.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats - Mobile Vendor (Beta) Market Share

While a majority of top ten vendors saw declines over 2012, including Apple's net loss from 28.67 percent to 25.86 percent at the end of last month, Nokia suffered the greatest drop-off, slipping from 37.67 percent of the market to 22.15 percent. Of the top three vendors, Samsung showed the only 12-month gain, rising from 14.84 percent to 22.69 percent over the same period. The performance was enough to see the Korean company squeeze past Nokia to retain the number two spot overall.

“It’s good and bad news for Apple,” said StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen. “Apple has been handed the number one spot despite its falling usage share. A decline in Nokia usage from January 2012 to January 2013 means the Finnish company ceded the top spot to Apple. Samsung, in contrast to Apple, has seen an increase in its usage share since January 2012.”

The analytics company's research arm, StatCounter Global Stats, compiled the data based on over 15 billion page views per month to the StatCounter network of more than three million websites.

It was reported at the end of January that Apple's iPhone accounted for 25.1 percent of all smartphones worldwide as shipments rose 46.9 percent to 136.8 million units in 2012, up from 93.1 million in 2011.

Source: AppleInsider

By AppleInsider Staff

'Evasi0n' Arrives as First Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 5 and iOS 6.x

2013-02-05T10:01:00.002+00:00

"Evad3rs", a new team including some of the top iOS jailbreak authors, has just released Evasi0n, a brand-new jailbreak for iOS 6.x. The release marks the first time users have been able to deploy an untethered jailbreak on the iPhone 5.

Evasi0n is available for OS X, Windows, and Linux and provides a quick method for users to jailbreak their devices to make use of unauthorized like themes, tweaks, and apps from sources other than the App Store.

As an untethered jailbreak, users only need to apply the Evasi0n jailbreak once, making for a seamless user experience. Tethered jailbreaks requires users to have their devices connected to a computer each time they restart.

Source: MacRumors
By Eric Slivka

Apple Job Listing for Plastics Design Engineer

2013-01-31T14:43:00.003+00:00

Apple today posted a new job listing for Manufacturing Design Engineer with a focus in Advanced Plastic Tooling and Process. According to the job description, Apple is looking to expand and improve its current plastics division.

"Identify, develop and launch new tooling and process capabilities in support of new Apple product developments. Areas of focus will be "non-traditional" Apple plastic processing such as thermoforming, foam molding, blow molding, etc., and their application to new Apple products. The successful candidate will have demonstrated history of bringing new process and tooling technologies through a full development cycle and launch into high volume production."

Though Apple has focused heavily on aluminum for the iPad, the iPhone, and the MacBook line for the past few years, the Cupertino-based company has continued used plastics for the Apple TV, the Airport Extreme, keyboards, and other accessories.

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a low cost iPhone that will be constructed primarily of plastic. The iPhone is said to be a hybrid of the iPhone 5 and the iPod Touch, with a plastic enclosure.

A new hire specializing in plastics is unlikely to be involved in the design of the low cost iPhone, given that it is rumored to be released later this year, but the open position does support reports that Apple is focusing on novel uses of plastics for upcoming products.

Source: MacRumors

By Juli Clover

Apple TV Refresh to Be Stealth Update

2013-01-31T14:39:00.002+00:00

An Apple spokesperson spoke to The Next Web about the new Apple TV model disclosed in FCC filings yesterday.

The company explained that the changes are strictly internal, and there won't be any new features or other changes. The Next Web is also reporting that the new Apple TV will use Apple's A5X processor from the third-generation iPad, and an upgraded Broadcom BCM4334 wireless chip, as was reported last night. The external size of the device will also remain the same.

“We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval,” an Apple spokesperson told TNW. “The component changes we made don’t affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience.”

The new Apple TV will not be marketed as a new version, and it appears the only way to distinguish the old from the new is via the model number.

Source: MacRumors

By Jordan Golson

Apple Increases iPad with Retina Display to 128GB

2013-01-29T14:54:00.003+00:00

Apple today announced a 128GB* version of the fourth generation iPad® with Retina display. The 128GB iPad with Wi-Fi and iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular models provide twice the storage capacity of the 64GB models to hold even more valuable content including photos, documents, projects, presentations, books, movies, TV shows, music and apps.

iPad continues to have a significant impact on business with virtually all of the Fortune 500 and over 85 percent of the Global 500 currently deploying or testing iPad. Companies regularly utilizing large amounts of data such as 3D CAD files, X-rays, film edits, music tracks, project blueprints, training videos and service manuals all benefit from having a greater choice of storage options for iPad. The over 10 million iWork® users, and customers who rely on other incredible apps like Global Apptitude for analyzing team film and creating digital playbooks, Auria for an incredible 48 track recording system, or AutoCAD for drafting architectural and engineering drawings, also benefit greatly from having the choice of an iPad with more storage capacity.

Pricing & Availability

The new 128GB versions of the fourth generation iPad will be available starting Tuesday, February 5, in black or white, for a suggested retail price of $799 (US) for the iPad with Wi-Fi model and $929 (US) for the iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular model. All versions of the 128GB iPad will be sold through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

Reed the full press release

Rumor: First Photos of the iPad 5 Rear Shell

2013-01-29T12:07:00.000+00:00

9to5Mac has unconfirmed images of what could be the rear panel for the next iPad. The images match up very closely with a report from last week.

While we cannot confirm that the above image is legitimate, it does provide a solid representation of what Apple’s next iPad will likely look like. We were told this is a prototype back piece for the fifth-generation iPad with a 9.7-inch display. We were also told that the casing is almost as thin as the iPad mini’s back (pictured to the right). As you can see at the top of the purported iPad 5 backplate, this casing would likely be for an LTE model – as the black antenna cut implies.

The report lines up with iLounge's first description of the new iPad which is expected to arrive in October with smaller, iPad mini-esque bezels and chamfered edges and curves.

What does it look like? Well, it’s a lot smaller than one would guess was possible: in portrait orientation, picture a 9.7” screen with virtually no left or right bezels, and only enough space above and below the screen to accommodate the mandatory camera and Home Button elements. Beyond that, it’s noticeably thinner, as well, which is to say the the fifth-generation iPad will be smaller in every dimension than its predecessors. As it will have the same chamfered edges and curves, calling it a “stretched iPad mini” is very close to entirely accurate.

Source: MacRumors
By Jordan Golson

Apple Updates Apple TV with Up Next and Bluetooth Keyboard

2013-01-29T11:50:00.002+00:00

Alongside yesterday's release of iOS 6.1, Apple also issued an update for the Apple TV. The new 5.2 software update includes a number of enhancements including direct iTunes in the Cloud music streaming, Bluetooth keyboard support, Up Next support, and more.

iTunes in the Cloud: Browse and play your purchased iTunes music directly from iCloud.

Bluetooth keyboard: Use your Apple Wireless Keyboard to control your Apple TV. See this article for more information.

AirPlay audio for videos: Send stereo audio from movies, TV shows, and other videos on Apple TV to AirPlay-enabled speakers and devices (including AirPort Express and other Apple TVs).

Stability and performance: Includes performance and stability improvements with the iTunes Store, AirPlay, Netflix, iTunes Match, and wired Ethernet connections.

Curiously, Apple has released three versions of the Apple TV update, covering not only the second-generation (AppleTV2,1) and third-generation (AppleTV3,1) boxes but also a new AppleTV3,2 box. It is unclear exactly what the difference is with the new box, but the numbering scheme suggests that it is a relatively minor change.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted earlier this month that Apple was preparing to launch an updated Apple TV this quarter, although it was anticipated to be a minor upgrade. Apple has not, however, made any public announcements regarding an updated Apple TV.

Update: Apple appears to be referring to the new Apple TV model with a code name of J33I, compared to the J33 code name used on the third-generation Apple TV. While we have no direct evidence, it is possible that the "I" simply refers to an international variation of the current box. Just last month, Apple launched iTunes movies in nearly four dozen new countries.

Source: MacRumors

By Eric Slivka

Apple Releases iOS 6.1 to the public

2013-01-29T11:37:00.000+00:00

Apple has just released iOS 6.1 to the public. The update includes new LTE carrier support and Siri-based movie ticket purchases via Fandango, as well as iTunes Match individual song downloading and a new reset button for advertising tracking.

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

- LTE support for more carriers (complete list of supported carriers at www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/)
- Purchase movie tickets through Fandango with Siri (USA only)
- iTunes Match subscribers can now download individual songs from iCloud
- New button to reset the Advertising Identifier

New LTE carriers for iPhone 5 supported in the update include:

- USA: Alaska Communications, Alaska GCI, Bluegrass Cellular, C Spire, Cellcom, Pioneer Cellular
- Canada: MTS, Sasktel
- Puerto Rico: Claro, Open Mobile
- Croatia: T-Mobile, VIPNet
- Denmark: 3, Telenor, Telia
- Finland: DNA, Elisa, Sonera
- Greece: Cosmote
- Hungary: T-Mobile
- Italy: 3, TIM, Vodafone
- Kuwait: Zain
- Luxembourg: Tango
- Philippines: Globe, SMART
- Portugal: Optimus, TMN, Vodafone
- Saudi Arabia: Mobily, Zain
- South Africa: Vodacom
- Switzerland: Swisscom
- UAE: DU, Etisalat

Apple could be planning iOS device with 128GB of storage

2013-01-28T10:07:00.001+00:00

The discovery, as first reported by iDownloadBlog, notes the usual 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB partition keys are joined by a new 128GB designation in the iOS 6.1 BuildManifest as of the fifth beta, which began making its way to developers on Saturday.

While the presence of the new partition padding itself does not necessarily indicate that Apple will offer a 128GB model with its next generation of iOS devices, it shows that the company may at least be preparing for the possibility.

Apple's current offerings for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch top out at 64GB, meaning a jump to 128GB would be an effective doubling of today's maximum capacity.

Source: AppleInsider

By AppleInsider Staff

Alleged Part Photos from iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 Surface

2013-01-28T10:00:00.004+00:00

French site Nowhereelse.fr shares [Google translation] a pair of photos of what the original source claims are speaker enclosures for both the upcoming iPhone 5S and a future iPhone 6. The two parts are similar in appearance both to each other and to the corresponding iPhone 5 part, but do contain several differences.

It is of course impossible to tell for certain whether the parts are indeed legitimate and whether they are intended for the upcoming iPhone models as claimed. Nowehereelse.fr has published a number of accurate photos in the past, but typically obtains the photos by scouring web postings from Asia and thus the photos typically come from a variety of sources that make it difficult to determine their reliability.

Source: MacRumors

By Eric Slivka

Apple releases iOS 6.1 beta 5 to developers for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

2013-01-28T09:57:00.001+00:00

Apple has released a fifth beta of iOS 6.1 to registered developers. It is currently available via Apple’s iOS developer center. iOS 6.1 runs on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and includes a number of enhancements for both users and developers.

For example, developers are welcoming new iOS Maps APIs to better integrate Apple’s mapping database into App Store apps. End users will find new features such as movie ticket ordering via Siri, improved lock screen media controls, and various other tweaks.

Apple hasn’t announced when iOS 6.1 will be released to the public.

Source: 9to5mac
By Mark Gurman

Apple terminates contract with supplier after audit finds underage labor violations

2013-01-25T10:44:00.001+00:00

According to the 37-page report, an audit of Guangdong Real Faith Pingzhou Electronics in January 2012 found the supplier responsible for 74 underage labor violations, prompting Apple to end its relationship with the circuit board manufacturer.

Apple's code of labor states that child labor is strictly restricted: "The minimum age for employment or work is 15 years of age, the minimum age for employment in that country, or the age for completing compulsory education in thatcountry, whichever is higher."

For the 2013 report, Apple conducted 393 audits across its supply chain, a 72 percent increase from the year before. In all, audits were conducted in 14 countries covering 1.5 million workers at manufacturing facilities and non-production facilities like call centers and warehouses.

The company's audits were broken down into five distinct categories: labor and human rights, health and safety; environment; ethics; and management systems.

Overall practices compliance for labor and human rights, which covers concerns like anti-discrimination practices and wages, was at 77 percent while management systems compliance stood at 73 percent.

Of note was a high level of adherence to working hour limits, which is capped at a maximum 60-hour work week with at least one day of rest per seven days of work.

As for wages, the company required eight facilities to pay back excess foreign contract worker fees worth $6.4 million after they were found to be using bonded labor.

Health and safety checks practices and management systems were similar to the above category with 76 percent and 70 percent compliance, respectively. No core violations were found.

Environmental issues have traditionally been a problem for Apple in China, especially concerning the use of hazardous substances pollution. For 2012, overall compliance and management systems compliance was found to be 78 percent and 72 percent, respectively. Besides one supplier being put on probation for dumping a hazardous waste cutting oil into the restroom receptacle, no egregious violations were found.

Ethics was the highest scoring category with practices and management systems compliance at 97 percent and 90 percent, respectively. Metrics measured included business integrity, protection of whistle-blowers and protection of intellectual property. No significant actions were taken, but four facilities gave Apple's audit team falsified payroll and attendance records. These facilities ultimately furnished the correct records and were put on probation.

Management systems was the poorest scoring of the five categories with respective practices and systems compliance at 69 percent and 68 percent, though no core violations or remedial actions were reported. The audit found 158 facilities had no procedures in place for auditing their own suppliers or did not perform adequate reports, 154 facilites did not conduct internal audits and 138 facilites failed to conduct a management review.

Apple has been extremely proactive in ensuring its supply chain is up to international labor standards after the company's 2011 Progress Report found underage labor violations at a partner manufacturer. On top of its self-auditing practices, Apple in 2012 became the first tech company to join the Fair Labor Association.

Source: AppleInsider
By Mikey Campbell

Video Clip of Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs

2013-01-25T10:35:00.001+00:00

Following yesterday's news that the independent film JOBS starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs will open in theaters on April 19, ETonline.com has released the first video clip from the film. The brief clip shows Kutcher as Jobs speaking with Josh Gad in the role of Steve Wozniak.

In related news, management appears to have made a change to the styling of the film's title, as there had been a fair amount of confusion and criticism over the original "jOBS" styling, an homage to the "i" naming scheme for Apple's products.

But it appears that in recent weeks various official presences for the film such as a revamped teaser site, Twitter account, and Facebook page have adopted a new all-caps styling for JOBS, with the "J" appearing slightly larger than the other capitalized letters in the film's new promotional logo.

Source: MacRumors
By Eric Slivka

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2013-01-23T11:10:00.001+00:00

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Steve Jobs threatened Palm with patent suit to force anti-poaching agreement

2013-01-23T10:52:00.001+00:00

The filing is part of a civil suit being leveled against a number of top tech companies, including Apple, Google and Intel, that claims the firms participated in illegal anti-poaching activities.

According to an in-court report from Reuters, the defendants tried to keep a number of sensitive documents sealed, but presiding Judge Lucy Koh denied the request, thus making Jobs' statements public.

The 2007 communication between Jobs and Edward Colligan was revealed as part of an affidavit from the former Palm CEO. In it, Colligan claims that Jobs attempted to pressure Palm into an anti-poaching agreement that would block each other's attempts at "stealing" valuable employees.

"Mr. Jobs also suggested that if Palm did not agree to such an arrangement, Palm could face lawsuits alleging infringement of Apple's many patents," Colligan said in his declaration.

The document furnished by the five plaintiffs includes an email correspondence between Jobs and Colligan where the late Apple chief executive alludes to leveraging his company's patent portfolio against Palm if it did not cooperate. In a sworn statement, Colligan described a phone call he had with Jobs regarding employees being "hired away" from Apple by Palm.

"As a solution, Mr. Jobs proposed an arrangement between Palm and Apple by which neither company would hire the other's employees, including high tech employees," he said. "Mr. Jobs also suggested that if Palm did not agree to such an arrangement, Palm could face lawsuits alleging infringement of Apple's many patents."

From Colligan's email to Jobs:

Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other's employees, regardless of the individual's desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal.[...]Palm doesn't target other companies-we look for the best people we can find. l'd hope the same could be said about Apple1s practices. However, during the last year or so, as Apple geared up to compete with Palm in the phone space, Apple hired at least 2% of Palm's workforce. To put it in perspective, had Palm done the same, we'd have hired 300 folks from Apple. Instead, to my knowledge, we've hired just three.

Colligan also made clear that Palm was not intimidated by Jobs' threat of patent litigation and cited a patent portfolio the company acquired from Siemens, saying it too could respond with claims against the iPhone.

Jobs sent a response claiming that Apple employees were being "actively recruited using knowledge supplied by Jon Rubenstein [sic] and Fred Anderson, with Jon personally participating in the recruiting process."

Jobs' reply to Colligan's suggestion:

Just for the record, when Siemens sold their handset business to BenQ they didn't sell them their essential patents but rather just gave them a license. The patents they did sell to BenQ are not that great. We looked at them ourselves when they were for sale. I guess you guys felt differently and bought them. We are not concerned about them at all. My advice is to take a look at our patent portfolio before you make a final decision here.

Judge Koh has yet to decide whether to turn the civil suit into a class action which could cost the defendants "hundreds of millions of dollars," according to plaintiffs' counsel.

Most recently it was reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook was ordered to give a deposition regarding the matter. In addition to Cook, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and top ranking officials from the other defendant companies including Intel's Paul Otellini are also scheduled to be questioned in the coming weeks.

Source: AppleInsider

Microsoft Surface Pro compared to similarly-priced Apple products

2013-01-23T10:46:00.001+00:00

Microsoft announced that its Surface Pro tablet will go on sale on February 9 in the United States and Canada. Originally slated to arrive in January, the Surface Pro tablet is priced at $899 for the 64GB model and $999 for the 128GB model.

The Surface Pro sports an Intel Core i5 processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB of RAM, and a more robust battery. Unlike the RT version of the Surface, it is able to run the full version of Windows 8 as well as Windows 7 applications.

Both versions of the Surface Pro ship with a Surface pen, but the Touch or Type Covers, which retail for $100, are not included.

Anandtech took a preliminary look at the tablet, and created a chart comparing the Surface Pro to the Surface RT and Apple's iPad.

Beginning on February 9, the Surface Pro will be available for purchase on Microsoft’s website, at Microsoft retail outlets, and third party retailers like Staples and Best Buy.

Alongside the Pro, Microsoft is planning to release a 64GB standalone version of the Surface RT for $599, $100 less than the version that ships with the included Touch Cover, and a slew of new Surface accessories.

Source: MacRumors