Posts

Showing posts from August, 2014

Biz Break: Tesla Motors expands in China, hits new stock high

Image
Posted: 08/29/2014 02:10:02 PM PDT Updated: 08/29/2014 02:47:24 PM PDT Today: Tesla Motors signs a deal to build more than 400 new charging stations in China, and the company's stock makes another record-breaking drive. Also: Apple hits more new records despite reports that wearable offering won't appear until 2015. The Lead: Tesla plans charging expansion in China Tesla Motors announced a deal Friday with a wireless carrier that will nearly triple its number of charging stations in China, the world's largest auto market, and investors responded by again sending the Palo Alto electric-car maker's stock to record highs. Tesla will install 400 charging stations across 120 cities as well as 20 of its supercharger stations, all at China Unicom retail outlets, Tesla spokeswoman Lis Jarvis-Shean confirmed in an email Friday. 'We have been working with China Unicom already -- China Unicom is our in-car 3G connectivity service provider of Tesla -- so we are deepening our c

Facebook tries to quell Messenger rumors

Image
Facebook is going on the offensive, trying to do damage control for its Messenger app. The social network is responding to a firestorm of user anger that erupted when it appeared that Facebook was forcing people to load its Messenger app in a veiled attempt to usurp their privacy. Now Facebook is trying to set the record straight. 'You might have heard the rumors going around about the Messenger app,' Facebook said in a message to users that popped up on the network's mobile app. 'Some have claimed that the app is always using your phone's camera and microphone to see and hear what you're doing. These reports aren't true, and many have been corrected. Still, we want to address some concerns you might have.' The message is one way Facebook is trying to spread the word about Messenger. 'We're testing ways of explaining Messenger to people, and as part of that, a percentage of people will receive this notice,' a Facebook spokeswoman said in an e

Sapphire's Durability Put to the Test Head

Image
Repair experts at uBreakiFix have examined the impact resistance, scratch resistance and strength of sapphire glass in a series of tests that were published today. The tests were designed to determine whether sapphire is suitable for use as a smartphone display. The repair technicians conducted three different tests -- a scratch resistance comparison using a tungsten carbide drill bit, a drop test with the sapphire display of the newly released Kyocera Brigadier, and a a four-point bend test to compare the failure stress and strain of sapphire glass with that of Gorilla Glass. The results of uBreakiFix's tests show that sapphire is significantly more scratch resistant and 25 percent stronger than Gorilla Glass, but it is much more susceptible to impacts due to its brittleness. The glass is so brittle that it shattered the first time it was dropped face down from a height of only three feet. The technicians conclude that sapphire does not necessarily offer any advantage over Gorilla

US Open Tennis: 7 Technologies Power Game, Set, Match

Image
The US Open upgrades its tech for 2014 with new data sets, improved analytics, and immersive mobile apps backed by IBM predictive cloud infrastructure. Mobile, social, analytics, and cloud technologies have been part of the United States Tennis Association's game for some time, but, working with tech partner IBM, it's upping the ante for the 2014 US Open tennis tournament. New mobile and social apps, big data sets, improved analytics, and predictive cloud infrastructure are among the capabilities USTA and IBM are bringing to this year's end-of-summer tourney. IBM also sponsors and provides the technology behind the three other big tournaments that make up the professional tennis Grand Slam: The Australian Open, The French Open, and Wimbledon. But each tournament has its own host organization, character, and tech-support needs. As an example, IBM worked with USTA to develop a Trendcast social app that's unique to the US Open. The Web and mobile app aggregates and filter

What New Sony Product Could Be just 6.4mm Thin?

Image
In early 2011 I attended a secret meeting with Sony Ericsson. They were revealing their new Xperia Android handsets and I was able to play with them learn about their new features. At the time, HTC and Samsung were preparing their '11 flagships and we knew they'd have dual core processors. None of the Sony Ericsson handsets could match the HTC or Samsung specification, but when I handled the Xperia Arc you'd think the representative had just given me a box of kittens: I was smitten. The Arc was thin, had an interesting design, an amazing camera, beautiful screen and clean interface. It was the first Android 'phone that I would hold in my hand and admire. In late 2011, Sony bought out the Ericsson share of Sony Ericsson and began to reimagine themselves as just Sony. 2012 saw the first of the Sony-branded products emerge using NXT design language, the Xperia S, but Sony had the excuse that it was made together with Sony Ericsson. I couldn't argue with the Xperia S on

Google Prepares to Compete With Amazon Over the Drone Business

Image
Now to a different race involving drones and the competition pong some of the world's tech giants to deliver products straight to your door in a whole new way. Check out this video from Google. Hot on... See More

California Requires Steering Wheel For Google Cars

Image
Autonomous Cars Dmitri Dolgov, one of the leading software engineers on the Google autonomous car project, told Reuters earlier this week that the cars had been reprogrammed to allow them to exceed the posted speed limit by up to 10 miles per hour. The change was made to allow the car to keep up with the driver operated cars around them, which are normally driven about 10 miles an hour above the posted limit. He said it was a matter of safety. Ask any traffic engineer and you will find that speed is not the biggest factor in car accidents. It is the difference in speed that is dangerous. In other words, a car going 10 mph too slow is just as dangerous as one going 10 mph too fast. But the State of California has reacted immediately, with new rules requiring any autonomous car operated within its borders to have a steering wheel, a brake pedal and an accelerator, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Google Car has none of these old fashioned devices, but will now be retrofitted with th

There's Still One Major Problem With Google's Self

Image
While the idea of simply hopping into a car, pressing a button, and arriving at your destination sounds enticing, we're still far away from that type of simplicity. Google has been showing off its new self-driving car models for the past several months, but there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to safety. Although Google's self-driving cars have successfully driven more than 700,000 miles, mistakes on maps and unmapped areas can pose a big problem, as MIT Technology Review points out. For example, MIT notes that if a self-driving car enountered a new traffic light that wasn't accounted for on a map, that car could potentially run the red light if there are no cars or pedestrians around. Not only is this dangerous, but it could result in tickets and traffic citations for the owner of the car. Chris Urmson, director of Google's car team, told MIT that the company is addressing the issue but didn't elaborate on how. So far, maps have only been designe

Instagram briefly unreachable for some

Image
Instagram, Facebook's popular photo sharing service, had a hiccup Thursday. Nick Statt/CNET It's rare, but it does happen: Instagram, the popular photo sharing service from Facebook, was briefly unreachable for some users on Thursday. While this could be the case of a fat-fingered mistake by a programmer or an unexpectedly failed server, it also comes just days after the company unveiled a new app called Hyperlapse. The app, which is currently only available for devices made by Apple, helps users to take better looking time-lapsed videos. Instagram's team sent a tweet acknowledging the issue and assuring users they're working on a fix. Of course, the nature of the Internet is that some services and websites just do go offline from time to time. Sometimes breathless coverage of such instances is often mocked by social media watchers. But it also serves as a good reminder that normal people use these services every day. Earlier this month, the last time Facebook suffered

RIP, MSN Messenger: Microsoft Kills Old

Image
In news that is sure to make you feel old, Microsoft is officially killing its 15-year-old instant messaging program. Windows Live Messenger - formerly MSN Messenger- will soon go the way of Friendster, Google Reader and Facebook Poke. Microsoft first announced it would be closing Windows Live and pushing users over to Skype in 2012, but the service had stuck around in China - until now. Microsoft began alerting Chinese users of Windows Live's imminent shutdown Thursday, and told users they would need to switch to Skype by October 31. The tech giant also promised free Skype credit to those who did, according to the BBC. MSN Messenger first launched in 1999 as Microsoft's answer to the then-popular AOL Instant Messenger. Like so many messaging apps before and since, it started off simple, with basic IM functionality - but soon expanded with new features such as photo messaging, video chatting, games and much-loved emoji. Following news of the closure, MSN Messenger alums took to

Hyperlapse For iPhone Will Revolutionize Wildlife Films

Image
Flowers of European ivy (CC BY-SA 2.0: Albert Bridge / Wikimedia) As a biologist, my first thought after hearing about Hyperlapse - Instagram's new app for making time-lapse movies - was this: nature videos. Hyperlapse records a film and shows frames at intervals so it looks like time has elapsed quickly. The app is simple to use. Tap a button to start and stop recording, swipe a slider to set the playback speed (up to x12 normal) then tap to save the clip to your phone and/or share it on Facebook or Instagram. The promotional trailer focuses on how the app can be used to document our daily lives. But who wants to watch boring, self-obsessed humans? At 30 seconds into the trailer, you see seagulls on a beach, hinting at a far more interesting use for Hyperlapse - capturing wildlife. I don't normally quote poetry, but time-lapse wildlife clips made me think of 'Leisure' by Welsh writer (and former hobo) WH Davies. Here's the first half of the poem: What is this life

As relaunch hype subsides, will Foursquare survive?

Image
Foursquare may be in trouble. When Foursquare relaunched its self-titled app, the company managed to halt the long downward spiral it had seen on the app store charts since last year. But we cautioned at the time that the spike might not last. And it didn't. Judging from app store metrics alone, Foursquare is back where it started; post-relaunch, the app peaked at #385 overall in the U.S. App Store - #448 in the Google Play store - and has since fallen to pre-launch levels: #1214 overall in the U.S. on iOS and out of the top 500 on Android, according to data from app tracking site App Annie. Among U.S. travel apps, Foursquare peaked at #17 and now ranks #38 on iOS and dropped from #21 to #30 on Android. Foursquare's new check-in app, Swarm, has met roughly the same fate; it currently ranks #997 overall in the U.S. App Store and is out of the top #500 in the Google Play store. At its peak, the app ranked #11 on iOS and #84 on Android. That's a frightening decline. Without ac

California Requires Steering Wheel For Google Cars

Image
Autonomous Cars Dmitri Dolgov, one of the leading software engineers on the Google autonomous car project, told Reuters earlier this week that the cars had been reprogrammed to allow them to exceed the posted speed limit by up to 10 miles per hour. The change was made to allow the car to keep up with the driver operated cars around them, which are normally driven about 10 miles an hour above the posted limit. He said it was a matter of safety. Ask any traffic engineer and you will find that speed is not the biggest factor in car accidents. It is the difference in speed that is dangerous. In other words, a car going 10 mph too slow is just as dangerous as one going 10 mph too fast. But the State of California has reacted immediately, with new rules requiring any autonomous car operated within its borders to have a steering wheel, a brake pedal and an accelerator, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Google Car has none of these old fashioned devices, but will now be retrofitted with th

Obama CTO Todd Park to be replaced by... Megan Smith?

Image
Obamacare savior gets new role in Silly Valley The White House's so-called chief technology officer is leaving. Todd Y. Park is going back to California, to spend more time with his family -- The President has plans for him there, too (he's not going to Chicago). But who will fill his shoes? We bring news of three possible replacements. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers lead a dirigible. Not to mention: If you don't know about Chicago... Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. If it keeps on raining, Steven Levy's gonna break (the news): [Groan -Ed.] The White House confirmed today the rumors that Todd Park, the nation's [CTO] and the spiritual leader of its effort to reform the way the government uses technology, is leaving his post. ... He's moving back to the Bay Area he left when he began working for...Obama in 2009. ... Starting in September, he's assuming a new post...technology adviser to the White House...bringing a Silic

Google exec Megan Smith is top contender to be US Chief Technology Officer

Image
According to unidentified sources familiar with the developments at the White House, longtime Google executive Megan Smith, 49, is the top contender to be the US' next Chief Technology Officer --- a role created by President Barack Obama. As per the sources, Smith is likely to succeed Todd Park who has recently resigned as the Chief Technology Officer. Park - who has had a two-year stint as the Chief Technology Officer - was preceded by Aneesh Chopra, the first person to be appointed for the job, which largely involves overseeing technology use by the federal government to create jobs, reducing costs, and spurring economic growth. Smith, who is reportedly the finalist contender for the Chief Technology Officer's post after Park's resignation, is currently the Vice President of the Google X division --- the company's skunk works of futuristic projects like Google Glass and driverless cars, among others. Sources have revealed that, other than Smith, there are two other fi

Hyperlapse For iPhone Will Revolutionize Wildlife Films

Image
Flowers of European ivy (CC BY-SA 2.0: Albert Bridge / Wikimedia) As a biologist, my first thought after hearing about Hyperlapse - Instagram's new app for making time-lapse movies - was this: nature videos. Hyperlapse records a film and shows frames at intervals so it looks like time has elapsed quickly. The app is simple to use. Tap a button to start and stop recording, swipe a slider to set the playback speed (up to x12 normal) then tap to save the clip to your phone and/or share it on Facebook or Instagram. The promotional trailer focuses on how the app can be used to document our daily lives. But who wants to watch boring, self-obsessed humans? At 30 seconds into the trailer, you see seagulls on a beach, hinting at a far more interesting use for Hyperlapse - capturing wildlife. I don't normally quote poetry, but time-lapse wildlife clips made me think of 'Leisure' by Welsh writer (and former hobo) WH Davies. Here's the first half of the poem: What is this life

Facebook tests feature allowing search through old posts by keyword

Image
PanARMENIAN.Net - Facebook is testing a feature for its mobile application that lets people search through old posts from friends by keyword, a move that makes it easier to resurface content that may otherwise be buried, Bloomberg reported. The tool, which is only available to some members of the world's biggest social network, lets mobile users see any content that was previously available to them through friends or pages they followed. Facebook said in an e-mailed statement that the feature is 'an improvement to search on mobile.' The Menlo Park, California-based company has in the past dealt with privacy questions for highlighting content that users anticipated would be harder to find. In response, Facebook is giving users more control over their settings and this year added options for members to find out why they are served certain ads, among other updates. Still, Facebook continues to grapple with consumer doubts about how it treats data, especially with its mobile p

Consumers pick Galaxy Tab S over iPad Air (in Samsung ad)

Image
Samsung/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET The glory of the finest comparison ads is how they find the very people who prefer the product from the company that's paying for the comparison ad. It's an art form. And a new Samsung ad is a marvelous example. We are on the unforgiving streets of New York. Here, all you have are the opinions of those who know they're right. Their IQ may be dwarfed by their self-worth coefficient, but they are the arbiters of everything that is cool and great. In this ad, a handsome young man approaches other handsome young people and asks them about the Galaxy Tab S. Astonishingly, they independently gush. It's so light. 'It takes up, like, no space,' says one young, tall, ginger-haired man. 'Samsung makes the best screens in the world,' says a young woman, who clearly knows her pixels. But then our handsome young presenter asks more handsome young New Yorkers to compare the Galaxy Tab S to the iPad Air. You might exp

Nintendo Debuts 'New' 3DS, 3DS XL

Image
Nintendo used today's Nintendo Direct for Japan to unveil some major updates to its 3DS lineup. The new Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL (known as 3DS LL in Japan) include faster chips and longer battery life, not to mention a new analog stick and NFC support, among other things. As PCMag sister site Geek.com pointed out, the new analog stick drops the need for add-ons like the Circle Pad Pro. Meanwhile, in a throwback to old-school gamers, the face buttons have been jazzed up with colors to match the Super Nintendo controllers of yore. There are also two more shoulder buttons. The company also added NFC support to the bottom screen, which will tie in nicely with Nintendo's amiibo figurines. In conjunction with the new 3DS announcement, Nintendo also said the first 12 amiibos are available now to pre-order for $12.99 each. The first dozen characters include Mario, Peach, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Kirby, Fox, Marth, Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer. Users' amiibo will s

Alienware revives the Area 51 desktop with a new look

Image
Dell's Alienware gaming brand is reviving one of its classic desktop lines, with the new Area 51. While it shares a name with the big, boxy, desktop gaming systems of old, this version has an entirely new look and feel, and includes a just-announced high-end processor and chipset from Intel. The system is built around Intel's new Haswell-E CPU, a late entry to the Haswell generation of CPUs designed to give that fourth-gen Core i-series technology a final boost for enthusiast PC gamers. Intel's Broadwell generation of Core i CPUs won't be around until next year, and the new Core M family is aimed squarely at tablets, hybrids, and ultrabooks, so for now, this is likely to be the marquee processor for gaming desktops. It comes paired with a new motherboard chipset, called X99, that promises to support DDR4 RAM. Dan Ackerman/CNET The last time we saw the Area 51 line from Alienware was around 2010, and at the time it was an impressive, if dated, black rectangle, with red

Intel gives gaming desktops a boost with Haswell

Image
Intel Much of the talk about upcoming PCs revolves around the next generation of processors from Intel. Codenamed Broadwell, those chips include the next generation of Core i-series CPUs, expected in products next year, and a new line for slim, low-power devices, called Core M, expected in late-2014 products. But before we get to any of that, Intel's current generation of Haswell CPUs, also known as fourth-generation Core i-series chips, has one more trick up its sleeve. The Haswell-E line is a collection of high-end Core i7 CPUs for desktop computers, including the new Alienware Area 51, also announced today. Haswell-E is Intel's first eight-core desktop processor (a six-core version will also be available). It pairs with Intel's new X99 motherboard chipset, which supports newer DDR4 RAM and up to four graphics cards. Intel The flagship CPU in the line is the Core i7-5960X, a 3.0GHz eight-core/16-thread chip that can turbo up to 3.5GHz. Also available will be the Core i7

Rumors About NFC on iPhone Begin Anew

Image
One of the more persistent rumors that crop up ahead of every iPhone launch is that Apple's next-gen phone will support near-field communication. In 2010, Apple hired an NFC developer. The following year, there were reports about NFC on what would become the iPhone 4s, and again in 2012. Oh, and the iPhone 5s was also supposed to include NFC along with that fingerprint scanner. Thus far, however, Apple has yet to truly embrace NFC, which would let iPhone users pay for things wirelessly with their phones. But Apple iPhone season is upon us once again; invites for a Sept. 9 press event went out yesterday. And, not surprisingly, the NFC on iPhone rumors have returned. According to The Financial Times , Apple has teamed up with Dutch chipmaker NXP to create an NFC solution for iPhone. According to the paper, NXP will supply the chip that will make NFC possible in the iPhone, bringing Apple's smartphone in line with its rivals when it comes to mobile payments. As The Financial Time

10 awesome things you didn't know your phone could do

Image
You've had your smartphone for a while. But let's face it: you've never read the manual. You take great pride in the fact you know how to use it. Then, it happens. You see someone do something extraordinary with his or her phone that you did not know was even possible. Friends don't let friends have smartphone skill envy. Here are some of my favorite secrets buried in your phone settings that you probably don't know, but will use now. Quick note: There are so many versions of Android out there that these instructions won't work for every phone. Where I can I've included apps that do the same thing. 1. Take a screenshot Have you ever wanted to capture something on your phone's screen? Maybe it's a hilarious text from a friend, an interesting Facebook post, or you want to send someone an image to show them how to do something. iPhone Press and hold the Home button along with the Sleep/Wake button. You should hear a shutter click. The screenshot will ap

Nokia: Read our Maps, Samsung – we're HERE for the Gear

Image
Only on the Tizen smartwatch... Gartner critical capabilities for enterprise endpoint backup Ostensibly getting Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone manufacturer, to use Nokia's HERE Maps is a huge win. Unfortunately it's not Samsung throwing Google Maps out of its smartphones but rather a realisation that Google isn't going to rush to port maps to Samsung's home-grown operating system, Tizen. The 'HERE for Gear' sees the excellent Nokia software running on the new Samsung Gear S smartwatch in the form of an application called Navigator which offers turn-by-turn walk navigation and public transit routing. The app can be either a stand-alone experience, which includes the ability to store map data locally on the device and use it offline for navigation, directions and search, or it can be paired with the Android version of the map running on a (Samsung) phone so that you can plan and calculate routes for walking and public transit on your phone and then se

Facebook forced to scotch Messenger 'Trojan Horse' rumours

Image
Facebook has been forced to deny that its Messenger app has the ability to commandeer a host smartphone's camera and microphone to observe and listen in on individuals, following the circulation of rumours to that effect. Stating categorically that such reports 'aren't true' Facebook reiterated that it would always request permission to run features such as making calls and sending photos, videos or voice messages. In a blog post Peter Martinazzi of the Facebook Messenger Team wrote: 'If you want to send a selfie to a friend, the app needs permission to turn on your phone's camera and capture that photo. We don't turn on your camera or microphone when you aren't using the app. 'We're committed to providing a fast, reliable and fun messaging app that anyone in the world can use to reach the people who matter to them. That's why we're focusing just on Messenger and moving messages out of the Facebook app. People usually respond about 20% fa

Tesla to build China charging network with Unicom

Image
Elon Musk's Tesla Motors Inc said Friday it would partner with China's second-largest mobile phone company, China Unicom, in setting up a nationwide network of charging points for its electric vehicles. The deal is the company's biggest to date in its efforts to create a support infrastructure for its emission-free cars. It underlines Tesla's reluctance to depend on the vagaries of Chinese government planning for the sector, and its desire to keep control of its own strategy in what should one day be its biggest market. Bloomberg had reported Thursday that the Chinese government is looking to spend $16 billion in creating a national infrastructure for EVs, as part of its campaign to get 5 million on the roads by 2020 and reduce the pollution that is choking its biggest cities. The Chinese government is eager to have as many companies as possible producing EVs. But it also likes to have foreign companies partner in China with local ones, and while Tesla has made noises a

iPhone 6: More bling? Apple's tills: Ka

Image
Sapphire seems to be one of the latest fads for smartphones, thanks to the purported iPhone 6 which is reportedly set to be unveiled on Sept 9 and to come with a sapphire screen. Chinese phone maker Huawei announced on Tuesday that it would be selling, in limited numbers, a sapphire edition of its 5-inch Ascend P7 smartphone from next month. Other Chinese handset manufacturers - Xiaomi and Vivo - are mulling over the use of sapphire screens too, going by reports in recent weeks. This isn't the brilliant blue gemstone we're familiar with, but a colourless man-made version that could be blended with other materials. Having a gemstone associated with the iPhone is certainly attention grabbing. But do I really need a sapphire screen for my phone? The sapphire rumour has its roots in the partnership between Apple and sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies in November. Sapphire screens are being considered to adorn the pricier models of two iPhones that Apple plans to unveil,

Mikael Hed Steps Down As CEO Of Wavering Angry Birds Maker Rovio, Pekka ...

Image
A changing of the guard at Rovio, the Finalnd-based creator of the catapulting Angry Birds series of casual games that has seen its profit fall by more than half in the last year: its CEO Mikael Hed is stepping down and 'passing the hoodie', in the words of the company, to Pekka Rantala, who most recently has been the CEO of Finnish drinks maker Hartwall but also spent many years with Nokia. 'It has been an amazing ride and in the coming months I will be very happy to pass the hoodie to Pekka Rantala, who will take Rovio to the next level,' Mikael Hed said in a statement. 'Pekka is known to be a great leader with experience building successful global consumer brands. I will continue to play an active role and will support Pekka in any way I can to ensure Rovio's continued success.' The move comes at a critical time for the company. Although its Angry Birds gaming franchise effectively defined and led the mobile gaming genre for several years, more recently i

Google stops displaying content authorship in search results

Image
Presenting author information in search results wasn't as useful as Google had expected. Google announced Thursday that its search results will no longer display the names of authors associated with presented articles. 'Authorship markup is no longer supported in Web search,' Google announced on the company's official authorship support page. Launched in 2011, the feature was intended to allow writers to claim their content and gain followers by presenting the author's work in search results. An Author Rank feature also promised to help users filter out useless information by scoring the reputation of the author for providing reliable information. But after a three-year experiment, the Web search giant concluded that the feature wasn't as valuable to readers as it had hoped and sometimes even posed a distraction, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller wrote in a Google+ post Thursday. 'We've gotten lots of useful feedback from all kinds of webmaste

US looking to Google's Megan Smith to be chief tech officer?

Image
Seth Rosenblatt/CNET Google's vice president of Google X, Megan Smith, is said to be one of the US government's top candidates for the chief technology officer position, according to Bloomberg. President Barack Obama's administration has been on the hunt for a new CTO and sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg that the shortlist includes Smith. If selected, she would replace Todd Park, who was the successor to Aneesh Chopra. Smith, 49, has spent the last 11 years at Google in several different positions, including vice president of business development, head of Google.org, and co-host of Google's Solve for X forum. She's also been active in bringing more women and people of color into the tech world. The CTO position would entail supervising how the US government uses technology, which includes tech job creation, expanding access to broadband for rural communities, and modernizing government records. When contacted by CNET, Google declined to comment.

Suppliers of Samsung and Lenovo accused of Child Labor violations

Image
China Labor Watch Agency said that they have found many at least 10 children in China based Supplier for Samsung and Lenovo. The watch agency that the investigation was carried out in the month of July and August. They have found out that the 100 or more students have not been given the over wages for their work and over night duties in the manufacturing unit. Reports have been provided to Samsung and Lenovo. Samsung has denied any such incident where children has been violated in their knowledge. However, both Samsung and Lenovo have said that they would take the reports seriously and look into it. However, more precise investigation and probe has been ordered in order to come up with exact details about the project. HEG Technology has been blamed for the incident by the probe team. However, the company has denied such allegations and said they never hired any child.

Finding a sapphire iPhone 6 might be easier than you thought

Image
It looks like the back-and-forth regarding whether or not there will be sapphire in the iPhone 6 display is going to continue until Apple finally answers the question once and for all on September 9th. 9to5Mac shared an investment note on Wednesday from PTT Research Forensics stock analyst and GTAT investor Matt Margolis in which he claims that every 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will come with a sapphire display, but only high-end 4.7-inch models will get the sapphire treatment. FROM EARLIER: Spanish carrier claims Apple will charge more for both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 'According to sources close to Foxconn's manufacturing operations the iPhone 6 will come built with sapphire cover screens in both sizes,' he wrote. 'These sources have also indicated that the 4.7-inch Phone 6 is being assembled in two varieties, a sapphire cover screen version and a version featuring Gorilla Glass. At this point I do not know the approximate mix between the two cover screen options on t

Google tests drone deliveries in Project Wing trials

Image
Google has built and tested autonomous aerial vehicles, which it believes could be used for goods deliveries. The project is being developed at Google X, the company's clandestine tech research arm, which is also responsible for its self-driving car. Project Wing has been running for two years, but was a secret until now. Google said that its long-term goal was to develop drones that could be used for disaster relief by delivering aid to isolated areas. They could be used after earthquakes, floods, or extreme weather events, the company suggested, to take small items such as medicines or batteries to people in areas that conventional vehicles cannot reach. 'Even just a few of these, being able to shuttle nearly continuously could service a very large number of people in an emergency situation,' explained Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots - Google X's name for big-thinking projects. Australia tests Google's self-flying vehicle project was first conceived of as a way

Instagram Details Tech Behind Their New Hyperlapse App

Image
Instagram will still always be Instagram, but the photo editing application is giving users new ways to interact with their pictures by releasing new apps to play with. Recently they soft launched their Bolt application on Android in select regions and just yesterday they launched another photo app called Hyperlapse, which lets you capture and share moving time lapse videos. So far this is just an iOS application, but rest assured that in due time and possibly the near future, Instagram will have an Android ready version of this application waiting in the wings. As for now we'll explain some of the technology behind the Hyperlapse application that Instagram has brought to the forefront. Yesterday they have explained some of the details of how Hyperlapse works in a blog post, so we'll try to summarize it. Instagram starts off by explaining that they needed to figure out a way to achieve the overall goal of allowing instagrammers to capture beautiful fluid videos with the time la