Explosion at iPad plant in China

Explosion at iPad plant in China

Explosion at iPad plant in China. Apple Inc is investigating an explosion that killed two people and injured 16 at a Foxconn factory said to produce the popular iPad 2.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported a large explosion rocked the Hongfujin Precision Electronics plant in a high-tech industrial zone west of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, on Friday evening.

Local officials are also looking into the cause of the blast. Apple shares closed down 1.56 percent at $335.22 on the Nasdaq, which saw a broad sell-off on euro-zone debt worries.

The explosion in a key factory owned by Foxconn International Holdings Ltd -- Apple's main manufacturing partner -- could affect the supply of iPads and investors were watching closely. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said the company was assessing the situation.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at the Foxconn plant in Chengdu and our hearts go out to the victims and their families," he said. "We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event."

Foxconn representatives did not immediately respond.

Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White said Foxconn's Chengdu factory makes a lot of iPads because some production had been shifted to that facility from factories in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Apple's iPad 2 commands 80 percent of the burgeoning tablet market in which Motorola Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd also compete.

Apple sold 4.69 million iPads last quarter and is scrambling to meet staggering demand for the mobile device, but is heavily backlogged. Executives had expected production to ramp up during the present quarter to meet demand.

The plant explosion is the latest setback for Foxconn, the world's largest contract manufacturer and an affiliate of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Ind Co Ltd.

The Taiwanese company made headlines last year after reports emerged about poor working conditions at factories in southern China, which critics say may have helped drive several employees to suicide.

The company pledged to improve employee welfare.

Facing higher wages in the southern China manufacturing belt, the scene of labor disputes last year, some Taiwanese manufacturers have opted to shift some operations to the country's interior, where costs are lower.

Foxconn also has plants in North America and Mexico, as well as in European countries, including Slovakia and Poland.

Apple Music Service

Apple Music Service

Apple Music Service: According to reports, Apple is almost ready to release a cloud-based music storage service compatible with iTunes.

Sources say the product is finished, and Apple might be ready to launch its service before Google’s competitive product sees the light of day.

Several sources close to the matter and aware of both companies’ plans told Reuters that Apple will soon let iTunes customers keep their music libraries on a remote server. The music would then be accessible from any Internet-connected, iTunes-running device.

But though the technology is in place, one all-important piece is missing from both music offerings: licensing agreements with major record labels. Google is stalling on its own music projects due to rumored tiffs with record labels, and Apple has yet to discuss any new licensing agreements with labels, according to Reuters’ sources.

However, since the latter company has been working with musicians for a long time vis-a-vis iTunes and iTunes’ new social component, Ping, one might imagine that Apple has a laid some groundwork for fruitful discussions around licensing.

Google was rumored to be building an iTunes competitor in the summer of 2010. The service was said to have an Android-friendly component or two, and the Android music store was expected to launch with the release of Gingerbread. The service was also rumored to include music-streaming options in addition to music locker features.

However, more current reports suggest that Google may be further than ever from an actual launch due to licensing snafus with major record labels, particularly Warner Music Group.

iPad 2 new release technology coming this March 2011

Apple just recently released the specifications of its next generation iPad device (named the iPad 2). In comparison to the current version of the iPad the iPad 2 is actually quite an upgrade. So what’s different about this version?

Yes, it will be thinner and lighter but the outside specs aren’t really all that appealing. It’s the internals that will really make the difference.

For starters the iPad 2 will be running on a 1GHz dual core processor (instead of a single core). There will be a front-facing VGA camera presumably for FaceTime video conferencing or just snapping glamour shots of yourself. There will also be a 720p rear camera as well which is something the first generation iPad should have had but didn’t.

The iPad 2 will also come equipped with a gyroscope in addition to the traditional accelerometer which might open up the way for some truly interesting applications (or lead to a bunch of exploitive games clogging the App Store).

In addition, there will be three versions of the iPad 2 ready to overtake the world upon release. Of course you’ll be able to snap up the AT&T version but Verizon will also have its own model. In addition, if you want to go the “cheap” route, there will be a WiFi only model as well.

Other than that, the two will be pretty much the same. Stay tuned for more updates.

Apple unveils new iMac 2010

The new iMac was unveiled by Apple on Tuesday, which features a new processor architecture and faster graphics.

Just like the previous iMac, the new version comes in two models, one in 21.5-inch and another one in 27-inch.

The 21.5-inch model boasts of three processor options: a 3.06GHz Intel Core i3, a 3.2GHz Intel Core i3, and a 3.6GHz Intel Core i5. All three processors sport a 4MB level 3 cache and support Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost.

Meanwhile, the 27-inch model gives you an option of four different processors: the same 3.2GHz or 3.6GHz chips as the 21.5-inch or a 2.8Ghz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 with a 8MB level 3 cache that supports Turbo Boost or a 2.93Ghz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 with a 8MB level 3 cache that supports Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost.

The new iMac models are now available for shipping from the Apple Store.

Steve Jobs Apologizes, Offers Free Case

The press conference gave an occurrence that some may say a surprise move, that of the CEO of Apple apologizing for a product – and offers something free in return.

“There are some customers having problems with their iPhone 4s,” said CEO Steve Jobs Friday, July 16. “I apologize to them.” Before apologizing, the usually black long-sleeved mock turtleneck clad executive defended the people behind the smartphone development. “We are human and we make mistakes sometimes. We don’t know everything. But we figure it out pretty fast, and we take care of our customers.”

He actually began the conference explaining that the handset’s antenna problem is a minor issue that is featured in all mobile phones. He stressed out that only a few of the iPhone 4 users are complaining about it. By statistics, only 2% of those who bought a unit returned the product.

The problem in question is that the signal reception of the antenna fades or disappears when users grip the device in a conventional way.

As a containment measure, while the company looks for a permanent solution, he said that they would be giving a free case to anyone who bought an iPhone 4. Users who would be availing should grab the opportunity until September 30 only. Anyone who already bought a case through Apple may ask for a refund.