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Coming soon to Tesco: Currys PC World outlets
Tesco is already a solid if unspectacular seller of consumer tech, but a new partnership with Dixons Carphone looks set to take things up a notch. In an announcement today, the UK's biggest grocer confirmed it will open two Currys PC World outlets inside its stores, allowing shoppers to browse a selection of TVs, computers, white goods and accessories.
Toshiba to cut 6,800 jobs following accounting scandal
The fallout from Toshiba's accounting scandal is hitting in force, and it's not pretty. The Japanese company has announced that it will take a $4.5 billion loss and cut 6,800 jobs, or about 30 percent of its total consumer electronics workforce. Although some of the losses can be chalked up to a tight market, Toshiba took a serious hit after admitting it lied about profits for nearly six years. As part of the restructuring, it will sell off its TV and washing machine factories to Hong Kong partner Skyworth. The company recently sold its image sensor business to Sony and stopped building TVs for the US market.
We're live from CEATEC 2012 in Chiba, Japan!
Japan's annual electronics expo is about to kick off in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba, and we've settled down for the week to deliver a peek inside Makuhari Messe, where local carriers will demonstrate their R&D wares, a fair share of robots are expected make their debut and component manufacturers will provide a hint of what's to come. And, because the Tokyo Motor Show is held only once every two years, that winter exhibition will make a smaller appearance within these Chiba halls, with vehicle designers showing off their latest contributions to the automotive industry. The fun begins in just a few minutes, when dozens of diligent guards will lift the gates to the show. As always, you can follow along from home without spending a single yen. Just keep an eye on our homepage, or head over to the CEATEC 2012 tag for a complete roster of this year's show coverage.
Digia buys Nokia's remaining Qt assets for 'fraction' of purchase price, eyes Windows, iOS, Android
Nokia's Qt project could be reinvigorated now that it's been bought out in its entirety by Finnish firm Digia, following a partial acquisition last year. Digia is eyeing porting the development platform, used to code applications for Symbian and Meego, to Windows 8 (the PR doesn't mention Windows Phone 8), Android and iOS in the near future. While a fee hasn't been mentioned, it's reportedly a "fraction" of the $150 million that Nokia originally paid when purchasing Trolltech in 2008 -- which probably won't improve matters on the handset maker's balance sheet.
Made in America: could your next phone be homegrown?
"Made in America." For some reason, my parents -- and the parents of many of my peers -- take great pride in seeing that phrase. I've seen people buy inferior products just because the label on the back proclaimed that it was thrown together in one of our 50 great states instead of across some imaginary line in "another country." Part of me wonders if people actually check to see if said claims are legitimate. As a business graduate, I fully understand the importance of producing goods within one's borders. There's a delicate balance that needs to be struck between imports and exports, and a huge part of a nation's economic growth hinges on how well that balance is executed. I suspect the generation before mine remembers a very different America than the one I've grown up in -- one where smokestacks outnumbered high-rise buildings, and one where jobs requiring steel-toe shoes were more lauded than those requiring a fancy degree and "knowing the right guy." Manufacturing was the backbone of America through some really, really trying times, and there's some sense of national pride that comes along with images of swinging hammers and climbing ladders. "We built this country," as they say.
Arthur P. Stern, instrumental in inventing the color television and GPS, passes away
Engadget learned that Arthur P. Stern passed away on May 24th, 2012, but just this week, The Los Angeles Times has published a laudable look back at a man that had an enormous impact on the technology that we rely on -- and, quite frankly, take for granted -- each and every day. Born in 1925 in Budapest, Hungary, Arthur went on to obtain an M.E.E. from Syracuse University, joining General Electric in 1951 and making a near-immediate impact in the realm of television. He's widely credited with pioneering the color TV that we're familiar with today (and holding a related patent -- number 2920132 -- granted in December of 1953), while also publishing initial technical papers on transistor radios. As if that weren't enough, he was also instrumental in the progress of GPS, spearheading the development of key elements in the latter portion of his career. As fantastic as Stern was as an inventor, he was also a beloved grandfather to Joanna Stern, one of the industry's premiere technology reporters. Currently, Joanna works at ABC News, though she has spent time at LAPTOP Magazine, The Verge and right here at Engadget prior. From the entire staff, our deepest sympathies go out to a wonderful colleague and peer. The world has lost a brilliant mind, but on a personal level, a friend has lost much more.
Reminder: Webby Award voting ends tomorrow, give the Engadget Show some love
Do you really want to hurt us? Do you really want to make us cry? If not, you should head on over to the Webby Awards site and vote for the Engadget Show. Seriously, though, it's an honor just to have our humble production nominated for the third year in a row alongside several other impressive products. Ballots do close tomorrow and, if you're a fan of segments like our epic tour of Asia's gadget markets, then click here (no, seriously, right there) to give us and the dozens of people who put in countless hours of hard work to make them happen a virtual pat on the back. Thanks for reading, watching and being a fan, and we promise to continue working our butts off to keep you informed and entertained.
The Engadget Show is nominated for a Webby Award!
Dearest readers, we'd like to take this opportunity to share a bit of good news -- we've been nominated for a Webby Award for The Engadget Show! It's the third year running that our in-house video project has been nominated, and we couldn't be more humbled or happy to be chosen. Dozens upon dozens of people work tirelessly to make this operation tick, and while we never confess to be perfect, we hope you've been informed and entertained by our episodes over the past year. The Show is featured in the Online Film & Video (Technology) section, alongside a host of amazing contemporaries. If you'd like to cast a vote, you can do so right here. We'd also like to mention that Engadget Distro has been selected as an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards in the News category. Thanks for watching and reading, and we'll be sure to keep the clips coming in the months ahead!P.S. - We're in the official promo video for the awards at the 0:38 mark; it's embedded just after the break.
NPD: Apple generates a fifth of all US electronics revenue
The NPD's analysis of 2011's trends in electronics sales shows that Apple now accounts for nearly one fifth of all US revenue in consumer electronics. HP is in a distant second place, having generated only about half as much revenue as Apple during 2011. Overall, 2011's NPD results show shifting trends in the consumer electronics landscape. The share of overall sales revenue for PCs declined by 0.5 percent year-over-year -- a decline that is likely a percentage point or two steeper if Mac sales (which were actually up in 2011) aren't bundled in with overall PC sales. The overall share of TV and video game hardware sales also declined year-over-year. Out of the top five highest-revenue categories, only "tablets" and mobile phones showed gains in revenue share during 2011. The revenue increase for mobile phones was slight -- barely 0.3 percent -- but "tablet" sales exploded in 2011, with their share of overall revenue doubling compared to 2010. I keep putting "tablet" in quotation marks because it's clear the overwhelming majority of this increase is directly attributable to the iPad; although last quarter's sales of Amazon's new Kindles probably made a small contribution to the revenue increase, the iPad is dominating revenue share in the tablet category. Among the top 5 consumer electronics manufacturers based on revenue, only Apple showed revenue gains in 2011, and those gains were huge: sales grew by 36 percent in 2011. HP, Samsung, Sony, and Dell all experienced sales declines, with Sony and Dell showing sales declines in the double digits. NPD's data shows a stunning rise in revenue share for "tablets" in 2011, Apple as the only company amongst the top five who gained revenue last year, and declines in PC sales and tanking revenues for some PC manufacturers. Taking all of this into account, the data suggests that the iPad is sending ripples throughout the entire consumer electronics industry. [via Electronista]
Device warns of catastrophic failure in lithium-ion batteries, robots celebrate
"Catastrophic lithium-ion battery failure" are five words Malfunctioning Eddie never wants to hear, and may not have to, thanks to a new sensor developed by the folks at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Despite the popularity of lithium-ion batteries in everything from consumer electronics to hybrid and electric vehicles, they have been associated with a phenomenon called "thermal runaway" -- known to cause overheating and potentially, fire. The newly developed device measures the electrical parameter of the cell, which is an indicator of whether the internal layer temperatures are getting too toasty. The best part? The warning comes before the heat can reach the surface and cause catastrophic failure, perhaps saving our electronics from a fate like the one in the video after the break.
CEATEC Japan 2011 wrap-up
Just 20 kilometers to the east of Tokyo at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, CEATEC is winding down, following a gadget-filled week where impressive prototypes appeared to outnumber consumer devices. Unlike IFA in Berlin, which is just as much for the public as it is for industry insiders, Japan's consumer electronics show gives manufacturers a chance to show off their prototypes and components to a smaller, mainly local audience. Many products announced here will never leave the country's shores, but can inspire future devices that will be marketed to a worldwide audience. Click through our gallery below for a broader look at the show, then jump past the break for a roundup of our CEATEC 2011 coverage. Arigatou gozaimashita!%Gallery-136037%Richard Lai contributed to this report.
We're live from CEATEC 2011!
From one messe to the next. We're on the ground at Japan's Makuhari Messe for CEATEC, on the hunt for robots, green tech, 3D, smartphones and a boatload of prototypes from every product category. The big news this week is obviously that mysterious smartphone we're expecting to see in Cupertino on Tuesday, but CEATEC is the highlight here in Tokyo, providing Japanese companies with an opportunity to shine on home soil, and giving us a sneak peek at what we can expect in the months and even years to come. We'll be bringing you hands-ons throughout the week, so use this link to stay on top of everything CEATEC.%Gallery-135523%
IFA 2011 wrap-up
As with the end of any massive and absolutely chaotic consumer electronics trade show, it's with mixed emotions that we pack up our gear and prepare to depart IFA. We hope you've enjoyed our countless news stories, hands-ons, and liveblogs -- all neatly organized just after the break (so you can count, if you really want). But now it's time to say goodbye to Berlin -- until next year, at least. We've also organized a small sampling of photos that didn't really have another home here, but should give you an idea of just how huge and diverse this show really is. Click on through to the gallery below, and jump past the break for a roundup of all our IFA 2011 coverage. Wiedersehen!%Gallery-132611%
We're live from IFA 2011!
Guten tag, Berlin! We'll be sending you live updates from the German capital all this week as we explore IFA, the country's absolutely monstrous consumer electronics trade show. This year, 3D, smartphones and Android tablets are all the rage, and we're expecting a generous spattering of product announcements in the days to come. So pack up the laptop, head over to your local biergarten and grab a brezel and brat as you sit back and enjoy the slew of hands-ons and liveblogs that'll be hitting the site later this week. And you may want to cancel those weekend plans as well -- we'll be posting gadgets directly from the show floor all day Friday and Saturday. Danke schön! Protip: Use our "ifa2011" tag to see this week's hottest IFA news!
Apple reportedly considering solar-powered devices
Apple and arch-rival/partner Samsung are both looking at creating consumer electronic devices powered by the sun, but don't expect to see them in the marketplace anytime soon. According to a post on Asian technology website Digitimes, Taiwan-based solar firms are being considered as part of the supply chain for solar-powered devices from Apple, but these companies think that for the foreseeable future they'd be niche products. To get costs down, devices would need a standard-sized solar cell that could be mass-produced and extremely light. A number of solar cell manufacturers are looking at organic photovoltaic cells, which have a fairly low conversion efficiency, light weight, and low production cost. Only about 5 to 8 percent of the light energy falling on these cells is converted to power, meaning that the solar cells either have to get more efficient or be sized larger. The latter option is contrary to contemporary electronics design, and it's unlikely that consumers would want to move to larger devices. One technology that's being considered is the solar cell on paper invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). These organic photovoltaic cells are extremely light, but at present a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate is being used by most manufacturers due to poor yields for the paper cells. Still, it's good to see that our favorite manufacturer is looking into solar-powered devices. I look forward to the day when I can charge up a MacBook Air simply by working outside or under a bright light.
Wintek workers still experience effects from n-hexane exposure, Apple issues a report
It's been a few months since we checked in on the workers at Wintek, where they manufacture touchscreens for the likes of Apple. As you might remember, the former company was facing a lawsuit for chemical poisoning that occurred between May 2008 to August 2009 when the company substituted alcohol for n-hexane in the manufacturing process. Both Apple and Wintek maintain that ultimately a total of 137 people had been hospitalized, and all have recovered -- but as Reuters points out, daily exposure to the chemical has been known to cause "long-term and possibly irreversible nerve damage," and Wintek employees have maintained that the company has left them holding the bag for symptoms that could very well flare up again in the future (or, in some cases, never really went away). "We are unable to cope with the medical costs of treatment in the future," said Guo Ruiqiang, a worker at the plant. "We can only stay in the factory and see what happens. We just feel very helpless now." For Apple's part, the company has mandated that Wintek "work with a consultant to improve their Environmental Health and Safety processes and management systems" in anticipation of a complete reaudit of the facility in 2011. [Warning: PDF More Coverage link]
44 Chinese workers sue Wintek over screen cleaner poisoning
If you've got an early Apple iPad, chances are its screen was cleaned with a banned substance called n-hexane, which releases a toxic nerve gas upon use. 2,000 workers at Wintek's East China LCD plant went on strike in January, claiming the substance was poisoning them, and now 44 of those reportedly affected are planning to sue. According to reports, the screen cleaner was originally used because it performed better than alcohol, but Wintek has since fired the factory manager who suggested n-hexane and discontinued its use. That didn't keep 62 workers from winding up in the hospital, however. The Guardian interviewed two hospitalized workers last week, and you'll find their stories at our more coverage link below. We're sure you'll agree these Chinese labor violations are getting out of hand -- let's hope this lawsuit spurs government and industry to do something concrete about worker abuse.
Intel looking to 'deploy capital' on smartphone and other CE acquisitions
Say you're the world's largest producer of desktop processors, you've got a ton of cash ($16.3 billion to be exact) burning a hole in your pocket, and you're watching the entire mobile industry grow into a monster before your very eyes with virtually no skin in the game. Sure, you've got MeeGo and Moorestown up your sleeve -- but considering that they're distant underdogs with no global domination strategy (or product, for that matter) in sight, it might be time to play some hardball, yeah? CFO Stacy Smith commented this week that the company is "looking at what [it believes] can accelerate [its] progress" in the smartphone game -- and, more broadly, the consumer electronics game -- and that it "can and will deploy capital" if it sees something it likes, just as it did with its Wind River Systems buy last year. Intel has had shockingly little relevance in the race to dominate the pocket ever since it offloaded XScale to Marvell a few years back; is it time for these guys to embrace ARM again, or can they find a way to put x86 cores in devices that people like?
National Labor Committee report on Chinese CE factories uncovers deplorable conditions
Yesterday, the National Labor Committee produced a report on the working conditions at the KYE Factory in Dongguan City, Guangdong, China. KYE operates (like many factories in China) a live-work facility and generated sales of $400 million in 2008. KYE manufactures outsourced products for HP, Best Buy, Samsung, Foxconn, Acer, Logitech, and ASUS. Their largest customer, however, is reportedly Microsoft. The report details some of what we've come to expect in stories of labor abuses -- near children, most of them women, working for 16 or 17 hours a day, living in nearly deplorable conditions, for less than a dollar an hour -- all so that the world's ever-growing need for / addiction to consumer electronics can be fed. Now, the gadget industry isn't the only offender by a stretch -- but it's quickly becoming one of the largest (in addition to producing a truly horrific amount of toxic garbage). After the break are some choice facts from the report that our readers might be interested in ingesting, so read on.
Walmart to rival Best Buy's Geek Squad with own in-home install crew
We've never truly been at ease with that Geek Squad crowd. Something about "the people" they hang with and "the places" they hang at just worries us, so we're pretty thrilled to see another mega-corp stepping in to take the place of the now-deceased Circuit City FireDog crew. Starting sometime before the holiday season, Wally World will be partnering with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies in order to offer in-home installation to customers buying anything from a wireless router to a HTIB. The service plans will be sold on prepaid cards ranging from $99 to $399 in value, and each install includes a "preliminary consultation and a tutorial after installation is completed." Granted, it may be a bit tough to get the dude looking to spend $5 on a new plasma to spring for such a service, but hey, it's not like competition is a bad thing. [Via Hot Hardware]
