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FBI reportedly carried out a sting operation on Huawei at a burger joint
The makers of a super-hard smartphone glass made partially of synthetic diamonds took part in an FBI sting on Huawei, according to a new Bloomberg report. The operation apparently took place at a Prime Burger joint in Vegas during CES last month, while a Businessweek reporter watched from a nearby gelato stand. The embattled Chinese company had ordered samples of the "Miraj Diamond Glass" from US startup Akhan Semiconductor in 2017, only to return them badly damaged. Suspecting Huawei of intellectual property theft, Akhan's founder Adam Khan reportedly contacted the FBI, which drafted him and COO Carl Shurboff to take part in its Huawei investigations.
OtterBox partners up for PopSocket case and better screen protectors
Phone case maker OtterBox is feeling mighty friendly these days. The company announced a partnership with PopSocket to create a phone case that has the ubiquitous accessory built right into it. It also revealed it is working with Gorilla Glass manufacturer Corning to bring OtterBox's first line of glass screen protectors to market.
Your next phone could have a fingerprint reader on its screen
Security technology firm Sonavation recently unveiled a novel means of embedding an ultrasonic fingerprint reader directly into a Gorilla Glass display. With it, mobile devices would no longer need a physical button, like the iPhone's Home button, to use as a fingerprint reader. Instead, they'd be able to press anywhere on the screen, finger grease smudges allowing. Apple has reportedly been working on a similar idea, although it doesn't seem likely we'd see a buttonless iPhone for at least another year.
Daily Update for October 24, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Corning touts 1 billion Gorilla Glass devices: that's a lot of face-saving surfaces
You could argue that toughened glass is the cornerstone of the modern mobile industry: without the knowledge that our touchscreen phones and tablets could survive the everyday risks of scratches and minor drops, many of us would be terrified of leaving home with a glass-covered mobile device in our hands. Corning now has evidence to prove just how important that silicate can be. In addition to the mostly upbeat third quarter fiscal results you'll find after the break, the firm brags to us that more than one billion devices have shipped with some variant of Gorilla Glass in place, spread across 33 major brands and 500 individual models that are occasionally very immobile. We can't give Corning all the credit when alternatives like Dragontrail exist, but numbers like these make it hard to dispute that millions of gadgets have been spared an untimely end (or a flimsy plastic display) by some clever primate chemistry.
Motion Computing announces CL910 tablet for enterprise, promises Windows 8 upgrades
Microsoft's slick Surface slates might be the Windows tablet consumers have been waiting for, but business folks? Motion computing hopes to keep their attention, refreshing its enterprise slate with a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom N600 processor, a 128GB SSD and Bluetooth 4.0 support. The 10.1-inch slab, dubbed the CL910, retains the 15.5mm frame of its predecessor, as well as the old hardware's USB port, SD card slot and Gorilla Glass protected 1,366 x 768 panel. $1,260 buys a tablet loaded with Windows 7 Professional, but will be eligible for an upgrade when Redmond's Metro overhaul hits shelves. Hit the break for the official press release, or check out the slate for yourself at the source link below.
Nokia uses Lumia 900 as a hammer in a torture test, makes us wince (video)
As much as we're familiar with mobile device torture tests, they're normally inflicted by us or otherwise not-so-voluntary. Nokia, however, has stepped up to the plate and doled out the abuse to the Lumia 900 itself with a hammer and nail, all based on a wager that the Windows Phone's use of Gorilla Glass would hold up to Sonim-level punishment. The company's Chris Ruble and Mike Meyers (not that Mike Myers) used a Lumia 710 as a dry run before an on-camera demo that not only saw the 900 assaulted with the hammer, but used as a blunt instrument itself -- all without a crack or scratch. We imagine that other toughened-glass phones would survive the hit, and there's every possibility that smacking the polycarbonate plastic would leave more than a scuff mark. Nokia's test still proves that its pride and joy can withstand more than just a casual roughing up, and you can see the slightly cringe-inducing test in the video below.
Corning Gorilla Glass 2 hands-on (video)
Corning's got some new Gorilla Glass on display here at CES, and it's really, really durable. How durable? Durable enough to stonewall our best attempts to crack it. And we lift weights. We got the chance to test out the latest Gorilla Glass 2 during a demonstration at Pepcom this evening, and found out that the company's fresh glass is about 20 percent stronger than its predecessor. In fact, it didn't even crack under 120 pounds of pressure, which is like, a third of what we bench. Do yourself a solid and check out the gallery below, followed by the olympic video, after the break.
Verizon purportedly readying new LTE tablets, Xyboard gets namedropped
Are there two Droid tablets on Verizon's horizon? It certainly seems like it, now that CNET has outed the Motorola Mobility Droid Xyboard. According to the news outlet, Verizon is gearing up to release two different versions of the 4G LTE-equipped tablet -- an eight-inch model and a ten-incher, both slated for launch later this month. Motorola declined to provide details on the devices, and Verizon stopped short of spilling the beans on pricing and availability, though it did provide the following statement: "As we've previously mentioned, we're planning to bring several new LTE devices to market including two tablets. We haven't made any official announcements in the U.S. but we look forward to sharing more details soon." CNET, meanwhile, apparently managed to get its hands on the two slates (pictured above), reporting that both carry a 1.2GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a five-megapixel camera, along with a 1.3 megapixel front-facing shooter. They're also coated in Corning Gorilla Glass and CNET, in the absence of quantitative specs, reports that both are "thinner than a AAA battery and lighter than a paperback book." The stylus-equipped ten-inch version is reportedly geared toward the enterprise market, whereas its little brother is described as more media-friendly, presumably with the consumer market in mind. That's about all we know at this point, though be sure to check out CNET's coverage below for more images and insight.
Motorola XT928 coming to China Telecom next month for 'demanding customers'
Motorola bestowed an early-week treat upon the Chinese market today, with the XT928 -- a nominal RAZR relative and ostensible addition to the Droid X line that we spotted earlier this month. Powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, this Android 2.3 device boasts a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 HD display, supports 1080p HD playback and features a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera, along with a 1.3 megapixel shooter up front. The dual-mode, dual-standby handset is also coated in Corning Gorilla Glass to guard against nasty scratches and comes packed with 1GB of RAM. The XT928 will be available in China this December at an unspecified price, though there's no word yet on if or when it'll hit the US. For more details, head past the break for the full PR.
Acer unveils two new Aspire Ethos laptops for multimedia enthusiasts, street fighters
It's been more than a year since Acer first launched its Aspire Ethos line of laptops -- a family that got a bit bigger today, with the announcement of the 8951G and 5951G. These rambunctious little extroverts are powered by the latest generation of Intel's Core i processors, offering Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.4GHz. Big bro 8951G boasts a 18.4-inch display that transmits images in Full HD, 1920 x 1080 resolution and 220-nit brightness, while spunky little 5951G struts around with a 15.6-inch HD 1366 x 768 screen of its own. They also support NVIDIA GeForce GT500 and DirectX 11 graphics and sport Dolby-approved surround sound, aluminum-magnesium alloy shells, glossy matte finishes and back-lit chiclet keyboards. Acer plans to unleash the pair sometime in mid-June, though they won't come for cheap, with prices starting at £1,000 (about $1,643). Aspiring owners can find more information in the full PR, after the break.
Motion Computing's CL900 tablet now available for order, starting at $899
It's been a while since we first laid eyes upon this rugged little guy, but Motion Computing's CL900 tablet is finally available for orders, starting at $899. Designed with enterprise markets in mind, the 2.1-pound Windows 7 slate runs on a 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail Atom Z670 processor and rocks a 10.1-inch, 1366x768 multi-touch display that's shielded in Corning Gorilla Glass. Seated atop that display is a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, with a 3.0-megapixel sensor keeping watch over the backside. Boasting a thickness of 15.5mm, the device also offers up to 2GB of RAM (along with a 30GB or 62GB SSD), promises a battery life of up to eight hours and houses a USB port, SD card slot and Bluetooth 3.0 module. For now, the CL900 is only available at select retailers, though Motion is selling peripherals and accessories directly from its site. Check out the source links for more details.
Dell Streak's supposed US packaging is gorgeous, unboxed with elegance
Well, the Brits ain't gonna be happy when they see this in the AM. What we're looking at here is presumably the Dell Streak's final US packaging -- a far cry from the cardboard boxes that the Englishmen are given (and let's not forget the silly photoshop error on the top). If the features list is correct, this five-inch Android phone is definitely headed to AT&T's 850MHz 3G band for now (hang in there, T-Mobile fans). Other than that, the accessories and the phone itself look identical to what we've got in London, but we totally wouldn't mind getting hold of this sexy acrylic box -- it'd make a pretty cool cradle, don't you think? Head over to the source link to feed your eyes. Update: Here's another found on eBay. [Thanks, Johnny S.]
