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China fines LG Display, Samsung and others over alleged price fixing
Companies embroiled in display price fixing scandals aren't out of the woods just yet. China's National Development and Reform Commission has just fined six manufacturers ¥353 million ($56.7 million) for allegedly colluding on LCD prices, including Korean heavyweights LG Display and Samsung as well as Taiwan-based AU Optronics, Chungwa Picture Tubes, HannStar and Innolux. The accusations behind the latest penalty aren't quite the same as in other countries, but they share a familiar story: China believes the firms agreed to keep costs artificially high between 2001 and 2006, making ¥208 million yuan ($33.4 million) in undeserved profit. While the immediate fiscal damage will be light when it's spread across several companies, it adds to punishment that has already ranged into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Rumor du jour: Apple ordering 10" tablet screens
Another week, another day, another round of tablet rumors for the now all-but-confirmed January event. The latest news bouncing around the Interwebs is that Apple has placed an order with panel supplier Innolux for a bevy of 10" touch panels to stick in the new devices, be they called iSlate or whatever the marketing team eventually hits on the dart board. This vibes with what we'd heard earlier about the screen being either 7 or 10" in the diagonal, and it reveals a little bit more about the process: apparently Apple wanted to go with this release earlier, but they were concerned about the strength of the glass. Now they've got the stronger glass they need, so supposedly the rumors on the wind say they're ready for a January announcement, with a release coming in March or April. They've even got another supplier lined up to crank out even more of these screens if needed. A translated WSJ article also says a Taiwanese company called Chang Uei Precision has been signed up to provide "connectors" for the device, but that sounds quite vague and they say a release isn't planned until Q3 of next year. As always, this all remains hearsay -- Apple hasn't even officially announced an event in January yet, much less hinted that they'll be releasing a revolutionary tablet-style device. So remember what Grandma said about counting chickens before they hatch, and don't. But if any of these rumors prove to be true, it'll be an interesting 2010. [via Engadget]
Apple tablet terrorized by component rumors
Took some time off for the holidays, did you? Well, things haven't changed much since you've been gone. The world is still afraid of terrorists and Apple's still rumored to be working on a tablet. Regarding the latter, two rumors have coalesced this morning from component suppliers. First, Taiwan's Economic Daily is reporting via the Wall Street Journal that Cheng Uei Precision has landed "connector" orders for a "new flat-panel Apple Tablet PC" expected to begin shipping in Q3. Then DigiTimes piles on with its claims that Innolux (not WinTek) will be the initial supplier of 10-inch glass "touch panels" for Apple's new tablet. DigiTimes then muddles things by claiming that the tablet will begin mass shipments (presumably to consumers) in March or April based on its analysis of shipping schedules from Apple's upstream component suppliers. One thing's for sure: if Apple does ever announce an iSlate or whatever they decide to call it, you won't be using it during the last hour of your flight into the US.