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Apple fires hundreds of contractors hired to listen to Siri recordings
In the wake of revelations that Apple has people listening in to some Siri requests, Apple has fired more than 300 contractors in Cork, Ireland. As The Guardian reports those contractors were hired as part of a "grading" program that reviewed audio recorded by Siri. News broke last month that those contractors often heard sensitive information -- like medical info, criminal activity and "sexual encounters." After temporarily suspending the program, Apple has reportedly decided to terminate it.
Prototype Plugg radio dabbles in DAB, lets you put a cork in it
Clicking off the radio to rid your ears of an annoying DJ or an overplayed pop song is easy enough, but it could be more satisfying. How? Well, you could stuff a literal cork in your radio, of course. Normal speakers wouldn't be phased by mere wine stopper, but by design, the DAB compatible Plugg is. The project is the brainchild of Skrekkøgle, a pair of Norwegian designers, and was built to investigate the "physical and metaphorical interaction with electronic devices." The DIY project features a pair of volume buttons and the obvious cork for an on / off switch. There aren't any build instructions and the prototype isn't available for sale, but inspired builders can get a look at the speaker's construction (including a trip to the 3D printer) on the team's Flickr page. Head past the break to see the final product in action.
Irish Prime Minister visits Apple's European headquarters
One week after Apple announced it would create another 500 jobs at its European headquarters in Cork, Ireland, the employees there got a visit from none other than Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny. The visit happened yesterday, reports MacWorld UK, and during that time Kenny was snapped chatting with Apple employees, though it's not known exactly what he talked about. There's no doubt the news of 500 new jobs pleased the PM, as Ireland is one of the EU countries most affected by the current recession. Apple's headquarters and plant in Cork is not only the home of all of Apple's European operations, but it's also an assembly point for the MacBook Pro. Apple's current plant in Cork was opened in 1980 and was the first non-US headquarters for the company. The location now employs 2,800 people who work in backend, supply chain and distribution operations for Europe. Apple plans to add the additional 500 jobs over the next 18 months.
Apple to create 500 jobs in Cork, Ireland
Apple announced today that it will expand its headquarters in Cork, Ireland. "Apple has been in Cork for over 30 years and we are thrilled to be expanding our presence there," an Apple spokesman told the Irish Times. "Our plans will add over 500 new jobs to support our growing business across Europe." The Cupertino Company is meeting with local officials, the IDA Ireland and the Minister for Jobs Richard Burton who says this expansion "is a huge boost for the country." Apple's current plant in Cork was opened in 1980 and was the first non-US headquarters for the company. The Holyhill location now employs 2,800 people who work in backend, supply chain and distribution operations for Europe.
Apple to create 350 jobs in Cork, Ireland
There's good news for Cork, Ireland residents looking for work. The Irish Examiner is reporting that Apple intends to create 350 jobs in the city. Apple has reportedly leased the top two floors of a building on Cork's Half Moon Street (about 25,000 sq ft.), which was completed in 2009. This won't be Apple's first cluster of offices in Ireland or in Cork for that matter. The Irish Examiner notes that Apple has had "a major presence" at Hollyhill on the northside of Cork. Also, the Examiner reports that Apple looked at several locations in Cork before deciding on the Half Moon Street spot. Local retailers hope that Apple's staffers in "the striking glazed building" (that even sounds like a space Apple would occupy) will spend their hard-earned dollars at the city's restaurants, bars, shops and so on. Good luck to Apple in its new space and to the mom-and-pop shops of Cork. May you have a long and lucrative relationship.
Conceptual Corky mouse gets charged through motion, doubles as a wine stopper
It's still in concept form at the moment, but America's own Adele Peters just might have a winner with Corky. This obviously cork-based mouse relies on "piezoelectric elements to generate energy every time you click or move it around on your desk," meaning that nary a battery would ever be used to power it. In case that's not sustainable enough for you, the whole thing is made from easily recyclable materials, so it shouldn't mar Ma Earth when it gets tossed at the end of its useful life. Too bad that design has been trumped forty times over by more ergonomic options, but hey, there's always v2.0.
Handcrafted Ceramic Speakers are almost too pretty to blast
Joey Roth blew our collective minds way back in 2007 with his conceptual Felt Mouse, but now the designer is taking his creations to the next level by actually shipping a few. The simply named Ceramic Speakers boast only 10 watts of output per channel, though each 4-inch full-range driver is housed in an acoustically dead porcelain and cork chamber that should do quite a lot with quite a little. We can't say we're totally fond of the expected $400 to $500 price tag when these go on sale in October, but toss in a similarly designed subwoofer and we just might bite.[Via Cool Hunting]
Griffin uncorks PowerDock and 2008 iPod accessory lineup
Has it really come to this? Are consumers' homes so overrun with iPods that Griffin's $70 PowerDock is now a necessity? Seems so. Four iPods can charge simultaneously in a dosado of swirling volts and amperes... eureka! Griffin's newly announced 2008 lineup also includes updated iTrips, RoadTrip, PowerJolt and PowerBlock (or PowerDuo for combining that AC/Car charging), and more. But Griffin, a $30 iPhone case made of cork... seriously?[Via Mobile Tech Review]
Blizzard setting up shop in Ireland
Blizzard is apparently setting up a fourth support center, this one in Cork, Ireland. Currently, they've got bases in Southern California (where the main company and developers are located), Austin, Texas and Paris, France. But now an Irish newswire is saying that Blizzard plans to have another center in Cork, where they'll hire 100 people total over the next three years to support the European realms.And Cork is apparently happy to have them-- Motorola and Bourns Electronics have recently closed up shop there, leaving IT employees looking for new jobs. Ireland is apparently a hotspot of digital content as well, or at least it wants to be. I had no idea-- Irish companies, if you're hiring and willing to fly me out there, let me know! I'd love working in the country of Guinness.
Flickr Find: Inside an Apple manufacturing plant
It looks like Flickr user dinsdale79 was lucky enough to get an inside tour of Apple's manufacturing plant in Ireland. He took a bunch of pictures, though nothing of a sensitive nature (so I am pretty sure no one will be fired over these pictures, so no need to comment about that).This is a chance that few Mac users get, a chance to see how Macs are made, and tested. Sadly, the factory doesn't look like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but those parts might be top secret.Update: It was fun while it lasted. The set is down, there is nothing to see here. Move along.Update II: I removed the pic that was on this post at the request of the original poster. It would seem he uploaded the pictures to Flickr but forgot to mark them private. Live and learn, I suppose.
