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Apple reportedly shrinks iPhone orders
Don't look now, but Apple may be facing a rough patch. Wall Street Journal sources claim that Apple has cut its iPhone order forecasts to suppliers in the "past several months." Moreover, some Chinese factories making the handset have had idle capacity and let people go on holiday early -- this isn't the usual post-holiday dip. The city of Zhengzhou also gave Foxconn (Apple's main iPhone manufacturer) $12 million to help 'stabilize' the workforce, although it's unclear whether or not this is directly related to the apparent reduction.
App maker Nextbit wants to build smartphones that 'stand out'
Earlier this week, mobile software startup Nextbit revealed that it's about to launch its first smartphone. The move comes as no surprise -- it'd be silly for a company to hire Scott Croyle, HTC's former head of design, just to work on some cool continuity software on Android, right? We caught up with Nextbit CEO Tom Moss at Hong Kong's RISE conference and learned that not only will Foxconn be manufacturing the phone, but the design will "easily stand out" from the crowd.
Leak hints the next iPhone might record 4K video
Tired of recording 'just' 1080p video on your iPhone while your friends produce clips in glorious 4K? You won't have to look on with envy for much longer, if the latest rumors are on the mark. A tipster on China's Sina Weibo has posted what appear to be leaked details of the next iPhone's rear camera, and it'll reportedly jump to 12 megapixels with 4K video recording. There's no guarantee that this is in the cards, but it jives with earlier claims that Apple's future handset will focus on camera upgrades. You're not likely to see design changes, if 9to5Mac's photos are accurate, so photographic improvements like this will likely be more important this time around.
SoftBank's adorable Pepper robot goes on sale this Saturday
Japanese robot Pepper is ready to unthaw the hearts of any consumer who wants one. Maker Softbank said that it'll go on sale June 20th through a partnership with China's Alibaba and Foxconn Technology. As a reminder, the 4-foot humanoid 'bot is designed communicate realistically and even read your body language and tone of voice. It also "enjoys" human contact via touch sensors in the head and hands, and can detect you with an array of high-definition cameras, depth sensors and microphones. The manga-like eyes follow your movement, and the wheeled body -- which moves fairly gracefully -- is driven by 20 motors.
Bloomberg: Apple will let Foxconn buy and resell used iPhones in China
Thanks to the consistently high local demand, the iPhone resell business is rather lucrative in China, to the point where even the company who actually manufactures the devices wants in as well. According to Bloomberg, Apple is about to launch an iPhone trade-in program in China (we're surprised that it's taken this long, to be honest), but it'll be Foxconn on the receiving end. Basically, the OEM giant will buy the used iPhones directly, before refurbishing and then reselling them on its own online stores plus Taobao, China's popular eBay-like platform. Bloomberg's source added that the chain may extend to physical stores as well.
China's tech giants are getting into the autonomous car business
Google and Tesla are squaring off against each other for the future of self-driving cars, so it's no surprise to see China's tech giants follow suit. Both Tencent and Baidu have announced that they'll be getting into the autonomous vehicle game in the last 24 hours. Tencent is teaming up with iPhone assembler Foxconn, as well as a local luxury car outfit, to create "smart vehicles."
This router can power your devices wirelessly from 15 feet away
Wireless charging hasn't really set the world on fire. Since the Palm Pre first introduced us to the idea at CES 2009, a few companies have added similar functionality to their phones and smartwatches. Power without wires is undoubtedly useful, but none of the solutions have ever set our devices free from a charging pad, which is tantamount to plugging them in, really. Energous is one of a handful of companies hoping to change that. It claims its technology can charge your phone and wearable from up to 15 feet away, no wires required.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for July 7, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some 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 player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Foxconn to introduce high-tech robots to assist with iPhone assembly
Not content to simply design innovative products, Apple has long been interested in developing and employing innovative manufacturing methods as well. To that end, future iPhones may not necessarily be assembled by humans, but by robots. News of a future filled with robotic overlords comes directly from Foxconn CEO Terry Gou who recently suggested that hi company may soon roll out a fleet of robots -- appropriately called Foxbots -- that will be able to assemble upwards of 30,000 devices. Note, though, that no time frame for the 30,000 units was provided, although some other sites are reporting that it's an annual production figure per robot. With each robot costing upwards of US$25,000, Foxconn reportedly has 10,000 robots ready to go once final testing is complete. Reports of a robotic future notwithstanding, Foxconn's human workforce doesn't seem like it will be taking a hit just yet. A few weeks ago, a report surfaced in the Tawian Economic Daily News claiming that Foxconn is planning to hire upwards of 100,000 employees to help with iPhone 6 production. via GSM Dome
Google lends its robot expertise to help boost Foxconn's assembly lines
As the world's biggest electronics manufacturer, Foxconn has often been there to help Google. It provides the nuts and bolts for Glass, after all. However, a new report suggests Google's continued investment in robotics has put it in a position to give something back, using its own technology to better automate Foxconn's assembly robots. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google's Andy Rubin, the man who once led Android and now directs Mountain View's robotics efforts, recently met with Foxconn chairman Terry Gou to help "speed up robot deployment" at Hon Hai factories, with a view to integrating one of Google's own engineering companies later down the line. Google, of course, acquired BigDog-maker Boston Dynamics late last year, snatching up an additional seven technology companies to help it realize its robotic dreams. As it stands, Google and Foxconn's partnership will initially focus on improving the efficiency of the Taiwanese company's robot workforce, as it looks to mitigate against rising labor costs and improve production yields. Google is also tipped to turn its robots loose on Amazon, with Jeff Bezos' retail business reportedly fixed firmly in its crosshairs.
Relaxed restrictions draw Chinese electronics giant into console business
Following January's decision by Chinese authorities to lift the nation's 14-year-long ban on the sale of video game consoles, multinational electronics company TCL Corporation is hoping to add home gaming machines to its large portfolio of goods. "After smart TVs and set top boxes, game consoles will be the third power that alters the way Chinese people use their living rooms," analyst Xin Haiguang told China Daily. According to Haiguang, while Chinese companies have long been used to manufacture consoles for the international market - most notably Foxconn - many native Chinese companies have missed out on sizable profits due to the recently lifted console ban. While it's believed that the biggest benefactors of the newly lax Chinese console regulations will be Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, it's also clear that the Chinese populace is starved for the sort of wide scale video game availability that other countries take for granted. This is where TCL Corporation hopes to step in. In 2013 the Chinese government ended a program subsidizing the manufacture of home appliances which took a sizable chunk out of TCL's earnings. By tapping the newly available Chinese populace, TCL hopes to boost its lagging profits while also giving the company a potential foothold in the international games marketplace. "Entertainment will be the biggest focus for us in 2014," noted Hao Yi, president of TCL Corporation subsidiary TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Ltd. TCL Corporation has yet to reveal technical specifications or even a name for its console. It's likewise unknown when the company plans to release the device.
Mozilla kicks off Firefox OS tablet developer program, teases new ZTE phones
As it turns out, Mozilla's Panasonic smart TV deal is just the start of its Firefox OS plans for this year. The web pioneer has just unveiled a tablet developer program that will give dedicated contributors both reference hardware (initially from Foxconn) and other resources; they'll help create the tablet-native Firefox OS in the same communal fashion that Mozilla builds its desktop browser. The firm tells us that it wants to start the program shortly after CES, with a goal of finishing its slate interface sometime this year. The company is also providing the first details of ZTE's second-generation FFOS smartphones. The Open family is expanding to include two upgraded models, the Open C and the dual-core Open II; there isn't much more to say at this point, although we should learn more in the near future. If you're looking for something more tangible, you'll be happy to hear that VIA Technologies has released a version of its tiny APC Rock desktop PC with Mozilla's OS pre-installed. The bare system is available by itself for $59, while those who want it in a recycled case (Paper) will pay $99.
BlackBerry teams up with Foxconn for budget smartphones as sales continue to plunge
BlackBerry's new interim chief John Chen has just got a rude wake-up call: the company shipped only 1.9 million smartphones to retailers in Q3 compared to 3.7 million last quarter, and lost $4.4 billion. Most of the phones shipped were lower-priced BB7 models, and it lost a massive $2.6 billion on unsold BlackBerry 10 devices and other associated BB10 charges. Retail channel sales (of phones already shipped) during the period also showed the scale of the drop in its upmarket phones: of 4.3 million devices sold to end-users, only 1.1 million were BB10 handsets. Given that, Chen has already started making big changes, including a new organizational structure. The company will soon be divvied up into the following business units: Enterprise Services, Messaging, QNX Embedded and Devices. He hopes that'll create more focus for the services group and greater efficiencies for its handset division. With smartphone sales in freefall, BlackBerry also detailed its new five-year partnership with Foxconn. It said such a deal would let it focus on design and software, while "Foxconn's scale and efficiency will let us compete more effectively." Foxconn will build handsets in both Indonesia and Mexico, and BlackBerry said the first devices shipped in March or April 2014 will be BlackBerry 10 handsets aimed at emerging regions. For other markets, it'll focus development on segments still friendly to the brand, like enterprise and government. Meanwhile, the only bright spots in the quarter were messaging, with 40 million new Android and iOS users, and its bread and butter enterprise services. Given the hardware sales drop in just a single quarter, however, it seems to be do-or-die time for the iconic company.
Foxconn still not in compliance with all local labor laws, but it's getting better
Remember when Apple and Foxconn pledged to improve working conditions, increase wages and limit work weeks to 60 hours? Turns out they're still working on that. According to a recent investigation by China's Fair Labor Association, Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn's official name) is "not in compliance" with laws limiting overtime to 36 hours a month. Even so, the company has made significant progress: according to the FLA, Foxconn has completed 356 of the 360 items it agreed to when it promised to improve working conditions. In fact, the company seems to be taking the audit as a compliment. "The results of the report demonstrate substantial overall progress by our company in carrying out the 15-month remedial program in many areas," Foxconn officials said. "However, we recognize that there is more to be done and we must continue to sustain this progress and further enhance our operations." Apple followed up the company's optimistic response with its own statement, noting that the average work week at all of its suppliers was 53 hours, well under the 60 hour limit. The company also made progress by improving facilities, building more exits and adding more toilets. There's still work to do, but both companies have promised to do everything they can to resolve the remaining issues.
Independent medical team finds no link between employee death and Apple supplier Pegatron's working conditions
After a 15-year-old worker died of pneumonia at Pegatron, a Chinese supplier, Apple had an independent team of medical experts sent to the facility to verify working conditions, Bloomberg reports. The worker had previously been cleared as healthy just a month prior to his death. An official Apple statement on the matter reads, "While they have found no evidence of any link to working conditions there, we realize that is of little comfort to the families who have lost their loved ones. We have a team working with Pegatron at their facility to ensure that conditions meet our high standards." This isn't exactly the first time that Apple -- or any large electronics manufacturer, for that matter -- has faced concerns over manufacturing practices. Foxconn, one of Apple's largest suppliers, has had an ongoing battle with employee suicides and allegations of unsatisfactory working conditions.
Foxconn reveals plans for US-based manufacturing facility
iPhone manufacturing powerhouse Foxconn is planning to drop a cool $40 million in the United States to build a manufacturing facility for telecom and internet products, according to company chairman Terry Gou. Bloomberg reports the facility will be located in Harrisburg, Penn., where Foxconn already runs a small manufacturing operation. The new factory will employ roughly 500 people. Foxconn has been eyeing an expansion of its North American operations for some time already. Late last year, there were rumblings that the company would push for a larger US presence, and this may finally be the culmination of those rumored plans. This announcement doesn't necessarily mean that Foxconn will be hammering away at iPhones or iPads in its new US digs, as the company manufactures hardware for a huge list of tech giants including Sony, Dell, Amazon and Nintendo. But with Apple putting an increasing emphasis on US-made products, it's certainly not out of the question.
Daily Roundup: Fitbit Force fitness watch, Twitter's Event Parrot, Pantech Vega Secret Note and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Foxconn violates labor policy for PS4: Interns work overtime, night shifts
Foxconn, a prolific and controversial electronics manufacturing company in China, had student interns work night shifts and overtime to assemble Sony's PlayStation 4 console, in violation of the company's labor policy. Foxconn investigated violation claims that surfaced in China yesterday and confirmed that the students were working against internal regulations. "Immediate actions have been taken to bring that campus into full compliance with our code and policies," Foxconn said in a statement to Quartz. Foxconn said it will reinforce "the policies of no overtime and no night shifts for student interns." Foxconn noted that intern work is voluntary and students can stop at any time. The students, engineering majors from the Xi'an Institute of Technology, were at Foxconn to earn six credits for the school's internship program. Though students were able to walk away from the internship, if they did, they wouldn't receive their hours and would be unable to graduate as planned. Sony told MCV that Foxconn has been fully compliant with the Sony Supplier Code of Conduct. Many interns were assigned to menial tasks unrelated to their fields of study, including one finance and accounting major whose job was to glue together parts of the PS4, Games in Asia reported. Update: Games in Asia clarified that it was unclear if the students were paid for their work at Foxconn, or if they were compensated solely in credit hours. The story reflects this information.
Chinese students allegedly forced to build PS4s at Foxconn for school credit
Not all internships are as easy as making coffee in exchange for a glowing reference. In fact, according to Chinese media, over 1,000 students from the Xi'an Institute of Technology have been working on the PlayStation 4 production line at Foxconn as part of a work experience partnership. Apparently, the interns are treated much like employees, so apart from the work's questionable relevance to future careers, they get paid and have something for the CV. All is not quite as above board as it sounds, though, for Foxconn has admitted to Quartz that some students were designated night shifts and overtime in disagreement with internship protocol. Foxconn says it's taken steps to make sure it won't happen again, and was keen to highlight the voluntary nature of intern participation. However, reports claim the Xi'an Institute of Technology is withholding course credits necessary for graduation, thereby forcing students to pull drone duty and help address the rabid demand for Sony's next-gen console. While we're surprised to hear that an educational establishment is allegedly party to such a scheme, Foxconn has always had a penchant for controversial working arrangements.
7-Eleven strikes deal with Hon Hai to sell tablets and notebooks in Taiwan
The stars have aligned in such a way that two of our favorite, yet disparate interests are crossing paths: gadgets and Slurpees. Hon Hai Precision Industry (better known as Foxconn's parent company) has struck a deal with 7-Eleven, and will manufacture slates for the latter to sell in Taiwan. Details are slim on the 7-inch (7.11-inch?) tablet, but it's now up for pre-order, and the pair hope to give 3,000 units new homes in the first three months of sales. As absurd as it sounds, this isn't the first partnership between the unlikely couple. In June, a similar deal resulted in 7-Eleven-branded TVs (in 40-, 60- and 70-inch flavors), and over 15,000 have been sold since. Now, a 50-inch set has been added to the mix, and between five and ten new products -- which include smartphones and laptops -- will be available by years' end. Rather than crowding the inside of shops with the gadgets, the televisions were up for order through the convenience store's 7net website as well as brick and mortar locations, and it appears the other hardware will follow suit. We don't expect the gas station to dabble in electronics stateside, so you might as well make the most of a trip to Taiwan and pick up a Honey Lemon Slurpee while you're at it. [Image credit: Nicky Fernandes, Flickr]
