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HTC Vive owners can buy parts from iFixit for DIY VR repairs
HTC has teamed up with iFixit to make it easier for its customers to get their VR headsets and accessories repaired.
Galaxy Fold teardown gives us a look at its complicated design
This teardown is no precision iFixit job, but if you just want to see what parts and pixie dust are holding Samsung's Galaxy Fold together, some images from an apparently now-deleted Weibo post can help. Not surprisingly for a first-gen new device, the design is seems incredibly complex and highlights some of the points of failure that may have lead to quickly-broken review units. According to GSM Arena, the original poster said the flexible 7.3-inch display was "soft like rubber" when removed, although they "shattered" the Fold's small external display while taking it apart. The hinge mechanism seems quite complicated with watch-like gears, and looking inside shows where ribbon cables flow across the joint that's supposed to hold up to hundreds of thousands of bends. Other interesting elements include its inside and outside cameras, as well as two separate battery packs.
Tesla publishes the parts catalog for its electric cars
Unless you're changing tires, you generally can't fix a Tesla car yourself -- not when the brand has made it difficult just to get documentation, let alone parts. It's inching in the right direction, though. Tesla has published its parts catalog, detailing all the components for cars ranging from the original Roadster to the Model 3. You'll even see schematics showing how everything fits together.
Amazon's Part Finder helps you find those weird screws you need
If you have a home hardware part you can't really identify but need more of, you might find that the camera in Amazon's iPhone app is a bit more useful after a low-key recent update. The new Part Finder tool uses computer vision to determine the type of screw, nut, bolt or other fastener you have, and points you to where you can buy more in its store.
Car makers used software to raise spare parts prices
Ever had the nagging suspicion that your car's manufacturer was charging outrageous prices for parts simply because it could? Software might be to blame. Reuters has obtained documents from a lawsuit indicating that Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot, Renault and other automakers have been using Accenture software (Partneo) that recommended price increases for spare parts based on "perceived value." If a brand badge or other component looked expensive, Partneo would suggest raising the price up to a level that drivers would still be willing to pay. It would even distinguish parts based on whether or not there was "pricing supervision" over certain parts (say, from insurance companies or focused publications) to avoid sparking an outcry.
General Motors is 3D printing parts to make EVs more efficient
The virtues of 3D printing have long been touted by a vast range of manufacturers, so it was only a matter of time before the EV industry got in on the action. General Motors has announced that, alongside design software company Autodesk Inc, it's creating lightweight 3D parts that'll help it meet its ambitious plan to add 20 new electric battery and fuel cell batteries to its global lineup by 2023.
GE’s huge 3D metal printer makes aircraft parts
GE has unveiled its previously-announced 3D metal printer, suitable for making aircraft parts. At the manufacturing trade show formnext in Germany, the GE Additive team revealed the as-yet-unnamed machine, demonstrating its ability to print parts as large as 1 meter in diameter directly from a computer file. Using additive manufacturing technology, the machine fuses together thin layers of metal powder with a 1-kilowatt laser.
Foxconn applies for license, aiming to get into wireless service
Apple's parts manufacturer of choice, Foxconn, doesn't seem very happy with its current industry. The company recently made its own iPhone-compatible smartwatch (in order to show off that it could design its own devices), and now the Wall Street Journal reports that Foxconn's parent company, Hon Hai, has applied for a high-speed wireless broadband license in Taiwan. An auction for the frequency will happen in September of this year, with bidders being announced in August. This move certainly makes it seem like the company is aiming to provide wireless service, which is a nice industry jump from where it's at right now. Foxconn doesn't seem content with assembling parts for Apple lately, and could be in a few different industries by the end of this year. We'll have to wait and see if that affects Apple's production line at all. It doesn't seem like Foxconn would want to hurt its relationship with Apple, but if it would rather sell products directly to consumers, then it's possible the core business could falter a bit. [via BGR]
EVE Evolved: First impressions of Odyssey
The Odyssey expansion has been live for a couple of days now, but it's already starting to have a massive impact on EVE Online. Traffic through low-security space has increased significantly for the first time in years thanks to explorers hunting data and relic sites, and some players are even hunting asteroid belt NPCs in lowsec for the new security tags. New wars have erupted in nullsec following the redistribution of moon wealth, mining has become a more valuable profession, and the rebalanced battleships feel powerful again. Unfortunately, Odyssey has seen its fair share of problems too. The new jump effect looks spectacular the first few times you see it, but long-term play is reportedly causing motion sickness in some players. Some players have also been objecting to the ice mining changes, and the revamped radial UI menu hasn't done much to fix the game's usability problems. Explorers in low-security space and nullsec are reporting incomes in the billions of ISK per day range thanks to the scan probe changes and new hacking minigame, but not everyone is happy with the new loot-scattering mechanic. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the early impact of Odyssey on the EVE Online universe and discover the secrets behind collecting all the valuable loot when hacking.
Next iPhone's motherboard possibly spotted with a dash of extra wireless
We may well have seen the next iPhone's back shell, front panel, SIM tray and even its cabling. Why not round it out with what might be the motherboard? A WeiPhone forum goer who slipped out the iPhone 4S' board last year is back with the 2012 update's potential new heart. While the tipster hasn't been courteous enough to do a side-by-side with the older component, repair shop iDeviceGuys notes to 9to5 Mac that the newer part isn't just a carbon copy; that smaller SIM slot (what you see in the middle) is one of the bigger giveaways. The real treat may be the extra wireless antenna connections. They aren't any surefire signs of 4G, but the antenna links suggest Apple isn't content with what the iPhone 4S has to offer. We're mostly left wondering about what's under that shielding -- it's a mystery as to whether or not the next iPhone's processor speed bump is a mountain or a molehill. Barring one more peek, we could get the full scoop next month.
Two sources talk of Apple iPhone event around September 12th, part sales back it up (update: one more clue)
Apple's plans for its next iPhone refresh may be getting very tangible, very quickly. It all started when iMore heard that Apple was preparing to hold an event unveiling the new hardware on September 12th, with a launch the following week on September 21st. Although the relative newcomer to the iPhone release date rumor game is still building its track record, that claim may have just gotten some extra meat: AllThingsD is joining in the chorus and touts its own sources pointing to an event in the same timeframe. While it's almost a month earlier in the year than Apple's iPhone 4S event was in 2011, it's supported by an Apple filing with the SEC showing a sharp uptick in supply purchasing during the spring, which it would need to start production for the fall. All of it is still rumor, of course, but past experience suggests that iOS fans may want to plan any September camping trips for the Apple Store line late in the month, not Labor Day weekend. Update: Jim Dalrymple at The Loop, who's well-known for his accurate one-word confirmations and denials of rumors, just posted his trademark "yep."
New iPad parts cost more than its predecessors
Hot on the heels of iFixit's wonderful tear down of the new iPad is a component analysis from the Wall Street Journal. According to their calculations, parts for the new iPad with 4G total US$309. That's about $30 more than the iPad 2 which costs $276.27 and the original iPad 3G which totals $270.86. This extra cost is likely due to the retina display and the 4G LTE chipset, both of which are unique to the new iPad. Which leads us to the question - was Apple wise to up the cost of components and cut its margin in order to give consumers a tablet with a faster wireless internet connection and a gorgeous display?
Daily iPad App: Reckless Racing 2
Gaming company Polarbit is the grandfather of iPhone racers. Raging Thunder was among the first racers to hit the iPhone. Reckless Racing was released soon after and now it's back as Reckless Racing 2. This is a full update to the isometric driving title. The gameplay is similar to other top-down titles like Death Rally, though more realistic. Think of a fun game with a hardcore driving elements to set your expectations. Career mode lets you climb the competitive ladder, upgrade parts and advance in the the Performance Index. The driving is more traditional than Reckless Racing. You'll still make powerslides and jumps, but you can also follow the driving lines closely and advance technically. Online and offline multiplayer modes are available, as are ghost runs and leaderboards. Reckless Racing 2 is an excellent update from a developer who loves racing games. It's currently US$4.99 for a universal version, which might be more than you're willing to spend. Fortunately, Polarbit is generous with the sales, so keep an eye out for a price drop.
iPhone 4S 16 GB costs US$196 to build
Shortly after iFixit tore down the iPhone 4S, iSuppli also took its turn with the iPhone 4S and evaluated the cost of the materials that go into the handset. According to its analysis, the iPhone 4S 16 GB costs US$188 in materials and and extra $8 to build, a dollar value that's close to the $187 of the iPhone 4. The 32 GB has a bill of materials of $207 and the 64 GB is at $245. Inside the iPhone 4S, the most expensive part is the NAND flash memory which costs $19.20 in the 16 GB model, $38.40 in the 32 GB and $76.80 in the 64 GB model. iSuppli also notes that the NAND flash is from Hynix and not from Samsung or Toshiba which were seen in all previous iPhone and iPad models. The second and third most expensive components are the mechanical/electro-mechanical parts which costs $33, followed by the wireless radio which is a custom part from Avago and costs $23.54. For all the nitty gritty details head over to iSuppli's report.
OmniVision, Avago reported iPhone 5 parts suppliers
A rumor from Digitimes suggests Apple is tapping OmniVision for CMOS image sensors and Avago Technologies for power amplifiers (PA) to be used in the iPhone 5. OmniVision will be the main supplier for 8-megapixel camera sensors, with Sony picking up any slack. Avago will supply two-thirds of the PAs while long-time supplier TriQuint Semiconductor will supply the rest. This is good news for the suppliers involved as they will likely see a boost in revenue due to the expected staggering demand for the iPhone 5. This is even better news for Apple fans as it suggests production of the iPhone 5 is moving along smoothly. Yes, it may be slower than some prefer, but it's possible Apple may still hit that rumored September target launch date.
Wheego needs more cash to produce LiFe EVs, 'living hand-to-mouth' for now
Oh, how the winds of fortune can swirl. Just a few weeks after finally selling its first LiFe electric car to a happy couple in Atlanta, Wheego appears to have suddenly fallen on hard financial times. Very hard times. Speaking to Automotive News, CEO Mike McQuary claimed that his startup's coffers are bare enough to jeopardize future production of Wheego's flagship, battery-powered two-seater: "My constraint is primarily capital. We'll be living hand-to-mouth as we try to get the first cars built. The next 200 will creep out as we raise money." McQuary didn't say how far behind schedule Wheego is at the moment, but part of the problem seems to be finding enough money to buy parts for its $32,995, 100-mile range EVs. The company's plant in California was supposed to produce 200 vehicles a month starting in January, in the hopes of eventually churning out 60,000 a year. Those plans, however, were soon derailed, due to unexpectedly delayed approval from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration -- a setback that also hurt the company's capital raising campaigns. The company is hoping to raise some $15 million with the help of a VC firm in Connecticut, but until it does, Wheego may not be going anywhere.
Apple spent nearly $5.7b on Samsung parts in 2010, faces 'strong' response to its patent suit
Want some numerical context to last night's revelation that Apple is suing Samsung Electronics for copying the iPhone and iPad? How does $5.7 billion sound? That's how much Apple spent on buying up parts from Samsung last year, according to the AFP, which cites the Cupertino company as Samsung's second-biggest client after Sony. Given the breadth of Samsung's component manufacturing, these expenditures can and probably do span everything from flash storage and RAM to processing chips to displays. What's fascinating here -- and illustrative of the psychopathic nature of corporations -- is that in spite of this massive interdependency, Apple's lodged a broadly worded patent assault on a major prong of Samsung's business (smartphones and tablets) and now Samsung's been quoted as saying it has "no choice but [to] respond strongly." A company official has apparently expressed the belief that Apple may be infringing on some of Samsung's wireless patents, which means we can probably look forward to another fat batch of papers being submitted to the Northern District of California court. Lovely.
Apple reportedly yet to order iPhone 5 parts
If you're excited to buy the iPhone 5 this summer, you might want to relax a bit. Reports from China are saying that Apple hasn't even started securing the parts for a brand new version of the iPhone, which would mean that there's almost no way a new version could be released this year. Especially with all of the changes described in the recent rumors, Apple would need to start early to get all of the manufacturers working on making enough of a new iPhone to go around, and according to this source in China, those manufacturers haven't heard word one. When you combine that with what we heard about WWDC lacking a hardware announcement, it's very likely that we won't even hear about a brand new version of the iPhone until this fall. That's fine -- the iPhone 4 is a very solid device, and it's still selling well. If Apple's cloud aspirations are realized this year, the company from Cupertino will have plenty to work on anyway. [via AppleInsider]
Nanocade kit now on sale in the USA, somewhat less pricy at $229
If you asked us to drop $350 for 23 pieces of laser-cut plastic, we'd probably shoo you away, but it's hard to resist the incredible charm of the Nanocade. Besides, designer Rasmus Sorensen's actually selling the miniature arcade cabinet parts for just $229 right now, which makes the decision to finally build your own MAME machine a wee bit more affordable. You'll still need to supply all the internals yourself, including buttons, an arcade stick, a monitor and glue, and even should you succeed, good luck prying guests away from your new coffee table conversation piece. Find the basic kit in your choice of Midnight Black or Arctic White at our source link. Note: It's a bit of a bummer, but the Nanocade website says that handsome curved control panel displayed above actually isn't part of the initial kit -- it comes with a pair of flat pieces that meet at a (seemingly) wrist-chafing angle instead.
Tweaked iPhone 4 parts discovered: an antenna fix, Verizon's iPhone, or the best KIRF ever?
This is a pretty bizarre video, but we watched the whole thing and we're prepared to comment: this is a pretty bizarre video. The folks at GlobalDirectParts somehow got ahold of iPhone replacement parts (a common story in Apple device leaks), and they've posted an in-depth video that illustrates the differences between this new set and regular iPhone 4 parts. Interestingly, nothing has been majorly tweaked, but there's a huge quantity of minor tweaks, primary in the internal wiring. Most notable are antenna adjustments, that are either an antenna fix, or, more likely, adjustments to optimize the antennas to work with Verizon's CDMA network. Other tweaks are bigger head scratchers, including a SIM slot (which wouldn't be necessary on Verizon, but wouldn't hurt anything either), and the removal of the rear camera hole (perhaps an extra SKU for enterprise use?). GlobalDirectParts isn't the only one to receive the tweaked parts, SmartPhone Medic made a similar score, so at least we know this isn't a one-off prank. We'll keep scratching our heads while you check out the video, located after the break. Update: So apparently Apple's yanked the video off YouTube, which may or may not be an indication for the part's authenticity. Anyhow, we've got you guys a backup video after the break.
