Tag: apple

Apple May Launch An LTE – Enabled Apple Watch

Apple Inc. is planning to launch a cellular network compatible Apple Watch to reduce the wearable device’s reliance on the iPhone. The Apple Watch currently needs to be connected to an iPhone to do most of its tasks, such as receive notifications, stream music, send messages on the go, etc.

This move is designed to make the smartwatch a stand alone replacement for your iPhone. The LTE-enabled smartwatch is touted to do a lot more work than the current Apple Watch (when it’s not wirelessly connected to the phone). For example, a user can send text messages, check notifications, download songs or use the maps, even if they’ve left their phone at home. The smartwatch, however, will not replace the current version of the Apple Watch, and instead go on sale as an LTE version of the same watch, much like the iPads have over the years.

Intel will be the LTE chip supplier for the new smartwatch. Qualcomm has long been the chip supplier for Apple mobile devices, but since the companies are embroiled in a legal dispute, Apple has chosen Intel for the task at hand. Intel also supplied chips for some of the iPhones last year. Apple is already in talks with network carriers in the US and Europe, such AT&T, T-Mobile etc for the next gen Apple Watch.

The move to make the Apple Watch a standalone device may boost its sales and make it a more viable option for Android users as well. As it will be able to do most of the tasks of a cell phone without being connected to one. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc has conceded that the smartwatch is a very small part of Apple’s revenue but is still the most popular smartwatch in the world right now. Apple’s decision to add a GPS chip to the Apple Watch Series 2 was to enable consumers to leave their phones at home while going for a run.

Apple had planned to release an LTE enabled smartwatch last year but pushed the release due to battery draining issues. With watchOS 4 releasing this fall, and new improvements in Siri, along with new features such as payments via iMessage, and the ability to interact with gym equipment , The Apple Watch will attract some serious buyers.

Apple is all set the release the next iPhones in the coming month, and there is a large possibility that the next Apple Watch will be introduced alongside the next iPhones.

August 5, 2017
Apple Hints At September Launch of The iPhone 8 with US$ 50 Billion in Q4 Earnings

The rumours of delay in launch of the Apple iPhone 8 have been innumerous, but Apple’s Q3 earnings announcement suggested quite the opposite. Tim Cook said that Apple is expected to earn revenue anywhere from US $49 billion to US $52 billion in the next quarter, which ends in September.

The earnings represented by Apple are high enough to hint that the iPhone 8 may go on sale in September itself, during the fourth financial quarter.

Further to support the claims of an early iPhone 8 launch is the statement made by Tim Cook, saying that Apple would have “very exciting Fall.” He also said :

We’ve put everything we know into coming up with the guidance…we really like what we see for the beginning of the back-to-school season.”

Though nothing can be confirmed, but we certainly hope that the iPhone 8 is one of the reasons for quoting such optimistic earnings prediction. A September release would impact Apple’s Fourth Quarter revenue immensely.

That said, the earlier reports of manufacturers backing out from contracts with Apple, problems with installing few features like the Touch ID, etc have led the analysts to make a common prediction. They expect that the delays and shortage of supplies may mean that iPhone 8 will see a very limited release in September.

We have also been receiving constant updates about the next iPhone’s design, features etc. – courtesy the leaked HomePod firmware. But that doesn’t mean the redesigned iPhone is what Apple plans to release this September. There has been some speculations about Apple splitting the iPhone line by releasing theiPhone 7S in September, and the redesigned model – iPhone 8, a few months later.

These speculations could also mean that the significant earnings predicted by Apple could be from expectations of people upgrading to the rumoured iPhone lineup – iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. Or maybe Apple is banking on massive HomePod sales, either way Apple is definitely prepared for something “very exciting” this fall.

August 2, 2017
Details Of The Apple iPhone 8 Confirmed By HomePod’s Firmware

Apple announced it’s smart speaker – HomePod at the annual WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) at 5 June 2017. The $349 Siri powered speaker is said to rival Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home and will be available for purchase in December.

After introducing the HomePod at the conference, Apple pushed out a developer update for it’s wireless speaker ahead of its launch. A bunch of developers examined the firmware bearing the name “AudioAccessory1,1”. The update revealed that the HomePod included the codebase for the next iPhone, along with the secrets about the smart speaker.

Here’s a roundup of all the secrets found in the HomePod firmware –

References to an LED matrix

According to one of the coders, it’s possible that HomePod will have a dot LED matrix screen that could display shapes, symbols,icons or even text. References to a Siri button on the top of the device were also found. This could mean that the existence of an LED matrix could potentially offer additional information to the user.

So the #HomePod probably has a screen like this. If it’s the right density could easily show basic things like temperature & weather icons ? pic.twitter.com/l5f16EkddV

— Alan Miller (@rosewoodat5th) July 28, 2017

References to an Infra-Red Camera and Facial Recognition Feature

A code snippet was found that refers to iPhone’s infra-red, face recognition-based unlocking capabilities. The code consisted of the lines “BKFaceDetect” which probably refers to Biometric Kit and facial detection tech. .

References to an infrared camera – “pearlInfraredCapture Stream”, which can be used to detect your face even in the dark have also been seen. Reports of Apple using an infrared camera for 3D face scanning in the iPhone 8 have also been seen earlier this month.

A tweet from one of the developers pretty much confirmed the facial unlocking feature in the iPhone 8.

I can confirm reports that HomePod’s firmware reveals the existence of upcoming iPhone’s infra-red face unlock in BiometricKit and elsewhere pic.twitter.com/yLsgCx7OTZ

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) July 31, 2017

References to the iPhone 8 Form Factor

HomePod firmware also appears to have carried an icon of the iPhone 8. Confirming the all-screen design, a stylized image of the new iPhone was also extracted from the “Payment_glyph_phone-D22.caar” in “PassKitUIFoundation.framework”.

Later, another developer tweeted a high resolution version of the of the next iPhone’s icon. The form factor revealed a bezel-less, edge to edge display extending around the top speaker and sensors.

Me too. New bezel-less form factor as well pic.twitter.com/Y0RrSOk2OO

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) July 31, 2017

The earlier icons of the previous iPhones like iPhone 5s had a home button which doubled as the Touch ID. The placement of the TouchID and the home button in the iPhone 8 is still not disclosed . Apple might just give the fingerprint sensor a miss in the new iPhone.

References to a 2436×1125 Resolution

Another snippet of the code was tweeted yesterday containing references to a 5.15-inch screen with the rumoured 2436 x 1125 resolution.

Assuming the speculations are true, iPhone 8 will have a pixel density around 521 PPI with 3x Retina display which is higher than the existing iPhone lineup.

There are little tidbits in the OS suggesting upcoming iPhone will have a 3x screen at 1125×2436. Hard to gauge what that will mean for devs pic.twitter.com/SK8QjOAfDt

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) July 31, 2017

Tap to wake feature

A tap to wake feature has also been discovered. The developers say that it may be similar to the Lumia 950’s Double-tap to wake the phone feature.

It looks like the new iPhones might support ‘tap to wake’, much like Windows Phones/Lumias

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) August 1, 2017

References to a virtual Home Button

A developer confirmed that the traditional home button will now be replaced with a virtual home button called the “home indicator”. The coders also shot down the possibility of a Touch ID.

@stroughtonsmith And the death of the home button is confirmed. RIP. pic.twitter.com/w638s4Tgzn

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 1, 2017

Apple will not be the first to use facial recognition and edge to edge display. Both the features have already been seen on other Android phones like Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, LG G6 etc. But with the increased pixel density and the 3x Retina display, the iPhone 8 will be at par with the latest high-end Android phones like the Galaxy S8 (2960 x 1440) or the Google Pixel (1080 x 1920), which tend to offer more pixel-dense displays.

It is still not definitive whether the features extracted from the code will make it into the iPhone 8 or not. But as these are the samples of code released by Apple, it is more likely that the said features will be present in the upcoming smartphone.

August 1, 2017
Apple Settles Patent Lawsuit With Nokia For A Whopping US $2 Billion

Apple seems to be in a mood for catching a break from the “Smartphone Patent Wars”. After battling the patent violation lawsuit with Samsung, Apple seems to have decided on settling the patent infringement dispute with Nokia back in May. Apple seemed eager to avoid the legal battle like the one with Samsung and both the companies agreed on moving from adverseries to business partners.

The details of settlement were initialy announced without disclosing the terms and the value of the settlement. According to the recent reports, Nokia announced that it has received a US $2 billion upfront cash payment from Apple (€1.7 billion) to settle the case. The terms of the new licensing deal are yet to be disclosed, including, whether Nokia would receive a US $2 billion quarterly payment or whether this was non-recurring catch-up settlement. Though the possibility of Apple paying US $2 billion quarterly to Nokia seems highly unlikely.

The original lawsuit began in December with Nokia accusing Apple of patent infringement in multiple countries. Apple was also accused of infringing patents from Nokia subsideries – NSN and Alcatel-Lucent.

At the center of the dispute were 32 patents involving the iPhone 3GS and subsequently launched iPhones (along with other Apple products) which Apple claimed Nokia intentionally left out of a 2011 licensing agreement. The lawsuit allegedly covered many elements of smartphone handset design and functionality, with Nokia’s patent portfolio spanning display technology, antennas, chipset, user interface and more.

Apple responded to the lawsuit with its own and removed Withings’ products (a division of Nokia) from its online store and worldwide Apple stores. Both companies, soon after resolved the issues as Apple started restocking Withings products, with new licensing terms and agreeing to a joint effort to explore “future collaboration in digital health initiatives.”

After the settlement, Apple and Nokia decided to take the usual patent licensing deal a step further by collaborating on technology along with research and development. The collaboration indicates that Apple might be paying Nokia to help explore the technologies related to digital health, optical network and IP routing.

No information has been received about how Nokia plans to invest the upfront cash payment received from Apple. Whereas for Apple, it may not be a major financial setback, as according to reports, the company has more than a 750 billion dollars in cash and investments.

July 29, 2017
The Rock is Making a Movie With Siri

Remember last year’s Taylor swift and Apple music collaboration, well Apple is back at it.

Rumours about the Siri integrated wireless charging have barely subsided and now Siri has been reported to star in a movie along with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

While most of us are busy bossing Siri around, the voice assistant has managed to get its own movie titled, The Rock x Siri: Dominate The Day. Dominating the day or not, Siri is definitely dominating Hollywood now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufBLI6bB9sg

Despite initially describing it as a “Movie”, Johnson now says that his partnership with Apple is a commercial.

Haha it’s a crazy fun commercial we’ll drop tomorrow. Dominate your day brother ??

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 23, 2017

The extended commercial or a movie is a collaboration between Johnson and Apple. The “movie” made quite an entrance with an over-the-top poster featuring automobiles, satellites, space, car crashes etc.

The Rock also tweeted along with the poster of The Rock x Siri: Dominate The Day.

Teamed w/ @Apple to make the biggest, coolest, sexiest, funnest (is that a word?) movie ever. Drops TOMORROW!#ROCKxSIRI #DominateYourDay?? pic.twitter.com/STwlCPsVUh

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 23, 2017

By the looks of his Facebook page, Johnson seems quite excited about the collab. In his own words, the movie will be the “dopest” and was made to “motivate you to get out there and get the job done.”

The film itself will be released on July 24th, on Apple’s YouTube channel. Unlike most of the content being exclusive to Apple Music, Apple’s Siri co-starring movie with The Rock will be available for free on YouTube.

With Apple releasing the Siri integrated HomePod in a couple of months, this seems like an excellent opportunity to show that Apple’s virtual assistant can be held at par with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

July 24, 2017
iPhone 9’s L-Shaped Batteries To Be Made By LG

We already have enough of the iPhone 8 rumours and speculations, but that hasn’t stopped new reports from claiming that LG will be the exclusive battery supplier of the L-shaped batteries of next iPhone, dubbed ‘iPhone 9’. According to the report, Apple and LG have reached an agreement, making LG the sole vendor of the iPhone 9’s battery.

Apple is usually known to hire multiple providers for sourcing parts but apparently, LG’s huge investment in dedicated battery manufacturing facilities was a major reason why Apple sided with them. One of the other reasons could be the recent backing out of providers from the agreement causing an expected further delay in launch of the iPhone 8.

As per the recent speculations, Apple’s next-generation iPhone will use a battery module that is either “bent” or extended to one side at its bottom to form an “L” shape. The L-shaped battery feature is also expected in the iPhone 8. The feature will not only allow Appleto increase the battery size without increasing the phone size but will also boost the charging speed.

LG’s focus on the L-shaped design can also be another reason for Apple to get in with the agreement. Whereas other suppliers like Samsung, Motorola etc., choose to stick with the traditional design featured in the most smartphones.

A report earlier this year said that Apple could also introduce two new OLED screen sizes with the iPhone 9, including 5.28-inches and 6.46-inches. Of-course nothing can be said for sure based on the far fetched speculations and considering the delays in the production of iPhone 8 we might want to get past the current launch season before taking a dive in the next one.

Meanwhile,

The “iPhone 8” is rumored to feature a full-front OLED screen, front-facing 3D-sensing camera, wireless charging and embedded Touch ID sensors. And is expected to be announced at Apple’s September event.

July 21, 2017
Apple Working On a Siri Activated Wireless Charging Dock

The rumours about Apple bringing wireless charging to its iPhone 8 lineup have been innumerous. Given its membership in the wireless power consortium, Apple is likely to depend upon the Qi inductive standard for its rumoured new feature. For a feature like wireless charging, the company will most likely have to come up with a pad- like device, may be like a -Siri powered wireless charging dock. And considering that Apple has recently been granted a new patent which states, “Smart dock for activating a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device,” the company might just roll out a Siri powered dock sometime in the future.

The patent describes a device that could serve as a dock for “a portable electronic device”, an iPhone outfitted with microphones for voice commands, allowing the users to access the phone from a distance, processors and wireless charging. The microphone installation in dock indicates it being powered by Siri. Further, the patent also states multiple ways of powering the iPhone which includes wireless charging, docks that range from basic microphone and speaker integrated connectors to mini computers with displays.

Filed back in 2012, the patent defines Siri integration in the dock as “a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device,” than a built in feature but considering the upcoming trends in the tech world, Apple might infuse Siri directly in the dock. The filing date of the patent also suggests that Apple might have been working on the idea for a while.

Amidst all the ongoing rumours and announcements, the $349 HomePod, one of the upcoming Apple product is also expected to hit the stores in December. The Siri supported speaker is rumoured to serious contender against the Amazon Echo and Google Home. As to when the Siri powered wireless charging will be announced or if it ever will be, its all upto Apple. Amongst all the speculation, we still can’t claim it for sure until Apple officially announces the rumoured Siri connected dock.

July 21, 2017
Apple iPhone 8 May Face Major Delays

The rumor mill is awake with the recent reports of delays and production struggles faced by Apple for its new iPhone 8 lineup. Earlier, a report suggested that Apple has taken the manufacturing of iPhone 8’s key parts in it’s own hands for device’s timely release.

A more recent report suggests that the three new iPhones, the iPhone 8, the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus are yet to start mass production. While this might come as a shock for many, the reports suggest that the production for new ‘7s’ iterative with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch phones might ramp up in August. Whereas, the iPhone 8 with the OLED 5.8-inch display, no bezel design with the “all new glass body” may not be available until November.

Even though, Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron will reportedly be manufacturing the new Apple iPhone lineup hand in hand, the iPhones are still not expected to be at a level that may be considered mass production. Multiple reports have also indicated problems with features like wireless charging and the 3D front sensor said to replace TouchID.

It is also said that due to one of the suppliers walking out on the company, Apple resorted to purchasing and providing manufacturers with the production equipment required for manufacturing of the rigid flexible printed circuit board (connects chips with every part of he handset), a key component of the iPhone.

The production of iPhone 8 will be further the delayed as one of the three suppliers for manufacturing the RFPCB has recently backed out of the agreement. The only way Apple can hope to hasten the production process is by purchasing its own equipment and leasing it to its suppliers.

Apple may also ship the new iPhones with few key features disabled at first, while others say that the delays might just push back the release altogether. The Apple iPhone launch is expected to be bigger than ever, and if the leaks are accurate, the launch of three new models on the iPhone’s 10th anniversary will get industry excited.

July 17, 2017
Top 10 Tech Deals from The Amazon Great India Sale
With Amazon’s Great India Sale you can expect a whole lot of discounts, here are some great deals for the tech lover in you.

1. Apple iPhone 7:

The iPhone 7 launched at Rs. 60000 but is now available for as low as Rs. 43999 during the Amazon sale.

2. Moto G 4th Gen:

One of the best phones of 2016 and still a great deal at Rs. 11,499.
- 16 MP primary camera with laser focus, 5 MP front camera
- 5.5-inch full HD display, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Android v6.0.1 Marshmallow OS
- 1.5 GHz MSM8952 Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core
- 550 MHz Adreno 405 GPU
- 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory expandable up to 128GB
- 3000 mAh battery
3. Redmi 4A

This phone which is typically only available in flash sales is available throughout the Amazon Great India Sale but only for Prime Members. Our Review Marked it as a best buy in the price bracket.
- 13MP primary camera and 5MP front facing camera
- 5-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen with 1280 x 720 px display
- Android v6.0.1 Marshmallow Miui 8
- 1.4GHz Cortex A53 64-bit Qualcomm snapdragon 425
- 2GB RAM, 16GB internal expandable up to 128GB a
- 3120mAH lithium-ion battery
4. Coolpad Note 5

The 32 GB variant of the Coolpad Note 5 is available for a cool Rs. 2000 discount making the Price only Rs. 9999
- 13MP primary camera and 8MP front facing camera
- 5.5-inch IPS with 1920 x 1080 pixel Display
- Android 6.0 + CoolUI operating system
- 1.5 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 MSM8952 octa-core
- 4GB RAM/ 32GB internal memory expandable up to 64GB
- 4010 mAh battery
5. Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro

This newly launched phone is sleek and has a gorgeous display. and is on sale at a great price.
- 16MP primary camera and 16MP front facing camera with f/1.9 aperture lens
- 5.7-inch Full HD super AMOLED display
- Android v6.0 Marshmallow
- 2.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 626 octa core processor, Adreno 506 GPU
- 4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory expandable up to 256GB
- 3300mAh lithium-ion battery
6. Apple MacBook Air 13.3

Apple’s thinnest and most portable laptop computed gets a massive price cut from Rs. 80000 to Rs. 55340 one of the best deals in the sale.
- 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor
- 8GB DDR3 RAM
- 128GB storage
- 13.3-inch screen, Intel HD 6000 Graphics
- Mac OS X operating system
- 12 hours battery life, 1.4kg laptop
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
7. Seagate Backup Plus Slim

This ultra portable and fast hard drive is a steal at Rs. 4099 is available in a brushed Aluminium finish in several colours to match with your existing gear.

8. Amazon Fire Stick

Not only do you get to stream video and make your old TV a Smart TV, Amazon is giving Rs. 499 as cash back during the sale.

9. Sandisk MicroSD 16 GB

Looking for one of the best MicroSD cards for your smartphone storage needs. Rs. 419 is all you need to spend during the sale. One of the best MicroSD cards on the market.

10. JBL C300SI Headphones
- 3.5mm gold-plated connector
- Self-adjust earcups
- 20Hz-20kHz dynamic frequency range
May 11, 2017
Apple to Manufacture iPhones in Bangalore from April, Expect Cheaper iPhones

Apple inc. will start manufacturing iPhones in Bangalore (Bengaluru) starting April of 2017 to expedite their promise of Make in India and to ensure their ability to open self owned and maintained stores in India. Apple earlier had planned to open their own flagship stores in several cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, but due to the government compliance of requiring manufacturing in India, the process was delayed. Tim Cook’s recent visit to India was a positive sign on the efforts of the Cupertino based tech giant, to fully initiate and integrate it’s services in the Indian market.

The manufacture of iPhones will considerably bring down costs of duties and taxes and will allow Apple to sell at competitive prices and at par with US price which is usually Rs. 10,000-15,000 cheaper. Apple will also bring their full suite of in store experiences, like training and Genius bars, to improve service and warranty standards in India, which have usually had mixed reviews.

Apple is selling large volumes of phones in India, and iPhone sales hit 2.5 million from Oct 2015-September 2016 raking in 9,997 Crore in revenue for the tech company here in India.

December 30, 2016
Nokia Sues Apple For Several Patent Infringements

Nokia may not be officially back, but, it has made sure you take notice, as the company files a suit over several patent infringements against Apple inc. over technologies that Apple’s been using in heir devices.

The suit was filed in Regional Courts in Dusseldorf, Mannheim and Munich in Germany and the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Through our sustained investment in research and development, Nokia has created or contributed to many of the fundamental technologies used in today’s mobile devices, including Apple products,” said Ilkka Rahnasto, Nokia’s head of Patent Business

The suit covers 32 patents for a range of technologies that include things like the display and user interface to chipsets and video encoding for video captured.

According to Apple, the patents belong to PAEs, which include Acacia Research and Conversant Property Management. They are “conspiring with Nokia in a scheme to diffuse and abuse and, as the PAEs and Nokia fully intended, monetise those false promises by extracting exorbitant non-FRAND royalties in way Nokia could not.” Apple claims that this is “anticompetitive and abusive” to the Apple inc and other technology firms.

Apple has a long history of lawsuits with the largest one with Samsung, and several others where the company has paid out over 650 Million US$ in settlements. If the suit goes to court, the hearings will be held in 2017 and will definitely make things exciting as Nokia returns to the ring with it’s smartphones.

December 22, 2016
Apple updates to WatchOS 3

Apple has updated the WatchOS to version 3, with WatchOS 3 Apple is paying strict attention to performance and basic usage addons.

The new load times for apps on WatchOS 3 are seven times faster. Apple has also included the Mini Mouse watch face and a new activity circle watch face, which will come in either analogue or digital.

You will also get control centre just like iOS by simply swiping up from the bottom of the watch face.

There is also a new scribble feature that will let you scribble characters on the watch face directly to make words and sentences for replying more quietly in various languages.

Apple WatchOS 3 will also allow you to make emergency services calls like 911 in the US, and you will be able to make calls instantly from the watch. Apple watch will automatically switch to emergency numbers in the country you are using the Apple Watch.

The Activity sharing feature allows you to compete with your friends with your workouts and fitness goals. The new Breathe app reminds you to do the most important thing to stay alive, breathe. The app will give you quick directions on how to get quick deep breaths in for a more relaxed mind.

June 13, 2016
Apple Wants to Sell its Surplus Clean Energy

Apple’s investments in the hundreds of megawatts of solar projects for powering its server farms and offices is apparently generating more electricity than the company can use. Apple has set up a new business called Apple Energy with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to sell power on wholesale markets.

Apple has announced its plans for significant investments in solar projects throughout the US, and this will only help generate more electricity for the energy company.

Apple claims that they generate enough electricity to recover 93% of its usage worldwide. The company also has investments in hydroelectric, biogas, and geothermal power, will buy green energy from the grid when and if needed.

Apple may not be looking to convert this into its main business and call it iPower, however, it seems that they can sell back to the grid and get rid of any surplus they may not need. Apple had earlier this year shown $ 1.5 Billion in green investments, and major initiatives to improve recycling and impact on the planet.

June 10, 2016
Apple Takes Steps to Reduce their Carbon Footprint

Apple at their 21st March event showed off their promise to the environment. Aiming for a 100% renewable power capability Apple reached 93% of its goal. Where 93% of all Apple facilities are run on renewable energy. Whereas, 100 % of their data centres are run on renewable sources of energy.

Apple has also worked on a new Robot which lets the company take apart each and every component of any Apple device like an iPhone into components and send individual items back to the manufacturing line.

Apple also said that almost 99% of all packaging used in their products comes from recycled paper or sustainable sources of paper.

According to the Cupertino-based company their devices are built in a way so that they don’t reach the junkyard easily and are reused often. Apple will also offer free recycling for your old phones.

March 21, 2016
Apple, Samsung, Microsoft Amongst others face Child Labour Claims

Several big-name tech firms, including Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony have been accused by Human Rights Organization Amnesty of using kids for sourcing minerals used in their various products.

Citing a report that it did into cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it found children as young as seven were working in unearthing cobalt that these large incorporations use for their Lithium Ion batteries.

The African country produces over 50% of the world’s cobalt. Miners working in the area face long-term health problems and the risk of fatal accidents, according to Amnesty. Amnesty also claimed that at a minimum of 80 miners had died underground in the country between September-December last year.

The report by Amnesty is the first comprehensive account of cobalt mining in Democratic Republic of the Congo. To arrive at their conclusions, Amnesty International along with Afrewatch visited five mines in DRC in April and May 2015. They interviewed 90 workers, 17 of them children.

According to Amnesty, “more than half of the world’s total supply of cobalt comes from the [DRC]. According to the government’s own estimates, 20 percent of the cobalt currently exported from the DRC comes from artisanal miners in the southern parts of the country. “There are approximately 110,000 to 150,000 artisanal miners in this region, who work alongside much larger industrial operations.”

The report further reveals, ” the miners who are referred to as ‘creuseurs’ in the DRC, mine by hand using the most basic tools to dig out rocks from the tunnels deep underground. Artisanal miners include children as young as seven who scavenge for rocks containing cobalt in the discarded by-products of industrial mines, and who wash and sort the ore before it is sold.”

Not surprisingly, these major tech firms such as Samsung, Sony and Vodafone denied any link to this supply chain or to DRC sourced Cobalt . Apple informed that it is evaluating alooking at a number of different materials, including cobalt, to identify both labor and environmental risks. Microsoft on the other hand said it hadn’t traced cobalt use in Microsoft products all the way to the source “due to the complexity and resources required.”

January 20, 2016