GT Advanced to Eliminate 727 Jobs at Mesa, Arizona Plant [iOS Blog]
GT Advanced Technologies today notified City Council members in Mesa, Arizona that it plans to permanently eliminate 727 jobs at its sapphire plant. Layoffs will include 524 production workers, 108 technical positions, 70 management jobs, and 25 administrative jobs.
Affected employees were notified about their impending layoffs on Thursday. Layoffs will start on Tuesday and employees will be “separated from employment” beginning on December 15, according to a notice provided by Linda Luman, GT’s vp of human resources.
News that GT would eliminate hundreds of positions first surfaced last week, after the company asked the court for permission to “wind down” operations at its Mesa, Arizona manufacturing plant. The facility, which was purchased and outfitted by Apple, has been operational for less than a year.
GT Advanced first filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, after Apple withheld a $139 million loan payment because the sapphire supplier failed to meet necessary technical milestones. According to court documents and securities filings, GT may have begun having issues with sapphire production as early as February.
Apple gave GT Advanced a $440 million loan for purchasing sapphire equipment, but according to information leaked during the GT’s court proceedings, the sapphire company was unable to produce sapphire up to Apple’s standards, leading Apple to stick with Gorilla Glass for the iPhone and the iPhone 6.
GT Advanced has plans to shut down its Mesa, Arizona plant, and it has also asked for court approval to void its contracts related to the operation, calling the terms of the contracts with Apple “oppressive and burdensome.” The company will wind down operations over the course of the next few months, keeping on a small number of workers to monitor ongoing sapphire growth.
Once the current sapphire boules have been prepared for sale, employees will clean and decommission furnaces and then clean the plant itself, with a final closure coming on December 31. Apple has not commented publicly on the matter beyond its initial pledge promising to work to preserve jobs in the area.
Adobe Releases Plugin to Help Aperture Users Transition to Lightroom [Mac Blog]
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it was ending development on Aperture in order to work on an upcoming Photos app for OS X that will replace both Aperture and iPhoto.
At the time, Adobe, the company behind popular photo editing software Lightroom, promised to make a tool to allow Aperture users to import their photos into Lightroom 5, and today Adobe released its Aperture Import Plugin for Lightroom 5.
The free plugin, which can be downloaded from Adobe’s site, will make it simple for Aperture users to migrate their libraries into Lightroom, a task that takes quite a bit of time to do manually. It is available only for Mac users and requires Lightroom 5.6 or later.
Using the plugin, Aperture users can import the following data into Lightroom: Flags, Star Ratings, Keywords, GPS Data, Rejects, Hidden Files, Color Labels, Stacks, and Face Tags.
Color Labels, Stacks, and Face Tags are imported as Lightroom keywords, and because adjustments to photos made in Aperture can’t be read into Lightroom, the tool will import both original images and copies of images with adjustments applied.
Former Aperture users who sign up for Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography Plan (priced at $9.99 per month) will receive a free three-month membership to photography site KelbyOne, which offers a number of tutorials on transitioning from Aperture to Lightroom and several Lightroom training videos.
The now-discontinued Aperture has long lagged behind competing software like Lightroom for Adobe, and as its last major version update came in October of 2013, it is no surprise that Apple has opted to abandon the software. Apple has offered a final update to Aperture to allow it to run on OS X Yosemite, but plans to stop development after that.
Though Aperture is no longer being updated, early screenshots of the OS X Photos app and information from Apple representatives suggests that some of Aperture’s professional-grade features might make it into the upcoming Photos app.
Apple Updates iLife Apps and Aperture for Yosemite [Mac Blog]
After releasing OS X Yosemite and updating its iWork suite of apps for the new operating system, Apple has now begun updating its iLife suite of apps alongside Aperture and Apple Configurator for Yosemite, as well as other new features.
While iPhoto and Aperture only received compatibility updates for Yosemite, Garageband, Configurator and iMovie received numerous new features. Garageband now allows users to build their own bass rigs and includes a new Voice Template for fast and easy vocal recordings. iMovie received a brand new design inspired by the look of OS X Yosemite and other features like Custom H.264 file export options. Configurator now includes the ability to allow Handoff, support for new configuration payloads in iOS 8 and more.
Similar to the iWork suite, the iLife suite is free to users who have recently purchased a new Mac or iOS device. Otherwise, iMovie is $14.99 while Garageband includes a $4.99 one-time in-app purchase to unlock additional instruments and sounds for each platform. Aperture is available for $79.99 while Configurator is available for free.
Garageband – [Direct Link]
iPhoto – [Direct Link]
iMovie – [Direct Link]
Aperture – [Direct Link]
Apple Configurator – [Direct Link]
HTC Nexus 9 pre-order goes live one day early on Amazon
The HTC-made Nexus 9 goes up for pre-order tomorrow on Google Play, but Amazon already started the party. Pricing is exactly the same as what Google will offer it for out of the Play Store. It’s $399 for the 16 GB version or $479 for the 32 GB version. You will of course have your choice of either black or white.
Shipping will commence on November 3, but the good news is that it’s on Prime, so you should get it in your hands by November 5 if you are a member. You can take your chances and hope that one of the participating retailers will have it on launch day, but this is one way to secure one for sure. If it were me, I would just wait to grab it in store. I can’t imagine they will be sold out.
Also, this isn’t just a U.S. exclusive. Those of you in France and Germany, can also pre-order now as well, but it’s technically October 17 in those countries.
sources: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Germany / Amazon France
via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: HTC Nexus 9 pre-order goes live one day early on Amazon
‘808’ documentary details the rise of the legendary drum machine
Chances are you’ve heard Roland’s iconic TR-808 drum machine at some point during your music streaming. While the name may not ring a bell, artists and producers have been using its trademark sounds since 1980. We’re talking the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, Beastie Boys and Kanye West. In fact, the piece of kit has amassed such a massive reputation that the company trotted out a new version last year. Now, the machine is getting a documentary that will chronicle its rise. Set to hit theaters in 2015, 808 details the music that got its sonic chops from Roland’s device, including interviews from Rick Rubin, Phil Collins, Fatboy Slim, Questlove, Diplo and many more. Fans of the TR-808 recall that it was discontinued at the height of its popularity, and the film chats with Roland founder Ikutaro “Mr. K” Kakehashi to find out how that came to pass. The documentary is an effort from Atlantic Records’ film arm, and is being directed by Alexander Dunn. Can’t wait for it to hit the big screen? Catch the trailer just after the break.
Via: Rolling Stone
Source: YouTube
NYC brings carrier and WiFi coverage to more subway stations
For the most part, New York City’s underground transportation system is solid and reliable. It gets locals from point A to point B with ease, and that’s the only thing which should matter — never mind the strange things that occasionally transpire while commuting. Having said this, a large number of subway stations still lack any sort of network coverage, making it nearly impossible for people to do basic tasks on their mobile devices, like getting on a phone call or browsing the web. Thankfully, it’s about to get better for residents of The Big Apple, plus the more than 50 million people who visit the city every year. Earlier today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said wireless connectivity is now available at 40 additional underground platforms, including 11 in Manhattan and 29 in Queens.
Cuomo added that, with help from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, the plan is do the same for another 39 stations across the five boroughs by next spring. “The completion of Phases I and II are part of seven phases to wire all 277 underground stations by 2017,” he stated. The full list of connected stations can be found right here.
[Image credit: m01229/Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Wireless, Mobile
Source: NY Governor’s Press Office
A visual history of OS X
After a lengthy beta, OS X 10.10 Yosemite is finally ready for prime time. It’s the 11th version of Apple’s OS X, and represents the biggest overhaul of the operating system’s visuals since its introduction in 2001. While you’re waiting for the update to download, let’s take the opportunity to see exactly what’s changed over the past 13 years.
Engadget Daily: Apple’s new iPads, Will.i.am’s Puls wristband and more!
Hold on to your hats, folks. It’s been quite the day: Apple unveiled new iPads and a 5K iMac, Will.i.am took the wraps off his Puls wearable, OS X Yosemite is available to download and more. Read on for all our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
PS4 2.0: MP3s, themes and better dashboard organization
We’re creeping up to the PlayStation 4’s one year anniversary and the system is finally getting its 2.0 firmware update. Even better, there are a bunch of surprises; let’s dive in. First up we have the expected: SharePlay which lets you virtually pass the controller for help, YouTube exports and themes. A post PlayStation Blog notes that in addition to those, a USB music player, the ability to change colors of the PS4 dashboard (if custom themes aren’t your thing), as well as improvements to streaming are en route. There’s content organization, voice commands and, last but not least, a new backup feature that lets you archive all your settings, media and data to a USB device coming too. Like the Xbox One patch that hit this week, this adds a whole slew of features that ideally would have been available when the system launched last year. Join us after the jump for a breakdown, yeah?
PS4 System Software 2.00 new features: http://t.co/sjlyHsde67 USB Music Player, broadcasting enhancements, more pic.twitter.com/ZwFbiJRKlN
– PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 16, 2014
Sony came under some fire from fans when it was announced that the only way to listen to music on the PS4 was with a Music Unlimited subscription. That changes with this patch, though, and soon you’ll be able to plug in a USB device full of MP3, MP4, MP4A and 3GP files and listen to your heart’s content. The PS Blog says that music can’t be copied to the system’s hard drive, nor can it be used in conjunction with Music Unlimited. When we’ll see CD support is anyone’s guess, however.
We’re betting that custom playlists won’t be available in-game either. Not happy with the theme pictured below? Well, you can opt for a handful of solid colors for the system UI like those at the bottom of this post.
The patch also addresses a major gripe many have had with the system since launch: decluttering the system dashboard. Now the dashboard will only show the 15 most-used games and apps, with the rest going into the Library, which also is getting some new sorting options. What’s more, lets say you’ve been stocking up on the pretty great, free releases each month that are a part of your PS Plus subscription but you’re running out of storage on your console. Well, from the PlayStation Store you’ll be able to add them to your Library without downloading — perfect for grabbing stuff before it’s no longer free and saving for later, or once you install a bigger hard drive.
Speaking of which, the 2.0 patch also adds the ability to back your system data, media and settings to a USB device. This should make transferring all the stuff you’ve accumulated over the past year to a roomier HDD a while lot faster and much more convenient if you’re living under a data cap. There’s a ton more than that, though! For the rest of the patch notes be sure to hit the PS Blog — sadly, however, it’s missing a release date.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
First Hands-On Impressions of 27-Inch Retina iMac: Sharp Image Quality, Great Viewing Angles
After today’s media event that saw the introduction of new iPads and new Macs, members of the press were invited to experience all of Apple’s new products. Several sites have posted first impressions of Apple’s 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K Display, which we’ve summarized to give users an overview of the company’s newest desktop and its ultra high-resolution screen.
Engadget says that the new 27-inch iMac has a “stunning display” with great viewing angles, and was left impressed with the all-in-one’s image quality even at a resolution of 5120 x 2880. Brightness is said to be “level throughout” with no bleeding. The website also praised the extra screen real-estate that the new 27-inch Retina iMac will allow for video editing.
TechCrunch says that the iMac’s display shows “full resolution photos with zoomed crops that look better than most originals coming out of the camera” and credits Apple for fitting such a panel into the same tapered design. The screen is noted as being a “huge step up” from the one found on the Retina MacBook Pro. Overall, the new 27-inch iMac is described to be “the future of desktop computing” and is even said to be right up there with Apple’s Mac Pro in terms of choices for power users.
Ars Technica praises the new 27-inch iMac’s color, contrast, and viewing angles, and thinks that the faster Radeon M290X or M295X GPUs with 2GB and 4GB of RAM respectively are solid upgrades over the Nvidia GeForce GT 700M GPUs found in Apple’s non-Retina iMacs. However, the website did take issue with the desktop’s price for what it offers internally:
The only thing we can really complain about based on our hands-on time is the price, which isn’t bad for what you’re getting but is still objectively pretty high. We’re glad to see Fusion Drives become standard (something we’d honestly like to see on every iMac and Mac Mini Apple ships), but 8GB of RAM seems a little low for a power-user-focused, $2500 computer. And the big drawback of all-in-one computers still applies—the machine’s internals are going to feel their age much faster than the display itself will.
Finally, The Verge calls the desktop’s new 5K display “incredible” with a crisp, sharp and accurate picture despite it being a bit reflective. The website notes that it initially worried about performance issues with the iMac now powering an ultra high-resolution screen, but a demonstration proved that performance “doesn’t seem to be an issue.”
The new 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display is shipping today. The base model starts at $2,499 and comes with a 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel i5 processor, AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB Fusion Drive. Build-to-order configurations can also be outfitted with a 4.0 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and AMD Radeon R9 M295X graphics processor.
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