Apple’s Former Sapphire Partner GT Advanced Technologies Emerges From Bankruptcy

After filing for bankruptcy in 2014, and subsequently dissolving its supplier partnership with Apple, GT Advanced Technologies today announced its return from Chapter 11 “as a newly reorganized company.” A group of unnamed financial sponsors have invested $80 million to assist in GT’s emergence back into the market.

“Our emergence from Chapter 11 marks the start of a new chapter for our company,” said David Keck, GTAT’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Through this process, we have resolved the issues which led to our decision to seek bankruptcy court protection. With our strengthened financial flexibility, we will focus on our industry leading capabilities in the solar and sapphire markets.”

Before its Chapter 11 filing, GT was Apple’s Arizona-based partner in sapphire production on the iPhone. In the weeks after the filing, Chief Operating Officer of GT Advanced, Daniel Squiller, blamed its rocky partnership with Apple as the main reason behind its bankruptcy. In an officially filed affidavit, Squiller described Apple’s unquestionable control over GT’s sapphire production — and a legal contract which favored Apple — as the culprit behind the manufacturer’s inability to meet Apple’s production targets, and eventual bankruptcy.

After a few more reports in late 2014, centering around what Squiller claimed was Apple’s brusque response to GT’s indecision over signing a contract with the Cupertino company, not much else was heard regarding GT Advanced before today. On the Apple side of things, in 2015 the company confirmed plans to take over GT’s former home in Mesa, Arizona to act as a “command center” for its global data network.

In an official statement, GT Advanced thanked its customers and employees during the long restructuring process and says it looks forward to the future. “We believe GTAT is well positioned for the future,” Keck said. “And we are excited about our market opportunities.”

Tag: GT Advanced
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New 9.7″ iPad Pro to Start at $599, 32GB and 128GB Models Available

Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, widely expected to be announced at the company’s “Let Us Loop You In” media event on Monday, will start at $599 and have 32GB and 128GB storage options, according to 9to5Mac.

The base $599 price will apply to the 32GB model with Wi-Fi only, while 128GB and LTE versions will be sold at higher price points. The older iPad Air 2 will reportedly remain in Apple’s tablet lineup, likely for $499.

Previous 9.7-inch iPads have had a $499 starting price, meaning the smaller iPad Pro could be Apple’s most expensive tablet ever in its size class. However, 32GB base storage would be higher than 16GB for the base iPad Air 2.

The much-rumored 9.7-inch iPad Pro is expected to have many new features compared to the iPad Air lineup, possibly including a Smart Connector, faster A9X chip with up to 4GB of RAM, four speakers, and 12-megapixel rear camera.

MacRumors will be providing live blog and Twitter coverage (@MacRumorsLive) of Apple’s media event, which commences on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. A new 4-inch iPhone SE and Apple Watch updates are also expected.

Related Roundup: iPad Air 3
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Electric double-decker buses with 180-mile range hit London next month

The pure electric double decker buses that were teased last year have been revealed a month ahead of their launch on London routes. TfL says this is the world’s first electric double decker bus.

London began running electric single decker buses in July 2015.

Five models will be let loose on London streets initially, each capable of covering 180 miles on a charge. This, bosses say, should be enough to cover a full day of use before needing a four-hour recharge overnight.

The 10.2 metre buses are capable of holding 54 seated passengers and 27 standing. They are built by Chinese manufacturer BYD and are reported to cost £350,000.

TfL

The new electric double decker buses will begin their use on route 98 between Willesden and Holborn next month.

The point of the electric buses, other than pushing ahead with technology, is to help reduce emissions in the city to tackle air pollution.

This launch follows the New Routemaster buses with a hop-on and hop-off open back system. Instead of sticking to that style these electric double deckers are more traditional following issues with the New Routemaster buses.

Anyone will be able to ride the world’s first electric double decker on route 98 from April 2016.

READ: What is Formula E? Everything you need to know and why

AMBER Lab robot jogs just like a human

Two-legged robots are nothing new, but usually we see them walking, not running around a test lab. A pair of seemingly autonomous legs that can lap you in the park is a scary thought, after all. Such images haven’t stopped the Advanced Mechanical Bipedal Experimental Robotics (AMBER) Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology, however. As its latest video proves, the team has built a bipedal droid that can jog at a pretty brisk pace. It’s called the Durus-2D and, while maybe not the fastest human-style robot, impresses with a natural style and stride pattern.

The AMBER Lab has long been focused on “human-inspired” robotic walking. The researchers have collect data from humans and then analyse the constraints bestowed by our muscles and bones. These advantages and flaws are then applied to its robotic designs and controllers, effectively replicating how we move around. The work is fascinating not only for the field of robotics, but also the team’s other specialism — prosthetics. Robotic limbs that can move like their human counterparts could, in the future, prove valuable for amputees and other users with limited mobility.

An application in prosthetics is certainly easier to sell to the public. Alphabet, for instance, is reportedly trying to sell Boston Dynamics — a team that’s built some truly terrifying and impressive robots — after its PR team expressed concerns with humanoid robotics and how it was changing people’s perception of the company. “There’s excitement from the tech press, but we’re also starting to see some negative threads about it being terrifying, ready to take humans’ jobs,” Courtney Hohne, a director of communications at Google reportedly wrote in an internal email.

It seems marketing the technology can be just as difficult as building it.

Source: Bipedal Robotic Running on DURUS-2D (YouTube)

The UK’s first VR roller coaster is a lonely trip through space

The medium of virtual reality is changing how we experience games, movies, news, sport, porn, The Simpsons… and now, roller coasters. Already this year, several theme park operators in the US and UK have announced rides that will blend physical sensations with digital worlds. Germany’s Europa-Park introduced just such a ride last year, and Britain’s first VR roller coaster “Galactica” will be opening to the public on March 24th at Alton Towers. Ahead of its launch, I jumped on an opportunity to experience the space-themed voyage first-hand, and I can easily say it’s utterly unlike any roller coaster I’ve ever ridden.

A handful of fellow tech journalists and I turned out for the press preview of Galactica, but this ragtag crew needed a Commander. Luckily, real astronaut and cover artist Chris Hadfield had taken the first “official” ride earlier that day, and was on hand to prepare us for the trip. Once this PR power-move had run its course, though, we were on our own. And you really are on your own.

For me, at least, roller coasters have always been an inherently shared experience. Even if your squeamish friend doesn’t feel like joining you in the front row, you sit yourself down next to strangers to endure the loops and G forces together. When you don the Gear VR headset and headphone combo in preparation for Galactica, though, you are immediately isolated from the world beyond the goggles, including your shipmates. Because of this, each run feels like a personal, perhaps even lonely adventure. It was an unexpected sensation, and one of the many ways the headset completely alters your roller coaster experience.

Galactica isn’t an entirely new attraction at Alton Towers. Instead, the park has taken an existing ride, Air, and created VR visuals that align perfectly with its drops, twists and turns. Air is particularly suited for the space flight theme, as you are suspended horizontally, Superman-style, for the duration of the ride. If you’re a traditionalist, or just don’t feel comfortable putting a headset on, then you can always leave the Gear VR in its holster and enjoy the ride as is. And I wouldn’t blame you.

There’s something a little claustrophobic about the whole situation, and I’m happy to admit my initial excitement quickly turned to apprehension as I strapped on the headset for the first time. It’s strange to know you’re about to be flung around a windy, disorientating track at speed, and yet you’re also effectively relinquishing control of one of your most important senses: sight.

The premise of Galactica is that you’re embarking on a rubbernecking trip across the universe. You’re a space tourist, only a thousand years from now. It opens on your vessel meandering its way through a space port in preparation for launch. Hovering robots scurry in and out of view; at one point, doors open beneath you to reveal a monumental landscape full of flying machines and sci-fi architecture. This is the build-up; the roller coaster’s ascent before the first drop.

The acceleration and millisecond of weightlessness that comes with cresting that peak coincides with your first wormhole jump into outer space. Without going into too much detail, the rest happens extremely quickly — or at least a lot quicker than you’d believe considering the three-minute ride time. One second you’re admiring Earth from afar, then you’re through another portal to witness the birth of a star. Another jump and you’re weaving through the fiery valleys of a volcanic vista, almost plunging into the surface of an ice-covered planet, dodging metal and rock as you cruise by a space station in an asteroid field.

It’s a lot to take in, and you barely have enough time to process each scene before you’re onto the next, then back at base. I realized that I hadn’t really been paying attention to the roller coaster aspect of the ride at all — the physical had taken a back seat, merely complimenting the virtual. The bank of the spaceship that lines you up for the next jaunt coincides with a low-G loop on the physical coaster, but you’re getting totally different visual cues. You aren’t seeing the horizon as you loop the loop, and you don’t catch that tree whizzing past your peripheral vision. Instead you’re looking out onto the vastness of space, or at the fast-approaching surface of an alien world. You aren’t bracing for any of these changes in speed or direction, either, since you can’t tell they’re coming.

In this way, the VR version of the ride has a distinct, unique feel to it. The best way I can describe it is you’re not really on a roller coaster at all, but a high-tech simulator. Where a motion simulator like Back to the Future: The Ride or Star Tours creates the sense of movement, Galactica pairs actual movement with the virtual reality space expedition. Your body is undergoing the stresses and strains of a real low-G turn and a real upside-down loop, allowing you to suspend belief for that brief moment and feel like you really are pulling out of a dangerous nosedive into a waiting wormhole.

Image credit: Alton Towers

The term “immersive” is used often when discussing virtual reality, but this is exactly what the physical part of Galactica achieves: a more immersive, believable VR experience. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it a roller coaster, since the various sensations combine into something… new. Galactica isn’t without its shortcomings, though.

The visual acuity of the VR experience leaves something to be desired, for instance. Maybe Gear VR isn’t quite up to scratch, or the 3D scenes themselves are lacking some finer detail. Either way, you know you’re looking at a computer-generated world, like the difference between live action and CGI scenes in a movie — believable enough, but could be better. You can also break the illusion by craning your neck (uncomfortably) to either side. Another minor gripe, since you are locked into a rigid harness and don’t have a great degree of head movement anyway. Granted, your field of vision is completely covered, but if you twist your neck just far enough, you can see where the edge of the virtual reality world ends and the grey nothingness beyond begins.

Also, perhaps a pedantic point, but there aren’t any “4D” stimuli, making it a little less immersive than it could be. By 4D, I mean additional, physical cues like a spray of water or a blast of hot air. These could occur as you exit the wormhole into the lava-filled valley, for example, or as you approach the icy surface on one of the other planetary pitstops.

Maybe I’m being overly critical. After all, Galactica is a repurposed ride, and it might be too technically challenging or cost-intensive to incorporate these 4D extras. Also, the beauty of Galactica is that it’s possible to build completely different VR experiences for the same physical ride. A different intergalactic tour, perhaps, or something altogether new. Adding 4D elements might be creating too strict a structure at this point.

Queueing for hours for a few fleeting but exhilarating moments is par for the course at theme parks, but I dread to think how long the lines for Galactica will be. The pre-ride preamble has to be much longer than any other attraction in history. Putting the headset on, trying to find a comfortable lie (which isn’t easy, let me tell you), tightening the strap, making sure the focus wheel is in the optimum position and adjusting the headphones all takes a minute or two. The headsets have to be calibrated en masse before setting off, and then wiped down after each trip.

It’s a cumbersome process, and though Alton Towers will no doubt have an army of staff to keep things moving, you can’t avoid the pre- and post-ride workflow. But, should you endure what will no doubt be the longest line at the park on busy days, you can at least take comfort in knowing you’re in for a thoroughly unique and engaging experience.

Uber gets off lightly as TfL approves minor rule changes

Last year, Transport for London (TfL) looked at Uber and the broader private hire industry to see if they should be subject to tougher regulations. The results of that investigation were reported in January, with few consequences for Uber, and now those findings have been formally approved by TfL’s board. For the time being, that means it’s business as usual for Travis Kalanick’s company in the capital.

That’s not to say the rules haven’t changed, however. Following the investigation, there’s now a “formal English language requirement” for all drivers hailed with an app. Companies like Uber also need a vehicle policy that meets TfL’s more robust “hire and reward” insurance requirements. If the passenger has any complaints, there needs to be “a real person” they can speak to. Finally, although Uber does this already, companies are required to provide a fare estimate at the start of each journey.

“We will implement these changes as soon as possible,” Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer for surface transport said.

There had been talk of removing a policy that exempts Uber from paying congestion charges in London. That proposal was eventually dropped, although the Mayor has asked TfL to review the matter again and whether such a change could improve traffic, pollution and illegal parking. Of course, it would also put some money in the government’s coffers, which is probably why Boris Johnson hasn’t obliterated the idea completely.

Via: ArsTechnica UK

Source: TfL

OnStar is helping GM plan for an autonomous-car future

General Motors has been on a tear lately. The automaker recently invested $500 million in Lyft and acquired both self-driving startup Cruise and ride-share company Sidecar. And that’s all since January. But there’s one thing that GM has had for years that might give it an edge over the competition: OnStar.

OnStar is GM’s in-car concierge and safety system. The on-demand service offers turn-by-turn directions, vehicle diagnostics, road-side assistance and, in the case of an accident, crash response. But it’s also a window into how drivers get around. “We have millions of vehicles on North American roads that can be connected and controlled,” GM Executive Director of Urban Mobility Peter Kosak told Engadget.

With more than a billion interactions in its 20-year history, it’s an LTE-connected data-gathering machine that should be the envy of every automaker. In fact, GM is working with Mobileeye to create precision maps to be used by autonomous vehicles.

The company is also using OnStar’s network in its new car-sharing service, Maven. Kosak says all the vehicles available to rent will be OnStar-enabled. In particular, he hopes OnStar features like the ability to unlock and start a car using your smartphone, and CarPlay and Android Auto integration will set the service apart from competitors like Zipcar.

OnStar will also give GM data on how to deploy a fleet of vehicles in a way that optimizes user needs by learning when and where cars will be needed most. It’ll do this by tracking usage in real-time, and analyzing that data and historical information to determine where to have cars waiting for drivers. For example: If people in a given neighborhood routinely rent cars on Saturday mornings to go the park, Maven will make sure cars are available in that area at that time. That’s exactly the sort of insight an autonomous fleet needs.

Still, the OnStar story is also a cautionary tale. In 2015, security researcher Samy Kamkar unveiled OwnStar, a hack that allowed him to remotely unlock and start OnStar-enabled vehicles. GM eventually patched the vulnerability, but it’s a reminder that the smarter cars get, the more susceptible they are to these sorts of exploits.

A world in which autonomous cars move us around cities is almost certainly coming. Google may have helped kickstart the evolution of driving, but carmakers are making sure they won’t be left behind as technology and cars continue to become more intertwined. GM wants desperately to be part of that future and is working faster than it’s ever worked to ramp up its technology teams and deploy new cars (the Chevy Bolt went from planning to unveiling in three years). That said, the company might just have given itself a leg up 20 years ago, back when it added that little blue button to its vehicles.

PlayStation VR bundle includes camera and controllers for $500

When Sony announced pricing for its $400 PlayStation VR headset at GDC this week, it also mentioned you’d need extra gear to use it that wasn’t included. However, the company is now offering a PS VR Launch Bundle that rounds up all the tech you’ll need in order to get the system up and running alongside your PS4. In addition to the headset, all of its cables and a pair of headphones, the bundle also includes the requisite PlayStation Camera and a pair of Move controllers.

It’s also packaged with the launch title PlayStation VR Worlds so you’ll have something to do when the box arrives. Pre-orders for the Launch Bundle will begin at 10 AM ET on Tuesday, March 22nd at “participating retailers.” Sony says that the PS VR Core Bundle that only includes the headset won’t go up for advance orders, and if you miss out on this round for the complete package, expect another chance this summer ahead of the October launch.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Where to buy the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in India

Samsung’s making its latest flagships available in the Indian market earlier than ever before.

With India being a key market for Samsung, the manufacturer is not wasting any time in bringing its latest and greatest devices to buyers in the country, with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge now officially available for purchase.

This year’s models come with 32GB of internal storage as standard, but with the microSD slot making a re-introduction, you can expand storage as you see fit. Thankfully, buyers in India do not need to worry about carrier bloat, as all units sold in the country are unlocked.

Where to buy the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

Pricing is standard across stores, with the Galaxy S7 retailing for ₹48,900 ($735), and the Galaxy S7 edge debuting at ₹56,900 ($855). There are plenty of financing options available if you’re looking to stagger payments over three, six, nine, or twelve months.

Samsung India

Samsung’s official e-store in India has all three color variants — black, gold, and silver — of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on offer, with deliveries ranging from seven to ten days based on your location. You also get financing options from seven banks: Axis, Citibank, HDFC, ICICI, Indusland, Kotak, and RBL.

If you end up going the EMI route, you’ll actually pay less over the course of the tenure as all banks offer cashbacks that offsets the interest amount. HDFC has an attractive eighteen-month EMI option that sees you shelling out just ₹3,160 monthly for the Galaxy S7 edge, with a total cashback of ₹5,462.

See at Samsung India

Flipkart

Flipkart is currently offering the silver and gold editions of the Galaxy S7. The black and gold color variants of the Galaxy S7 edge are showing as out of stock, and the silver edition is listed as coming soon. The black option of the standard Galaxy S7 is also no longer available, but should be back in stock shortly. If you choose to go with Flipkart, you get free one-day delivery to most major cities in the country.

The retailer has financing schemes available from nine banks: Axis, Citibank, HDFC, HSBC, ICICI, Indusland, State Bank of India, and Standard Chartered. There’s no cashback facility available, but do you get a guide that shows you how much interest you’ll be paying over the course of your tenure. For instance, if you’re choosing the eighteen-month option from HDFC for the Galaxy S7, you pay ₹3,051 a month for a total of ₹54,918, with an overall interest of ₹6,012. If you’re looking to go with financing, Samsung India’s store is a much better choice, but if you want to pay outright, Flipkart has faster delivery options.

See at Flipkart

Croma Retail

You can choose from all three color variants of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge from India’s largest retail chain, with next-day deliveries available for most cities. You can also buy online and pick up from a nearby Croma store if that is more convenient to you. In terms of financing, the only option available is HDFC.

See at Croma Retail

The Mobile Store

The Mobile Store is stocking all three colors of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and will deliver all orders within a week. The retailer also offers the option to choose EMIs from nine banks: Axis, Citibank, HDFC, HSBC, ICICI, Indusland, State Bank of India, and Standard Chartered. The total payable amount as well as the monthly instalments are displayed next to the tenure, giving you a quick overview of how much you’ll be paying for the device.

See at The Mobile Store

Big C

Big C has all variants of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on offer. The retailer has EMI options from HDFC, Indusland, Kotak, and Standard Chartered, and you can choose instalments that last three, six, or nine months.

See at Big C

Sangeetha Mobiles

Sangeetha Mobiles also has the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on offer, with all three color variants available for either device. The drawback in going with Sangeetha is that you can only choose cash on delivery as the payment option. Given the amount, you will be able to pay using your card during time of delivery, but it would’ve been easier to just offer an online payment gateway.

See at Sangeetha Mobiles

Where else can you buy the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

While your options are limited when it comes to buying the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge online, Samsung’s robust distribution network means that the devices are available at all major brick-and-mortar stores across the country. You can walk into any outlet of Reliance Digital, Croma Retail, The Mobile Store, Big C, Univercell, Sangeetha Mobiles, or any local retail store such as Technovision to get your hands on the S7 and S7 edge.

Where did you buy your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge? Which color did you get? Let us know in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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Rick Osterloh leaves as Lenovo reorganizes business units

Lenovo has announced a reorganization that sees the Chinese vendor’s mobile division split across two business groups. Motorola CEO Rick Osterloh — who has been at the helm since 2014 — is leaving the organization, with Xudong Chen and Aymar de Lencquesaing appointed as co-presidents of the Mobile Business Group.

Osterloh handled the transition of Motorola following its acquisition by Lenovo, integrating the manufacturer’s product offerings into the Chinese vendor’s portfolio. While the two brands have functioned as standalone entities thus far, Lenovo is expected to unify branding and software features starting later this year.

From the official announcement:

Rick Osterloh has decided to leave Motorola Mobility. His steady leadership since Lenovo’s acquisition is appreciated and Lenovo wishes him continued success in the future. The Motorola Mobility teams that currently report to Osterloh will now report under de Lencquesaing, who will become Chairman and President of Motorola.

Chen will be responsible for China, while de Lencquesaing — the former head of Lenovo North America — will look after the vendor’s interests in global markets. Both executives will report directly to Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang.

The mobile division will focus on handsets and wearables, while the newly-minted PC & Smart Device Business Group will handle PCs, tablets, phablets, gaming and smart home products, as well as all Chrome OS devices. Former Acer executive Gianfranco Lanci will head up the PC division.