Foxconn and Pegatron Begin Hiring Process Early to Prepare for ‘More Complex’ Build of iPhone 7
Recruitment at two of Apple’s supplier factories has kicked off earlier than expected this year, with a report from Economic Daily News stating that both suppliers are getting a head start on the iPhone 7’s assembly.
The new smartphone is referred to as “more complex than previous models,” leading to Foxconn and Pegatron’s preemptive hiring and manufacturing schedule this year (via CNBC).
Specifically, on Foxconn’s website a hiring page reads, “Foxconn Zhengzhou is hiring a large number of ordinary workers. Welcome to join Foxconn: Age between 18-40. Overall monthly salary: 3,800 renminbi. Start working immediately.” Applicants are encouraged to apply promptly for the positions, with language suggesting that they might have trouble connecting with Foxconn’s job hotline because of the massive amount of people applying.
Due to the posting’s suggestion that the iPhone 7’s design is more complex than previous generations, Apple’s suppliers began the hiring process about a month earlier than they have in previous years. The early start is said to buy the two companies extra time to train the new assembling staff on the intensive build of the iPhone 7. It was the first time in two years that Foxconn began recruitment processes for the assembly of a new iPhone as early as May.
Of course, no specifics were given to explain what exactly is “more complex” about the iPhone 7 this year. Recent rumors point to 2016’s iPhone 7 as having a design largely similar to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, with the probable removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack and potential introduction of a Smart Connector, although a recent rumor from Japanese site Mac Otakara contradicted reports on the latter.
Such an upgrade to this year’s iPhone would set Apple up for a 2017 mega-cycle iteration on the “iPhone 8” with a new form factor potentially encompassing an edge-to-edge display and integrated Touch ID sans Home Button. But that still leaves confusion over the complexity of this year’s model, although it might lie in the introduction of a dual-lens camera system, reportedly exclusive to the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus that will pack 3GB of RAM to help run the image processing of the new camera.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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Amazing OnePlus 3 photo shows stunning HTC-esque metal design
OnePlus has always pushed the message that it wants to replace your flagship, offering design and specs for a fraction of the price of an established smartphone manufacturer.
It looks like OnePlus could be gunning for HTC, with a new leaked image giving us a clear view of the OnePlus 3’s hardware.
Shared by Evan Blass via his @evleaks Twitter account, the OnePlus 3 shows off what looks like a full-metal unibody design, with breaks for the antenna in the same fashion used by HTC and Apple.
The squared camera lens on the rear reminds us of the HTC One M9, and the rounded corners and curved sides have a strong hint of iPhone 6 about them.
There’s a fingerprint scanner on the front of the handset beneath the display. Previous leaks have suggested that the OnePlus 3 will carry a USB Type-C connection on the bottom, here seen flanked by the neatly machined speaker grille.
Blass provides some additional detail, saying that it’s an AMOLED display and there’s a 3000mAh battery within.
These details join a growing selection of leaks building towards a full picture of what to expect from the OnePlus 3. So far the OnePlus 3 release date has been pegged as late-May, which perhaps explains why we’re now seeing such a wealth of juicy leaks.
We’ve been following the OnePlus 3 rumours and leaks, so be sure to click though and catch-up on all the gossip
READ: OnePlus 3: What’s the story so far?
BBC Food website faces the chop, as BBC trims the fat
Shock horror! The BBC is reporting that its BBC Food website could face the chop as part of the proposed £15m savings drive faced by the corporation.
In recent days we’ve learnt that the BBC iPlayer loophole is due to be closed, that the licence fee is due to increase in line with inflation, and that the BBC could launch a subscription service to rival Netflix.
All of this pales in comparison to the loss of BBC Food, the online repository for recipes featured in the BBC’s programmes. Want that James Martin recipe for braised Jacob’s Ladder beef with wild mushrooms and pancetta featured on Saturday Kitchen 25 May 2013? Then BBC Food is your go-to website.
The BBC is reporting that the fate of the 11,000 recipes – spanning everything from Paul Hollywood’s souvlakia to Delia’s apricot, apple and pecan loaf cake – is still unknown.
The BBC also operates the commercial BBC Good Food website, that could be a natural home. This latter entity isn’t funded by the taxpayer, so isn’t affected by the proposals.
With an air of uncertainty, the BBC reports that recipes are “likely to be archived”, but that TV show recipes will only be available for 30 days.
The exact fate of the website is to be decided over the next 12 months.
Twitter reacted to the news as only Twitter can, with a mixture of confusion and dismay.
I am just livid about the BBC Food thing. It is the stupidest decision I ever heard.
— Ellabell (@missellabell) May 17, 2016
I don’t think I exaggerate when I say that the #BBCrecipes cuts are The Worst Thing to Ever Happen. Ever. https://t.co/yvwx5M444k
— Füüd (@FuudBlog) May 17, 2016
I use BBC recipes because food blogs are 95% satchels and fringes.
— Sarah_Woolley (@Sarah_Woolley) May 17, 2016
Most the tasty things I make are based off the BBC Food site. I don’t want to have to decipher weird American measurements and recipes.
— Simon Roth (@SimoRoth) May 17, 2016
Want to sell your phone? Here’s how
These days there are plenty of options for selling your phone but few are as simple as musicMagpie.
Although its name doesn’t initially scream gadget recycling service and store, that’s exactly what it is and selling your phone is as easy as pie (no pun intended).
Whether you have just bought a new phone and you are looking to get rid of your old handset for a bit of extra cash, or you are hoping to buy a new phone but need the means to do it in the first place, musicMagpie is there to help.
Selling your phone is not only super simple, but the site offers something it calls an Electronics Price Promise. This promise means that, unlike other recycling services, whatever musicMagpie quotes you for your device, it will pay you that full amount or send your device back for free. Here’s how to sell your phone on musicMagpie in five steps.
Head to the musicMagpie site
Naturally, the first step in selling your phone this way is to head to the musicMagpie site. The homepage is split into two sections: Sell and Shop. Click on the “Sell Electronics” button on the left and begin typing your phone’s name and model into the search bar.
As you type, a drop down list will appear below where you should see the device you want to sell listed. Click on the correct model and you’ve officially started on the road to the pot of gold.
Select the condition of your device
After you’ve selected the make and model of your phone, musicMagpie will ask you to select the condition of your device from another drop down menu. There are three conditions to choose from: good, poor and faulty.
Don’t worry if you aren’t sure what condition your device is in, as all three have a list of bullet points so you can check you meet the criteria for that particular condition. For example, good condition requires the device to be fully functional with working system software.
Once you have selected the condition, you’ll see a price quote in the top right-hand corner showing how much your device is worth.
Create an account
Once you have chosen the condition that best describes your device, click add to put it in your basket. MusicMagpie will then give you the option to repeat the process if you have more than one phone to sell or you can opt to checkout.
You’ll need to accept the terms and conditions and register for a musicMagpie account or sign in if you already have an account. Don’t worry, setting up an account doesn’t take long so you won’t be there for hours. It asks a few standard questions, along with your bank account details.
Choose how to get paid
After registration is complete and you’ve created your account, musicMagpie asks you to choose one of three options for payment. You can select a bank transfer, which is the quickest, a cheque, or you can choose to donate the money to one of the seven musicMagpie partnered charities.
The charities include the RSPCA, Breast Cancer Care, Barnardo’s, Teenage Cancer Trust, Stand Up To Cancer, Terrence Higgins Trust and British Forces Broadcasting Service.
Bank transfers are paid on the day that musicMagpie receives your phone and the cash will be ready to spend the next day.
Choose how to send your device
The last step to reach the pot of gold is to choose how you send your phone to musicMagpie. There are two options, one of which is a free courier service that will collect your device on the same day. The second option is a free smart send service that allows you to pick a Post Office branch and send your device for nothing.
Once you’ve decided the easiest option for you, confirm your order and say bye bye to your phone. Don’t forget to wipe it and restore everything to factory settings before you send it.
For those interested in selling more than just your phone, visit our separate article on turning your old gadgets into cash to see how much you could get for your old PlayStation 3 Super Slim or first-generation iPad for example.
Want to sell your old phone? Check out Pocket-lint’s preferred recycling partner musicMagpie.co.uk to find out how much money you can get for it.
What Freeview Play TV or set-top-box is best for you?
There’s a revolution happening in TV catch-up. Paid TV services have long offered on demand services, as have individual applications for a multitude of broadcasters, but now there’s a subscription free alternative to catching up on television shows you’ve missed, all from the same electronic programme guide you’d normally use to change channels.
Freeview Play is the subscription free technology that gives you the opportunity to scroll back through the Freeview EPG and choose shows that were on in the last seven days. Click on one and it opens in the channel’s dedicated on demand service and plays automatically.
This is possible on any home entertainment kit that is Freeview Play ready and since the launch of the tech in October last year, several devices have hit the market already. You don’t even need to break the bank to get the service yourself.
So what kind of products are available now, what are coming, and which would be the best for you? We take a look.
READ: What is Freeview Play, when is it coming to my TV and how can I get it?
Pocket-lint
In the market for a new TV?
If you are looking for a new television because you might have heard of Ultra HD and 4K there are Freeview Play sets already available you might want to check out. And with manufacturers jumping on board all the time there are also others on the horizon that will be available soon.
Panasonic is the leading Freeview Play TV maker at present, with a range of 4K TVs that come with the service already installed. There are multiple screen sizes and prices that start as low as £500, so something for everyone.
The Panasonic Viera TX-40CX680B, for example, is a 40-inch 4K TV that was updated to include Freeview Play. Its not 3D-ready but 3D in the home is being phased out anyway and it comes with three HDMI 2.0 ports, each with HDCP 2.2 copy protection, so can playback 4K Blu-rays.
The Panasonic Viera TX-50CX700B is a £700 50-inch 4K TV for those who have a little more room and fancy a bigger screen size. And for just £100 more, you can get voice-control and a few more features with the Panasonic Viera TX-50CX802B (which we reviewed here on Pocket-lint at the end of last year, when it was priced considerably more than £800).
If you’re looking to bump up the screen size even more, and don’t mind paying extra for the privilege, the Panasonic Viera TX-55CR852B offers 55-inch thrills and a curved.
Finally, the Panasonic Viera TX-65CR730B is a mammoth 65-inch 4K TV with Freeview Play and curved screen for just shy of £1,650.
READ: Why choose Freeview Play? 7 reasons to go free for catch-up TV
Willing to wait a bit longer to get a TV?
All of the sets Freeview Play sets currently available in the UK are made by Panasonic, but it’s not the only company to commit to compatible TVs this year.
LG’s 2016 range of webOS 3.0 TVs will feature Freeview Play, with the catch-up version of the EPG being rolled out in the summer.
READ: Buying a new TV? Here’s what to look for
Pocket-lint
Happy with your TV but still want Freeview Play?
If you’re not looking to upgrade your television, you could always add a Freeview Play-enabled set-top-box. These will cost you a one-off fee to buy but unlike services like Sky and Virgin Media, there’s no future fees, monthly or otherwise.
Humax has two set-top-boxes available, the Humax FVP-4000T 500GB and FVP-4000T.
The latter doubles the available on-board storage to 1TB in order to record programmes. Both have Freeview Play access and three HD digital TV tuners, so you can record up to four channels at once.
They also have DLNA connections, so you can stream video over your home network from a connected PC.
The entire range of Freeview channels can be watched through both boxes and they cost £200 and £225 respectively.
Panasonic also has a duo of HD digital TV recorders with Freeview Play.
The Panasonic DMR-HWT150EB comes with 500GB of storage and two HD tuners. It also has access to Amazon Instant Video and Netflix for £240.
Its sister, the Panasonic DMR-HWT250EB ups the ante with a 1TB HDD for £260.
Freeview Play comes in Blu-ray players too
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, which you can pair with your existing television, Panasonic also has two combination machines that are digital TV recorders with Freeview Play, but also have the ability to playback Blu-rays – standard and 3D.
The Panasonic DMR-PWT655EB has twin HD tuners like the company’s digital recorders. It also has a 1TB hard drive to store programming on. However, it can also play Blu-rays and DVDs, plus stream media over a home network. It’s currently available around £300.
There’s a 500GB version too, the Panasonic DMR-PWT550EB.
Conclusion
It’s worth remembering that this is just the first wave of Freeview Play devices. These are all currently available but there are also many more on the way.
If you want to make catching up with your favourite television shows more intuitive and, importantly, for free, Freeview Play is the way to go. Hopefully, we’ve given you some food for thought when you’re next in the market for entertainment gadgetry.
You can find out more about the products with Freeview Play here.
Get catch-up and on demand TV for £0 per month with Freeview Play. Click here to find out more.
AI can recreate Nobel-Prize winning experiments
We’ve seen how artificial intelligence has made quantum experimentation easier, and now machine learning is being implemented in other areas of scientific experimentation. A team of researchers from the Australian National University, University of Adelaide and the University of South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy (phew) used an algorithm to recreate a Nobel Prize-winning experiment that created a Bose-Einstein condensate. In simpler terms, the physicists made ultra-cold gas (1 microkelvin, less than “a billionth of a degree above absolute zero”), and then let the AI take over the rest of the experiment.
From there, the algorithm learned how to change different parameters to bring the temperature down even further, and to do it with more efficiency. Primarily by adjusting a trio of laser beams. As the scientists tell it, the results were pretty impressive: The AI learned to do the experiment itself in under an hour, and its methods were beyond what even a highly trained scientist would think of. The team says that the algorithm is able to set itself up each morning and compensate for any changes in the experiment that happened overnight, too.
If you want to take a gander for yourself, the researchers have uploaded the algorithm to GitHub and it can apparently be used for quantum chemistry, quantum computing and femtosecond physics. You know, weekend projects.
The team’s next move? Going bigger. “We plan to employ the artificial intelligence to build an even larger Bose-Einstein condensate faster than we’ve ever seen before,” Dr. Michael Hush says.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: GitHub, Nature, Australian National University
Sony’s XA Ultra takes 16-megapixel stabilized selfies
Sony said in February that its mid-range Xperia X smartphone lineup would be camera-centric, and with the Xperia XA Ultra, it’s making good on that claim. The 6-inch device has a 21.5-megapixel Exmor RS main camera with quick launch and hybrid autofocus (though the AF isn’t predictive like on the Xperia X Performance). The coup de grace is the front-facing selfie cam, which packs an impressive 16-megapixel low-light sensor with a front flash and optical image stabilization (OIS).
The stellar cameras are tucked above a 6-inch screen that seems a half-inch smaller, thanks to the edge-to-edge curved, 1080p display. Under the hood, there’s a middling MediaTek octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM and 16GB storage (expandable up to 200GB of via a microSD slot). The battery is quick chargeable and uses new juicing tech to prolong its lifespan, and Sony claims up to two days on a charge. Unlike other Sony Xperia phones, it isn’t waterproof and lacks a USB-C charging port.
It’s odd to have stellar cameras in such a mildly-powered device, but Sony is trying to separate its mid-range phones from other brands by playing to its strength — imaging. As such, the cameras and screen may attract users whose lives revolve around the camera and social media but don’t want to pay for a flagship. So far, there’s no word on when it’s coming and for how much, but Sony plans a worldwide release.
Source: Sony
Amazon opens up its product recommendation tech to all
For a company like Amazon, product recommendations are hugely important. They can be the difference between a one-off order and an unexpected spending spree. The company has spent years adapting its algorithms to produce the most relevant suggestions, but now it wants help. It’s taken the wraps off DSSTNE — its Deep Scalable Sparse Tensor Network Engine (pronounced destiny) — and is asking for companies, researchers and developers to make its artificial intelligence framework even more powerful.
Amazon isn’t the form to open source its machine learning software — Google released Tensorflow late last year — but the company believes it has more to offer than its rival. The company says DSSTNE excels when it has less data to work with, scales better across multiple machines and is easier to deploy. It also claims its AI can solve recommendation problems and perform natural language understanding tasks two times faster than Google’s library.
In recent years, many of the world’s biggest technology companies have invested heavily in machine learning. Google uses its AI to index your photos and improve the quality of its translations, while Facebook is exploring how to find deeper meaning in your News Feed. With help from external sources, Amazon wants to improve the quality of its own software and possibly apply what it’s learnt to extend the capabilities of its popular storefront.
“We are releasing DSSTNE as open source software so that the promise of deep learning can extend beyond speech and language understanding and object recognition to other areas such as search and recommendations,” says Amazon on the DSSTNE Github page. “We hope that researchers around the world can collaborate to improve it. But more importantly, we hope that it spurs innovation in many more areas.”
If that means it’ll stop Amazon suggesting we buy something we’ve already bought, then we’re all for it.
Amazon is a $250 billion dollar company that reacts to you buying a vacuum by going THIS GUY LOVES BUYING VACUUMS HERE ARE SOME MORE VACUUMS
— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) April 26, 2016
Via: Wired
Source: DSSTNE
Sony Xperia XA Ultra specs
After releasing the Xperia X, XA and X Performance at MWC 2016, Sony followed up the three mid-rangers with a larger variant, the XA Ultra, packing a huge display and big boost in front-facing camera specs. Outside of the larger screen and improved camera things are basically the same internally as the standard Xperia XA, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to mid-range devices. You can check out all of the specs for the Xperia XA Ultra right here.
| Operating System | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Display | 6-inch 1920x1080Mobile BRAVIA engine 2Super Vivid mode |
| Processor | MediaTek MT6755 octa-core64-bit |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Expandable | microSD up to 200GB |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Rear camera | 21.5MP with Exmor RSHybrid autofocus, HDR |
| Front camera | 16MP with Exmor R88-degree wide angle lensFlash, OISAutofocus, HDR |
| Charging | micro-USB |
| Battery | 2700 mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPSMiracast, Google Cast, DLNA |
| Waterproofing | None |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 78.7 x 7.6 mm |
| Weight | 189.9 g |
| Colors | White, black, lime gold |
Sony launches Xperia XA Ultra with 16MP front camera, 6-inch display
Sony is building on the launch of three mid-range Xperia X series phones at MWC with a new model, the Xperia XA Ultra. As the name would lead you to believe, this is a big phone, with a 6-inch display that is dramatically larger than the 5-inch display of the standard XA though it retains the same looks as its smaller sibling.
That 6-inch display is still just 1920×1080 resolution, which will still be respectable but won’t touch the QHD offerings out there on other big displays. Despite the big screen Sony is still claiming its usual “two days” of battery from the 2700 mAh battery. It’s powered by a MediaTek MT6755 processor and 3GB of RAM, running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. There’s 16GB of storage, with a microSD card slot offering 200GB of expansion.
More: Sony Xperia XA Ultra specs
Though it’s easy to focus on the huge display, Sony is positioning the XA Ultra has a selfie-focused device, with some huge upgrades to the front-facing camera. The front-facer received a boost to 16MP, up from 8MP on the standard XA, and it also incorporates OIS (optical image stabilization) and a selfie flash. Thankfully, it also keeps the rear camera intact at a full 21.5MP for the majority of your photos.
The Xperia XA Ultra is set to hit “select markets” starting in July, coming in black, white and “lime gold” color variants. We’ll have a better idea of specific launch plans as we get closer to that time frame, but right now it’s a safe bet to look at where the current Xperia X and XA are available for a glimpse of where the XA Ultra will be available.
See at Sony
Press release:
Create the Perfect Night-time Selfie with the New Sony Xperia XA Ultra
- Become the master of selfies with the 16MP front camera with super low-light capabilities for any situation
- See more clearly with a super narrow smartphone thanks to a stunning borderless 6inch display
- Stay powered for longer with up to two days battery life*
London, 17th May 2016, Sony Mobile Communications today announced a new addition to the revamped Xperia X series with the stylish selfie-cam masterpiece, Xperia XA Ultra.
With its large 6″ screen, 16MP front camera, low-light sensor, up to two days battery life* and stylish thin design with borderless screen it is a fantastic mid-range smartphone for your every need.
Boasting an advanced selfie cam, you can create the perfect pose day or night, made possible by its 16MP front camera and Sony’s renowned low-light sensors. Sony camera technology used in the Xperia XA Ultra helps you achieve sharp, bright, blur-free shots every time, it features a smart selfie flash to naturally illuminate your face for night scene selfies plus Optical Image Stabilisation to counter hand shake for both photos and videos. Taking your selfie is made even easier with the Hand Shutter feature, just raise a hand and the shutter timer will start to count down, leaving you time to make the perfect pout and strike a pose. Capturing the perfect spontaneous shot is also possible with the super-fast main camera featuring 21.5 megapixels, Hybrid Autofocus and quick launch and capture so you can go from standby to capture in a fraction of a second.
Fitting beautifully in your hand, the infinity-feel borderless 6-inch Full HD display with curved glass is encased by a metal surround that creates a seamless feel in your hand.
Despite the large screen its razor thin design and One-handed Operation Mode means you can still use it comfortably in one hand.
Xperia XA Ultra might have a big, bright display, but that doesn’t compromise the Sony battery standard. You still get up to 2-days of battery life* from a single charge, leaving you more time to chat, snap and watch. Need a quick battery top-up? Use XA Ultra together with Quick Charger UCH12 ** and get 5.5 hours of battery life in just 10 minutes. Additionally, with integrated Qnovo adaptive charging technology the lifetime of your battery is extended so over time you get much more use out of your device.
Xperia XA Ultra is available in Graphite Black, White, or stunning Lime Gold from July in selected markets (please check with you local operators and retailers). A choice of stylish covers are available to complement and protect Xperia XA Ultra, including Style Cover Flip which offers an auto on/off for the screen when opening and closing the case in corresponding colours.
AIVAnet 