Apple Partners With The Conservation Fund to Protect Working Forests, Ensure Paper Supplies [Mac Blog]
The Conservation Fund today announced that it has partnered with Apple to acquire over 36,000 acres of working forest in Maine and North Carolina, a move that will ensure both the continued health of the forests and Apple’s paper supplies.
“Apple is clearly leading by example—one that we hope others will follow,” said Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund. “By all accounts, the loss of America’s working forests is one of our nation’s greatest environmental challenges. The initiative announced today is precedent-setting.”
The forests that Apple and The Conservation Fund are protecting are larger than the land area of the City of San Francisco. Through its commitment, Apple can ensure a steady supply of sustainably harvested timber to paper and pulp mills.
Apple vice president for environmental initiatives Lisa Jackson tells BuzzFeed that the move is the company’s latest effort to ensure the sustainability of its supply chain.
“Imagine if every time you opened a package from a company you knew that it came from a working forest. And imagine if companies took seriously their paper chain and made sure that was renewable, just like energy. And imagine if they didn’t just buy renewable paper, but took the step of ensuring that they would stay working forests forever.”
Apple has worked very hard over the years to exert as much control as it can over its supply chain in order to create a competitive advantage and ensure consistent supplies and pricing. With more recent forays into renewable energy production and now even paper, Apple is proving able to both secure its supply chain and demonstrate its commitment to environmental responsibility.
Apple Partners With SunPower Corporation to Build Two Solar Power Plants in China [Mac Blog]
Environmentally conscious solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corporation today announced a partnership with Apple that will result in two solar power projects totaling 40 megawatts in the “environmentally-preserved” ABA Region of China’s Sichuan Province.
Currently under construction, the projects will be split across two sites both eventually totaling 20 megawatts each. The first site, located in Hongyuan, is already generating 2 megawatts of power thanks to technology that includes single-axis tracking with rows of parabolic mirrors that reflect light onto SunPower’s “Maxeon” cells, “which are the world’s most efficient commercially available mass-produced solar cells.” The second project is located in Ruoergai County.
As the first solar powered projects deployed in the ABA Region, the combined sites are expected to churn out up to 80 million kilowatt-hours each year. Upon completion, each project will be co-owned by Apple and Sichuan Shengtian New Energy Development Co., Ltd, SunPower’s project development joint venture. Work on both sites is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2015.
Speaking with The Associated Press, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for environmental initiatives, discussed the new China-focused solar power project, suggesting the company’s partnership with SunPower in the region is only the start of a bigger environmentally-focused push by Apple.
“It’s important to us to tackle climate change everywhere we are,” Jackson told The Associated Press. “When you talk about China, you’re talking about manufacturing partners. We’re looking to bring the same innovation there. This is the start.”
“Before we go somewhere else and start asking and eventually requiring clean energy, you want to make sure you show folks how to do it,” said Jackson, who was U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator during President Barack Obama’s first term.
Apple and SunPower have collaborated stateside in the past, with six plants ranging from California to Nevada and North Carolina. Today’s announcements mark the first international solar power partnership between Apple and SunPower.
Next-Generation iPhones Could Adopt 7000 Series Aluminum Used in Apple Watch Sport
Apple’s next-generation iPhones could adopt 7000 Series aluminum used for the Apple Watch Sport, according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. The so-called “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” would likely use Apple’s custom Series 7000 aluminum alloy, which is designed to be 60% stronger than most aluminum, and one-third the density of stainless steel, while still maintaining a light weight.
Apple elaborated in more detail about the Series 7000 aluminum it used for the Apple Watch Sport on its website, noting that each casing is machined, polished and blasted with microscopic zirconia beads to achieve a consistent satin texture found on each Apple Watch. An additional anodized outer layer helps protect against scratches and corrosion, while the anodizing process also makes possible Space Gray and Space Black variants.
For Apple Watch Sport, we started with 7000 Series aluminum — the same used in competition bicycles. We altered it to create a new alloy that’s just as light, yet even more durable — it’s 60 percent stronger than most aluminum, and one-third the density of stainless steel. It has a bright, lustrous colour and a uniform structure free of defects and impurities. Each case is machined and polished, then blasted with microscopic zirconia beads to achieve a consistent, satin texture. A special anodizing process creates a hard, clear outer layer that helps protect against scratches and corrosion.
Economic Daily News has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming plans, and the translated report does not offer many further details, so this rumor should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt. Nevertheless, it is common for Apple to introduce new features on one device before expanding to others. Force Touch, for example, was exclusive to the Apple Watch before making its way to MacBooks, and the technology is also rumored to be included in the next iPhone.
LA’s school board would like all of that iPad money back now, please
Look up the word bungled in a dictionary, and you’ll find the definition of the word, so if you want to see what it looks like in practice, head to L.A.. The state’s problematic program to get iPads into the hands of low-income students has backfired so spectacularly the school district is now looking for a complete refund. According to the L.A. Times, the state’s education board has been having secret meetings with lawyers and has already told Apple and Pearson that it won’t accept or pay for future deliveries of tablets and software.
The $1.3 program has attracted plenty of controversy, and even the FBI has been called in to investigate if a dodgy deal had been made. The paper has also dished the dirt on an internal report from March made by program director Bernadette Lucas. She found that only two out of the 69 schools in the program used the software created by education partner Pearson. The company draws plenty of fire, and is accused of not producing enough content and giving little thought to students whose first language wasn’t English.
Apple and Pearson may be the most notable names on the district’s shit list, but similarly nasty letters have also been sent to Lenovo and Arey Jones for similar projects. The paper’s report ends by saying that the school districts are hopeful that affordable and useful technology will make its way into education, but until that point, officials have just authorized the purchase of new mathematics textbooks.
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Lenovo
Source: L.A. Times
L.A. School District Cancels iPad Pearson Curriculum, Asks Apple for Refund
Following the end of the $1.3 billion education initiative that would have seen all students in the Los Angeles school district outfitted with an iPad, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has notified Apple that it will no longer be using or paying for the Pearson Education curriculum that was meant to accompany the iPads.
In a letter sent to Apple and shared in part by the Los Angeles Times, the LAUSD asked for a refund and said it has no plans to “accept or compensate Apple for new deliveries of [Pearson Education] curriculum.”
When the school district entered into a contract with Apple, it paid approximately $768 per iPad, which included approximately $200 towards a three-year license for math and English curriculum from Pearson that was meant to replace many textbooks and other learning tools. The materials went largely unused by the district due to technical problems and the quality of the software.
“As you are aware, LAUSD is extremely dissatisfied with the work of Pearson,” according to an April 13 letter signed by general counsel David Holmquist. “While Apple and Pearson promised a state-of-the-art technological solution … they have yet to deliver it.”
Despite demands to fix the problem, the letter said that “the vast majority of our students are still unable to access the Pearson curriculum on iPads.”
The letter asks for a meeting with Apple to discuss the dissolution of the district’s deal with Pearson and a refund for the licenses that it was not able to use, letting it recoup some of the cost that it paid for the failed iPad initiative.
Apple and the Los Angeles Unified School District first entered into a $30 million agreement in 2013, which saw 35,000 iPads being distributed to 47 schools as part of a pilot program. The deal was meant to expand to a $1.3 billion initiative to provide all 640,000 students in the district with iPads, but it began falling apart soon after iPads were distributed to students.
Apple’s contract with the LAUSD has since been under scrutiny from the FBI, under accusations that former L.A. superintendent John Deasy may have modified the bidding process for the initiative to favor Apple and Pearson due to ties with executives at Pearson.
Ming-Chi Kuo: Global Apple Watch Pre-Orders Exceed 2.3 Million Units
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a respectable track record at reporting on Apple, has issued a new note to investors estimating that global pre-orders for Apple Watch has exceeded 2.3 million units. Previously, a study from Slice Intelligence estimated that there were 1 million Apple Watch pre-orders in the United States.
We estimate production of Apple Watch around 2.3mn units in March-May. Mass production of Apple Watch began in March and will likely reach 2.3mn by end of May. Considering that most consumers who preordered will not get the device until June, we estimate global preorders of over 2.3mn units, with Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition representing a respective order allocation of 85%, 15% and less than 1%.
Kuo notes that Apple plans to expand the supply chains for Apple Watch, with the Cupertino company targeting production of 2 – 3 million units per month. However, they estimate that the potential bottlenecks in production could be the vibrators that power haptic feedback from AAC and AMOLED displays supplied by LGD.
The Apple Watch’s vibrator technical problems come from being stuffed in a smaller form factor than an iPhone while needing a more accurate vibration frequency than the vibrator in an iPhone. Additionally, the AMOLED display needs both good color performance and a long life span.
Kuo predicts that Apple could reach 2.5 million units produced in June if production bottlenecks are absent. He also isn’t sure whether the Apple Watch will be a hit, estimating that less than one-tenth of iPhone owners have pre-ordered the Apple Watch, suggesting that hardcore Apple fans have made up the bulk of Watch pre-orders thus far.
Apple has not yet provided official sales figures for the Apple Watch, so the exact number of pre-orders the Watch has received remains to be seen. The Apple Watch sold out online 6 hours after pre-orders were available, with many shipping dates slipping to June. When responding to a MacRumors reader who was concerned about the Apple Watch launch, Apple noted that deliveries could arrive sooner than expected.
TSMC May Supply 30% of A9 Chip Orders for Next-Generation iPhone [iOS Blog]
Earlier this month, a report indicated that Samsung would produce the A9 chip for the next-generation iPhone. Now, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable source on Apple’s future plans, says that he expects Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to supply 30% of the chip orders for the next-generation iPhone. This is the latest turn in what has become a back-and-forth affair in determining the companies that will supply A9 chips for next-generation iPhones.
We believe key reasons in Apple’s (US) last minute decision to recruit TSMC are: (1) unstable yield rate at GlobalFoundries (US); (2) TSMC’s 16nm FinFET Turbo has exceeded Apple’s expectations in yield rate and performance; and (3) concerns of insufficient 14nm supply from Samsung LSI (KR) due to better-than-expected market feedback of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, which uses the in-house 14nm FinFET-manufactured application processor Exynos 7420.
Kuo notes that GlobalFoundries, Samsung’s manufacturing partner, has thus far had an unstable yield rate of 30% for the A9 chip, which is below the 50% yield rate that is required for mass production. Bringing TSMC into the chip-supplying fold calms some of the uncertainties of Apple. Additionally, TSMC’s 16-nanometer process has exceeded Apple’s expectations.
Alternatively, the Cupertino company is worried that the success of the the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, which use Samsung’s advanced 14-nanometer process for their chips, will mean that Apple won’t be able to book enough chips from Samsung for the next-generation iPhone. Thus, Apple is turning toward TSMC to complement the supplies from both Samsung and GlobalFoundries.
However, over the past couple of months there has been confusion and conflicting reports over the production of the A9 chip in Apple’s next-generation devices. In December, a report indicated that Samsung had begun producing A9 chips. In the same month, another report indicated TSMC would be the main supplier for A9 chips in the next iPhone. Then, in January, Kuo expected TSMC to only provide A9X chips for the next-generation iPad. Finally, earlier this month, another report indicated that Samsung and partner GlobalFoundries would become the supplier for the A9 chip.
Apple Updates Apple Watch ‘Guided Tours’ Site With Videos on Phone Calls, Siri, Music, and Maps
Earlier this month, Apple launched a new “Guided Tours” section on its dedicated Apple Watch website, showcasing several Apple Watch walkthrough videos designed to teach prospective buyers how various features work on the device. As of today, Apple has updated the site with four new videos, covering Phone Calls, Siri, Maps, and Music.
The first video, on Phone Calls, walks users through how phone calls work on the Apple Watch. It displays options for answering incoming calls and making outgoing calls. There are several options when receiving a phone call — it can be muted by covering the Apple Watch with a hand or a response message can be sent by scrolling up with the digital crown. Making a call can be done through the “Friends” button on the side, or through Siri.
Apple’s Siri Apple Watch video covers how to use Siri on the Apple Watch. Siri can be accessed by holding down on the digital crown and the digital assistant can do things like setting alarms, opening apps, getting directions, and more, as on the iPhone. In the “Music” video, Apple walks through available controls in the Music app on the Apple Watch, demonstrating how to control music on the iPhone using the device.
A playlist can be transferred to the Apple Watch by placing the device on its charger, going to the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, and choosing “Sync Playlist.” Music can be played from the Apple Watch directly through a paired device by using a force tap within the Music app to select a source and a destination. As we’ve previously learned, Apple Watch has 8GB of storage, with 2GB of that available for storing music.
Videos are currently only available on Apple’s site, but they’ll likely be uploaded to YouTube shortly. The Maps video is not available to watch yet on Apple’s site as it may still be uploading.
Apple’s Guided Tour videos are a useful resource for both prospective buyers and those who have already pre-ordered an Apple Watch, as they highlight both Apple Watch features and the way they’re accessed on the device. We’ve learned from reviews that learning to control the Apple Watch and becoming accustomed to its input methods can take some time, so these videos are a great way to get a heads up on Apple Watch features ahead of launch.
Apple still has three additional videos that have yet to be uploaded to the page, including “Apple Pay,” “Activity,” and “Fitness.” We’ll likely see those added to the site next week, ahead of the device’s April 24 ship date.
The Apple Watch can be pre-ordered from the Apple online store, with prices that start at $349. Apple Watch demand has been high, so orders placed today will not ship out until June and beyond, depending on model.
Apple Updates Apple Watch ‘Guided Tours’ Site With Videos on Phone Calls, Siri, Music, and Maps
Earlier this month, Apple launched a new “Guided Tours” section on its dedicated Apple Watch website, showcasing several Apple Watch walkthrough videos designed to teach prospective buyers how various features work on the device. As of today, Apple has updated the site with four new videos, covering Phone Calls, Siri, Maps, and Music.
The first video, on Phone Calls, walks users through how phone calls work on the Apple Watch. It displays options for answering incoming calls and making outgoing calls. There are several options when receiving a phone call — it can be muted by covering the Apple Watch with a hand or a response message can be sent by scrolling up with the digital crown. Making a call can be done through the “Friends” button on the side, or through Siri.
Apple’s Siri Apple Watch video covers how to use Siri on the Apple Watch. Siri can be accessed by holding down on the digital crown and the digital assistant can do things like setting alarms, opening apps, getting directions, and more, as on the iPhone. In the “Music” video, Apple walks through available controls in the Music app on the Apple Watch, demonstrating how to control music on the iPhone using the device.
A playlist can be transferred to the Apple Watch by placing the device on its charger, going to the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, and choosing “Sync Playlist.” Music can be played from the Apple Watch directly through a paired device by using a force tap within the Music app to select a source and a destination. As we’ve previously learned, Apple Watch has 8GB of storage, with 2GB of that available for storing music.
Videos are currently only available on Apple’s site, but they’ll likely be uploaded to YouTube shortly. The Maps video is not available to watch yet on Apple’s site as it may still be uploading.
Apple’s Guided Tour videos are a useful resource for both prospective buyers and those who have already pre-ordered an Apple Watch, as they highlight both Apple Watch features and the way they’re accessed on the device. We’ve learned from reviews that learning to control the Apple Watch and becoming accustomed to its input methods can take some time, so these videos are a great way to get a heads up on Apple Watch features ahead of launch.
Apple still has three additional videos that have yet to be uploaded to the page, including “Apple Pay,” “Activity,” and “Fitness.” We’ll likely see those added to the site next week, ahead of the device’s April 24 ship date.
The Apple Watch can be pre-ordered from the Apple online store, with prices that start at $349. Apple Watch demand has been high, so orders placed today will not ship out until June and beyond, depending on model.
App Store Increases Revenue Lead Over Google Play in Q1 2015
Apple’s App Store increased its revenue lead by 10 percentage points over Google’s Play Store in the first quarter of 2015, according to the latest numbers from App Annie obtained by The Wall Street Journal. The App Store’s revenue was also almost 70% higher than the Play Store, despite Google Play receiving 70% more app downloads during the three-month period ending March.
Apple’s increased App Store revenue helped it reverse a trend that saw Google Play slowly catch up in revenue over recent quarters, although the Play Store continued to widen its lead in overall downloads. Apple previously held about a 60% advantage in App Store revenues over Google Play during the third quarter of 2014, but that figure rose to about 70% in Q1 2015 on the strength of the United States and China.
“China was a bright spot for Apple – mirroring the strong market share gains that the iPhone made in the country. Apple’s larger-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus proved immensely popular in the Chinese market where consumers prefer bigger display smartphones.
In the first quarter of 2015, China passed the U.S. as the top country for iOS app downloads, App Annie said. China still trails the U.S. and Japan for App Store revenue. The Google Play store does not operate officially in mainland China.”
The disparity between the App Store and Google Play in terms of overall revenue and downloads is a longstanding trend between the iOS and Android storefronts. A number of popular developers turn to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch because Apple’s ecosystem provides a more lucrative opportunity for earnings, while Google Play receives more downloads because there are significantly more Android users worldwide.
AIVAnet 