Foxconn exec faces 10 years for stealing 5,700 iPhones
A senior manager at Foxconn, the company that makes Apple’s iPhone handsets, is facing 10 years incarceration after being charged with the theft of 5,700 iPhones valued at nearly $1.5 million. According to AsiaOne, the Taiwanese testing department manager, identified only by his family name Tsai, coerced eight of his subordinates to smuggle iPhone 5 and 5Ses out of the Foxconn Shenzhen plant between 2013 and 2014.
Apparently, these phones were designated for testing, rather than sale, which could explain how the gang managed to take so many without tipping off security. However, an internal audit conducted earlier this year outed the group.
Via: Business Insider
Source: AsiaOne
Former Foxconn Manager Faces 10-Year Prison Sentence for Profiting $1.5M on Stolen iPhones
A former senior Foxconn manager was recently indicted for stealing 5,700 iPhones in China to pocket around $1.56 million. Factoring in his accomplices, the entire scheme made $2.2 million between 2013 and 2014 by stealing only the iPhones which were supposed to be scrapped on the manufacturing line, and selling them to various shops in China, according to a report by Asia One (via Business Insider).
The ringleader, identified only by his family name Tsai, was reported as having instructed eight other employees to smuggle out thousands of iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s devices in order to sell them illegally. The operation was caught during an internal audit of the Shenzhen-based Foxconn factory, and Tsai was arrested this year for running the operation, and then released on bail.
Tsai has now been charged with breach of trust and faces a maximum of ten years as a jail sentence if found guilty. It wasn’t made clear when the final verdict on the matter will be reached.
Tsai and his accomplices sold the testing phones, which were supposed to be scrapped, to stores in Shenzhen and made nearly Tw$50 million (S$2.2 million) from 2013 to 2014, said the New Taipei district prosecutor’s office. Foxconn reported the case to Taiwanese authorities following an internal audit and Tsai was questioned after he returned to the island earlier this year and was released on bail.
In August, it was reported that Foxconn’s profits had declined 31 percent in the second quarter of 2016, affected by the iPhone sales slump Apple faced at the same time this year. For the entire quarter, Foxconn made 17.7 billion New Taiwan dollars, down from NT$25.7 billion a year prior.
Tags: Foxconn, iPhone 5
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Apple Hit With Class Action Lawsuit for iPhone 5 Wi-Fi Defect That Caused Data Overages
Apple today was hit by a class action lawsuit from iPhone 5 and 5s users on AT&T’s network. The lawsuit alleges that the Cupertino company knowingly concealed a defect in the iPhone 5 and 5s that caused the devices to use LTE data even when connected to a Wi-Fi network.
In September 2012, some iPhone 5 users noticed the bug after finding that they were going through more data than usual. Shortly after the issue came to light, Apple and Verizon issued a fix for the bug, with Verizon confirming that users affected by the bug would not be charged for their data use.
However, according to an investigation by law firm Hagens Berman, Apple and AT&T never issued a fix nor did they acknowledge the defect. The firm and plaintiff Thomas Palmer believe that Apple should not have kept the fix from AT&T customers, and that the company failed to address the issue even as it released iOS 7 and the iPhone 5s.
We believe Apple should not have withheld this repair for AT&T Wireless subscribers for any period of time. By withholding this information and repair, consumers were unaware of the defect and were left to sort out high cellular data charges with their wireless carriers.
Specifically, the law firm says the defect occurred when a user streamed “high volumes of data” for 10 to 20 minutes. In this case, the GPU would take over all video decompression, decoding and presentation to the display. Because of this, the CPU was not needed and would go to “sleep” to conserve battery life. When the CPU went to sleep, the defect caused both the iPhone 5 and 5s to switch from streaming data via Wi-Fi to LTE.
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Logitech Unveils New Protection+ Case and +Trip Car Mount for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5 [iOS Blog]
Back in May, Logitech announced its new Case+ product for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5, which contained a metal case and multiple magnetic attachments for different uses. Today, the company unveiled two new products inspired by the line: the new Protection+ case for iPhone 5s/5 and the +Trip accessory for mounting an iPhone to a car’s air vents for easy viewing.
Logitech’s Protection+ case
The Protection+ case for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5 features a slim design with a protective outer shell and internal impact-resistant materials. The case’s corners each hold impact resistant polymers to minimize forces of impact, while the accessory’s insides feature a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer to absorb energy from drops. Logitech’s Protection+ case also comes with a raised bezel edge to protect the iPhone’s touch screen and is tested for drops from up to 1.8 meters (about 6 feet) in height.
Logitech’s +Trip car mount
Logitech’s +Trip car mount is also being sold alongside the original +Drive accessory that attaches to a car’s dashboard or windshield and came with the original Case+ system. The Protection+ case as well as the +Trip and +Drive mounts also all contain magnetic mounts to support the other Case+ attachments.
The Protection+ case will launch next month for $34.99, and will come in colors of Winter White, Gunmetal Black, Scarlett Plum, and Pacific Blue. The +Trip and +Drive accessories will also be released next month and sell for $29.99 and $49.99, respectively. Interested customers can pre-order all three now on Logitech’s official website.
Apple will replace your iPhone 5’s faulty power button for free
If you’ve noticed that your iPhone 5′s sleep/wake button isn’t working reliably, you’re not alone — and you’ll be glad to hear that Apple is doing something about it. The company has started a free program in Canada and the US (worldwide on May 2nd) that will replace buttons on phones made through March 2013. Should you qualify, you’ll get your phone back four to six days after it reaches an Apple repair center; there will be a loaner on hand if you can’t afford to be incommunicado for that long. We’re sure that some would have liked the program to start earlier, but it’s no doubt a relief if you otherwise faced paying for an out-of-warranty repair.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Via: The Loop
Source: Apple
Apple and Samsung to spar over iPhone 5, Galaxy Note II at next trial
Perpetual court combatants Apple and Samsung have revealed their final list of allegations ahead of a trial starting March 31st. Though each started with five disputed patents, Samsung only has four now since a multimedia sync patent was knocked out earlier by Judge Lucy Koh. She also gave Apple a summary judgement win on its auto-complete IP, putting it ahead before the trial even begins. As for the rest, it’s worth noting that all of Apple’s patents are related to user interaction, while two of Samsung’s are standards-essential (FRAND) patents — which companies are normally obligated to license out. Samsung did have one point in its favor, however: the USPTO has agreed to take a second look at the validity of Apple’s aforementioned auto-complete patent.
As for the devices accused of infringing those patents, none are very recent models and many aren’t even on the market anymore. However, the historical sales of each will affect the size of any award given by the court if an allegation is upheld. That’s a lot of infringement for ultra-popular models like the Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s, which have far outsold disputed models from the previous trial (like Samsung’s original Galaxy S). Other names on the list include the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 from Samsung, along with Apple’s iPads 2, 3, 4 and Mini. Of course, there’s always the upcoming negotiations between company CEOs to avoid all that, but… nah, who are we kidding.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung
Source: Foss Patents
How would you change the iPhone 5?
The iPhone 5 was thinner, lighter and came with a bigger display than its predecessor. There’s plenty to like about this handset, even if the Lightning connector broke compatibility with 100 million iDevice accessories. But what we want to know is this: if you had disguised yourself as Jonathan Ive and snuck into Infinite Loop’s development labs, what would you have done differently? For instance, your humble narrator would have sacrificed a few more millimeters of thinness in exchange for a bigger battery. After all, those few MMs are a walk in the park compared to hauling a battery sleeve around with you all day. But what about you? Head on over to the forum thread and share your wisdom.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
iPhone 5 release unveiling to be held at Cupertino Campus?
With Apple expected to officially unveil the iPhone 5 release date at an October 4th event headed by newly instated CEO Tim Cook, new reports have suggested the iPad and iPod maker will shun its usual San Francisco unveiling location in favour of hosting the event at its Cupertino campus.
The latest iPhone 5 rumour to circulate within the increasingly crowded pool of Apple speculation would see Apple heading for a low key unveiling of its next generation handset with the much mooted iPhone 5 to enter the realms of reality in a little over a week’s time.
Citing “sources close to the company,” the Wall Street Journal’s tech blog All Things D has claimed that Apple will forgo the usual high-profile San Francisco based announcement in favour of a more intimate product showcase on home soil.
iPhone 5 Rumours: The full story
The most eagerly awaiting gadget in recent memory the iPhone 5 release date has been a thing of speculation for many months with most recent reports hinting at an October 21st arrival.
Looking to compete with the likes of the dual-core powerhouse that is the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Apple iPhone 5 is set to land with the same A5 dual-core CPU found within the iPad 2 as well as an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording capabilities and a new slimmer form factor.
iPhone 5 Release Date: What to expect
As well as the iPhone 5, Apple’s upcoming event is expected to see a number of other new products announced. Landing alongside the iPhone 5 the repeatedly leaked entry-level Apple smartphone, the iPhone 4S to set to make an appearance with the iPod range getting its annual update to produce the new white iPod Touch 3D.
via iPhone 5 release unveiling to be held at Cupertino Campus? | T3.
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