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The PC is dying. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see what’s coming…

Via: MacDailyNews.com

We’ve heard a lot of stories about Find my iPhone helping people track their lost and stolen iOS devices, but here’s one of the first stories involving Photo Stream. According to this Fox 4 Dallas report, it all started late last December in Dallas, TX at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Ken McLellan had just arrived home from a business trip. While he reached to pick up his checked bags, he put down his iPad along with his carry-on bag. You probably can guess what happened next. With bags in hand, he turned to get his iPad, and it was gone.

As a loyal Apple user, McLellan also has an iPhone and an iMac in addition to his purloined iPad. He’s also one of 85 million people using iCloud and had, rather fortuitously, turned on Photo Stream sharing. Imagine his surprise when new photos from his iPad began to hit his iMac a few weeks after his device was stolen. He’s collected the photos of the people who currently have his device and posted them to Facebook. He’s hoping to identify them and possibly get his iPad back.

Getting his iPad back might not be that easy, though. Perhaps the thief resold the device to these unsuspecting buyers who don’t realize it was stolen. It’s also possible the thief returned the stolen iPad to Apple for a new device. A recent report details how a savvy thief can use Apple’s generous repair policy to get a new device and leave the stolen one behind. It’s also possible the people with the iPad are the ones who lifted the device and they’ll dump it once they spot their photos on Facebook.

Photo Stream is helping a man find his stolen iPad originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via: TUAW.com

The New York Times is reporting on the human cost of manufacturing iPhones, iPads, and other electronics in China. While Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, Toshiba and others are also mentioned, Apple gets most of the focus, no doubt because they have the highest profile. The article details how suppliers approach Apple and what Apple requires of them to produce the devices we all use on a daily basis — the cost of parts, salaries, and more importantly, the impact on human lives.

“The only way you make money working for Apple is figuring out how to do things more efficiently or cheaper,”

“And then they’ll come back the next year, and force a 10 percent price cut.”

Many of these cuts come at not only the expense of their workers but to their safety as well. A former Apple executive familiar with the supply process agrees that safety and cutting margins has long been an ongoing issue in China -

“You can set all the rules you want, but they’re meaningless if you don’t give suppliers enough profit to treat workers well,”

“If you squeeze margins, you’re forcing them to cut safety.”

A recent explosion in an iPad 2 facility resulted in 2 fatalities with many more injured. The advocacy group Sacom in Hong Kong also published a report warning of unsafe conditions, issues with aluminum dust, and poor ventilation. Debby Chan Sze Wan of Sacom says a copy of the report was sent to Apple. After receiving no response, she flew to Cupertino.

“A few months later I went to Cupertino, and went into the Apple lobby, but no one would meet with me. I’ve never heard from anyone from Apple at all.”

Apple has been making moves to address some of the concerns, including publishing a Supplier Responsibility Progress Report that lists several companies that have continually been found in violation of safety regulations every year since 2007. The problem doesn’t just lie with Apple but with many technology companies that continuously pressure suppliers to cut their margins. It’s worth pointing out that Apple is the only company that’s releasing a supplier list and providing transparency. We’re still waiting on other companies to do the same.

And the countries themselves can’t be let off the hook either. They want the jobs and money Apple and other manufacturers are creating and providing, and have not yet put in place regulations to safeguard their citizens and workplaces. Perhaps they fear if they do, Apple and other companies will just go elsewhere. But that’s a reason, not an excuse.

Source: The New York Times

Via: TiPb.com

A new report from research firm Strategy Analytics finds Apple’s iPad owns 58 percent of the tablet space, but Android devices now have 39 percent share.

Originally posted at The Digital Home

Via: CNET.com

Research firm Strategy Analytics today announced the results of its calculations of worldwide tablet shipments during the fourth quarter of 2011, revealing that Apple continues to hold a majority of the market as Android improves its standing on the strength of Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in Q4 2011, surging 150 percent from 10.7 million in Q4 2010. Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong. Apple shipped a robust 15.4 million iPads worldwide and maintained its strong market leadership with 58 percent share during the fourth quarter of 2011. Apple shrugged off the much-hyped threat from entry-level Android models this quarter.”

Despite strong growth in shipment share for Android, Apple’s share is down less than four percentage points since the firm’s estimates for the second quarter of last year. Android’s other gains appear to have come at the expense of Microsoft and Research in Motion, which registered at 4.6% and 3.3% respectively during the second quarter.

The relevance of Strategy Analytics’ numbers have been questioned in the past due to its counting of shipments rather than end sales to customers. With many early Android tablets seeing little interest from consumers, the firm’s reports were seen as overstating Android’s impact by counting Android tablets still sitting on store shelves while Apple was selling nearly every iPad it could make. It is unclear whether that dynamic has changed with the introduction of the Kindle Fire, which has reportedly seen fairly strong adoption and which may have lower channel inventory needs due to Amazon’s heavy emphasis on distribution through its own website.

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Via: MacRumors.com

According to 9to5Mac, during today’s town hall meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced to employees that they would get $500 off Macs and $250 iPads.

The new discount program starts in June 2012, and can only be used once every 3 years. Employees also need to have been working at Apple for at least 90 days. The discount is reportedly for both corporate and retail employees. The discount is said to exclude the Mac mini.

Apple employees presently are allowed a one-a-year 25% discount on Apple systems. One report even claims that this discount will remain in place alongside the new discounts.

In 2007, shortly after the original iPhone’s launch, Apple had announced a similar perk for employees. At that time, Steve Jobs announced that all full time and part time Apple employees would receive an 8GB iPhone.

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Via: MacRumors.com