Michal Ždanský The next step to improve the working conditions of Chinese workers, reporting spam in iMessage, USB 3.1, hacking an iPhone with a charger, a new Apple Store in Italy or a deal by the Ministry of Justice for Apple in the book cartel case, these are the topics of the 31st Apple Week for 2013.
Apple's Academic Advisory Board to Oversee Chinese Workers' Rights (27/7)
Apple recently formed an academic advisory board as part of an effort to improve conditions for workers in the Chinese factories where the company's products are made. This committee consists of volunteers, including eight professors from leading American universities, chaired by Brown University professor Richard Locke.
The advisory committee will recommend changes to Apple's current practices and commission new surveys aimed at improving working conditions for workers beyond Apple's production lines. The company has come under fire in recent years over labor conditions in China, and Apple has already taken some significant steps to help improve its Chinese factories.
Source: TUAW.com
Apple allows you to report spam in iMessage (30/7)
Apple released new document in the support section describing spam reporting in iMessage. However, this is not a feature included with iOS devices. If a number or email spams you in iMessage, first you need to take a screenshot of a specific message, send it by email to imessage.spam@icloud.com and add some details, specifically the number or email of the spammer and the date of receipt. Apple will then likely block those contacts after evaluation.
Source: macstories.net
USB 3.1 spec is out, will it compete with Thunderbolt? (1. 8.)
The USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced Wednesday that it has finalized the specifications for the anticipated USB 3.1 interface. In particular, this will be characterized by a maximum possible speed of 10 Gbps and will replace SuperSpeed USB 3.0, which reached half the speed. USB thus achieves the same throughput as the first version of Thunderbolt. Although the speed is the same, it does not directly threaten the interface, which is mainly used by Apple, despite the slow adoption. First of all, USB only supports two channels for data transfer in both directions, Thunderbolt has twice as many. In addition, the next version, which will be included in the upcoming Mac Pro, will double the current speed again and allow, for example, 4K video to be transmitted. USB 3.1 is not expected to appear until the second half of 2014 and will be backward compatible with previous versions.
Source: iMore.com
iOS 7 fixed a bug that allowed the phone to be hacked with a charger (1/8)
Three hackers from Georgia, USA demonstrated at the Black Hat USA conference how it is possible to hack an iPhone using a modified charger connected to a BeagleBoard (miniature computer) running Linux. After connecting the charger and entering the password to unlock the phone, the user could have set off a chain of events that could have damaged their device. In a demo the hackers showed, the charger was able to delete Facebook apps and replace them with malware. Apple fixed this system vulnerability in iOS 4 beta 7 and thanked the hackers for reporting it.
Source: TUAW.com
The Ministry of Justice offered Apple a deal in the case of the book cartel (August 3)
After Apple was found guilty of conspiring and carteling with five of the largest US book publishers, the Department of Justice offered the company an out-of-court settlement. According to her, Apple would have to terminate the existing contracts with the mentioned five publishers, for five years it would not be allowed to enter into contracts regarding the distribution of electronic books, thanks to which it would not have to compete on price, it should not serve as an intermediary for a conspiracy of publishers against sellers who refuse to sell books through the agency method, should not enter into music, TV, movie and game contracts that would force other sellers to raise prices, would have to allow sellers like Amazon or Barnes & Nobles to provide links to their book catalogs from their own apps for two years (and not require a 30% margin from possible sales outside the App Store) and would have to provide external supervision that would monitor and report possible cartel agreements.
Apple called the Justice Department's proposal too strict and a punitive interference with the company's affairs. He asked the court to either completely reject the ministry's order or significantly reduce its scope. A hearing to discuss the proposal and where Apple can make comments will take place on August 9.
Source: 9to5Mac.com
In short:
- 30. 7.: Foxconn is reportedly hiring a large number of workers to produce the iPhone 5S. The Shenzhen factory is set to hire up to 90 new people to work on Apple's latest phone. Given the previous slow production of the demanding iPhone 000, they will obviously be needed.
- 30.7.: Yesterday, Apple opened a new Apple Store in Rimini, Italy, in the largest local shopping center Le Befane, where there are another 130 stores and restaurants. The Apple Store has approximately 1000 m2 and is already the 13th Apple Store in Italy.
Other events this week:
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That with USB 3.1 didn't happen 3.1 :)
Did someone get carried away with those numbers, probably me...
Let there be an Apple store here too! :) how beautifully it would stand out in the historical part of Praglu :) even if it's true that iStyla, QStore, etc. would probably not like it...
Or if they open it in Vienna, it's closer to us from Brno :)
Those cartel restrictions are a massacre. And all this for a normal business transaction. I'm not surprised they turned it down.