Apple subsume GT Advanced could fall apart if judge unseals records

As October slowly moved toward Halloween, Apple and its particular former partner within the production of sapphire crystal, GT Advanced, had reached an amicable parting on the ways. The latter, as you may recall, surprised Apple and also the world by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection early last month. Apple had held up a $139 million payment to GT Advanced, because the corporate failed to attain a milestone that might have rewarded them that final check. Apple was hoping to make use of sapphire glass made out of the crystals, to make use of as displays for that Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Low yields direct from finisher resulted in using ion-hardened glass for that new models, instead.

Without Apple's final payment, GT Advanced's cash balance fell below a particular figure that can have given Apple the ideal to indicate the immediate repayment of $440 million it had loaned to its partner. A Chapter 11 filing was the best way that GTA could block Apple from requesting its a reimbursement. With talk of pre-arranged stock transactions made by GT Advanced executives just before the bankruptcy filing, It's doubtful that we are going to ever learn the complete story for some time. The factory in Mesa has closed and 727 employees were canned.

Apple and GTA have reached a deal that might permit the sapphire crystal producer to stay its patents, end its exclusivity subsume Apple, and provide it the ideal to sell the 2,000 production furnaces within the Mesa factory. Apple would obtain a claim for $439 million, backed from the proceeds on the furnace sales, which might should be completed within four years. Apple would release its former partner from damage claims totaling over $1 billion. A hearing has been held on November 25th to debate the settlement.

But you can find a danger that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Henry Boroff, in unsealing a statement from GT Advanced Chief Operating Officer Daniel Squiller, could undo the agreement. The settlement between the 2 companies is predicated on certain documents remaining sealed. GTA attorney Luc Despins pleaded using the court to not unseal the documents, stating that it might allow Apple to steer far away from the settlement. "Allow us to live another day," the attorney begged. Judge Boroff replied that he did not think that Apple would want the negative publicity it might receive from walking far away from the settlement deal, which might possibly end in the liquidation of GT Advanced.

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition to obtain soak test

Although Motorola Moto X Pure Edition is unadorned using a carrier name and logo, that does not imply the unlocked handset isn't the niche of your Motorola soak test. You're probably aware of how this works. Constituents of the Motorola Feedback Network can accept an invitation due to manufacturer to test out an upcoming OTA update before It's widely disbursed.

What is a reason why this? Well, it saves Motorola from having to worry a few major glitch inside the software that bricks a lot of phones concurrently. Keeping the amount of phones tested into your small minimum helps it be easier to the manufacturer to view how the update is working.

So precisely what will Motorola include using the new update? We probably will see bug fixes and preparation for the OS update. You could find out for sure if you commit to take Motorola up on participating inside the soak test. As usual, participants must keep everything regarding this confidential.

Gresso Regal R1 - Android smartphone that costs $3,000

Russian-based luxury phone maker Gresso recently introduced a spanking new smartphone called Regal R1. Measuring 143.2 x 70.2 x 8.8 mm, the R1 is presented like the thinnest luxury phone available. The handset is manually assembled, being made out of every titanium - which offers extra protection against drops and bends.

Specs-wise, the Gresso Regal R1 won’t wow anyone, however has plenty to provide (to get a luxury product). It is equipped with a 5-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) Gorilla Glass display, 5 MP front-facing camera, 8 MP rear camera, 2 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of internal memory. The handset is powered using a quad-core 1.5 GHz processor of unknown provenience, and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (that’s a downside for we, but most likely not for people who usually buy luxury phones).

A number of Gresso’s handsets released during the past were outrageously expensive (how might $50,000 to get a feature phone sound?), even so the Regal R1 costs just $3,000. Only 999 units are now being manufactured, each having its individual number engraved over a titanium plate on the rear panel. You are able to order a Gresso Regal R1 at this time in the source link below - free worldwide shipping is included (not which it really matters when you’re paying $3,000 anyway).

Sony releases an Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact infographic

Expected to begin shipping inside the US in early November (meaning really soon), the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is really a device which will turn heads, being the world’s slimmest and lightest 8-inch tablet (213. 4 x 123. 6 x 6. 4 mm, 270 grams). To remind us on the slate’s attributes - including its water-resistant, IP68-certified body - Sony now posted an Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact infographic.

Were you aware that the Z3 Tablet Compact is thinner when compared to a chocolate chip cookie, and weighs less when compared to a hamster? Well, now you are doing. You’ll find more interesting facts in regards to the device inside the slideshow below.

Running Android 4.4 KitKat (upgradeable to Android 5.0 Lollipop starting early next year), the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact features an 8-inch IPS display with 1200 x 1920 pixels, 2.2 MP front-facing camera, 8 MP rear camera, quad-core 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, 3 GB of RAM, microSD card slot, and also a 4500 mAh battery.

As being a reminder, the 32 GB Wi-Fi-only version on the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact costs $499.99. This really is the one which will start shipping next month, by having an LTE variant supposedly coming sometime later.

HTC Rapid Charger 2.0 - charge select smartphones 40% faster

HTC is getting able to launch a universal USB charger that will enable select handsets to become powered up 40% faster than with regular chargers. Called HTC Rapid Charger 2.0 (and pictured above), the accessory uses Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2. 0 technology - which debuted last year upon the Snapdragon 800 SoC, and it is obviously included in newer chipsets, too.

As you move the HTC Rapid Charger 2.0 is compatible for any HTC smartphones, there aren’t that several which could enjoy its faster charging abilities. In the meantime, HTC is listing the listed models : HTC One (M8), HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon Edition, HTC One (E8), HTC One remix, and HTC Desire EYE. It’s not clear when the HTC One (M8) for Windows is likewise included here.

Currently, HTC isn’t saying exactly if the Rapid Charger 2.0 will certainly be released, and neither just simply the amount it’s visiting cost. Anyway, it’s probably safe to assume that its price will certainly be roughly much like the one amongst Motorola’s Turbo Charger, that's currently sold for $34. 99. It’s good to check out that a lot more companies are providing ultra-fast chargers for our particular smartphones, isn’t?

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 could be operated with a knife

Earlier this month, we showed you you could easily play Fruit Ninja employing a knife upon the Sony Xperia Z3. Now, there’s a brand new video on YouTube which confirms - in the event you were wondering - that you are able to do a similar thing on another new and high-end Android smartphone : the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. What’s more, the video showcases the high sensitivity from the Note 4’s display : basically, you are able to fully operate the handset having a knife, and in many cases the capacitive buttons work once the blade touches them.

Needless to speak about, the screen from the new Note isn’t damaged in in whatever way after encountering the sharp knife (thanks to some Gorilla Glass sheet that’s protecting it). The video that shows the whole thing is embedded below.

Widely available around the globe starting this month, the Note 4 has a similar screen scale Samsung’s older Galaxy Note 3 (5. 7 inches), but its resolution is dramatically increased to 1440 x 2560 pixels. If you need to know further details in regards to the handset, be sure to take a look at our Galaxy Note 4 review.

Microsoft Band available now for $199 (US only)

First seen yesterday, the Microsoft Band can now be purchased inside the US for $199, being compatible with Windows Phone 8. 1, Android (version 4. 3 or newer), and iOS (7. 1 and 8). The Band is really a smart fitness tracker developed by Microsoft for “people who wish to live healthier and turn into more productive. ” It will help you set and achieve fitness goals, track your sleep, and in many cases monitor your heart rate. Moreover, the Microsoft Band allows you to stay connected on a glance, providing quick notifications : emails, calls, texts, or updates from social networking sites.

You’ll got to download the Microsoft Health app (from Windows Phone Store, Google Play, or Apple App Store) to link the Band within your smartphone or tablet. On Windows Phone, the Band is integrated with Cortana. The new wearable device has quite plenty of sensors inside, including : optical heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, gyrometer, GPS, ambient light sensor, skin temperature sensor, UV sensor, capacitive sensor, and galvanic skin response sensor.

Additional features : a 0. 43 x 1. 3 inches display, Bluetooth 4. 0 LE, haptic vibration motor, and two 100 mAh batteries (which together give a usage time of nearly 48 hours). The Band weighs 60 grams, being sweat- and splash-resistant. You can purchase yourself a Microsoft Band from Microsoft Store - both online, and via retail locations. Microsoft is offering a free 2-week Gold’s Gym trial, and also a $5 Starbucks gift card to all buyers. So, who's getting one?

Amazon blames Fire Phone failure on its price

It probably shouldn't are a surprise to anyone, even so the Amazon Fire Phone turned out to become a significant bust. The device garnered middling review scores all around, and terrible customer review scores ; and, Amazon ultimately took an enormous hit on unsold stock in its quarterly report. Now, Amazon is commenting on the difficulty, and it is surprisingly blaming the difficulties on the value in the Fire Phone.

In speaking with Fortune, Amazon's senior vice president of devices, David Limp, said : We did not obtain the price right. I believe people reached expect an excellent value, and then we variety of mismatched expectations. We thought there was it right. But we're also prepared to say, ‘we missed. ' So we corrected.

That is definitely an accurate statement. Amazon's price tag was actually high at launch ($200), and the value was quickly dropped right all the way down to 99 cents on-contract. The difficulty using the statement is which it ignores all the other issues using the device. In case you look into the customer reviews on Amazon itself, over half the reviews are 1-star reviews. And, while many people do mention the value, by far the greater prevalent issues listed are : battery life, device overheating, terrible UI, along with a deficiency of apps (specifically, no Google Apps).

Those are indifferent issues that you will find practically in most reviews in the Fire Phone (including our own), as well as had Amazon launched the device without cost, it would not have helped the hardware and software troubles in the device.

Sony sold (only) 9.9 million Xperia smartphones last quarter

Sony today posted financial results for Q3 2014 (July - September, which is in fact the company’s Q2 for financial year 2014), revealing an operating loss of 85. 6 billion yen (about $762 million). A lot of the blame to the operating loss is taken by Sony Mobile Communications unit, which reported a 176 billion yen ($1. 58 billion) loss. Sony’s other units have mostly posted operating profits - including the Devices division (which, among other items, is selling image sensors to Apple along with other companies).

Sony sold 9. 9 million Xperia handsets last quarter - definitely not sufficient to feed the company’s ambitions of becoming the world’s third-largest smartphone maker. Although high-end Xperias seem to achieve success, mid-range models just can't attract a lot of customers. Regardless of the current state of things, Sony CFO Kenichiro Yoshida declared : " We're on our method to achieving 400 billion yen in operating profit next year. "

Once we reported yesterday, Sony’s Mobile Communications unit will have a very new CEO starting November 16. The current President and CEO, Kunimasa Suzuki, will surely be replaced by Hiroki Totoki, who at this time serves as Sony’s CEO and senior VP of Business Strategy, Corporate Development and Transformation. Naturally, Sony hopes this change will have a very positive affect on smartphone sales. You should check out further details about Sony’s latest financial results on the source links below.

Google Wallet gets Material design update

If you had been to only glance at the version quantity of Google Wallet, yesterday saw the most important update onto the app that we have ever seen. Unfortunately, the app itself might not feel that it received such an enormous update. Google Wallet made an enormous leap, going from version 2, each of the solution to version 7, but there have been only a handful features added beyond the new Material design makeover.

The large change here is obviously the Material design UI. Google Wallet does not have a lot of layers involved, therefore you do not quite obtain the sense of depth ; but, you'll the slide out navigation menu, bold colors, and some nice new animations. Having said that, You will find a few new proper features for you personally during this update. You are able to now established automatic transfers through your checking account, so you will always have money inside your Wallet account. Additionally, you are able to established alerts for once your Wallet balance hits a particular threshold.

Lastly, you are able to lock or cancel your physical Google Wallet card from inside app, just just in case you misplace it. The update started rolling on Android yesterday, which suggests it ought to find its solution to everyone inside a week or so. But, the update ought to be live for iOS users now.

The CAT S50 and B15Q reach the USA

The CAT S50 was the toughest smartphone being found at this year's IFA expo. Now, it is also perhaps one of the EU-only phones that were able to cross the pond and step on American shores. Small CAT B15Q accompanied it upon the trip, which suggests a brand new duo of extra-buff smartphones is ready in order to make our weak, skinny handsets shut up and eat their protein.

The CAT S50 is really a 4. 7-inch 720x1280 screen, Android 4.4-running, LTE smartphone that boasts IP67-certified waterproofing, wet-finger tracking, scratch resistance, and covers the Mil Spec 810G military rating for operating in harsh environments. It is a bulky, brick-like phone that is encased in the thick plastic armor with rubber bumpers on its four corners. Its 2630mAh battery is rated at 16 hours of talk some serious amounts of approximately 33 days of standby time.

The CAT S50 is powered using a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor paired with 2GB of RAM. Its spec sheet includes an 8MP rear camera with flash and HD video recording, and 8GB of expandable storage. The worth and date of availability aren't announced yet, nevertheless the phone is listed as "coming soon".

LG outs a durable 5.3" display using the world's narrowest bezel

LG Display isn't any stranger to record holding - in the end, it announced LG 5.5" Quad HD panel way in 2013, which we then thought could be only a evidence of concept, but here We're, a year or so later, when QHD has developed into a household word, using the G3 is racking in the sales numbers. This point the record Isn't connected with mouthwatering resolutions and pixel densities, but instead something rather more useful.

The mobile display section of LG just bragged that It's created the panel using the world's thinnest side bezel, at just 0. 7mm, paving the method for some record screen-to-phone-size ratios. How did LG try this? Well, using the press release, " LG Display’s Neo Edge technology uses an adhesive rather than double-sided tape to attach and completely seal the complete area and edges from the panel’s circuit board and backlight unit. Because there isn't any plastic guide panel to attach the panel and backlight, the Neo Edge technology helps achieve minimal bezel width, while blocking light leakage and being waterproof and dustproof. "

Not simply that, however the 5.3" 1080p display sports the new in-cell touch tech of LG, called "Advanced In-cell Touch," which enables for even thinner panels, because the touch layer is integrated inside the screen itself, while retaining the screen's usual touch sensitivity. Long story short, we can't await this screen to really make it into your production device, and find out if LG or another maker can beat Sharp's record EDGEST screen-to-phone size designs. Here is to hoping, like the minimum-bezel screen will certainly be shipping to customers next month, says LG.

Microsoft: The Lumia 635 can be a far better deal with a new iPhone

Removed from become a high-end offering, the Nokia Lumia 635 is among the cheapest 4. 5-inch smartphones that you may currently buy inside the US. This, however, doesn’t stop Microsoft from pitting it against Apple’s iPhone, suggesting the Lumia 635 represents a far better deal.

Nokia USA’ Twitter account (and that is now managed by Microsoft, and ought to be rebranded soon) recently posted an image showing the Lumia 635 next to some “competitor mobile phone” that costs $700 - it’s quite simple to guess (by watching it) the fact that is definitely an iPhone. Besides the Lumia 635 itself, which may be bought as low as $100, Microsoft says you may also get various accessories - such as a Nokia Lumia Tag, a Nokia Portable Wireless Speaker, a portable US charger, and much more - so you still pay way lower than for the iPhone. Plus, you’re getting freebies like Xbox games and Microsoft Office Mobile.

The image (seen below) was posted alongside the question “Can you tell us that is the better deal? ;) ” - notice the suggestive wink at the conclusion. In fact, for customers who simply can’t afford to pay out an excessive amount for any smartphone, the Lumia 625 is really a terrific deal. However, the handset just can’t be compared to some new iPhone specs-wise (and neither to any Android flagship, even), so it truly is more difficult to imagine that users who usually spend handsome profit on handsets would consider acquiring a Lumia 635 as their main phone.

Review of Microsoft's Band wearable - a fitness tracker

Microsoft is seemingly getting able to announce a wearable device simply called Band. As its name suggests, the Microsoft Band isn’t exactly a smartwatch. It’s a fitness band - very like Samsung’s Gear Fit, though with a far more conservative design, and apparently with an everyday (thus not curved) display.

The existence on the Band is pretty much confirmed by Microsoft itself, like the company today posted three apps via Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play Store, and it is own Windows Phone Store - all being companion apps to the new wearable device. The iOS app is known as Microsoft Band Sync, as the Android and Windows Phone ones are dubbed Microsoft Health.

It's just like the Microsoft Band wearable can provide " 24-hour heart rate monitoring and automatic activity counting, " while being integrated with Cortana on Windows Phone. At this time, we don’t know when Microsoft will launch its Band, and neither for which price, however we assume an official announcement is simply all around the corner.

Rumor : BlackBerry Siapkan Update Terbaru OS BB10

Os blackberry 10 memanglah baru seumur jagung. tetapi, kabarnya blackberry telah dapat memperbarui os ini. memanglah bukan hanya os blackberry 11 yang dapat dikeluarkan blackberry. cuma perbaikan minor saja untuk blackberry 10, dengan nama blackberry 10. 1.

kepastian ini sendiri diketahui sesudah sesuatu sumber dari bbin melansir beragam gambar mengenai penampakan os teranyar blackberry 10 ini. didalam lansiran tersebut, juga diterangkan bagaimana perbaikan serta fitur tambahan yang dapat diberikan kedepannya.

di antara fitur yang dijanjikan yaitu jenis and go. melalui fitur ini, pengguna tak perlu lagi repot-repot melacak ikon aplikasi atau service yang mereka akan, cukup tekan spasi serta perintah spesifik, maka bbm, bbm videocall, e-mail, sms, mms, serta jejaring sosialpun dapat terbuka dengan cepat.

disamping itu, kabarnya akan diberikan juga perbaikan didalam perihal kekuatan mengetik. kedepannya, blackberry 10. 1 dapat mendeteksi prediksi kata yang pingin diketik oleh pengguna. dengan demikian, mengetik di blackberry z10 atau q10 dapat dapat dikerjakan lebih mudah.

kabarnya juga, dapat ditambahkan sebagian fitur layaknya blackberry smart card reader 2. 0, blackberry balance, cross domain e-mail warnings serta corporate liable. sayangnya, bila telah diupdate, pengguna tak lagi dapat menggunakan blackberry smart card reader versi pada mulanya.

sekarang ini sendiri, blackberry 10. 1 memanglah belum dapat dipakai dengan umum. tetapi, beberapa developer aplikasi telah dapat memakainya untuk keperluan pengembangan.