蘋果研推防水iPhone 5 新有機納米薄膜抗水塗層技術 三星也想用

蘋果研推防水iPhone 5 新抗水塗層技術 三星也想用
明報 
1/18/2012


【明報專訊】智能手機功能多多，但一旦被水弄濕，手機即恐報廢。美國科技公司HzO推出一種全新防水塗層「WaterBlock」，可保護手機電子零件免被沾濕，甚至可讓手機整部放入水中，仍能如常運作。


HzO稱三星及蘋果均對新防水技術甚感興趣，外界更盛傳在今年夏季推出的iPhone 5亦可能採用此技術。


新防水塗層是一種具有抗水特性的有機納米薄膜，無毒無害，只要用在手機內部的電路板和電子零件上，即使手機被水滲入，亦不會令電子零件故障。


http://diguk.com


塗層不會影響手機外觀質感，更可預防零件生鏽。


HzO以iPhone及三星Galaxy S手機作示範，加上塗層的手機完全放入水中後仍能如常通話。


發言人表示，三星公司的主席曾看過有關示範，感難以置信。


手機浸水照可通話


現時HzO正與蘋果商討，在即將推出的iPhone 5中應用此技術，預期防水塗層將陸續獲下季推出的新手機採用，並在2年內在各種電子儀器中普及應用。HzO明年亦會為顧客特製預先加上防水塗層的iPhone手機。

元朗騙徒借手機搶走iPhone 4

騙徒借手機搶走iPhone 4
星島日報 
1/18/2012


(綜合報道)(星島日報報道) 警方雖然多次宣傳提醒市民切勿將手提電話借給陌生人，但元朗教育路一間店鋪姓黃女店員（二十一歲），昨午一時許遇上中年騙徒，好心借出手機時，遭搶去值四千多元的iPhone 4。


另一名二十一歲姓羅青年，下午在灣仔道一間遊戲機中心，將值五千元手機擺放機面時，遭賊人揮拳打傷及搶去電話。


記者 施永昭


http://diguk.com

Apple Lists Part Suppliers for First Time, Discloses Violations

Apple Lists Part Suppliers for First Time, Discloses Violations
January 14, 2012
Bloomberg
By Adam Satariano


Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc., responding to criticism of working conditions at companies that make parts for its products, listed its suppliers for the first time and disclosed instances of rights violations by some manufacturers.


An annual audit released yesterday pointed to involuntary labor at 17 factories and underage labor at five, according to the company’s supplier responsibility report. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, also published the names of 156 companies that account for 97 percent of the company’s procurement expenditures.


Apple, which began releasing the report in 2007, has faced scrutiny of labor practices at such manufacturers as Foxconn Technology Group. Environmental and human rights groups have criticized the company for the working conditions and use of unsafe materials by suppliers contracted to build the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac.


“We insist that our manufacturing partners follow Apple’s strict code of conduct,” Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook wrote yesterday in an e-mail to employees. “These audits make sure that working conditions are safe and just, and if a manufacturer won’t live up to our standards, we stop working with them.”



Apple Suppliers 2011
http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Supplier_List_2011.pdf


http://digcan.com



Apple’s list of suppliers includes such companies as Broadcom Corp., Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. One component maker not named, OmniVision Technologies Inc., fell 3.2 percent in U.S. trading yesterday.


Apple’s audit examined all levels of Apple’s supply chain, from component suppliers to final assembly.


Violations


In 229 audits, Apple discovered violations, including instances of underage labor; long working hours; unfair compensation; unsafe working conditions; and practices that cause harm to the environment.


In the case of underage workers, Apple said it required the suppliers to support the young peoples’ return to school and to improve management systems to add age-verification procedures. Apple said it ceased working with one repeat offender of its involuntary labor standards.


Apple also discovered 93 factories where records indicated more than half of workers exceeded a limit of 60 hours of work a week. Apple said it required suppliers to change work shifts and hired a consultant to help factories avoid long work hours.


Also cited by Apple were 42 facilities engaged in such compensation-related violations as delayed payment of wages, 67 that deducted pay as a punishment tool, 68 facilities that didn’t provide adequate benefits and 108 that didn’t pay proper overtime wages.


Discrimination


The reports coincided with an announcement that Apple agreed to let outside monitors into factories of its partners. Apple became the first technology company to join the Fair Labor Association, a Washington-based group set up in 1999 to monitor workplace environments globally in an initiative by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Its participants include Nike Inc. and Nestle SA.


Apple also said it found instances of involuntary labor, mainly the result of suppliers that subcontract with labor agencies to hire workers from countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.


The company cited discrimination violations, including 18 facilities that screened job candidates or current workers for hepatitis B and 24 facilities that conducted pregnancy tests.


“We classified these practices as discrimination -- even if permissible under local laws,” Apple said. “At our direction, the suppliers have stopped discriminatory screenings for medical conditions or pregnancy.”