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Fake Apple Stores In China Ordered To Shut Down Operations [VIDEO]

Remember the fake Apple Stores we talked about the other day? Well, Chinese newspaper Dushi Shibao reports that the stores have been shut down, after orders from local authorities.

The news comes from Bloomberg which cites newspaper Dushi Shibao's report which, in turn, was posted on Kunming city's local government website. Chinese officials investigated five stores and found two of the store's operations to be illegal as they were running without proper licenses.

From Bloomberg:

Chinese authorities shut two stores in Kunming that used Apple Inc.'s logo without the company's permission because they lacked the proper business licenses, a newspaper run by the southwestern city's government reported.

Three separate unauthorized Apple stores, which also were investigated, had operating licenses, according to the Dushi Shibao newspaper report that was posted on the Kunming city government's website. Officials inspected more than 300 vendors of electronic products in the city, Dushi reported.

Being the world's most populous country, with the world's second largest economy, there is an outstandingly strong demand for Apple products in China and Apple is nowhere close to meeting said demand. They have only four retail Apple Stores with all four operating in Beijing and Shanghai. Besides this, Apple has over 900 resellers. Despite all this seemingly wide network, people are from smaller districts are forced to get their Apple fix from unauthorized stores.

This is the main reason why businessmen like Yu Cheng open up such retail outlets.

He feels that he is actually "doing Apple a favor" by opening faux Apple Stores. Cheng now wants to become a legitimate reseller of the fruit company up in Cupertino, having applied for permission to use the company's logo and sell its products.

Bloomberg notes that over 1 million iPads were sold in China the previous quarter, with more than half of the post-PC tablet devices being bought from unauthorized stores. Apple's revenue from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan totaled $3.8 billion in the last quarter.

Apple so far has declined to comment on this story.

(video credit: MIC Gadget)

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Source: http://www.redmondpie.com/fake-apple-stores-in-china-ordered-to-shut-down-operations-video/

RIM to lay off 2,000 employees, shuffle executives

RIM said it would lay off some employees last month after announcing disappointing Q1 sales and earnings, and it looks like judgement day is here: the company says it's axing some 2,000 jobs around the world. That's slightly more than analysts expected, and it'll bring RIM's employee count down to about 17,000 total – something Waterloo says is a "prudent and necessary step" after having experienced an "extended period of rapid growth." That's the polite way of saying the company's gotten too big to sustain itself in light of a 10 percent drop in income and disappointing PlayBook sales, we suppose.

RIM's also announcing some semi-important executive shuffling, with the biggest news being that COO Don Morrison is retiring after going on medical leave last month. He won't be directly replaced: in addition to (in)famously having two CEOs, RIM actually had three COOs, so Morrison's role will be split up between Product and Sales COO Thorstein Heins and Operations COO Jim Rowan. (Yes, that's Chief Operating Officer in charge of Operations Jim Rowan.) The other executive moves are mostly to strengthen existing roles — let's hope the renewed focus helps RIM get back on track and start adding jobs again sometime soon.

Source: http://thisismynext.com/2011/07/25/rim-lay-2000-employees-shuffle-executives/

Voomote One turns your iPhone into a well organized universal remote

Ok, so the name isn't great, but the Voomote One is actually kinda neat. It's not the first universal remote adapter we've seen for the iPhone and, unlike the Surc IR case, you probably wouldn't want to leave this bulky add-on attached to your handset when not in use. But, the app does have some convenient features, like the ability to create custom layouts that can easily be switched based on the devices in a particular room. So you can setup a living room profile to control your big screen and cable box, and a separate bed room one for your more modest set and a stereo. You can also create command macros that fire up multiple devices with the tap of a single virtual button. The Voomote app is available for free in the app store, but the actual IR-blasting sleeve will set you back $99. Check out the gallery below and head on after the break for some PR.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/voomote-one-turns-your-iphone-into-a-well-organized-universal-re/

Leak: future iOS update to introduce Siri-based voice control

When Apple snatched up Siri back in April, we had to wonder exactly what Cupertino was planning for the voice controlled virtual assistant. The answer, according to a new leak, is unsurprisingly obvious: iOS integration. A screenshot leaked to 9to5Mac flaunts an "Assistant" feature presumably built into a firmware update. To back up the screenshot, the aforesaid site dove into the iOS SDK and uncovered code describing Siri-like use of the iPhone's location, contact list, and song metadata. The code also outlined a "speaker" feature, opening a door for further Nuance integration in Apple products. Sound awesome? Sure it does, but keep it salty: 9to5's source says the assistant feature only just went into testing, and may not be ready in time for Apple's next big handset upgrade. Hit the source link to see the code and conjecture for yourself.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/leak-future-ios-update-to-introduce-siri-based-voice-control/

Apple recruiting additional staff for fall iPhone 5 launch

Apple is recruiting additional staff at U.S. Apple Store locations ahead of the launch of its highly anticipated fifth-generation iPhone. MacRumors reports that Apple is contacting former employees and asking them to come back as part time workers from August 15th through September 15th. In emails reportedly sent from Apple to the former retail staff, Apple says it is looking for part time employees to assist with the “holidays, new product launches and back to school time.” Apple is all but confirmed to be launching the iPhone 5 some time between late August and mid-September. The fifth-generation Apple smartphone is expected to include a faster dual-core processor, more storage space and an 8-megapixel camera, and it might feature a redesigned case as well. Apple may also launch new iPod touch models and a new iPad with a Retina Display at the same time, though it will likely be a complimentary “iPad Pro” model as opposed to a new iPad 3 if it does in fact launch this fall.

Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/25/apple-recruiting-additional-staff-for-fall-iphone-5-launch/

Andy Pad Pro gets detailed while Andy Pad makes film debut (video)

Low-cost Android, actually looking decent? Seems like it. We've caught wind of a few hitting the scene at this point, and there's little question that the Andy Pad folks appear to have something better in mind. The company's been slowly releasing info on Twitter about its 7-inch Andy Pad and Pro variant, and has also recently updated its website; the AP Pro's finally been priced for £179 (about $290) and there's now a full shot of the slates along with specs. While we knew the Pro would have a capacitive touchscreen and front / rear cams, those "additional features" have panned out to be an increased 1024 x 600 screen resolution and Bluetooth connectivity (it seems the 16GB model was this version all along). Still aching to see one in action? AP's also posted a YouTube clip of the base model zipping along and effortlessly hurling Angry Birds through its Gingerbread scented air. It'll still be about month until the duo hit the streets, but for now, you'll find the video past the break.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/andy-pad-pro-gets-detailed-while-andy-pad-makes-film-debut-vide/

RIM axes 2000 jobs, changes managers in effort to halt decline

Just a month after a disgruntled employee accused RIM's managers of failing to make bold decisions, the latter have responded by boldly sacking 11 percent of their workforce. The company says it will notify affected employees in North America and some other countries this week. It also announced a number of changes to its executive team, with Thorsten Heins taking on the expanded role of COO, Product and Sales. Other personnel changes were generally confined to sales, marketing and operations, which leaves us wondering what, if anything, will change in the way RIM comes up with new products.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/rim-axes-2000-jobs-changes-managers-in-effort-to-halt-decline/

Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 beta brings iCloud support, no bug fixes

We know what you're thinking: Mac OS X Lion (10.7) has been out for nearly a week, so why have we yet to hear anything about Snow Lion? Patience friends, Apple will roar soon enough -- but for now, 10.7.2 will have to do. Apple released the beta update to developers over the weekend, eschewing any acknowledgment of 10.7.1, or correcting any of the bugs that have popped up over the last week. Instead, Lion's pending second update (build 11C26) is required for testing the operating system with iCloud -- a feature notably absent in the public version of the OS released last week. The new System Preferences iCloud module enables granular management of select features, letting you choose which accounts and services to sync. Full iCloud support is coming in the fall with the release of iOS 5, so it's probably safe to assume that Apple plans to patch some of those bugs in the meantime -- any day now, we hope.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/mac-os-x-lion-10-7-2-beta-brings-icloud-support-no-bug-fixes/

Kinect-driven tactile bodysuit makes you tingle in eight different places

We know the US Army has already experimented with vibrating clothing, and soon it could be our turn. The trendy figure-hugger above is rigged with haptic actuators across the arms and torso, which respond when the wearer's body 'touches' virtual objects created via Microsoft's Kinect platform. The outfit's designers at the University of Aachen spent just a few hundred dollars on components, aside from the cost of the Kinect, so this might well have commercial potential. Click the source link if you're really keen to see a concept video -- although it doesn't consist of much beyond a German dude doing the Hey Macarena in his socks.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/kinect-driven-tactile-bodysuit-makes-you-tingle-in-eight-differe/

HTC Ruby images leak via Flickr, mysteriously disappear

It looks like someone forgot about the HTC Flyer's glossy screen: a series of shots (now pulled) from Flickr reveal what appears to be the backside of a new HTC smartphone. The photo sharing service outed the shots as being taken by an HTC Ruby, a white-backed smartphone with a dual-flash camera and 3.5mm audio jack. Really, that's all we know. The last phone HTC codenamed "Ruby" turned out to be the HTC Arrive, so maybe this gem will shine with a Mango-tinged hue. Then again, Android is just as likely to use cameras and headphone jacks as any other OS, so really it's anybody's game. Hit the break for a bonus reflecto-shot and tell us what you think this phantom phone ought to run.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/25/htc-ruby-images-leak-via-flickr-mysteriously-disappear/