Horizons

According to a new report, Chinese workers paid to assemble iPad 2 tablets earn significantly less than their counterparts elsewhere in the world. Here, a Foxconn manufacturing facility in Zhengzhou, central China. (Reuters)

Chinese workers earn a shared $8 for every iPad 2 they make: report

By Matthew Shaer / 02.15.12

Last week, a bunch of protesters stormed the Apple store at Grand Central Station, in midtown Manhattan. They were there to present a pair of petitions collected on SumOfUs and Change.org, both demanding that Apple change the way workers are treated in overseas factories.

It was only the latest attack on Apple for contracting companies with dubious workers' rights records. Apple has been under heavy fire since the publication, earlier this year, of a Times expose on the Apple supply chain. 

Today brings another critical report, this one from the Korea Daily. According to the newspaper, the Chinese factory workers that assemble the iPad 2 earn approximately $8, collectively, for every Apple tablet that rolls off the supply line. Eight bucks, as a point of reference, is less than two percent of the price of the cheapest iPad.

It's also far less than the $34 per iPad 2 reportedly paid to factory workers in Korea. 

Assuming the report is correct, Chinese workers are getting shortchanged. And Apple is making out big: The Register calculates that Apple rakes in a hefty $150 – 30 percent of the retail price – on every iPad 2 sold. So will Apple, which currently dominates the tablet market in the US, be affected by growing concern over the way its products are built?

Hard to say. 

But Apple is certainly concerned enough to have begun hitting back at critics. "Our commitment is very, very simple," Apple CEO Tim Cook said recently at the Goldman Sachs' Technology Conference. "We believe every worker has the right to a fair and safe work environment free of discrimination where they can earn competitive wages and where they can voice their concerns freely." 

Reuters reports that Cook has agreed to allow inspectors with the Fair Labor Association audit the overseas factories where Apple products are produced. 

For more tech news, follow us on Twitter @venturenaut. And don’t forget to sign up for the weekly BizTech newsletter.

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Twisted Metal hits shelves this week. Here, a screenshot from Twisted Metal. (Eat Sleep Pray)

Twisted Metal review roundup

By Matthew Shaer / 02.15.12

Twisted Metal, the rip-and-roar driving franchise published by Sony, first hit shelves back in 1995, as an exclusive for the PlayStation console. Since then, a veritable traffic jam of sequels have appeared, including Twisted Metal 2, 3, 4, and Twisted Metal: Black. The latest in the series is titled simply Twisted Metal, and it arrives this week on the PlayStation 3, in high-gloss HD.  

The game features the recurring characters Sweet Tooth and Calypso, along with the usual litany of armored trucks, explosives, and Really Big Guns. (Seat belts suggested.) So how does Twisted Metal stack up? Let's go to the scorecards.  

The plot (so to speak) 

"The story is told through the perspectives of three characters – Sweet Tooth, Grimm and Doll Face – entered in the Twisted Metal tournament run by mastermind Calypso," writes Brett Molina of USA Today. "If they win, they're granted any prize they choose. In the case of clown-faced serial killer Sweet Tooth, for example, it's to find the one victim that escaped his grasp. Although the story elements are very loosely tied to the game overall, they do offer this sinister backdrop with short tales that play out like an episode of The Twilight Zone." 

The vehicles

"The game is all about the cars, which are no longer locked to a specific driver," writes Jason D'Aprile of G4 TV. "Players can choose three different vehicles in most matches, which can be swapped out in the garage found on each map. Since cars don’t automatically regenerate health, the game can become a race to either find health power-ups or get to the garage before exploding. Each vehicle has its own signature move, which recharges after use, and a pre-selected main gun. Beyond that, it’s a free-for-all to pick up weapon power-ups." 

The controls

"While there are some unique additions [to previous Twisted Metal games], the core controls are still as slippery and loose as ever," writes Sebastian Haley of VentureBeat. "You can even turn 360 degrees without hitting the gas, so don’t expect any level of realism here. At the same time, the gameplay was in need of tune-up and could really have used some tightening up, especially in terms of weight distribution. Even the heaviest vehicles can be flung into the air with little effort…and sometimes with no effort at all; Twisted Metal sports some of the worst game physics to date, and at times it’s downright game-breaking."

The maps

"Maps are large and expansive, there's a ton of destruction, and there's just a lot more to see and do in each area than ever before," writes Al McCarthy of Attack of the Fanboy. "Environments range from rural settings, suburban locales, and even a stadium that changes landscapes on the fly with traps at every turn.  With each map being quite large there are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, giving you ample opportunity to find those perfect getaway spots or places to corner your competition." 

The AI 

"Competitors act less like opponents and more like the Illuminati, a cadre of conspirators who seem to have had a huddle before every match, deciding that the player needs to die in the most annoying and unfair way possible," writes David Hinkle of Joystiq. "Being the target of everything becomes taxing far too early in the game. It's hard to find the constitution to keep playing when you're constantly being frozen and bombarded with rockets. You have no idea how many times I dropped the controller in frustration and had to walk away just to cool down, something I never do."

The multiplayer

"The multiplayer is pure Twisted Metal," writes Game Informer's Dan Ryckert. "Deathmatch modes place you in one of the game’s numerous massive maps, and it doesn’t take long for things to turn into an all-out warzone. Nuke mode is chaotic and entertaining, with two teams capturing their enemy’s leader and launching him or her at a massive effigy of the opposing team. Hunted and Last Man Standing are also fun, but can’t compete with the insanity of Nuke. Gamers irked by the 'die five seconds after you spawn' experience from titles like Call of Duty should enjoy the longer lifespans of Twisted Metal’s online play." 

The parting shot

"I think that the game could have been truly superb had less effort gone into the failed aspects and more been poured into the type of Twisted Metal that fans know and love," writes Jim Sterling of Destructoid. "For all its shortcomings and lack of depth, however, there really is no other car combat game that has the goods quite like Twisted Metal. It's a solid entry in a series that's difficult to hate, and hardcore destruction fans would do well to pick it up." 

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Valentine's Day brings a sweet Google doodle video, with a political kicker. (Google)

Valentine's Day Google doodle: Does it subtly support gay marriage?

By Chris Gaylord / 02.14.12

Google wished the world a happy Valentine's Day Tuesday with a charming animation on its home page.

This Google doodle video tells the story of a boy lost in love. Eager to win over his crush, the boy turns to Google, but searches for all of the trite V-Day gifts. Roses? She doesn't care. Chocolates? Not gonna work. Dinosaur sweatshirt? He gets points for creativity, but his rope-jumping heartthrob doesn't seem to notice.

Finally, the boy stops trying to gift his way into her heart. There's a far more effective method: sharing a common interest. He grabs his own jump rope, stands beside her, and within a few hops, he's won her over. It's a darling video, similar to Google's Paris Super Bowl ad from 2010. But this one has a political kicker.

After the boy and girl live happily ever after, the video cuts to six couples. Standing front and center is a man, dressed in a tuxedo, holding hands with another man. Is this a subtle sign of support for gay marriage?

It wouldn't be the first time. In 2008, Google publicly came out against California's Proposition 8, the successful ballot measure that banned gays and lesbians from marrying within the state.

"While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality," wrote Google co-founder Sergey Brin before election day that year. "We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 – we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love."

(While voters approved Prop. 8, two courts later called the law unconstitutional. The case now moves to the US Supreme Court.)

The company hasn't stopped there. According to PC World, "Google changes the layout of its search pages every year during Gay Pride month. [In 2011], when you use Google to search for terms such as gay, lesbian or transgender, the results appear with a rainbow swooping down from and curling around the search bar." Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, as it is now known, takes place in June.  

If today's doodle is another wink to gay marriage supporters, Google has some excellent timing. On Monday, Washington became the seventh state to allow same-sex couples to wed, thanks in part to strong support from Microsoft and northwest companies. New Jersey may vote to become the eighth state as early as Thursday.

For more on how technology intersect daily life, follow Chris on Twitter @venturenaut.

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The PlayStation Vita, pictured here, hits shelves in the US this month. (Reuters)

PlayStation Vita review roundup

By Matthew Shaer / 02.14.12

The PlayStation Vita, the latest video game portable from Sony, launches tomorrow in a limited first edition bundle, to be followed on Feb. 22 by the standard-issue hardware. The Vita, as we've reported in the past, faces a pretty big challenge: Attracting all those gamers who would rather buy cheap downloadable titles, and play them on their iPhone/Android/tablet.

So hey, how good is the Vita, exactly? Pretty good, according to reviewers. But before we hit the scorecards, here are the relevant details: The Vita sells at two price configurations, $249 for a Wi-Fi model, and $299 for a Vita with 3G connectivity. Launch titles include a new "Uncharted" game, "Gravity Rush," and "WipeOut 2048." Got it? Then let's roll. 

The opening shot 

"The Vita – hefty and gleaming, like the Space Shuttle – is the best and most capable portable gaming system of all time, in that it replicates 'the console experience' better than anything else ever has," writes Sam Biddle of Gizmodo. "The graphics it pushes through on its 5-inch screen actually approach what you can see with a PlayStation 3. Approaches, not equals, but still! It's a handheld gaming system – and being able to even see the taillights of a current-gen console is laudable." 

The design

"The Vita measures just 3.29-inches high, 7.2-inches wide, and 0.73-inches deep," notes Ryan Fleming of Digital Trends. "It isn’t bulky, but it is slightly too big to fit in most normal pockets. It’s slim and lightweight enough to easily fit in cargo pants pockets, and won’t weigh you down if you put it in your backpack." Compared to the PlayStation Portable, Fleming writes, "the Vita shows a marked improvement. The awkward angles have been removed and replaced with rounded corners that make far more sense than the uncomfortable ridges on the early PSPs." 

The display

"The first thing you notice is the lustrous, five-inch OLED screen, a gargantuan display that is almost intoxicating," writes the critic for the New York Daily News. "Don’t be surprised if you stare at the screen for a few moments as soon as you power up the machine (I certainly did), just to marvel at the brilliant color production. The 960x544 display looks good from all angles and performs well with both games and movies."

The controls

"The Vita hardware makes use of just about every control paradigm used in the gaming world today, from traditional hardware buttons to touch and motion," writes Sam Byford of The Verge. "The physical layout is pretty similar to the PSP, with the four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and a D-pad joined by a pair of analog sticks, though unlike the PS3 you don't get button functionality by pushing them in." The Vita, Byford adds, "also has an array of motion sensors, including a gyroscope, accelerometer and digital compass, which allows for the same sort of input as the PS3's Sixaxis controller." 

The hidden costs

"Anything downloaded and installed on the Vita must be done with the use of a Vita Memory Card, as the Vita has an undisclosed – but seemingly small – amount of onboard storage," writes the team at CNET. "Vita Memory Cards are even smaller than the game cards, mostly resembling Sony M2 and microSD cards. Vita Memory Cards have become a particularly controversial subject with the Vita, as it's also required to play almost all Vita games and media apps. Even more disheartening is the fact that a Vita Memory Card isn't included in the box." 

The software

Writing at Engadget, Sean Buckley calls the software on the Vita, which is controlled via the touchscreen, "smartphone-esque." Touch is "the name of the game; the menu won't accept any input, save that of your capacitive-friendly digits, Buckley continues. "Blowing off the buttons is a bit of a bold move, but when the touch controls work this well, we really don't mind. Navigation is simple and intuitive – flicking north or south brings you through as many as ten pages of staggered icons, each representing an app, game or feature." 

The conclusion.... 

"The Vita is not a flawless system, but when it comes to the important features that make a handheld gaming console worthwhile, it hits most of the notes," writes Kyle Hilliard of Game Informer. "Incredible graphics, responsive touchscreen and tilt mechanics, and the extra control stick make the Vita one of the most well-rounded handhelds we’ve ever seen. Given its myriad input options, the Vita can satisfy the casual gamer used to playing games with a touchscreen and the much harder to please hardcore gamer who wants full control and amazing graphics." 

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The iPad 3 could get 4G LTE support. Here, the Apple iPad 2. (Reuters)

iPad 3 with 4G heading to AT&T and Verizon: report

By Matthew Shaer / 02.14.12

The iPad was an extraordinary success for Apple – according to one report, Apple managed to unload 43 million of the tablet computers over the course of 2011. So it makes sense that interest would be extremely high in the iPad 3, the purported successor to the iPad 2. Last we checked, Silicon Valley scuttlebutt put the iPad 3 launch in early March; the device is rumored to be getting a better screen, and more powerful innards. 

So what other new technology will arrive onboard the iPad 3? A 4G LTE antenna, maybe. This morning, in a much-cited dispatch, The Wall Street Journal reported that at least some versions of the new iPad will get 4G connectivity, both on the AT&T and Verizon Wireless high-speed networks. Caveats abound: The carriers are declining comment, and so is Apple; the Journal says only that the information comes from "people familiar with the matter." 

Still, the timing makes sense. Over the last couple months, AT&T and Verizon have begun selling a range of phones that work at 4G speeds, including the Droid 4. (It's worth noting here that with the accelerated download speeds, comes great responsibility: 4G users have to watch that they don't go zooming over their monthly data caps. Verizon, for its part, has re-issued its "double down" 4G promotion to help attract new consumers.) 

Over at Information Weeks, Eric Zeman points out that the Verizon LTE network is live in about 200 markets, where it covers approximately 190 million users. AT&T reportedly cuts a smaller swath with its high-speed 4G network: About a dozen markets and 90 million users. Either way, connecting your shiny new iPad 3 to those networks won't be cheap. 

"If you're interested in an LTE 4G iPad 3, prepare to pay for it," Zeman writes. "Apple has consistently charged $130 more for cellular-equipped iPads when compared to the Wi-Fi-only models. Whether or not AT&T or Verizon will offer the iPad 3 at a reduced price with a contract is unknown, but not probable. Both Verizon and AT&T offer month-to-month data options for devices such as tablets, but offerings for the iPad 3 have not been announced."

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The Google offices in Hyderabad, India. (Reuters)

With new music hardware, Google takes aim at your living room

By Matthew Shaer / 02.10.12

Earlier this month, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster forecasted the imminent arrival of an Apple TV set, possibly as soon as the fourth quarter of 2012. In Munster's rendering, the Apple TV would stream a range of live and digital content, and sync with other Apple platforms, such as iCloud. Now comes word that Google, Apple's Silicon Valley rival, is considering its own "home entertainment device."

According to The New York Times, Google is at work on a "branded item," which will mark "the company’s most significant venture into hardware." (Google, of course, already sells branded phones, such as the Galaxy Nexus.) Crucially, unlike Apple TV, this gadget – let's call it the Google Entertainment Gizmo. 

So why would Google, which makes plenty of cash on advertising sales, want to expand into the hardware market? Well, over at PC World, Daniel Ionescu has a couple ideas. 

"Apple has shown that by controlling the hardware and software, it can deliver better-integrated products and make high profits not only from content sales, but also from hardware," Ionescu writes. "Google gives Android away for free to phone manufacturers, but if it controls the hardware, it could command higher profits. So far, Google’s main revenue source remains search advertising."

Moreover, Google may simply have no choice. As Forrester analyst James McQuivey told the Times this week, "Google’s future depends on extending its influence beyond the PC screen." McQuivey points out that Google has experienced some success with its line of mobile phones, which have received rapturous marks from critics, although it has had more trouble with its Google TV project. 

At any rate, any Google stereo would likely sync with Google Music, an online store and music-sharing platform introduced last November. Google Music launched with 13 million tracks from a handful of labels, including majors such as EMI, Sony, and Universal, and an estimated 1,000 indie houses. Google Music is a ready-made trove of content for the Google Entertainment Gizmo.

Or whatever it's going to be called. 

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Apple could launch the iPad 3 as soon as March. Here, the iPad 2. (Reuters)

iPad 3 rumors solidify around release window, but not features

By Matthew Shaer / 02.10.12

Apple could release a new iPad as early as next month. As we noted yesterday, several new reports point to a March unveiling in San Francisco, presumably followed – a week or so later – by the official launch of the iPad 3. So what kind of features will Apple load onto its latest tablet? 

An improved screen, for sure. The current model iPad – the iPad 2 – sports a 9.7-inch display, with 1024-by-768-pixel resolution. Decent, but there's plenty of room for improvement, and the bulk of the recent iPad 3 gossip has centered on a Retina Display, similar to the one used on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Writing this week in All Things D, John Paczkowski predicted the iPad 3 would get a 2048-by-1536 pixel resolution, "or something close to it." 

As for the shape of the forthcoming device – well, odds are that Apple won't reinvent the wheel the tablet here. A recent image, published first on the Repair Labs Blog, and then circulated elsewhere, purportedly shows the iPad 3, and it looks a lot like the iPad 2. The difference, according to The Verge: structural changes "which will allow for a larger battery, slightly reconfigured logic board, new cameras, and a different screen."

Consumers can also expect the arrival of Siri, the voice-controlled personal assistant introduced on the iPhone 4S. Siri has been popular among users, as Gregg Keizer of Computerworld has pointed out. There's plenty of evidence to indicate that Siri has helped drive interest in the latest iPhone. It makes sense that Apple would trot out the functionality on the iPad 3. 

Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl around a second, smaller iPad, with a 7-inch screen, which Apple could roll out later in 2012. "I believe that's always been in the plan" analyst Ezra Gottheil told Computerworld this week, referring to a small iPad. "Actually that's a good form factor for some users, and although they will also charge a premium above other similar-sized tablets, they want to protect that price flank."

This syncs with reports from late 2011, which also pointed to a two-iPad 2012. 

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A giant Google banner is hung on a building in Athens, Greece. New rumors suggest Google is planning to launch a cloud-storage service similar to Dropbox. (Petros Giannakouris/AP/File)

Google plans to challenge Dropbox with cloud-sync service: report

By Jeff Ward-Bailey / 02.10.12

Quick: picture a web service that gives you easy access to your files and media, wherever you are. You can upload your stuff to a server and pull it down to as many devices as you want, anywhere you have an Internet connection.

Sound familiar? That’s the model behind services such as Dropbox, Box.net, and Windows Live SkyDrive. But according to a new report, Google will soon muscle in on the cloud-storage turf with its own service.

The Wall Street Journal, citing “people familiar with the matter," reported Thursday that Google is preparing to launch a long-rumored service called "Drive" sometime in the next few weeks or months. Why use Drive over an existing service? Well, assuming you already have a Google account, you probably already have a lot of photos, documents, and other media stored on Google's servers. Drive would give you one-stop access to all your files, wherever you have an Internet connection.

To be fair, Google’s other services already offer a fragmented version of cloud syncing. Take a picture on your Android smart phone, for example, and Google can automatically upload it to its Picasa photo service, where it's held in a private album until you decide to publish it. Google Docs offers an easy way to keep documents in the cloud -- in fact, you never need to download a local copy if you don't want to. (Google also gave users the ability, back in 2010, to upload any kind of media to Google Docs, so it can already function as a catchall backup service, albeit in a hacky sort of way.)

But Drive would, at least according to the rumors, be a smoother, all-encompassing solution for this sort of thing. Rather than have to hunt in the service associated with the file type you're looking for (Docs for documents, Picasa for photos, etc.), all your stuff just lives in the cloud, held in one area. The Journal says users will be able to store a few gigabytes of data on Google's servers for free, with inexpensive paid options for larger capacities.

No word yet on whether there will be a desktop client for the service. Dropbox uses a model in which a folder lives on your desktop and files placed into it are automatically synced to the cloud. Apple’s iCloud service is designed in a similar way. But given Google’s penchant for web apps, it seems likely that Drive would be a platform-agnostic, fully online service.

Readers, what do you think about all this? Would you use Drive, or are you already happy with another service? Let us know in the comments.

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A portrait of Apple founder Steve Jobs is shown in the window of an Apple store in Berlin. (Reuters)

Steve Jobs: FBI file says Apple CEO could 'distort reality'

By Matthew Shaer / 02.09.12

In 1991, the FBI conducted a background check on the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, who was then under consideration for a post in the George H.W. Bush White House.

Now, two decades later, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the government has finally released the 191-page file, and the documents within offer an intriguing look at the man behind the Apple empire. 

Among the topics covered: Possible past drug use; a Top Secret government security clearance given to Mr. Jobs in 1988 (the reasons remain unclear); and the often contentious relationship between Jobs and his employees. "Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs' honesty stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals," read the FBI documents, according to USA Today. 

(It's worth noting here that in 1991, when the FBI file was created, Jobs had been fired from Apple, and moved to positions at Pixar and NeXT Computer, which he founded. In fact, the employer listed on the 1988 security clearance was Pixar. In 1996, Apple purchased NeXT, and Jobs returned to his former company.)

Elsewhere, interviewees are more positive about Jobs's infamously prickly demeanor: "Strongwilled, stubborn, hardworking, and driven, which they believe is why he is so successful. And that Mr. Jobs possesses integrity as long as he gets his way; however they did not elaborate on this," reads one excerpt highlighted by the Los Angeles Times. 

As Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Forbes notes today, the files don't make for a particularly "flattering picture, but [it's] nothing we haven't heard before." Last year, Walter Isaacson published "Steve Jobs," an authorized biography of the Apple CEO, and although the book was largely flattering, it did take note of Jobs's frequent clashes with friends, allies, and competitors. 

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