With the iPad Mini’s announcement expected to be sometime this month, most manufacturers aren’t divulging anything. They’re waiting to see what Apple’s newest tablet will look like and, more importantly, how much it will cost.
But Samsung doesn’t care.
1. Galaxy S III Mini imminent
Apple’s biggest competitor will announce a smaller version of it’s flagship handset Oct. 11, according to Samsung Mobile Chief JK Shin.
The new phone is expected to have a 4-inch screen, but there aren’t any other solid details. This is presumably so Samsung can have an iPhone 5-sized alternative for those who don’t want to carry the enormous 4.8-inch original model.
And if it’s competitively priced under $199, Apple could face a serious threat to it’s critically-acclaimed new phone.
Speaking of Apple problems…
2. Apple was warned about Maps
It’s well-documented how inconsistent Apple’s new Maps application is. Missing addresses, poor-quality satellite images and a complete lack of detail in areas like the Quad only brush the surface of the shoddiness of the maps.
But tech blog CNET learned app developers warned Apple about the quality of Maps well before iOS 6 was released to the public.
So was Apple arrogant in forcing the change from Google Maps? Possibly. Google has worked on its maps for 10 years — twice the time Apple had before it started development. It’s simply not possible to get the same level of detail in that timespan.
But just like Siri, Apple decided to market Maps as a complete product when it clearly isn’t. A mistake, but CEO Tim Cook apologized and encouraged iOS users to seek mapping alternatives.
What doesn’t make sense is why the company known for its insane level of perfection let something like Maps slip out in the first place.
3. Huawei and ZTE accused of potential espionage
China’s biggest telecommunications equipment manufacturers, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp. are under the microscope for possibly leaking user information to the Chinese government, according to a report by the U.S. House Intelligence Committee.
Committee chairman Mike Rogers appeared on “60 Minutes” and discussed the findings and recommended businesses “find another vendor if you care about your intellectual property; if you care about your consumers’ privacy and you care about the national security of the United States of America.”
There are reports of illegal activity such as immigration violations, bribery and corruption by Huawei, according to the House investigation.
The fear is that these two companies could somehow build backdoors in products that allow private information to leak to the Chinese government, according to tech blog The Verge.
Both companies are vehemently denying these claims. Huawei said in a statement, the report “employs many rumors and speculations to prove non existent accusations.”
